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In this article, we explore the best red dot sights for shotguns in 2024, highlighting their durability and brightness. We review the top models, delving into their features, advantages, and drawbacks. Our guide includes a buyer’s guide and answers common questions, focusing on key aspects like durability, optics quality, dot size, brightness, and battery life, to assist readers in making informed purchasing decisions.
Shotgun sights have come a long way from the classic gold bead sight. These days there are so many options that it can be difficult to choose the perfect one.
To help you out, we’ve reviewed the best red dot sights for shotguns to help you make the right decision.
At A Glance: Our Top 5 Picks For Red Dot Sights in 2024
- Editor's Choice: Vortex Optics Venom Red Dot
- Premium Choice: Aimpoint Micro T-2 Red Dot Reflex Sight
- Industry Favorite: Sig Sauer Romeo5 1X20 MM
- Easy to Use: EOTech 512 Holographic Weapon Sight
- Most Durable: Leupold DeltaPoint Pro Red Dot Sight
We’ll start by going over our red dot sight recommendations. Then we’ll talk about what specifically to look for when choosing a red dot to go on your shotgun. Finally, we’ll finish up by answering some frequently asked questions about shotgun red dots.
My favorite red dot for shotguns is the Vortex Optics Venom Red Dot. It’s not the fanciest red dot out there, but it balances value and features very well. It gives you everything you need and nothing you don’t.
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | |
|---|---|---|
Editor's Choice  | Vortex Optics Venom Red Dot
| VIEW ON AMAZON →VIEW ON OPTICS PLANET → |
Premium Choice  | Aimpoint Micro T-2 Red Dot Reflex Sight
| VIEW ON AMAZON →VIEW ON OPTICS PLANET → |
Industry Favorite  | Sig Sauer Romeo5 1X20 MM
| VIEW ON AMAZON →VIEW ON OPTICS PLANET → |
Easy to Use  | EOTech 512 Holographic Weapon Sight
| VIEW ON AMAZON →VIEW ON PALMETTO STATE ARMORY → |
Most Durable  | Leupold DeltaPoint Pro Red Dot Sight
| VIEW ON AMAZON →VIEW ON OPTICS PLANET → |
Here Are the Best Red Dot for Shotguns (Our Picks)
1. Vortex Optics Venom Red Dot
Introducing our top recommendation, the Vortex Optics Venom Red Dot. This remarkable optic strikes an ideal balance between cost and features, making it our overall favorite. With a price tag of approximately $250, it offers excellent value for money.
The Vortex Optics Venom Red Dot comes in two variants: 3-MOA and 6-MOA. For shotguns, I personally prefer the 6-MOA option, which provides a larger and more visible reticle for improved accuracy.
Featuring 10 brightness settings, including an automatic brightness mode, this sight ensures optimal visibility in various lighting conditions.
On the highest setting, it can operate for up to 150 hours, while lower settings offer an impressive battery life of up to 30,000 hours. The wide-field lens is fully multicoated, delivering exceptional clarity and brightness.
Vortex has designed the Venom Red Dot with durability in mind. Its rugged aluminum housing is constructed from a single-piece chassis and boasts a matte anodized finish, offering robust protection against the elements.
The lenses are equipped with ArmorTek coating, safeguarding them against scratches, oil, and debris. Moreover, this optic is both waterproof and shockproof, further enhancing its resilience.
Despite its durability features, the Vortex Optics Venom Red Dot remains incredibly lightweight, weighing just 1.1 ounces. This ensures that it won’t add unnecessary bulk or weight to your firearm. Additionally, Vortex backs the Venom with a generous warranty, covering defects and accidental damage, providing you with added peace of mind.
Key Specifications
- Dot Size: 3 or 6 MOA
- Brightness Settings: 10 brightness settings
- Battery Life: Up to 30,000 hours
- Weight: 1.1 oz.
- Mount Type: Separate Weaver/Picatinny mount included
Pros:
- Affordability
- Available in two reticle sizes
- 10 brightness settings and an automatic brightness mode
- Durable construction
- Lightweight
- Generous warranty
Cons:
- Mount not included
- Battery life is only decent compared to many other red dots
Takeaway
The Vortex Venom continues to represent a victory for value-minded gun owners everywhere and offers a host of high-end features with an excellent lifetime warranty.
2. Aimpoint Micro T-2 Red Dot Reflex Sight
If you want one of the most high-end sights on the market, then the Aimpoint Micro T-2 Red Dot Reflex Sight is the sight for you.
It offers a 2 MOA red dot with 8 daylight brightness settings and 4-night vision compatible settings. On setting 8, you get 50,000 hours of battery life from the CR2032 battery. The lenses are incredibly high quality with multiple layers of full lens coatings.
Related Article: 21 Best Red Dot Sights for the Money
The sight is also highly durable. It’s submersible up to 80 feet, has a non-reflective hard-anodized aluminum alloy housing, and the lenses are recessed to help protect them from damage.
All of this does mean that this sight isn’t exactly cheap though. Expect to shell out a little over $800 for the Micro T-2. In addition to the night vision devices, the T-2 is also compatible with Aimpoint 3XMag-1 and 6XMag-1 magnifiers.
Key Specifications
- Dot Size: 2 MOA
- Brightness Settings: 12, including 8 daylight settings and 4 night vision settings
- Battery Life: 50,000 hours
- Weight: 3 oz.
- Mount Type: Comes with a Standard Mount (Weaver/Picatinny)
Pros:
- Superior optical quality
- Robust and durable construction
- Long battery life
- Compact and lightweight design
- Versatile mounting options
Cons:
- Higher price point
- Only one reticle option
- Lens clarity diminishes at edges
Takeaway
The Aimpoint Micro T-2 Red Dot Reflex Sight may be costly, but its quality is hard to match. It’s the red dot of choice for multiple militaries and law enforcement agencies for a reason.
3. Sig Sauer Romeo5 1X20 MM
The Sig Sauer Romeo series is something of an industry darling. Our favorite of the series for shotguns is the Sig Sauer Romeo5.
One of the main bragging points for the Romeo5 is the Motac (Motion Activated Illumination) technology. Motac boots the sight up when the sight detects motion and automatically shuts it down after a while without motion. This ensures that the reticle is always ready while also extending battery life.
You can get 40,000 hours or more of run time from a CR2032 battery.
The 2 MOA dot is a little finer than I would typically like for a shotgun red dot, but your mileage may vary. The Romeo5 has 10 brightness settings, including 8 daytime settings and 2-night vision compatible settings.
This sight is also IPX7 waterproof and fog proof.
Key Specifications
- Dot Size: 2 MOA
- Brightness Settings: 10, including 8 daytime settings and 2 night vision settings
- Battery Life: 40,000 hours+
- Weight: 5.1 ounces
- Mount Type: Integrated M1913 Picatinny mount, with both low mount and riser included
Pros:
- Affordability
- Clear and crisp optics
- Motion-activated illumination
- Long battery life
- Multiple brightness settings, including night vision-compatible options
- Compact and lightweight
- Excellent durability
Cons:
- Only one reticle option
- Lack of advanced features found on some higher-end models
- Included standard Picatinny mount will work on a lot of shotguns, but you still might need a different adapter or mount
Takeaway
At around $200, the Sig Sauer Romeo5 is another affordable yet quality option. The 2 MOA dot is smaller than I’d typically recommend for a shotgun red dot, but it’s a great option for those who prefer the finer dot.
4. EOTech 512 Holographic Weapon Sight
EOTech is famous for being the developer of holographic sights and is still the leading manufacturer. The EOTech 512 Holographic Weapon Sight is the company’s most popular holographic weapon sight.
The main advantage of holo sights over regular reflex sights is that holo sights appear to project their reticle on the same visual plane, allowing your eye to focus on both the reticle and the target at the same time. In contrast, the reticle of a reflex sight will always appear to be in front of the target, forcing your eye to choose either the reticle or your target to focus on.
In practice, this means that holo sights are easier and more comfortable to use. However, it also means that this sight isn’t cheap. It usually goes for about $480, but sometimes you can luck out and find it on sale for cheaper.
The sight has the EOTech One Dot Reticle, which consists of a 1 MOA central dot surrounded by a 68 MOA ring. The larger ring can help you judge shot patterns from your shotgun. The reticle has 20 daylight settings, so you get plenty of options.
The EOTech 512 uses 2 AA batteries. With lithium batteries, you get 2,500 continuous hours at a nominal setting of 12.
Key Specifications
- Dot Size: 1 MOA central dot surrounded by a 68 MOA ring
- Brightness Settings: 20 daylight settings
- Battery Life: Up to 2,500 hours on setting 12
- Weight: 11.5 ounces
- Mount Type: 1 in. Weaver or MIL-STD-1913 rail
Pros:
- Holographic technology
- Large viewing window
- Versatile reticle options
- Highly durable
- A huge range of brightness settings
- Night vision compatible
Cons:
- Higher price point
- Quite weighty compared to other red dots
- Battery life isn’t as good as others on this list
Takeaway
The advantages of a holo sight over a reflex sight plus the One Dot Reticle pattern definitely make the higher cost of the EOTech 512 Holographic Weapon Sight worth it.
5. Leupold DeltaPoint Pro Red Dot Sight
Another excellent high-end option is the Leupold DeltaPoint Pro Red Dot Sight, which comes at a slightly lower cost than the EOTech 512. It’s important to note that this sight does not include a mount, so you’ll need to factor in the additional expense of purchasing one separately.
The Standard DeltaPoint Pro features a 2.5 MOA red dot, but there’s also a variant available with a 6 MOA dot, which I personally recommend for shotguns due to its increased visibility.
One standout feature of the DeltaPoint Pro is its Motion Sensor Technology (MST), which automatically deactivates the dot after 5 minutes of inactivity and instantly reactivates it as soon as motion is detected. This intelligent functionality helps preserve battery life. Speaking of which, the sight offers 8 brightness settings and can provide up to 1,600 hours of battery life when set to the lowest brightness level. It operates using a CR2032 battery.
The DeltaPoint Pro boasts a Professional-Grade Red Dot Optical System, meticulously designed to optimize light transmission while minimizing glare, resulting in a clear and crisp sight picture.
In terms of durability, this sight is built to withstand challenging conditions. It is waterproof, ensuring reliable performance even in wet environments, and fog-proof to prevent internal fogging. Additionally, it is designed to be impact resistant, capable of enduring the rigors of regular use. The housing of the DeltaPoint Pro is crafted from aircraft-grade aluminum, adding to its ruggedness.
Related Article: 10 Best Red Dot Magnifiers
Key Specifications
- Dot Size: 2.5 or 6 MOA
- Brightness Settings: 8 brightness settings
- Battery Life: Up to 1,600 hours
- Weight: 2 ounces
- Mount Type: Not included
Pros:
- Exceptional durability
- Wide field of view
- Two reticle options
- Motion sensor technology
- DiamondCoat lens coatings reduces glare
Cons:
- Higher price point
- Limited battery life
- Buttons on the top of the sight
- Mount not included
- Limited brightness settings compared to some others
Takeaway
Leupold is well-known for its high-quality sights and scopes, especially for its incredible glass and lens coatings. The Leupold DeltaPoint Pro brings that reputation into a shotgun-ready red dot sight.
6. Trijicon RMR Type 2 Adjustable LED Red Dot Sight
Trijicon is renowned for the exceptional durability of its sights, and the Trijicon RMR Type 2 Adjustable LED Red Dot Sight exemplifies this reputation. Its design incorporates a unique housing shape that efficiently transfers impact energy along the sides of the sight, away from the lens, ensuring enhanced protection. Crafted from forged aluminum, the housing offers robustness, while its waterproof capability allows for submersion up to 66 feet.
The Trijicon RMR Type 2 is available with three different red dot options: 1 MOA, 3.25 MOA, and 6.5 MOA. It offers eight brightness settings, including an automatic mode, enabling you to adapt to various lighting conditions. The sight provides convenient controls on the sides of the housing, allowing you to adjust LED brightness, switch between automatic and manual brightness settings, and power down the sight.
In order to maximize battery life, the sight features a battery conservation mode that activates after 16.5 hours of use. This mode automatically adjusts the dot brightness to match the ambient light conditions, extending the longevity of the CR2032 battery. With the brightness set at level 4, the battery can provide over 4 years of continuous use.
The lenses of the Trijicon RMR Type 2 are multi-coated to enhance light transmission and reduce glare, resulting in a clear and unobstructed sight picture.
One minor drawback is that the battery access is located on the bottom of the sight, requiring you to remove it from your shotgun for battery replacement. However, this task is infrequent, minimizing any inconvenience.
With a price just shy of $500, the Trijicon RMR Type 2 Adjustable LED Sight represents a significant investment. Nevertheless, its outstanding durability, versatile features, extended battery life, and high-quality optics make it a top-tier choice for discerning shooters.
Key Specifications
- Dot Size: 1 MOA, 3.25 MOA, or 6.5 MOA
- Brightness Settings: 8 brightness settings
- Battery Life: Over 4 years of continuous use at setting 4
- Weight: 1.2 ounces
- Mount Type: Options with Weaver, Picatinny, ACOG, or no mounts available
Pros:
- Exceptional durability
- Adjustable LED brightness
- Long battery life
- Versatile reticle options
- Compact and lightweight
- Battle-tested
- Multiple mounting options
Cons:
- Higher price point
- Battery access on the bottom of the sight, which means you’ll need to remove the sight to replace the battery
- Limited field of view
- Few brightness settings compared to some others
Takeaway
Trijicon is an incredible optics manufacturer and we’d be remiss to not include at least one Trijicon sight on this list. For shotguns, the Trijicon RMR Type 2 Adjustable LED is our favorite.
7. Sightmark Ultra Shot M-Spec
For another more budget-friendly red dot sight for shotguns, check out the Sightmark Ultra Shot M-Spec, which sells for about $240.
The sight has a 2 MOA center dot with a 65 MOA ring, which is great for shotguns. It has 10 brightness settings and is night vision compatible.
The Ultra Shot M-Spec uses a CR123A battery and provides up to 2,000 hours of battery life depending on the brightness setting. A low battery indicator lets you know when it’s time to change the battery.
To help preserve the battery life, the sight has a motion sensor that boots the sight up if motion is detected and allows the sight to shut off after a while without motion. The sight also turns off automatically after 12 hours.
The wide-angle lens has a scratch-resistant lens coating for durability. The sight body is shockproof, dustproof, waterproof, and recoil-resistant. The body is made of magnesium alloy and has a 6061-T6 aluminum protective shield. Sightmark covers the Ultra Shot M-Spec with a lifetime warranty.
The sight has an integral sunshade and comes with a QD Picatinny mount.
Key Specifications
- Dot Size: 2 MOA center dot with a 65 MOA ring
- Brightness Settings: 10 brightness settings
- Battery Life: Up to 2,000 hours
- Weight: 10.2 ounces
- Mount Type: QD Picatinny mount
Pros:
- Durable
- Wide field of view
- Multiple reticle options
- Decent battery life
- Quick-detach mount
- Anti-glare coating
Cons:
- Some shooters have reported poor quality control
- Limited brightness settings compared to others
- Battery compartment isn’t easy to access
- May require adapters or mounts
- Quite weighty compared to other red dots
Takeaway
With an affordable price and handy features like an integral sunshade, motion detection, and night vision compatibility, the Sightmark Ultra Shot M-Spec is another great value.
8. Burris Fastfire 3
Costing just a little over $200, the Burris Fastfire 3 is one of the most affordable red dot sights that we recommend for shotguns.
To keep the price so low, Burris had to go light on features. For example, the Fastfire 3 only has 3 manual brightness settings. However, Burris did make sure that the sight has the most important features like an automatic brightness mode and automatic shutoff after 8 hours.
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The sight uses a CR1632 battery and provides up to 5 years of battery life. Battery access is on the top of the sight so you don’t have to remove the sight to change the battery.
The Fastfire 3 incorporates index-matched, Hi-Lume multicoating on high-grade optical glass. The sight is waterproof and shockproof and is protected by the Burris Forever Warranty.
You can choose between models with a 3 MOA or 8 MOA red dot.
Key Specifications
- Dot Size: 3 or 8 MOA
- Brightness Settings: 3 brightness settings
- Battery Life: Up to 5 years
- Weight: 1.5 ounces
- Mount Type: Picatinny mount
Pros:
- Compact and lightweight
- Versatile mounting options
- Variety of brightness settings
- Auto brightness sensor
- Excellent battery life
Cons:
- Only one reticle option
- Limited durability relative to other options
- Lens clarity isn’t as good as some others
- Only three brightness settings
Takeaway
To help lower the price, the Burris Fastfire 3 cuts a few corners, such as only having 3 brightness settings. Still, it hits all the essential features, making it a great option for people who are trying to the best sight they can for the least amount of money.
9. Holosun HS510C
Last up is the Holosun HS510C, which is available with a red reticle or a green reticle. Go with the red for shooting against green backgrounds like vegetation, while the green stands out against warm-toned landscapes.
Whichever color you go with, the reticle has a 2 MOA center dot with a 65 MOA ring. You can also operate the dot and ring independently of one another, so you can use just one at a time.
The sight uses a C2032 battery to provide up to 50,000 hours of use. Solar Failsafe, however, incorporates a small solar panel into the top of the sight to power the reticle even when the battery is dead. It automatically matches the dot brightness to suit the ambient light level.
The HS510C has 12 brightness settings, including 2-night vision settings and 10 daylight settings.
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Another great feature is Shake Awake Technology, which activates the LED when motion is sensed. When there’s no motion for a while, the sight enters Sleep Mode. You can program the amount of time it takes before the sight goes to sleep or turn off this feature entirely
The lenses are multi-coated and the aluminum and titanium housing is waterproof and shockproof.
Key Specifications
- Dot Size: 2 MOA with a 65 MOA ring
- Brightness Settings: 12, including 10 daylight settings and 2 night vision settings
- Battery Life: Up to 50,000 hours
- Weight: 4.94 oz.
- Mount Type: Comes with a QD Picatinny mount
Pros:
- Large window size
- Multiple reticle options within the same unit
- Shooters with astigmatism report excellent performance
- Solar panel battery backup
- Shake Awake technology
- Multiple brightness settings, including night vision-compatible options
- Durable construction
Cons:
- Higher price point
- Limited mounting options
- Control buttons can be stiff
Takeaway
The Holosun HS510C has plenty of great features but the one that stands out the most is the Solar Failsafe, which allows the sight to operate after a batter failure.
Buying Guide: Choosing the Best Red Dot Sight for Shotguns
The buying guide for red dot sights for shotguns focuses on critical factors like durability, size, reticle type, brightness, and battery life. It emphasizes choosing a sight based on individual needs and shotgun type, considering ease of use and maintenance.
Now that we’ve gone over our red dot sight recommendations, let’s talk about how to choose the right shotgun red dot sight for you:
Durability
Shotguns notoriously have very heavy recoil. At the same time, red dots are electronics, and with that comes delicate internal components. Recoil resistance, therefore, is particularly important for red dot sights for shotguns.
That’s not the only durability concern though. You’re probably not going to be using your shotgun indoors, so it needs to be able to stand up to the elements.
It needs to be waterproof and fog proof to stand up to precipitation, humidity, and yes, drops in puddles or other water. And speaking of drops, the sight needs to be able to stand up to those shocks in general.
The sight’s body should be made of a durable material such as aluminum.
For extra durability, features like scratch-resistant lens coatings or recessed lenses are also handy.
Picture Quality
Like with any optic, optical clarity is also incredibly important.
This means high-quality glass, anti-reflective lens coatings, and a wide objective lens.
The best sights will use high-density (HD) glass, but that’s not essential for shoppers on a budget. To get a good sight for your money, focus more on lens coatings.
These coatings filter light as it passes through the lenses, getting rid of wavelengths that cause glare and keeping as much other light as possible to keep the sight picture clear and bright. Lens coatings help with image sharpness, color fidelity, and brightness.
A good sight should have fully multicoated lenses, which means that the lenses are covered from edge to edge with multiple layers of lens coating. More layers of coating allow the lens coating to be more effective.
Dot Size
With red dot sights, what dot size to choose is always an important question.
In general, a smaller-sized red dot is better for precision, giving you a more precise idea of where your bullet will end up and allowing you to shoot smaller targets without obscuring them. Larger dots, on the other hand, are easier to see and allow for faster target acquisition.
Shotguns aren’t made for precision, so you can get away with a larger red dot than you could with a rifle or even a pistol. In fact, some red dot sights also have larger circles, around 65 MOA in diameter, around the red dot. When using shotguns, these larger circles can be used to help predict spread, though precise spread depends on your ammunition, choke, and the ambient conditions.
For shotguns, I generally recommend between 3 and 6 MOA dots, but it ultimately comes down to personal preference.
Brightness
You want your red dot sight to perform well in a variety of light conditions, from harsh, bright sunlight to twilight in the woods. To make sure that your red dot looks its best in all of these conditions, you need a multitude of brightness settings.
In bright light, a red dot that’s not bright enough can be washed out and hard to see. In lower light conditions, the light from a dot that’s too bright can obscure your target, making it hard to see. A brighter than necessary dot also just runs down your battery.
More brightness settings gives you more options to find just the right brightness setting for whatever light conditions you find yourself in.
Many high-quality sights have actually have automatic brightness modes that, as you can probably guess, select the brightness setting for you based on the level of ambient light.
Some red dot sights are even compatible with night vision devices (NVDs). That way you can even use your shotgun in almost complete darkness.
Battery
Finally, let’s talk about batteries.
Most red dot sights use a single CR2032 battery because they don’t take up much space or add much weight, but can provide thousands of hours of battery life. For your benefit, these batteries also tend to be easy to find in stores or online and are pretty cheap.
Where you’ll see more variety is in battery-saving features. Things like automatic shutoff, automatic brightness, and motion sensing can all help you extend the life of your battery. Low battery alerts notify you that you need to change your battery soon so you’re not caught in the field with a dead battery.
FAQs
Now let’s address a few common questions about red dot sights for shotguns.
Red dots are helpful for hunts, self and home defense, competitions, or even just recreational shooting. An illuminated reticle is more visible than a traditional gold bead sight, especially in low light conditions or for shooters with poor vision. A red dot also obscures less of the target than a gold bead sight.
If you choose the right one, a red dot is absolutely worth it. They speed your target acquisition and improve your accuracy.
If you choose the wrong red dot, however, the recoil of a shotgun will quickly cause the dot to lose your zero at best or wreck the sensitive internal electronics at worse.
If you’re familiar with red dots already, you’ll notice that I left off some of the more popular budget-friendly options, like the Bushnell TRS-25 and the Aimpoint PRO.
That’s not because these are bad red dots (especially for the price). It’s because they’re not made to stand up to the rigors a shotgun will put a red dot through.
A well-made red dot, on the other hand, will last year for many, many years.
For shotguns, I generally recommend a red dot that’s somewhere in size from 4 to 6 MOA.
Since shotguns aren’t precision weapons, you don’t need an ultra-fine dot. A larger one is easier to see and allows for faster target acquisition.
This is a big question and one that doesn’t have a simple answer. There are so many different law enforcement agencies out there and many don’t issue complete accounts of what weaponry they use.
With that said, I do happen to know that both the Trijicon RMR and Leupold DeltaPoint Pro are used by law enforcement agencies. A few years ago, the Federal Bureau of Investigations selected the Sig Sauer Romeo4M, in part due to features like Motac and the long battery life, which are also features of the Romeo5.
Final Verdict
And that brings us to a close on red dot sights for shotguns. By now, you should know everything you need to in order to choose the right shotgun red dot sight for you.
As I’ve said, my overall top pick for the best shotgun red dot sight is the Vortex Optics Venom Red Dot.
I love this sight because it’s a great value. The Venom checks all the boxes for must-haves, like fully multi-coated optics, durable construction, a 6 MOA dot, a variety of brightness settings, and long battery life.
It doesn’t have a lot of extra features, which keeps the price low, but it does have the extra features we want the most, like an automatic brightness setting and scratch-resistant lens coatings.
With that said, different red dots are great for different people. Everyone has their own budget and their own sets of needs and wants. That’s why I’ve assembled a diverse set of red dots here. One of these shotgun red dot sights should work for just about everyone.