Noisefighters
12-05-2020, 01:04 PM
Note: this is posted by the official Noisefighters account, but comments are being made by the owner of the company in an unofficial capacity and are not an official endorsement of any product. Noisefighters is not currently affiliated with Holosun nor any other optics company.
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My background: USMC combat vet with 1/6 SSP back in the mid 2000's. I really got into pistols after the military, though. I've been running pistol red dot sights (RDS) since 2011 with the first being the original Leupold Deltapoint with triangle reticle, based on a recommendation from Bowie Tactical Concepts in an issue of Custom Combat Handguns. The DeltaPoint was neat, but I didn't think it was durable enough for hard duty use. I have been playing with Sig's ROMEO1 ever since they released the protective steel shroud for it. I have had multiple experiences shooting with Trijicon RMR's, but I have never personally purchased one due to the small window size, apparent magnification / fisheye effect, and heavy green tint. I wrote a review on the Holosun HE508T exposed emitter pistol red dot sight on this forum, and this review will draw on much of that review since the two optics are so similar. Since writing that review, I've had a chance to try Aimpoint's ACRO P1 enclosed emitter sight and the Trijicon SRO exposed emitter sight .
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HOLOSUN HE509T (https://www.amazon.com/HOLOSUN-HE509T-Elite-Red-Sight/dp/B084Z2768S/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Holosun+he509&qid=1607194578&sr=8-1) | BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT:
I believe this enclosed emitter, titanium-housed, multi-reticle, RMR-mount compatible, 50,000 hour battery rated, solar- and battery-powered micro red dot sight is currently the best option for pistols, shotguns, subguns, and other firearms designed to be used in close range engagements. The unit is quite heavy when combined with the included RMR-pattern steel adapter plate, about 1/3 oz more than even an Aimpoint Micro T-1 or T-2, and I believe this should be considered when mounting it to a reciprocating pistol slide (see two proposed solutions below, in this review). If you don't need an enclosed emitter red dot sight, I recommend the HE508T, HS407, and HS507 exposed emitter varieties from Holosun. As mentioned above, I am not currently affiliated with Holosun nor any other optics company.
MSRP: $506
Street price: ~$439.99 on Amazon
----
First Impressions:
64123
Headline feature: it's an enclosed emitter version of the now-proven, titanium-housed HE508T.
As I mentioned in the HE508T review, Holosun appears to have engineered a way around Trijicon's RMR's patented U-shaped hood design that absorbs shock quite well by instead using a tougher material to accomplish the same goal. It appears through drop testing and accelerated firing schedules by Aaron Cowan (Sage Dynamics) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSh3Ui44osU) that this product is quite durable, as it didn't break during his review process.
One quirk is that the mounting pattern appears to be proprietary. It's similar to the Aimpoint ACRO in that it uses a single crossbolt and recoil lug, but it's not compatible with ACRO mounts. The unit ships with a steel RMR-cut compatible adapter plate. To be clear, the dovetail on the bottom of the HE509T is not picatinny nor weaver rail compatible, and anyone saying otherwise appears to be mistaken due to the look of the design, incorrect pre-release reviews from third parties, or bad second-hand information. In order to mount the HE509T to a picatinny rail, one would currently need to purchase an RMR-to-picatinny rail mount, place the included steel RMR adapter plate on the mount, then attach the HE509T to this adapter plate. The adapter plate does raise the optic centerline height 0.10" compared to what an HE508T could achieve on that rail mount, for example, and can require extra tall pistol sights. It also has a design that may require some modification to fit certain RMR-cut slides, especially if recoil lugs on the slide are cut too large. What is interesting to me is that other adapter plates will undoubtedly be made available in the future to mount this RDS to popular handguns that utilize the DPP footprint, for example, or perhaps even some other standard.
As with the HE508T, the HE509T's window is slightly less wide than a SIG ROMEO1 and Leupold DeltaPointPro and is perhaps slightly less tall. However, nothing is really lost by using the HE509T's smaller window size versus those optics because the housing is suitably thin and doesn't produce a tunnel vision effect. Compared to the Trijicon SRO's larger window, the HE509T's thin housing actually compares favorably, and I do not feel that there is any reason to use the less durable SRO (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzjgOq60vFE) in anything but competition use. Compared to the Aimpoint ACRO, the HE509T's window is 42% wider and seems even larger due to the housing design. Compared to the Trijicon RMR, the HE509T presents a similarly compact form on a handgun except that the rear end is enclosed; in practice, I don't notice any difference during concealed carry in the appendix position, and of course I appreciate the enclosed design's benefits.
The window is recessed from the front limits of the housing, especially compared to other red dots like the original ROMEO1, and this provides significant protection from frontal impact. Based on the titanium housing and recessed window, I would not hesitate to use this sight as a slide-racking tool in an emergency. The glass has a slight green tint exactly like on the HE508T, similar to that found on Leupold DPP and SIG's ROMEO line of pistol RDS. The tint is not noticeable to me outdoors and is quite minimal indoors. It's not as distracting as the RMR's heavy green tint in my opinion.
https://youtu.be/Wop1C-AcLPM
Just like on the HE508T, there is an apparent magnification or fisheye effect to the window, noticeably higher than a Leupold DPP and SIG ROMEO1. For context, the Leupold DPP and SIG ROMEO1 seem like a true 1 power, the HE508T and HE509T seem like they're a bit fisheyed, and the Trijicon RMR seems like it's got on thick, green-tinted glasses to me. These are subjective approximations based on lens distortion I can perceive, not scientifically measured. The fisheye effect on the HE509T is right at the limit of what I can tolerate, and I'm very picky. At close ranges, my brain just ignores the fisheye effect on this optic. At distances of 25 yards and more, it seems to bother me more, and that's why I don't really recommend this for longer range use.
The obnoxiously bright, painted markings from Holosun's lower cost offerings are thankfully not included. The HE509T is branded on the front, top, and right sides but without any coloring. On the bottom, there are laser-marked letters showing the model name and serial number. The only current housing color offered is flat black, and the finish appears to match the relatively durable HE508T's coating.
Sight adjustments are conventionally placed on the rear right and top using click-style screws. Adjustments are very positive, make a noise, and take very little effort. A tool is included in the box to adjust these; I'd recommend keeping the tool with the firearm at first because the adjustment slots in the screws are so small that a knife, brass case, coin, and key will not work (ask me how I know).
Holosun quotes "up to 50,000 hours" of continuous use of the dot reticle on the medium brightness setting using the on-board battery. This is slightly higher than the Trijicon RMR Type 2's quoted 4-year rating and matches the carbine-intended Aimpoint T2's quoted 50,000 hour / ~5-year rating, but it's significantly lower than the ratings found on other Holosun RDS, likely due to the smaller on-board 1632 battery, which is inserted into the side of the housing and requires a tray to be removed with a small screwdriver.
Like all Holosun RDS, the HE509T also includes proprietary "Solar Fail Safe" technology that includes a solar panel on top. According to the manual (if I read it correctly), the optic prefers solar power and will only switch to battery as necessary. In addition, the optic features "Shake Awake" technology that turns off the reticle after a user-determined time window of zero movement, and turns back on instantaneously with very slight motion. The user can select 10 minutes, 1 hour, of 12h of inactivity or completely disable this feature and ensure their dot only turns off with manual intervention. Regardless of time selected, the reticle will power back on at the same brightness setting as last used. Finally, when the battery is low (below 2.2 volts), the reticle will blink. Like on the HE508T, HS407C, and HS507C, I trust the "Shake Awake" feature to work after having tested it extensively.
Also like the premium Holosun options, a "Multiple Reticle System" on board includes an EOTech-style 32 MOA circle reticle and 2 MOA center dot, and the circle or the dot can be disabled as desired. After some time of using this technology, I now prefer a single dot on my pistols since it takes up less of the visual field when the handgun is in the traditional shooting position, approximately two feet from one's eyes. I continue to use the circle + dot on my carbines or shotguns for more rapid aiming.
There are 12 manual brightness settings (10 daylight and 2 described as night vision compatible). The highest setting is extremely bright, perhaps brighter than necessary for almost any condition unless one was shooting right into the sun.
The brightness adjustment buttons on the left side of the housing are sufficiently large and made of what appears to be a rubber-like material, are slightly recessed, and have either a + or - sign molded in. I can manipulate them with gloves on. They are definitely not like the adjustable LED brightness RMR's with huge buttons on either side, but they are much better than the earlier Holosun design with tiny buttons. There is also an auto-brightness setting. Like with the HE508T, I found the auto-brightness system to work fine for casual range use but would not recommend it for duty use, as the brightness at the shooter is used to calculate the reticle brightness, and that doesn't always match the target brightness.
The optic is rated IP67 for both complete protection from contact with harmful dust and continuous waterproof immersion greater than 1 meter. That's an improvement over the HE508T, which did not have dustproofing due to its exposed design.
The HE509T is quoted at weighing 1.72 oz (I measured 2.11 oz with the included battery), but that really is not going to be accurate for many people. Here's why: with the crossbolt / recoil lug mounting system, the HE509T requires a special adapter plate or slide milling to match the proprietary dovetail and recoil lug geometry. That means that if you mount this to a handgun with RMR slide milling, you'll need to add in an adapter plate's weight, too. The included plate, as mentioned before, is made of steel, and it weighs a whopping 1.2oz. For reference, the entire Trijicon RMR with battery is claimed to be 1.2oz, the same as this one adapter plate. Even the exposed-emitter and titanium-housed HE508T is only 1.76 oz measured with battery and screws. That makes the HE509T with battery and steel adapter plate what I believe to be the heaviest pistol-mounted RDS available at 3.33 oz total, even heavier than a 3.0 oz Aimpoint T-1 or T-2 with battery installed! As anyone who has tried running one of those T-1's/ T-2’s on a pistol slide knows, the firing cycle timing on certain pistols may be affected by the extra weight (without removing slide material to compensate) and reliability on certain pistols can suffer, especially if less-than-full power loads are used without compensating by changing recoil springs.
64121
To mitigate this issue, I skeletonized the included RMR-milled adapter plate on my drill press with a pair of ½” diameter holes. This drops an entire 50% of the plate weight and does not affect the function of the adapter. This took me a total of 20 minutes to complete, including marking, center punching, spot drilling, and drilling through. After this procedure, the total weight comes to a more manageable 2.7 oz. An alternative is to purchase a CHWPS aluminum adapter plate, if they happen to offer a compatible version with your pistol.
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Field Testing:
I purchased two of these units and have one mounted to an RMR-milled CZ P10C and the other on a S&W Victory 22.
64126
The HE509T has worked flawlessly, without flickering or any unexpected behavior. I'll update this post if anything ever goes wrong.
As with other Holosun RDS I have tested, it appears to be a quality unit, but no electronic optic is perfectly reliable. I would always recommend having backup sights for duty use.
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Summary:
I waited awhile for this thing to be released, and I think it's another home run for Holosun. The HE509T beats its two main competitors -- the Trijicon RMR and ACRO P1 -- in terms of window size, reticle choices, and power conservation features, and, based on reports so far, matches them in ruggedness. It's also less expensive due to its Chinese origin. With the new crossbolt and recoil lug mounting design, it is designed to mount to pretty much any optic footprint available once more adapter plates are released.
It is worth upgrading to the HE509T from the RMR solely due to the enclosed emitter design. Not having to worry about the emitter getting covered in debris is a huge benefit in my opinion. Also, it would be worth switching from the Aimpoint ACRO P1 if you wanted a larger window, a thinner and less obtrusive housing which reduces the tunnel vision effect, a circle + dot reticle option, and a much longer battery life with built-in solar panel.
That's all I can think of right now. If you have any questions or need clarification on some point, let me know.
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If you didn't know, Noisefighters is a Pistol-Forum supporting business. We make gel ear pads in the United States that fit pretty much every headset on the market, and they're also the first with relief cuts for glasses arms to pass through. Check us out at Noisefighters.com (http://www.noisefighters.com).
Shoot straight and Semper Fi,
Neal
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My background: USMC combat vet with 1/6 SSP back in the mid 2000's. I really got into pistols after the military, though. I've been running pistol red dot sights (RDS) since 2011 with the first being the original Leupold Deltapoint with triangle reticle, based on a recommendation from Bowie Tactical Concepts in an issue of Custom Combat Handguns. The DeltaPoint was neat, but I didn't think it was durable enough for hard duty use. I have been playing with Sig's ROMEO1 ever since they released the protective steel shroud for it. I have had multiple experiences shooting with Trijicon RMR's, but I have never personally purchased one due to the small window size, apparent magnification / fisheye effect, and heavy green tint. I wrote a review on the Holosun HE508T exposed emitter pistol red dot sight on this forum, and this review will draw on much of that review since the two optics are so similar. Since writing that review, I've had a chance to try Aimpoint's ACRO P1 enclosed emitter sight and the Trijicon SRO exposed emitter sight .
----
HOLOSUN HE509T (https://www.amazon.com/HOLOSUN-HE509T-Elite-Red-Sight/dp/B084Z2768S/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Holosun+he509&qid=1607194578&sr=8-1) | BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT:
I believe this enclosed emitter, titanium-housed, multi-reticle, RMR-mount compatible, 50,000 hour battery rated, solar- and battery-powered micro red dot sight is currently the best option for pistols, shotguns, subguns, and other firearms designed to be used in close range engagements. The unit is quite heavy when combined with the included RMR-pattern steel adapter plate, about 1/3 oz more than even an Aimpoint Micro T-1 or T-2, and I believe this should be considered when mounting it to a reciprocating pistol slide (see two proposed solutions below, in this review). If you don't need an enclosed emitter red dot sight, I recommend the HE508T, HS407, and HS507 exposed emitter varieties from Holosun. As mentioned above, I am not currently affiliated with Holosun nor any other optics company.
MSRP: $506
Street price: ~$439.99 on Amazon
----
First Impressions:
64123
Headline feature: it's an enclosed emitter version of the now-proven, titanium-housed HE508T.
As I mentioned in the HE508T review, Holosun appears to have engineered a way around Trijicon's RMR's patented U-shaped hood design that absorbs shock quite well by instead using a tougher material to accomplish the same goal. It appears through drop testing and accelerated firing schedules by Aaron Cowan (Sage Dynamics) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSh3Ui44osU) that this product is quite durable, as it didn't break during his review process.
One quirk is that the mounting pattern appears to be proprietary. It's similar to the Aimpoint ACRO in that it uses a single crossbolt and recoil lug, but it's not compatible with ACRO mounts. The unit ships with a steel RMR-cut compatible adapter plate. To be clear, the dovetail on the bottom of the HE509T is not picatinny nor weaver rail compatible, and anyone saying otherwise appears to be mistaken due to the look of the design, incorrect pre-release reviews from third parties, or bad second-hand information. In order to mount the HE509T to a picatinny rail, one would currently need to purchase an RMR-to-picatinny rail mount, place the included steel RMR adapter plate on the mount, then attach the HE509T to this adapter plate. The adapter plate does raise the optic centerline height 0.10" compared to what an HE508T could achieve on that rail mount, for example, and can require extra tall pistol sights. It also has a design that may require some modification to fit certain RMR-cut slides, especially if recoil lugs on the slide are cut too large. What is interesting to me is that other adapter plates will undoubtedly be made available in the future to mount this RDS to popular handguns that utilize the DPP footprint, for example, or perhaps even some other standard.
As with the HE508T, the HE509T's window is slightly less wide than a SIG ROMEO1 and Leupold DeltaPointPro and is perhaps slightly less tall. However, nothing is really lost by using the HE509T's smaller window size versus those optics because the housing is suitably thin and doesn't produce a tunnel vision effect. Compared to the Trijicon SRO's larger window, the HE509T's thin housing actually compares favorably, and I do not feel that there is any reason to use the less durable SRO (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzjgOq60vFE) in anything but competition use. Compared to the Aimpoint ACRO, the HE509T's window is 42% wider and seems even larger due to the housing design. Compared to the Trijicon RMR, the HE509T presents a similarly compact form on a handgun except that the rear end is enclosed; in practice, I don't notice any difference during concealed carry in the appendix position, and of course I appreciate the enclosed design's benefits.
The window is recessed from the front limits of the housing, especially compared to other red dots like the original ROMEO1, and this provides significant protection from frontal impact. Based on the titanium housing and recessed window, I would not hesitate to use this sight as a slide-racking tool in an emergency. The glass has a slight green tint exactly like on the HE508T, similar to that found on Leupold DPP and SIG's ROMEO line of pistol RDS. The tint is not noticeable to me outdoors and is quite minimal indoors. It's not as distracting as the RMR's heavy green tint in my opinion.
https://youtu.be/Wop1C-AcLPM
Just like on the HE508T, there is an apparent magnification or fisheye effect to the window, noticeably higher than a Leupold DPP and SIG ROMEO1. For context, the Leupold DPP and SIG ROMEO1 seem like a true 1 power, the HE508T and HE509T seem like they're a bit fisheyed, and the Trijicon RMR seems like it's got on thick, green-tinted glasses to me. These are subjective approximations based on lens distortion I can perceive, not scientifically measured. The fisheye effect on the HE509T is right at the limit of what I can tolerate, and I'm very picky. At close ranges, my brain just ignores the fisheye effect on this optic. At distances of 25 yards and more, it seems to bother me more, and that's why I don't really recommend this for longer range use.
The obnoxiously bright, painted markings from Holosun's lower cost offerings are thankfully not included. The HE509T is branded on the front, top, and right sides but without any coloring. On the bottom, there are laser-marked letters showing the model name and serial number. The only current housing color offered is flat black, and the finish appears to match the relatively durable HE508T's coating.
Sight adjustments are conventionally placed on the rear right and top using click-style screws. Adjustments are very positive, make a noise, and take very little effort. A tool is included in the box to adjust these; I'd recommend keeping the tool with the firearm at first because the adjustment slots in the screws are so small that a knife, brass case, coin, and key will not work (ask me how I know).
Holosun quotes "up to 50,000 hours" of continuous use of the dot reticle on the medium brightness setting using the on-board battery. This is slightly higher than the Trijicon RMR Type 2's quoted 4-year rating and matches the carbine-intended Aimpoint T2's quoted 50,000 hour / ~5-year rating, but it's significantly lower than the ratings found on other Holosun RDS, likely due to the smaller on-board 1632 battery, which is inserted into the side of the housing and requires a tray to be removed with a small screwdriver.
Like all Holosun RDS, the HE509T also includes proprietary "Solar Fail Safe" technology that includes a solar panel on top. According to the manual (if I read it correctly), the optic prefers solar power and will only switch to battery as necessary. In addition, the optic features "Shake Awake" technology that turns off the reticle after a user-determined time window of zero movement, and turns back on instantaneously with very slight motion. The user can select 10 minutes, 1 hour, of 12h of inactivity or completely disable this feature and ensure their dot only turns off with manual intervention. Regardless of time selected, the reticle will power back on at the same brightness setting as last used. Finally, when the battery is low (below 2.2 volts), the reticle will blink. Like on the HE508T, HS407C, and HS507C, I trust the "Shake Awake" feature to work after having tested it extensively.
Also like the premium Holosun options, a "Multiple Reticle System" on board includes an EOTech-style 32 MOA circle reticle and 2 MOA center dot, and the circle or the dot can be disabled as desired. After some time of using this technology, I now prefer a single dot on my pistols since it takes up less of the visual field when the handgun is in the traditional shooting position, approximately two feet from one's eyes. I continue to use the circle + dot on my carbines or shotguns for more rapid aiming.
There are 12 manual brightness settings (10 daylight and 2 described as night vision compatible). The highest setting is extremely bright, perhaps brighter than necessary for almost any condition unless one was shooting right into the sun.
The brightness adjustment buttons on the left side of the housing are sufficiently large and made of what appears to be a rubber-like material, are slightly recessed, and have either a + or - sign molded in. I can manipulate them with gloves on. They are definitely not like the adjustable LED brightness RMR's with huge buttons on either side, but they are much better than the earlier Holosun design with tiny buttons. There is also an auto-brightness setting. Like with the HE508T, I found the auto-brightness system to work fine for casual range use but would not recommend it for duty use, as the brightness at the shooter is used to calculate the reticle brightness, and that doesn't always match the target brightness.
The optic is rated IP67 for both complete protection from contact with harmful dust and continuous waterproof immersion greater than 1 meter. That's an improvement over the HE508T, which did not have dustproofing due to its exposed design.
The HE509T is quoted at weighing 1.72 oz (I measured 2.11 oz with the included battery), but that really is not going to be accurate for many people. Here's why: with the crossbolt / recoil lug mounting system, the HE509T requires a special adapter plate or slide milling to match the proprietary dovetail and recoil lug geometry. That means that if you mount this to a handgun with RMR slide milling, you'll need to add in an adapter plate's weight, too. The included plate, as mentioned before, is made of steel, and it weighs a whopping 1.2oz. For reference, the entire Trijicon RMR with battery is claimed to be 1.2oz, the same as this one adapter plate. Even the exposed-emitter and titanium-housed HE508T is only 1.76 oz measured with battery and screws. That makes the HE509T with battery and steel adapter plate what I believe to be the heaviest pistol-mounted RDS available at 3.33 oz total, even heavier than a 3.0 oz Aimpoint T-1 or T-2 with battery installed! As anyone who has tried running one of those T-1's/ T-2’s on a pistol slide knows, the firing cycle timing on certain pistols may be affected by the extra weight (without removing slide material to compensate) and reliability on certain pistols can suffer, especially if less-than-full power loads are used without compensating by changing recoil springs.
64121
To mitigate this issue, I skeletonized the included RMR-milled adapter plate on my drill press with a pair of ½” diameter holes. This drops an entire 50% of the plate weight and does not affect the function of the adapter. This took me a total of 20 minutes to complete, including marking, center punching, spot drilling, and drilling through. After this procedure, the total weight comes to a more manageable 2.7 oz. An alternative is to purchase a CHWPS aluminum adapter plate, if they happen to offer a compatible version with your pistol.
-----
Field Testing:
I purchased two of these units and have one mounted to an RMR-milled CZ P10C and the other on a S&W Victory 22.
64126
The HE509T has worked flawlessly, without flickering or any unexpected behavior. I'll update this post if anything ever goes wrong.
As with other Holosun RDS I have tested, it appears to be a quality unit, but no electronic optic is perfectly reliable. I would always recommend having backup sights for duty use.
-----
Summary:
I waited awhile for this thing to be released, and I think it's another home run for Holosun. The HE509T beats its two main competitors -- the Trijicon RMR and ACRO P1 -- in terms of window size, reticle choices, and power conservation features, and, based on reports so far, matches them in ruggedness. It's also less expensive due to its Chinese origin. With the new crossbolt and recoil lug mounting design, it is designed to mount to pretty much any optic footprint available once more adapter plates are released.
It is worth upgrading to the HE509T from the RMR solely due to the enclosed emitter design. Not having to worry about the emitter getting covered in debris is a huge benefit in my opinion. Also, it would be worth switching from the Aimpoint ACRO P1 if you wanted a larger window, a thinner and less obtrusive housing which reduces the tunnel vision effect, a circle + dot reticle option, and a much longer battery life with built-in solar panel.
That's all I can think of right now. If you have any questions or need clarification on some point, let me know.
-----
If you didn't know, Noisefighters is a Pistol-Forum supporting business. We make gel ear pads in the United States that fit pretty much every headset on the market, and they're also the first with relief cuts for glasses arms to pass through. Check us out at Noisefighters.com (http://www.noisefighters.com).
Shoot straight and Semper Fi,
Neal