Trybe Optics 1X Red Dot Review

In this Trybe Optics 1X red dot sight review guide, let's check out this affordable red dot sight's specs, and test it by mounting it on a rifle, shoot 100 rounds on the range, drop it from shoulder height and see if any noticeable problems appear.

I received this product sample from OpticsPlanet, and here are tests we have done to provide you pros and cons to help buyers making a purchase decision.

Let's check it out

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Trybe Optics 1X Core Specs

Magnification - 1X
Window Size - 1 X 20mm
Reticle - 3 MOA
Adjustment - 1 MOA / Click
Brightness - 20 DL & 10 NV
Battery Life - 1000 hrs
Lens Material - Fully Multi Coated, Anti Reflective
Construction - Aerospace Grade Aluminum 6061 T6
Submersion - IPX67
Body Dimension -2.5" X 3.4" X 2.2"
Weight - 3.68 oz

What We Liked

The optic is very affordable
The 6061 T6 aluminum body is very durable
Aimpoint micro mount compatible

What We Disliked

The QD mount it's sturdy enough to hold screw tension

Best Uses

Pistol caliber carbine
Hunting shotgun
Sporting rifles
Rimfire plinking
Airsoft training

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Trybe Optics Unboxing

The Tyrbe Optics come with a box that is very similar to the Aimpoint Micro box. It's not exactly the same, but it's a well packed small package.

Inside you will get:

Trybe Optics 1X Red Dot Sight
Bikini Cover
Manual
Cleaning Cloth
Allen Wrench

Window Size

The Trybe Optics 1X20mm red dot sight is similar to the Aimpoint Micro and Sig Romeo 5 's window size.

In my personal experience aiming through the optic, there is nothing too different from other red dot sights in terms of window size. However, the brightness control knobs and turret caps do stick out, and they are much more noticeable after using the Trijicon MRO.

It's not a big deal, but it can obscure the shooter's field of view a little bit.

Reticle

While most carbine red dot sights are generally 1 or 2 MOA, the Trybe Optics 1X is a 3 MOA red dot.

For someone who is experienced hitting long range targets with a centerfire carbine, the 3 MOA isn't the best choice. However, for the price, the 3 MOA dot is a good choice for pistol carbine and shooting anything up close.

In addition, the 3 MOA dot is a much bigger dot for shooters with slight astigmatism. It's not perfect, but it's much easier to see than a 1 MOA dot.

Brightness Settings

The build quality of the brightness adjustment knob feels even more rugged than the Aimpoint Micro.

Turning the dial feels stiff, which is a good thing because no one wants a brightness adjustment knob that can be easily dialed.

The brightness settings provides 11 settings, which is plenty to find the right setting for various lighting conditions. On a bright sunny day, I find the setting 9 perfectly okay.

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Reticle Clarity

The 3 MOA dot is clear especially when using a red dot magnifier. However, for shooters with severe astigmatism, the reticle clarity is still not good enough.

For shooters with astigmatism or nearsightedness, seeing a red dot clearly is very challenging. The only way is to get vision correction.

Try these fixes for astigmatism

Dial the brightness setting down
Wear corrective lens
Co-witness with the iron sight peep hole

Parallax Performance

When aiming at a target close up, around 5 - 7 yards, one generally notices the parallax shift more.

As the target moves further away, the parallax shift becomes less noticeable. Between 10 - 25 yards, it's not noticeable at all.

Even the most expensive red dot sights exhibit this expected behavior.

Battery Life

The Trybe Optics 1X red dot sight lasts about 1000 hours using a CR2032 battery. For the price of the optic, 1000 hours battery life is reasonable, and maybe this is the part where the cost of the optic down so much.

Construction

The Trybe Optics 1X red dot sight is built tough even though it's made of 6061 T6 aluminum rather than 7075 T6.

If the sight was built with 7075 T6, then the price will definitely go up. The optic feature protected caps for the turrets and for the brightness adjustment control. However, the turrets are not protected by wing extrusion like the Aimpoint Micro T2.

The optic's factory QD mount however, it's not something I recommended. Why? because the QD lever retention springs came out after just a few drops.

It's not a huge problem. Fortunately, the optic accepts any aftermarket Aimpoint Micro mount.

Mount

The Trybe Optics 1X red dot sight features the Aimpoint Micro mount. So any aftermarket red dot sight mounts will work. We recommend the Scalarworks LEAP mounts.

I dropped the optic a few times and the nut got loose. Ultimately the QD lever retention springs came out.

Turret Adjustment

The Trybe Optics 1X red dot sight features 1 MOA / click adjustment. The adjustment value isn't 0.25 MOA. So this red dot sight isn't the go to option for long range shooting.

So if you try to get the best zero, it will be challenging to get sub MOA accuracy past 100 yards.

Important thing to Remember : The turret direction refers to the point of impact, NOT the point of aim.

Final Verdict

The Trybe Optics 1X red dot sight is a great entry point red dot sight. It's build quality just off initial experience is superior than something like the Holosun 503GU or the Sig ROMEO5.

The 3 MOA dot is great for PCC, and shotguns. For users with minor astigmatism will find this optic helpful.

Based on 100 rounds of testing and swapping the factory optic mount, the optic can withstand zero and drops. The overall quality of the optic should give it a price tag of $350 just based on initial impression, but the 1000 hours life life, 1 MOA / click turret, 6061 T6 aluminum body and IPX67 are why the optic is just $60.