Holosun 515GM VS Aimpoint Micro

In this Holosun 515GM VS Aimpoint Micro comparison guide, let's go over the followings after using the 515GM for about 2 years, and the Aimpoint Micro for 8 years. 

I would say the Holosun 515GM is definitely a great optic that can save you a lots of money for other gear items than dumping all the money into an Aimpoint Micro.

Holosun 515GM VS Aimpoint Micro

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Price

The biggest difference between Holosun 515GM and Aimpoint Micro is the price difference before getting into other specs. The Holosun 515GM is much more affordable for under $350, and it's Holosun's best mil-spec quality red dot sight so far.

Aimpoint Micro on the other hand costs as much as a brand new Glock pistol. Depend on where you buy it from, some can cost up to $600 a piece. This particular Aimpoint Micro is the H1 model, which is slightly cheaper than the H2 or the T2, and it came with an absolute co-witness mount.

For anyone getting into their first red dot sight in today's tight economy, the Holosun 515GM is definitely a better option.

Winner: Holosun 515GM

Construction

The Holosun 515GM and Aimpoint Micro have similar durability. In the past 8 years, this particular Aimpoint Micro has gone through many range terrains, temperature fluctuations and rough handling.

In terms of rough handling, the Aimpoint Micro and 515GM retain zero as long as the optic is correctly mounted. Both optics are made with 7075 T6 forged aluminum, which they can be bumped around and occasionally dropped on hard concrete.

In terms of weight and size go, the 515GM is slightly longer and weighs about 0.4 oz more than the Aimpoint Micro (Without mount)

The 515GM just takes up more rail space if the lens caps and the kill flash are in the way.

Holosun 515GM's turrets are protected by these wing extrusions highlighted in red, but the buttons are exposed. As long as nothing rubs against it from the top, I should be able to protect these rubberized buttons.

Even though they are made to withstand torture, I personally believe the gear has to be taken care of as much as possible. 

Winner: Aimpoint Micro

Reticle Options

The Holosun 515GM has the multi reticle system, and the Aimpoint Micro H1 in this review only has the 2 MOA option. Aimpoint also offers the 4 MOA option, but they are hard to find these days unless you dig the internet.

Most Aimpoint Micro on the market have the 2 MOA option, which is totally fine.

One of the best thing about the 515GM is the 65 MOA ring reticle that can be cycled on to estimate target range based on known size. The 65 MOA ring reticle is the same as the 68 MOA ring reticle for the EOTech EXPS3.

Based on my personal experience, I generally just use the 2 MOA center dot because it doesn't clutter up the field of view.

During low light shooting sessions, as long as the reticle brightness is dialed just right, and my rifle light isn't washing out the reticle, I'm still favoring the single dot reticle over the ring reticle.

As far as dealing with astigmatism goes, correcting my vision was the only way I combat a ghosted reticle.

Winner: Tie

Mount

Both red dot sights have the Aimpoint Micro footprint. All aftermarket Aimpoint Micro mount can go on the Holosun 515GM without any problem.

However, one thing to point out is that the Holosun 515GM sits slightly higher than the Aimpoint Micro because it has that extra 0.25" thick bottom base. 

So on a 1.93" or a 2.26" height mount, it will be a little taller to align with whatever magnifier scope you use.

In this case the Unity Tactical FTC magnifier almost align with the Holosun 515GM on the Unity Tactical FAST mount. This is something to watch out for.

Winner: Tie

Accuracy

Both red dot sights are accurate as long as they are zeroed correctly. Both red dot sights have 0.5 MOA per click windage and elevation adjustment turrets.

In the past few years, I have only zeroed them in between 36 and 50 yards, and I zero them with a magnifier to zoom in the sight picture.

The mistakes I have made in the past when zeroing is eyeballing the point of aim at 1X with worse than 20/20 eyesight. The 2 MOA dot is small enough to be precise, but it can still be off if I can't see the exactly where the dot is pointed on the target grid. So a 3X magnifier scope helps a lot.

Winner: Tie

Battery Life

Both red dot sights run on a single CR2032 battery. The Aimpoint Micro H1 so far hasn't died at all since 2017, even though I did swap out the battery once in 2020. 

The Holosun 515GM has been on still, and I tested it by turning off its shakeawake feature to see how long it can run without ever turning it off when it's in idle.

Anyway, none of them have died or dimmed at the range so far.

Winner: Both

Technology

The Aimpoint Micro has the toughest construction and it has the least technology inside. The optic just turns on and runs.

The Holosun 515GM red dot sight has the ShakeAwake technology that turns off the reticle if it's in idle, and the reticle activates when it senses motion.

This is a technology that many red dot sights on the market has, but it's not necessary when the battery already lasts so long.

For those who swap battery every year, this feature really doesn't matter that much. 

Winner: Holosun 515GM

Parallax

After using both optics, both of them have similar parallax shift behavior. In order to demonstrate this, just watch this video.

No optic is 100% parallax free even if they appear to be. As target gets closer, the more parallax there is.

Winner: Tie

Final Verdict

The Holosun 515GM is the best Aimpoint Micro alternative. It has every important feature that the Aimpoint Micro has for casual range and serious training use.

The 515GM matches the Aimpoint Micro in battery life and offers an interchangeable mount, all at an unbeatable price point.

For buyers with a strong preference for the Aimpoint brand, particularly those seeking reliability in critical personal defense situations and unconcerned with budget limitations, opting for an Aimpoint Micro can offer profound satisfaction and peace of mind.

However, for individuals on a tighter budget or those investing in their first red dot sight, the Holosun 515GM presents an excellent choice.