Comparison of Open-Style and Tube-Style Red Dot Sights: Designs, Advantages, and Notable Brands

Red dot sights play a crucial role in modern shooting optics, and among them, two prominent designs stand out: open-style and tube-style red dot sights. 

Open-Style Red Dot Sight:

Design Characteristics: Open-style red dot sights, aptly named for their design, lack a closed tube and instead utilize a single transparent lens to project the aiming point.

Key Features:

1. Wide Field of View: The open design provides users with a broader field of view, enhancing situational awareness.
2. Fast Target Acquisition: The absence of a distinct target frame allows for quicker target alignment, ideal for dynamic shooting scenarios.

Drawbacks:

1. Reduced Anti-Glare Performance: Open-style sights may experience more susceptibility to mirror reflections in bright or backlit conditions.
2. Higher Precision Aiming Requirements: Precision aiming becomes more crucial due to the absence of a defined target frame, especially in long-range shooting.

Some high-quality-price ratio open-style red dot sights:

Holosun 407c

Trijicon RMR

Foxarmy FXA12PRO

Tube-Style Red Dot Sight:

Design Characteristics: Tube-style red dot sights are characterized by a closed tube structure, typically displaying the aiming point through a circular or elliptical tube.

Key Features:

1. Enhanced Target Perception: The presence of a distinct target frame aids shooters in perceiving and locking onto targets more effectively.
2. Improved Anti-Glare Performance: The closed tube structure reduces mirror reflections, ensuring usability in challenging lighting conditions.

Drawbacks:

1. Relatively Narrow Field of View: The design of tube-style sights may result in a narrower field of view compared to open-style counterparts.

Some better known tube-style red dot sights:

Aimpoint CompM4

EOTech EXPS2

Burris XTR II

 

When choosing between open-style and tube-style red dot sights, consider personal preferences, shooting scenarios, and desired features. Tube-style sights excel in precise aiming, while open-style sights offer a wider field of view and faster target acquisition. Notable brands like Aimpoint, EOTech, Holosun, Trijicon, and Burris provide a range of options catering to diverse preferences and shooting needs.