Are Holosun Red Dots Durable Enough for EDC and Hunting?

[Rack]

Are they durable enough for EDC and for hog hunting? Would prefer a Trijicon, but don't want to have to remove a red dot for battery changes.

Thanks.

[TicTacticalTimmy]

Going off Sage Dynamics reviews, the 507 series is slightly less durable than an rmr, the 508 is about the same, and the 509 is unquestionably more durable.

[Avalanche]

Are they durable enough for EDC and for hog hunting? Would prefer a Trijicon, but don't want to have to remove a red dot for battery changes.

Thanks.

I would advice you go for trijicon.

[gtmtnbiker98]

I hope so, I just bought a fleet of 509T's to deploy to my road staff.

[Lon]

Yes. I’ve got a 407, a 507 and a 509. Currently the 407 is on my off duty and the 509 is on my duty gun. The 507/508/509 are all authorized for duty use at my agency. Along w the RMR.

[SCCY Marshal]

Have one on the 30-30 I'm taking up the ridgeline, tomorrow, and that's the nicest job its had over the past few years.

[JCS]

Are they durable enough for EDC and for hog hunting? Would prefer a Trijicon, but don't want to have to remove a red dot for battery changes.

Thanks.

SRO has a top mounted battery compartment.

[Kyle Reese]

I’ve been shooting a G 19.5 MOS at work topped with a 509T via a CHPWS plate. Gun has 6,000 rounds on it in six weeks. Optic/mount and pistol are rocking along just fine.


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[LJP]

Been seeing a lot of BTDT dudes rocking Holosun recently. GTG. I plan to get a 507k for my P365X in the very near future.

[HCM]

Are they durable enough for EDC and for hog hunting? Would prefer a Trijicon, but don't want to have to remove a red dot for battery changes.

Thanks.

Yes. Holosuns pistol optics have done well in testing with several LE agencies. My local PD (2,000 sworn) authorizes the 508 and as I posted in another thread, at least one state police agency (Utah) is issuing the 509, which replaced RMRs. I believe Utah has about 650 Glock 17s with 509s on the street.

[pastaslinger]

Going off Sage Dynamics reviews, the 507 series is slightly less durable than an rmr, the 508 is about the same, and the 509 is unquestionably more durable.

The 508t never cracked in his testing if I remember correctly so it's as tough or tougher than anything else

[UNM1136]

Are they durable enough for EDC and for hog hunting? Would prefer a Trijicon, but don't want to have to remove a red dot for battery changes.

Thanks.

Been carrying an RMR for a couple of years now. I am more concerned about the open emitter than I am about removing the red dot for battery changes, and even that concern, in my environment, has not presented a problem. I try to do most of my routine firearms maintenance (cleaning, battery changes) at the range, and then follow up with a mag down range to make sure everything is working properly and that there were no issues with the cleaning and reassembly. Remove the optic, change the battery, reinstall, check cowitness, verify zero. Removing the optic for battery changes is not ideal, but has not presented a problem IME.

pat

[1Rangemaster]

To the OP: yes, Holosuns are durable. A few department instructors running them. The 509T is my preference from this manufacturer. I personally carry an P-1 ACRO(waiting for a P-2!) and the RMR2 is gtg too. I also have a 407k on a 43X; no issues yet, but only a couple of hundred rounds.

[JRV]

They are physically durable. I don’t trust their electronics anymore.

My examples had a lot of physical distortion in the lenses—sort of a reverse fisheye effect. The notch filter was better than a Trijicon RMR, but bluer/darker than the SRO or Sig optics. None of that is an issue for carry or action pistol sports, but it may be an issue for precision shooting (especially in lower-light conditions).

Mine also soft-locked on several occasions, leaving me unable to adjust brightness and, in a couple of instances, without a dot at all. They developed major function problems if the batteries became cold to the touch. Each time, the problem was solved by removing the battery, warming it in my hands, and reinstalling it.

Mine were 507C X2 and 507K X2 models. I put fresh Duracell batteries in them every three months just to be safe. I now no longer own any and will not buy further.

Edited to add: my Romeo1Pro has held up much better in the same conditions. Higher quality glass and emitter, temperature issues come up occasionally but I have never lost a dot from it, and I have never had a glitch in the shake-awake function or experienced wandering zero like I have with the Holosuns.

Which I forgot to mention. My Holosun optics would occasionally not “shake awake,” requiring a button press. And my 507K needed to be re-zeroed multiple times (it would wander a couple inches in windage every 300 rounds or so).

[rd62]

I have a 407 on my 1895GBL .45-70. Its not a high round count rifle and I live in SC so cold temps aren't a major issue. Its seen several freezing or below mornings in the deer stand this year and last and has been ok so far.

Thats just my sample of one.

[RJ]

Two 507c's (1,800 rounds, G34 Gen 5 MOS USPSA/GSSF gun; 400 rounds, G19 Gen 5 MOS EDC gun, AIWB) and one 507k (400 rounds, G48 direct milled). I swapped out the stock batteries for Duracells. I was shooting the G19 last month after installing a BUIS set (had to remove the dot), and I guess I got some dirt on the emitter. The reticle was wavy and fuzzy. I cleaned the emitter area with a wet Q tip when I got home. The reticle returned to it's normal crisp image. I have another 407k inbound for mounting on a P365x. I'm in FL so pretty mild climate year round. Zero issues with any of them to date, they just seem to work.

[HCM]

IME if the Holosuns are going to have a problem it will manifest early. If it works initially it will usually keep running. Replacing the factory supplied battery with a Duracell or Renata is not a bad idea.

[MVS]

Not sure there is a definitive answer. Some people like GJM who has a lot of optics say Holosuns have a very high return rate. Recently at a Dave Spaulding Red Dot class he mentioned the most failures he has seen stem from Sig and Vortex optics. My experience would jive with that.When I see an optic go down at a match, chances are it is a Sig or Vortex. I have been running slide mounted red dots for almost 11 years now. My first one was a Trijicon RMR type 1 which went 80,000 rounds on a Gen 3 G19 and is still working. That being said, I have had electronic problems with two other RMR's and 2 SRO's. So far all of my Holosuns have been fine through tens of thousands of rounds, but so has My Sig Romeo 1 Pro which came on my Xcompact. I think there is a lot to like about the Holosun's except the fact that they are big time Chinesium.

[Hemiram]

A friend of mine has a bunch of AR style rifles, about half .22LR and the rest mostly .223, with a .308 and (I think) a .45 ACP one too. All have cheapish red dots on them and the main problems he's had with them is leaking of the shipped with battery after a year or so, solved by tossing it almost immediately, and the rubber membrane some of them have over the buttons falling apart and allowing water in. A couple of super cheap ones were DOA, but none of them that worked on arrival or after replacement died "young", and they are treated pretty roughly. My own ownership of Holosun, Vortex, and another one I can't remember the brand name on(Bought from CDNN for like $30) is about as good as can be. No failures, no problems of any kind. That cheap CDNN one has been on my AR .223 since I built it, and was on a .22LR H&K replica for few hundred rounds before it. One of the things I like about it is it's large lens size allows a decent view in low light conditions, cheap glass or not. The red/green dot on it is super bright on high and is visible even in daytime without problems. I don't have it handy, but I don't think it even has the brand name on it. The box is in my spare bedroom, full of...boxes.

[vcdgrips]

Edge of my Lane at Best.

Odds v Stakes.

Hunting Locally: Generally yes.

If I was going to WY, having hired a 5k guide and pulled an out of state tag, my RDS or LPVO or Scope would be top tier: Pistol RDS would be Trijicon or Aimpoint.
Rifle: Aimpoint, S&B, Zeiss, US Optics, Nightforce or perhaps higher end Vortex or Steiner. Perhaps Leupold as well.

EDC: Answer presumes we are speaking of a pistol mounted RDS. I fully acknowledge GJM, SoCalDep, EricG and other folks who have forgotten more about RDS than I know are seeing positive results with various Holosun models, particularly 500 series units. Putting country of origin aside (the PRC in this case) , I think as a brand, Holosun exceeds the intersection of quality and value.

If I was betting my life on an pistol mounted RDS tonight, it would be an Aimpoint or a Trijicon.

YMMV. Be safe and well. OP-Let us know what you and why you do it.

[Casey]

Small sample size and all that, but...

RMR Type 1 RM06

Purchased 2013 and briefly mounted on a Glock, then sat unused until 2019 when I mounted it on my dedicated training VP9 (milling by Primary Machine)
Started flickering after roughly 4,881 rounds, sent to Trijicon for warranty repair
Returned with modifications to battery contacts, lasted another 60 rounds before it started flickering again
Trijicon sold me a discounted Type 2 after I sent it back the second time



RMR Type 2 RM09

Purchased November 2019 and mounted on EDC VP9 (milling by Primary Machine)
7,504 rounds fired
Zero issues



RMR Type 2 RM09

Purchased March 2020 and mounted on my training VP9
13,707 rounds fired
Zero issues



Holosun 508T

Purchased June 2021 and replaced the RMR on my training VP9
2,827 rounds fired
Stock Holosun screw with factory-applied threadlocker backed out around 600 rounds in, replaced with Jagerwerks screws and VC3
Sheared a Jagerwerks screw around 2,800 rounds in and the slide is currently on its way to Primary Machine—who did the original milling—to remove the broken screw



Aimpoint ACRO P1

Purchased July 2020 and mounted on another VP9
5,068 rounds fired
Zero issues



I have no issues with the electronics on the 508T and I like the glass better than the RMR (slightly taller window, less blue tint). The first issue with the screws was my fault for trusting factory applied threadlocker. The second issue with the broken Jagerwerks screw, I blame on myself as well. JW marketed them as RMR-length screws, but in looking at the one that wasn't sheared off after the fact, it was too short. I suspect that having less thread engagement combined with the 508T being a little loose in the RMR-cut pocket put more stress on the screw and contributed to it shearing.

I noted when switching from the 508T to an RMR an an otherwise identical gun during the same range session, I immediately noticed the tighter RMR window, which is enough to make me want to switch over to the 508 for EDC, although I feel more vetting is required to ensure I don't run into another screw issue.

Meanwhile, the ACRO gun is just trucking along with no drama...

That's a longwinded way of saying yes, I think my 508T is durable enough for EDC use, if you set aside the fastener issues... but if the ACRO didn't print more than the RMR/508 style body, I'd be content with that optic.

[Rack]

Sorry for the late return to post. Thanks for all the great responses. I may look at getting a 509T. I also saw a reference to an ACRO P-2. Don't know anything about it, except that the battery can be changed without removing the optic. It might be larger than the 509T, don't know.

Thanks again!

[Norville]

Sorry for the late return to post. Thanks for all the great responses. I may look at getting a 509T. I also saw a reference to an ACRO P-2. Don't know anything about it, except that the battery can be changed without removing the optic. It might be larger than the 509T, don't know.

Thanks again!

Surprised no one linked this:

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?42644-General-Holosun-pistol-optic-thread

Plus several threads there regarding the Acro P1 and 2.