Are you experiencing blurry vision when looking through your reticle?
If so, you may have astigmatism. In this article, we will explore the 5 best red dot sights for astigmatism.
No red dot sight can 100% fix astigmatism problems right away, but the dot sizes selection is important.
Best Optics For Astigmatism
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Top 3 Options
Best Overall
Best Open Emitter
Best For The Money
Vortex AMG UH1 Gen 2 - Best Overall
The Vortex AMG is features a open section holographic reticle to help shooters with astigmatism to aim better. The reticle is large to pick up and has no emitter glare under low light.
Larger Viewing Window - Rear window is larger than the original AMG Gen 1.
No Glass Tint - No visible glass tint this time for better clarity during day and night
Spring Loaded Base - Functions like the ELCAN SpecterDR to retain zero and damp out receiver recoil impulses
NV Mode - Works with night vision goggles
Features:
- Magnification: 1X
- Window Size: 1.35"X 1.15"
- Eye Relief: Unlimited
- Reticle Type: 1 MOA + 65 MOA Ring [EBR CQB open section reticle]
- Turret : 0.5 MOA / Click
- Length: 3.9 inches
- Weight: 11.6 oz
- Battery: 1 CR123A
- Battery Life: 1500 hours
Vortex Spitfire AR - Best For The Money
The Vortex Spitfire isn't exactly a red dot sight, but its 1X prism design offers the sharpest glass etched reticle with or without illumination. The reticle is so sharp that any shooter with astigmatism can use, and it feels like aiming while wearing glasses.
Rapid Sight Acquisition - Just like a red dot, The dual ring reticle design pulls the eye into instant alignment with the reticle center and target.
Works For Cross Eye Dominance - Tilt the rifle to the dominance eye while maintain good cheek weld position using a tall mount.
Up to 700 Yards - Perfect for limited division 3-Gun competitors or range-goers who wish to engage targets from point blank to extended range up to 700 yards.
Shockproof - Rugged construction withstands recoil and impact.
Features:
- Magnification: 1X
- Objective Lens: 25mm
- Eye Relief: 3.8"
- Reticle Type: Glass etched DRT reticle
- Turret : 0.5 MOA / Click
- Length: 4.3 inches
- Weight: 11.2 oz
- Battery Life: Infinite
Check out more High quality red dot sights
Read More: Trijicon RMR RM06 VS RM07
Holosun 510C - Best Open Emitter
Why buy the Holosun 510C - The 510C is by far the best budget open emitter red dot sight great for people with astigmatism with multiple reticle selections available.
Multiple Reticle Options - Cycle through 4 different reticles from a single dot to a 65 MOA ring reticle.
Fast Target Acquisition - Large CQB 65 MOA reticle circle for range estimation, perfect for accurate close-range shooting with a rapid holdover reference point
Near Infinite Battery Life - Solar failsafe technology extends the battery life longer to keep you in the fight longer without ever changing the battery
Features:
- Magnification: 1X
- Objective Lens: 35mm
- Eye Relief: 2.39"
- Reticle Type: TA11 BDC
- Turret : 0.33 MOA / Click
- Length: 8 inches
- Weight: 14 oz
- Battery Life: 50,000 hours
Trijicon RMR RM07 - Best Durability
Trijicon RMR is the gold standard for all small size open emitter red dot sights. The RM07 model in particular features a adjustable brightness 6.5 MOA dot, and it's perfect for shooters with astigmatism.
Rounder Dot Appearance - 6.5 MOA dot gives that big center reticle without looking smeared for
Rugged Body - Combat proven durability with forged 7075 T6 aluminum body, and the rounded hood edges divert impact stress away from the glass to withstand physical abuse
Adjustable LED Dot Brightness - Dial to whatever setting is right for you for daytime or night time use.
Auto Lock Out Mode - Lock a particular brightness setting for conceal carry without accidently dialing the adjustment under clothing or tight holster fit
Tighter Battery Grip - Type 2 RMR features a brand new battery compartment to grip the CR2032 battery much tighter to prevent lose electrical contact
RMR Footprint - Mount on pistol, rifle and shotgun. Plenty of aftermarket RMR mounting solutions available
Features:
- Magnification: 1X
- Objective Lens: 0.9" x 0.6"
- Eye Relief: Unlimited
- Reticle Type: 6.5 MOA dot
- Turret : 1 MOA / Click
- Length: 1.8 inches
- Weight: 1.2 oz
- Battery: CR2032
- Battery Life: 4 years
Shield RMS - Lightest Weight
Why use Shield RMSc – The RMSc shares the same mounting footprint as the original RMS red dot, and it has the clearest lens and dot as far as for shooters with astigmatism. They gonna love it!
Durable polymer glass - Withstands up to 10X greater shock impact than glass optics plus minimal lens reflection for shooters with stigmatism
LED Insert: The LED insert comes in two sizes, 4moa, which is very energy efficient and suitable for a wide range of applications, and 8moa is best for astigmatic eyes to see crystal clear.
Perfect for single stack pistols - Fits flush on the Hellcat OSP slide. Looks great, feels great and built tough.
Super lightweight for CCW - Carry it any where you go without feeling like there is weight on you.
Features
- Magnification: 1X
- Eye Relief: Unlimited
- Reticle Type: Red Dot
- Turret: 1/4 inch at 20 yards
- Length: 1.7 inches
- Width: 1.0 inches
- Height: 0.9 inches
- Weight: 0.61 oz
- Battery Life: 2 to 3 years
Common FAQ
What Is Astigmatism?
Astigmatism is when your eye's shape is not perfect, which makes it hard for light to focus and can cause blurry vision. Eye doctors also call this "Refractive Error".
This may include:
- Nearsightedness or myopia
- Farsightedness or hyperopia
Bottom line - Our eyes aren't completely round, they are more like an oval shape. This can sometimes make it so we see reflections of light in a different way than usual. Sometimes, the clear front part of the eye, called the cornea, can be misshapen in a way that can cause light to focus in front of or behind the retina, which can cause blurry vision
Astigmatism exists within ~25 - 36% of the population have astigmatism according to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Did you know ? You could have a perfect 20/20 vision and still have some astigmatism
To learn more please reference WebMD
How Does Astigmatism Affect Reticle Clarity Through An Optic?
Here is what shooters with astigmatism see when looking through a red dot.
A reflex red dot sight is created with a collimating minating mirror. In a normal eye, those beams of light all have one focal point.
However in an astigmatic eye, those beams of light are refracted into multiple multiple focal points. So the shooters with poor eye sight will see the blurry reticle that looks smeared, starburst and distorted.
This problem can be very annoying for some shooters when using a BDC reticle like the 68 MOA Eotech Reticle, a distorted reticle may hinder your ability to aim precisely.
A large size MOA dot, 6 MOA or more generally appears much rounder and with less starburst compared to a tiny 1 or 2 MOA dot
As mentioned above, get your eyes checked or renew prescription is important to fight astigmatism to get accurate aim.
How can you determine whether a problem lies with your optic or with your eyes?
In order to clearly discern the disparity, capture an image of the reticle using a camera devoid of astigmatism. If the reticle appears as a distinct and circular shape on the camera, then the source of the problem lies with your eyes
To test this, please assume:
- No ambient light reflection in the background
- No glaring sunlight
- Clean lens & emitter
- No oily lens surface
- No smeared fingerprints on the lens or emitter
- Reticle brightness isn't too high
As the content creator of badassoptic.com, My background in the firearms industry and shooting sports gives me the experience to recommend tried and true products and keep away subpar ones.