Optics Crystal Ball

Red Dots To Continue Market Domination
1

Image: alexkich / Adobe Stock

As quality improves in mid-tier price points, red dots will continue their red-hot domination of the optics industry, according to what sources say.

Chris Riffe, optics counter manager for H&H Shooting Sports in Oklahoma City, claimed red dots for handguns represent the biggest innovation in the optics industry. He sees the trend accelerating as handgunners and long-gun owners continue transitioning to electronic sights.

“Red dots and things of that nature are making it easier for folks to be more accurate at farther distances, as well as simply making it easier to shoot,” Riffe stated.

More than gadget chic is driving this trend, Riffe said. Electronic sights have staying power because they simplify the shooting process.

“A red dot basically helps simplify the geometry,” Riffe reasoned. “Instead of having to line up four points in space — the target, front sight, rear sight, the eye — with a red dot you just have to line up three. [The target, dot and the eye.] Add to that, the fact red dots are a parallax-free option, I don’t have to be directly in line with my iron sights as long as I have the dot pretty close to where I want the bullet to go.”

He continued, “Shooters can run their standard factory iron sights and still be able to co-witness through their glass if they should have some sort of failure with their dot.”

One Manufacturer Stands Out

Holosun dominates the consumer electronic optics market. It is very high quality despite its competitive price point, according to Riffe.

“Thankfully, I have not had a lot of contact with Holosun’s customer service,” Riffe said. “They’re making a pretty good product right now, and so far they’ve been pretty popular.”

Zack Smith, manager of World Wide Weapons in Bryant, Ark., echoed Riffe’s observations. Smith shared Holosun is an affordable, high-quality option that delivers high customer satisfaction. If shooters are happy with the product, Smith said, they’re also going to be happy with the seller.

Josh Hunter, handgun optics manager at Fort Thompson Sporting Goods in Sherwood, Ark., took it a step further. He said the quality of Chinese-made optics is improving, especially Holosun and Vortex — and the rest of the optics industry should take note.

“The only real big change in optics I have seen over the course of the past two years is Chinese optics have gotten significantly better,” Hunter observed. “Holosun is now playing with the big dogs, and to be frank, there are some big dogs I don’t recommend as much anymore as I recommend Holosun. Some of the Chinese companies are really stepping their game up to the point where it’s really kind of hard to try to talk somebody into an American-made or at least an American-owned optic anymore.”

Hunter shared elite stalwarts like Trijicon are still strong, but Trijicon’s price creates a huge opening for Holosun and Vortex.

“I do like Trijicon a lot,” Hunter stated. “The one thing I’ll say about them, though, is they are very, very expensive. You’re talking about a price point that’s generally between two and three times what it would cost for a Holosun. Holosun, however, is going to give 98% of the people pulling the triggers, at least in this part of the country, everything they need and more.”

Red Dots & Long Guns: “Get More For Your Money”

In a recent article titled, “Are Lever Guns the New AR-15?” Shooting Industry examined the growing popularity of the lever-action rifle in the tactical community. Red dots are a natural union for tactical levers. Hunters are also transitioning to red dots on their levers because it’s easier to acquire a target quickly in low light with a dot than with iron sights.

Red dots for long guns are a different genre than those for pistols, according to Riffe. Also, many AR enthusiasts prefer low-power variable optics (LPVO). Manufacturers are increasing the selection and improving the quality of those designs, as well.

“You primarily see handgun optics as kind of their own thing,” Riffe noted.  “You see more tube-style red dots for your long guns, and the low-variable power optics you’re going to see on ARs and even lever actions.”

Robert Pohl, director of inventory and operations for Calibers in Albuquerque, N.M., said the biggest change in electronic sights for rifles is quality and price. You get more for your money as the price of the technology comes down.

“When I first got into firearms, when you talked about red dots for rifles, you were stuck with EOTECH, Aimpoint and Trijicon, the main workhorses,” Pohl recalled. “That was it. Or it was the stuff you could get from Walmart. You know, the $40 optics that break after 50 shots. Now you just have more of a broad selection. If you want a quality optic, you have much more cost-effective options.”

Pohl noted his customers prefer Holosun, too.

“They’ve got a pretty good grasp on everything,” Pohl said. “What Holosun has done with solar technology and battery technology is phenomenal. The only thing I see getting better is glass quality.”

Josh Hunter agrees. He said some dot makers are already distinguishing themselves by improving their glass.

“Some companies are running high-end glass, which is a really nice change to see,” he observed. “Previously, if you bought an Asian-made product, it was going to have Asian-made glass. As long as you were getting Japanese glass, it was not a bad thing, but anymore, I’ve got stuff coming from Japan, but it has Austrian glass in it! That’s pretty salty for the price point they occupy.”

End Of The “Line?”

The popularity of red dots is driving laser sights to extinction. Battery life is a major factor, according to Hunter.

“We’re selling a lot less lasers and way more red dots,” Hunter shared. “Most of those red dots are going to have a 10,000-, 20,000-, 30,000-, 50,000-hour battery life. The laser is going to have a battery life of, like, two hours. So, right about the time you’re accustomed to it is right about the time it’s time to change the battery. Hopefully you remembered to do it.”

Also, Hunter said, a laser eliminates the aiming process. Shooters were never comfortable being removed from the most elemental shooting process.

“With a laser, you’re specifically training yourself to not use your irons. It’s the whole way it works,” he said. “You have stopped using anything that’s a tangible, relatable part of the pistol in order to aim. And you’re dependent on a two-hour battery charge. Lasers are just kind of becoming a thing of the past.”

Heat Of The Night

Night vision and thermal optics are increasingly popular. As technological boundaries expand, existing technology is becoming more affordable for more customers.

“Pulsar, iRay, AGM, Fusion, Trijicon — they all keep getting better and better,” Riffe noted. “The leading edge is $4,000 to $6,000 retail, but we also see some utilizing older technology and be able to come in at lower price point, like AGM’s Rattler TS19-256.”

Night vision and thermal technology are essential f=or hunting hogs and predators at night, and it’s a growing market, Josh Hunter shared.

“Night vision and thermal are becoming more and more commonplace, but the price is coming down further on them,” he elaborated. “And as it does, more and more people are buying it as hobby consumers as opposed to industrial consumers. As more hobby consumers purchase it, the prices go down again.”

Glass Half-Full

Telescopic glass optics are the lowest tech segment of the optics spectrum, but our sources say scope makers are improving brightness and clarity by treating their lenses with more and better coatings.

“They are shaping the glass and polishing it to make sure they bring as great an image to the glass as possible,” Riffe said. 

Greater magnification is also a trend. The standard magnification for scopes 20 years ago was 3-9×40; 4-12X is the minimum standard now. Much higher magnification is available and affordable.

“Our eyes are aging, and people just want to stretch out a little bit further,” Riffe added. “From Oklahoma City–west, there’s a lot more open territory where a lot of 600-, 700-, and 800-yard shots are not uncommon.”

Scope makers are also devoting significant attention to extra-long-range shooting, which is increasingly popular in some areas. There is, for example, a one-mile range within 15 minutes of H&H Shooting Sports. Long-range rifle shooting is possible throughout the West.

“We’re seeing some of the Vortex PSTs, the new Vortex Viper HDs, along with the Leupold Mark 4 and Mark 5,” Riffe informed.

Low-power variable optics are the most popular glass at Calibers.

“We’re not really moving a lot of units of traditional glass,” Pohl confirmed. “The LPVO style seems to be dominating it. We do sell a good chunk of benchrest guns and hunting rifles, but when we do, people get the combo packs with a Vortex 3-9 or 4-12 already mounted. Scopes alone, it seems like LPVO is what’s selling best for us.”

Hunters appear to be budget-conscious when buying scopes, Pohl observed. Vortex and Leupold remain popular among a large segment of this demographic.

“It seems like a lot of the big brands have gone by the wayside over here,” Pohl said. “Unless it’s super high end like Nightforce or that middle ground where Leupold tends to live, I haven’t seen anybody buy ZEISS or Leica in 10 years. Nobody’s coming in here and asking for those over LPVO, like, ever.” 

Read More of Shooting Industry’s February 2025 Issue Now