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  • Post last modified:April 26, 2024
holosun scs 320 solar charging

Finally I have tested the Holosun SCS 320. Here are some of the things you should know before you buy one with your hard earned money.

There are some pros and cons to hopefully justify your purchase.

Holosun SCS 320 Overall Impression

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Liked

  • Large viewing window fully enclosed
  • Self charges faster than battery drain
  • Indefinite internal battery
  • Auto brightness adjustment without lag
  • Serrated body

Disliked

  • Why made the footprint for DeltaPoint Pro?
  • No ShakeAwake, which isn't a big deal
  • Auto brightness sensor works but still not bright enough

Recommended For Handgun & Rifle

Large Field Of View

For Lightweight Setup

holosun scs 320 echelon

Why Trust Me

I've purchased most products using our own money, therefore the review is unbiased and there isn't any time constraint or outside influence on how I test them. After 15 years of real steel shooting experience I have seen what works, what doesn't and what's complete waste of money. 

holosun eps testing

So far I have used most of Holosun products in rainy and snowy conditions including the latest EPS and AEMS red dot sight, and all of them have I have a few things to say about them with unique images and videos.

Holosun SCS 320 Specs 

The Holosun SCS 320 in my experience is a hybrid design that combines the durability of the 507C, solar charging capability and the full weatherproof capability of the EPS or the 509T.

The optic is presented as Holosun's experimental product with the insanely long lasting solar charging technology, and it is also the first fully enclosed optic with a DeltaPoint Pro footprint. 

These are the specs referenced from Holosun's official website.

  • Window size: 0.9" X 0.63"
  • Reticle: 2 MOA dot + 32 MOA ring
  • MOA turret: 1.5 MOA per click
  • Dot color: Green
  • Material: 7075 T6 aluminum 
  • Submersion: IPX8
  • Battery life: 20K hours (Internal Battery)
  • Mounting footprint: DeltaPoint Pro
  • Dimensions: 2" X 1.05" X 0.95"
  • Weight: 1.35 oz

Field Of View

The Holosun SCS 320 feels very sturdy and solid right out of the box. One thing that stands out the most about it is the open emitter look but it's fully enclosed on the back. 

holosun scs 320 brightness control

The glass frame feels slightly beefier than the EPS just based on personal opinion. 

holosun scs 320 field of view

The viewing window profile a square. Just picking it up for the first time you will not have any impression that this is a small optic.

It makes the sight picture appear much bigger and wider especially when aiming with two eyes open. The user can see much more of the surrounding areas.

Weatherproof Capability

The optic is fully enclosed, and it's IPX8 rated. There is not much to say about it. 

No mud or water can ever get inside.

Auto Brightness Sensor

The auto brightness dot sensor is the main feature of this optic. It works extremely well without any lag compare to other products. The sensor can detect ambient light around the optic as well as shining a weapon light at the target in the dark.

holosun scs 320 sensor

One thing that stands out is the no noticeable lag when the dot brightness is changing. However the dot is still too dim in my opinion because I like it to be much brighter when shooting at night with a high candela pistol weapon light.

Mounting Footprint

The Holosun SCS 320 uses the DeltaPoint Pro footprint. I think the company understands that there is a huge optic ready P320 market with the DeltaPoint pro optic cut, and the SCS 320 could be a direct competitor to the Sig Sauer ROMEO 1 Pro.

holosun scs 320 footprint

Personally, I don't think the DeltaPoint Pro footprint is not as popular as the RMSc and the RMR, but this optic can go on any guns that features a variable optic system or mounting plates such as the Springfield Echelon, Outerimpact modular mount and Strike Industry's Ambush offset mount.

The likely explanation for the optic's design might be that its dimensions and internal technology necessitated adopting a DeltaPoint Pro mounting footprint.

Maybe not, but it's just a guess.

holosun scs 320 solar panel

For potential buyers who already have a lots of RMR footprint handgun slides and optic plates, the SCS 320 may not be the best option to buy especially if you don't plan on spending extra money just to get a DeltaPoint Pro compatible gun parts.

For users who just want this to go on a Sig P320, I think this is a far better product than the Sig ROMEO 1 Pro.

Weight

The Holosun SCS 320 weighs about 1.35 oz. To put things into perspective, the full size Holosun EPS weighs 1.4 oz, the Holosun 507C weighs 1.5 oz.

So the SCS 320 is the lightest among these popular full size options.

Accuracy

After zeroing the dot for pistol use at 10 yards. The optic functioned just like other Holosun products. 

The turret value is 1.5 MOA per click. It's not as fine as a 1 MOA per click turret, which will make some adjustment slightly more difficult to adjust. Let's say if you want to just move 1 MOA, but 1.5 MOA per click will always make you overshoot by 0.5 MOA. 

 Dialing the turret feels very positive and tactile to make accurate adjustments.

holosun scs 320 beretta m9a4

Using the SCS 320 is straightforward if you have solid shooting fundamentals. I've tested it on various handguns including the FN 509 LS Edge, Walther PDP, and the Springfield Echelon.

The dot remains consistently in view, even during rapid follow-up shots across these models. This ease of use makes the optic suitable for beginners to quickly adapt to, while experienced shooters will appreciate the larger viewing window, likely preferring it over optics with smaller fields of view.

Parallax Shift

The parallax shift is definitely noticeable at closer distances let's say 3 yards. But at 10 to 25 yards, there is no noticeable parallax shift.

Internal Battery

The SCS 320 comes with an internal rechargeable battery that recharges quicker than it depletes if it's exposed to ambient light more often than it's kept in a case.

If there's an issue with the battery, it's not removable, and it seems unlikely that someone would keep using a malfunctioning optic indefinitely, depending on the solar failsafe mode.

Holosun's exploration of this technology appears promising. 

However, whether most buyers find the $470 MSRP justifiable for this feature alone remains debatable.

Reticle

holosun scs 320 mrs

The SCS 320 features a 2 MOA center dot and 32 MOA circle reticle.

The two reticles are very easy to switch between.

It's the same as all other Holosun products with the Multiple Reticle System.

Reticle Brightness Control

The Holosun SCS 320 has a very simple reticle brightness control. However, it's lacking a lot of incremental brightness control.

One button press turns on the brightness to max, and one more press puts in to low. 

That's all you get.

holosun scs 320 brightness control button

The auto-brightness mode is promising, but it's not like the Trijicon RMR HD where it can directly sense the light source at the target plane, and then readjust the reticle brightness.

The problem is that the auto brightness doesn't give the shooter full control of the brightness settings.

This is problematic in low light settings when using a weapon light. It's either too dim or too bright, and there is nothing you can do about it.

holosun scs 320 auto brightness adjustment

Investing in an SCS 320 primarily for its solar charging feature might not be justifiable, given the compromise on brightness control. Considering the longevity of batteries in most Holosun red dot sights and the minor inconvenience of changing batteries, even for concealed carry users, the trade-off doesn't seem worthwhile.

Faced with the choice between an excessively long battery life and the ability to adjust brightness flexibly, I would prioritize having complete control over brightness settings.

Final Verdict 

The Holosun SCS 320 is Holosun's first DeltaPoint Pro compatible optic and it's also fully enclosed. The optic window is very similar to the Holosun EPS, and the main technology it offers is the solar charging capability on its internal rechargeable battery.

The sight can basically self sustain itself forever, and it's a big breakthrough in red dot sight technology where this is possible. However there is trade off where it lacks incremental brightness control settings.

holosun scs 320 pricing

At around $470 MSRP for the green reticle, this product doesn't qualify as entry-level at all, and its solar technology might not appeal enough to seasoned red dot users to justify the purchase. Moreover, many shooters prioritize finding a red dot sight that effectively addresses astigmatism over other features.

While its fully enclosed design deserves some praises, I personally can't justify the purchase while there are other more proven red dot sights are already available.