I'm going with a red dot for my next build and I'm a little unsure which one I want to go with. I want to keep it under $200 and I'm deciding between the Sig Romeo5, Vortex Sparc AR, or the Vortex Strikefire II. Which would you recommend and why?

Don't overlook the Burris AR-332 - 3X or 5X

https://www.opticsplanet.com/burris-ar-332-3x-32mm-prism-red-dot-sight.html

I have a couple of the Romeo 5's and while they are not as robust as my Aimpoint, I have had no issues with them.

I've got Romeo 5s on 15/22s up to a 450 Bushmaster. No complaints

I have a Romeo5 and 2-3 Holosuns, much prefer the Holosuns, clarity of dot, brightness, overall a better made Red Dot. Bought A Vortex, but haven't even got it out of the box yet, forgot the model, $200 price range. I prefer Green Dot, Holosun gives me that option. My buddy swears by Swamp Fox for everything he builds, shorties and rifles, says they hold zero on everything and also give green dot option. Good Luck.🦃

Aimpoint is reliable.

I didn't like my Vortex, forgot the model. I like my Romeo5, but Holosun gets the nod. Have 3 of them, Old Marlin 44mag, and 2 AR's. They hold zero, dots are sharp, and glass is crystal clear.

I’ve got a few Holosun pistol sights and right now I’ve got one on a Benelli M2 shotgun. It’s had nothing but full power buckshot and slugs. I’m pretty impressed with Holosun too.

Picked up a Holosun 510 for $237 Christmas pricing at Cabelas. I like it, but wish they had the green dot as it doesn’t have the same issues red dots have with astigmatisms.

Sig Romeo 7s has done alright by me. Keeps zero, very rugged (based on YouTube ‘smash em’ up type tests), easy to zero, and priced well at PSA. I have experience with three and all have been good enough for what I’m doing with it. The shake awake works flawlessly and battery life is incredible. I’m sure there are better sights out there but it seems good to me. I figured if it stunk I would throw it on a .22 or something, but I see no reason to abandon it.

Until recently the only experience I had was Trijicon RMR on pistols.

Got a Holosun 507Comp for a 2011 toy and loved it.

Got 2 Holosun 510c, one on a 9mm PCC and the other on a .556 carbine. Great for close in stuff.

I hear good things about Primary arms low power prism sights, looking at one of those or a LPVO scope for another AR.

Love the Trijicon stuff but I can get 2 Horro suns for one Trijicon more or less....especially for range toys.

I've used Trijicon MRO's on several AR-9's and they have held up well over thousands of rounds. But they are more like $400.

For a bargain optic, I've used the Primary Arms Advanced Micro Dot on a few rifles. They are cheap - around $150 or less and have performed well for me.

The only Holosun I have is on a Sig P365XL. It's the small one like a SIG Romeo Zero, and works fine but seems to have a little distortion/magnification.

First off screw china

Don’t buy Chinese stuff if you can.

But if ya gotta Chinese either 403r from holosun. Buy a good mount from an American company. ADM if you gotta qd, and reptilia if you don’t.

Or the sig Romeo 7 and not the 7s

Get the SKD riser plate or the Unity tactical fast mount. Mines been hammered and still works.



As for the Sparc AR and strike fire 2… both can be had under 100$ from aa optics.. but refresh rate on the emitter isn’t great on the sparc AR and the strikefire 2 is pretty bulky for what it is..

I just made the decision on a Holosun HE403R. It’s going on a 10.3” backpack gun with a folding stock. The gun currently has an Aimpoint pro on it but it’s too heavy and big for my liking on a backpack gun.

I have a Romeo 5XDR which is a great, tough optic but I wanted it on another gun. I have a Sparc, but it has a slower refresh rate and you can see it comet-trailing when switching when transitioning between targets.

I was considering a T2, but couldn’t justify the cost for a backpack gun.

I went with the 403R due to:

Light weight.
No shake awake
Great battery life
Plain dot (503R for Dual reticle)
Rotary brightness dial
Protected turrets

Cheap

I got it for $140 at Palmetto. The 503R was $200. I was originally wanting the 503, but I realized I don’t love the dual reticle as much as I thought in a 20mm tube.

We’ll see how it goes.

I've used Romeo 5 and a Sparc AR Solar. My vote goes to the Sparc AR Solar on warranty alone. I also like the fact that it's solar charged.