I am not a fanboy of Sig optics. For example, pertaining to their rifle scopes, I, personally, prefer Leupold or Vortex. For pistol red dots, I far prefer Trijicon or Holosun.
There is, however, one exception: the Sig Romeo 5
Generally, with optics, you get what you pay for. In the case of the Sig Romeo 5, you get far, far, far more quality than what you pay for. I have several Romeo 5s and I have been using them for several years. Ironically, I have never reviewed the optic, so I thought it might be time to do so.
The Romeo 5 is a small rifle red dot in the size and footprint of the industry standard Aimpoint T1 and T2. In fact, it can use any T1/T2 compatible mounts. I favor this size of red dot for a rifle. Mini red dots are very reliable now adays, but have some downsides for rifle use. First, I like a closed emitter system on a rifle that is likely to get dragged through the woods, rained on, snowed on, and dropped in mud and the like. I have had to clear snow or mud from my scopes with a wipe of the finger, quickly, and open emitter red dots don’t lend themselves to such environments as well, since clearing them of debris is more difficult to do. For a rifle strictly set up for home defense that will not venture out of the home, open emitter mini red dots are fine, but for a gun to take into the field, I like closed emitter designs.
There are now a number of good, closed emitter mini pistol red dots on the market, such as the Aimpoint Acro and some of the Holosun models. However, I think stepping up to the slightly larger T1/T2 size, rifle specific optics, makes for better handling on a long gun, as the adjustments, knobs, buttons, and battery replacement are easier to manipulate. I am not sure that the negligible savings in size and weight warrant going to a pistol mini red dot on a long gun as a primary optic, unless the aesthetic, of simply striving for the smallest possible footprint, is important. Otherwise, the Aimpoint T1/T2 size is quite ideal.
I have always favored scopes over red dots on rifles. One reason is that, due to my significant astigmatism, I can’t see red dots clearly. I can still shoot more accurately with a dot than with iron sights, but I can’t see them with enough clarity to leverage their full potential. I was into putting regular 1-4 power scopes on rifles rather than a dot even decades ago, before LPVO’s became the rage. I have scopes of various types on all my sporting rifles. However, several years ago I was drawn to embrace red dots on rifles due to my re-kindled love for lever guns.
About four years ago, when I equipped a lever gun with a dot for the first time, I discovered the incredible value of the Romeo 5. I did not want to shell out the considerable money for an Aimpoint T2, and I had no intention of using one of the larger Aimpoint units. I leaned more towards using an RMR, but, again, I prefer a closed emitter for a rifle that will get field use, and the slightly larger footprint of the T1/T2 type optics does not bother me. My old man turned me onto the Romeo 5, as he already had and used several, and said that they worked great, far outperforming their price tag. I bought one, put it on my Marlin, and never looked back. My Henry wears one now as well.
While the Romeo 5 has been around for a while, it still proves, in my opinion and experience, the best optic in the price range. It runs in price from 120$-150$ and I don’t think you can find anything equivalent in reliability or quality for less than 300$. The reviews are consistently stellar, anywhere on the internet. There are also numerous torture tests to be viewed in which this optic holds up to the best stuff out there. The Romeo 5 comes with two simple, but good, mounts; one for typical AR15 high-rise mounting, and one flat mount. It can also use any T1/T2 footprint mount as well, so there is a plethora of compatible solutions for it.
Once sighted in, I have never had one loose zero. They boast a 40,000 hour battery life, and they have “shake-awake” technology. I have tested this feature and it works great: turn the optic on, and put the rifle down, and within two minutes it goes to sleep. As soon as you touch the rifle, the dot turns back on, instantly. This proves a perfect optic for a gun left ready in a corner when at the cabin, or the like. Finally, one reason that I actually prefer this budget optic over far more expensive Aimpoint or Trijicon offerings, is that the glass is perfectly clear. I hate the blue tint on most other optics (this is part of the reason the battery life is so long). The Romeo 5 offers incredible battery life as well, but with clear glass. I have never been in a situation where the dot was not bright enough, no matter how bright the sunlight, and the settings are easily adjustable from the top of the optic, making it completely ambidextrous.
If you need a reliable, basic, red dot for a rifle, but don’t want to break the bank, the Sig Romeo 5 is the best game in town, bar none. Nothing in the price range even comes close.
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For the ammo I use for training, go to: https://www.ammoman.com/9mm-blazer-brass-124-grain-fmj-5201-1000
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