AIM-O SRS 1x38 Red Dot

Dot size is the specification that decides what a sight is for. Three and a half minutes of angle is fast to find and covers a surprising amount of a target at distance. One and three quarters is half that — it sits on a shoulder rather than obscuring it, which is what you want when you are trying to place a shot rather than just get one away.

AIM-O build this one around two-eyes-open shooting, and the 28 mm aperture is part of that. A wider front opening means the brain merges the view through the sight with the view around it more readily, so you keep awareness of the whole area instead of tunnelling onto a circle.

Adjustment is micrometric on both axes, which pairs sensibly with the fine dot — there is no point having a 1.75 MOA aiming point if the turrets move in coarse jumps. Eye relief is unlimited and the glass is multi-coated and anti-reflective.

Power is a single AA, which makes it the second sight in this range you can feed from a corner shop. It clamps to any standard 20 mm Picatinny or Weaver rail.

Specifications

Good to know before you buy

A fine dot is slower to pick up than a coarse one. If your shooting is mostly inside fifteen metres at moving targets, a 3.5 MOA sight will serve you better than this will.

One AA cell is a real advantage on a long day, and it is also a AA-sized lump in the housing. This is not the sight to choose if you want the smallest possible package.

Our supplier’s two listings for this sight are priced and coded inconsistently — the black carries a numeric reference rather than a part code and a higher trade cost than the dark earth. We have passed both on as they stand.

Frequently asked questions

What does 1.75 MOA buy me?
Precision. The dot covers roughly half what a 3.5 MOA dot covers, so at thirty or forty metres you can see the edges of what you are aiming at instead of the dot swallowing it.

Is a fine dot harder to find quickly?
Slightly, yes. It is the trade you are making. For deliberate shooting it is the right one; for close-quarters speed a larger dot wins.

Why an AA battery?
Longer runtime and you can buy one anywhere. The cost is size — the housing has to carry the cell, which makes this a larger sight than a coin-cell micro.

What does micrometric adjustment mean?
Fine, repeatable clicks on the height and drift turrets, which is what a small dot needs if you are going to zero it precisely.

Why do the two colours cost different amounts?
Our supplier lists them at different prices and under different reference codes, and we price each against what they charge. The black is the dearer of the two.