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Whether you are a firearm fanatic, or recently purchased your first gun, an optic will allow you to drastically step up your game. And unlike what you may think, firearm optics don’t have to be expensive. We did the research and listed the best optics available for less than $50 by price, from low to high.
Before we dive in, I wanted to mention that a quality optic (other than iron sights) will drastically improve both target acquisition and accuracy. Both are crucial in a self-defense scenario and can make a difference between life or death.
Feyachi RS-30 Reflex sight with co-witness
About the Feyachi RS-30 reflex sight
When you unbox the RS-30 from Feyachi, you’ll be surprised by the look and feel of this sight. Check our unboxing and review of the Feyachi RS-30. Additionally, this sight is ideal for an AR-15, rifle, or shotgun with iron sights. It’s a co-witness sight, meaning the reticle is aligned with the iron sight, for additional accuracy. This is also great in case the sight fails. You’ll still be able to use your iron sights without having to remove the sight.
Highlights of the Feyachi RS-30
- 4 reticles to choose from, with 5 levels of brightness
- Beautiful lens coating, and aluminum alloy steel construction
- Co-witness for additional accuracy
CVLIFE 1X22X33 – Multi reticle and color
About CVLIFE multi reticle and color red dot sight
Constructed from Aluminum Alloy this sight is especially durable for the cost. It features 4 different reticles, for personal preference, and the color can be changed from red to green.
While the lens is basic, it comes at a decent size of 22mmx33mm.
The design of this red dot sight is fairly raised out of the box, making it acceptable for both handgun, shotgun, and rifle mounting.
Think for less than $20, this sight can’t possibly hold up? Think again. We read dozens of reviews on Amazon, and a lot of individuals have mounted this sight on both 5.56 and 7.62 rifles. The sight not only holds up, but it also remains accurate and true.
Highlights of the CVLIFE red dot sight
- 4 reticles to choose from, in both red and green
- Available in black and sand color
- Mounts on both Picatinny and Weaver rails
Tactical Scope Reflex Stinger 4 MOA Red/Green
About the Tactical Scope Reflex Stinger 4 MOA
If you’re looking for an AR-15 red dot sight, the Tactical Reflex Stinger is a bargain. It is mounted at a raised level on a Picatinny rail, allowing you to pair it with most flip-up iron sights. This is convenient in case your battery dies, allowing you to see the front iron sight through the scope.
It features multiple levels of red dot brightness for different lighting conditions. It also allows you to change the dot color from red to green, for personal preference.
The scope is constructed from durable metal, and the lenses are fog and weatherproof. The Tactical Reflex also features removable spring-loaded flip lens covers, which is great for peace of mind knowing your scope is protected during transportation.
Highlights of the Tactical Reflex Stinger
- Fog and weatherproof lenses, with removable flip covers
- A raised scope that easily mounts on a Picatinny or Weaver rail in less than a minute
Feyachi Reflex Sight Red & Green Dot – 4 Reticles with 45 Degree Rail Mount
About the Feyachi Reflex Sight Red & Green Dot
A reflex sight is all about increasing accuracy, and Feyachi took accuracy seriously when they designed this optic. While most red dot sights, no matter how simple, increase accuracy by providing an unobstructed view with a highly visible dot, the Feyachi also features an additional funnel view.
This funnel view corrects the Parallax effect. Line up the red dot through the funnel, and (as long as your sight is zeroed in), the bullet will go where the dot goes!
Aside from this great design, the Feyachi reflex sight features 4 different reticles, available in both red and green for personal preference.
And of course, like all Feyachi sighs, it’s made from high-grade aluminum alloy, which makes the dot sight both durable and lightweight.
Highlights of the Feyachi Reflex Sight
- 4 reticles to choose from, in both red and green
- Improved design for enhanced target acquisition and accuracy
- Mounts on both Picatinny and Weaver rails
- Includes 45-degree rail mount
CVLIFE 2.5-10×40 magnifiable scope with laser – red/green reticle
About the CVLIFE 2.5-10×40 magnifiable scope with laser
Looking for an affordable magnifiable scope for your rifle? This scope is extremely affordable for what it offers. The CVLIFE features a 2.5x to 10x magnifiable scope, with a red or green reticle, as well as a built-in 2mW laser.
So what does a 2.5x to 10x scope do? Imagine you’re shooting a target at 100 yards. Dialed in at 2.5x magnification, the 100-yard target appears just 11 yards away. At 10x magnification, the 100-yard target appears just 3 yards away, allowing for a well-placed accurate shot.
The lens is multi-coated green, which boasts much higher light transmittance compared with regular or blue lenses.
With well over 2,000 reviews on Amazon, this is a scope you shouldn’t pass up.
Highlights of the CVLIFE scope
- Zooms in 2.5x to 10x
- Built-in 2mW laser, reaching 100 yards
- Mounts on both Picatinny and Weaver rails
Feyachi RDS-22 Micro Red Dot Sight 1 x 22mm
About Feyachi micro red dot sight 1 x 22mm
The RDS-22 micro red dot sight from Feyachi is an outstanding optic for handguns out of the box. That being said, shoppers have even mounted this sight on a rifle or shotgun. However, if used on a rifle, you may want to consider raising this sight with a Picatinny raised mount.
This micro red dot sight conveniently mounts to a Picatinny rail in less than a minute. As far as accuracy, this red dot sight features a multi-coated lens. This allows for increased light transmission during low light situations, yet decreases glare in high light situations.
It also features 11 levels of brightness for the red dot for optimal visibility in any light conditions (barely visible for darker situations, and extremely bright for sunny days at the outdoor range).
When it comes to durability, this product is a winner. The RDS-22 red dot features a shockproof matte black finished aluminum body, making it both durable and scratch-proof. It’s also nitrogen purged and O-ring sealed, making it fully waterproof.
Highlights of the Feyachi RDS-22 Red Dot Sight
- Shockproof and scratch-resistant
- Multi-coated lens for best visibility in the harshest lighting conditions
- Easily mounts on a Picatinny rail
Predator V3 Micro Red Dot Sight – 45 degree and riser mount included
About the Predator V3 Micro Red Dot Sight
Looking for a reliable red dot sight, for your handgun, AR-15, rifle, or shotgun? The Predator V3 can be mounted directly on a handgun, or it includes a 45-degree and riser mount, for rifle and shotgun mounting. It also includes a lithium-ion battery.
The lens is coated for improved visibility in all lighting conditions. It prevents glares in sunny conditions and improves visibility in low-light conditions, to help you stay on target. It also includes 11 levels of red dot brightness.
The Predator V3 is durable, waterproof, and comes with a 100% lifetime guarantee! It’s virtually an exact copy of the Bushnell TRS-25, at just little over half the cost.
Additionally, the company Tacticon is top-rated, veteran owned, and offers many great gun attachments at affordable prices.
Highlights of the Predator V3 Micro Red Dot
- 100% lifetime warranty
- Multi-coated lens for best visibility in the harshest lighting conditions
- Easily mounts on a Picatinny rail, with two additional mounts included
Are cheap red dot sights reliable?
Firearms aren’t exactly cheap. This gives us the feeling we should be shopping at Cabela’s or similar sporting goods stores. But the truth is, a large chunk of that top dollar sight goes to the name brand and the high mark up of the store.
The sights reviewed in this post are all tried and true. Most of them have hundreds, if not thousands of reviews. Some of them are shoppers that have placed a $30 sight on a 12 gauge shotgun and fired hundreds of rounds. If a sight can withstand immense recoil like this, it should be able to last years and years on a typical 9mm handgun.
So yes, any of the sights mentioned in this post are reliable, and in fact, will save you dozens, or even hundreds of dollars compared to buying premium brand equivalents.
And if you buy a sight, and it happens to malfunction, break, or you’re simply not satisfied, simply return it for a full refund!
Of course, I’m not saying a $300 Bushnell sight isn’t any better than a $20 sight from Amazon. But, I do think that a $20 sight from Amazon can be as good, if not better than a $100 premium name sight.
$200 vs $50 sight comparison: for sake of argument, let’s briefly compare a $199.99 sight from Cabela’s (left) to a $49.95 sight from Amazon (right).
| Photo |  | |
| Product | Crimson Trace, $199.99 | Predator V3, around $50 |
| Material | Anodized aluminum | Anodized aluminum |
| Brightness | 10 levels | 11 levels |
| Lens | Multicoated | Multicoated |
| Mount | Lever | Screw |
Does a red dot sight make a difference?
In short, most definitely. A study was conducted and showed that a red dot sight tremendously increased target acquisition, as well as accuracy, compared to regular iron sights.
This photo illustrates the difference between iron sights (left) to red dot sight (right).
Target acquisition
Target acquisition is the detection and identification of the location of a target in sufficient detail to permit the effective employment of discharging your weapon.
With iron sights, you tend to focus on the font sight indicator, leaving the rear sight and target blurry. In high-stress situations, this can cause you to never really acquire the target in your true sight. Rather, you’re simply firing in the general direction of the target.
With a red dot sight, the target acquisition time is little to none. Since the dot is bright red, you can focus on the target, rather than the sight, much like a laser.
Accuracy
During this study, 12 students were given a Glock 17 handgun with iron sights, and one with a red dot sight. They were asked to fire rounds at a human-sized target.
Iron sights:
- Shots fired: 291
- Hits: 171
- Critical hits: 48
- Shots missed: 120
Red dot sight:
- Shots fired: 262
- Hits: 192
- Critical hits: 134
- Shots missed: 70
As the numbers clearly show, the students acquired more than twice the critical hits, while firing less rounds.
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