Tasco Red Dot Sight Review

You know, I've never really wanted to buy any of these "tacticool" attachments for my guns. I figured they didn't have much a point... The Tasco Red Dot always seemed to fall in that category, but who knows? Maybe they can change my mind! I was over at The Sports Authority, which is my normal place for department store shopping when I'm looking for things air gun or firearm related. I normally kill two birds with one bullet when I'm there. The Sports Authority was running a sale on the Red Dot at only $24.99, when it was normally around $40.00. I'd definitely heard of it, and really wanted it. The problem was, I didn't have enough money on me. I was already buying a bunch of other things which couldn't wait! A guy I know there held it for me behind the ammo in the back! I came back the next week and decided to buy some pellets and of course the Tasco Red Dot. When I got home, I was eager to open this baby up and I was happy with what I got. Now, what does it include and how does it perform?

The Tasco Red Dot is advertised as being 5 MOA and has a fantastic adjustable red dot. Aside from that, you would zero it just like you would a normal scope using the windage and elevation knobs. It is not a "scope", it is a simple red dot sight. It does not zoom. It also includes a lens cloth for cleaning, and of course, the Tasco Red Dot also comes with lens caps to prevent damage. It uses button cell batteries to power the red dot.  It is very simple to mount. Just unscrew it, place it on your 11mm dovetail mount, adjust it so it is a comfortable distance from your eye, tighten and your done! What makes this convenient is the fact that you can do all of this without any tools. However, you will need some sort of tool to zero it in. I'd prefer a dime, since the slots to turn the knobs are pretty small.

A picture of the Tasco Red Dot sight.

Performance (Accuracy) - So, how does the Tasco Red Dot perform? Very well. The Red Dot is shown as being 5 MOA, so for what it is, you'd expect it to be accurate-and it is! My Marlin 795 along with the Tasco Red Dot shoots way better than I can, but overall, I've seen some really nice groups come out of this thing... At the end of the day, that's what we want out of a tacticool product. Props to Tasco. I'd like post groups here, but thats more up to the gun. Another thing to point out would be that the Tasco Red Dot is more centered towards rimfire and air rifles, but I have heard of people putting these on much larger caliber rifles such as .308, .30-06, and even 12 gauges I don't know how it will stand up to such immense stress, but of course it's up to you if you want to try it. Just a friendly warning that it may not end well for this optic, at all! Something like an AR-15 is more likely to be okay though, I suspect.

Build Quality - The Tasco Red Dot feels nice and sturdy, I dont expect it to break on me anytime soon. I've bumped it into a few things over the months that I've owned it and haven't seen a loss in accuracy, nor have I had to re-zero it. And most importantly of all, It hasn't fallen apart :) Still, It's not something I would go dropping anytime soon. I have it secured nice and tight and it hasn't failed me so far. I should also add that the red dot hasn't lost functionality either, despite taking abuse. The Tasco Red Dot has definitely proved durable in my book, but again, take care before using on anything of higher caliber and high recoil

Sight Clarity - Not really a key point, considering this optic doesn't have any zoom, but just to point this out, I figured I'd add it. I mentioned earlier in the review that you could adjust the dot. For me, I found that an adjustment of 4-6 works the best without being disorienting. I guess for close range, a higher setting might look cooler, but it would serve no real purpose besides wasting battery life. You will save battery life by keeping the dot at low intensity. I haven't used the sight for hours upon hours, but even still, having the sight for 4 months (as of writing this), the battery hasn't run dry yet.

Final Thoughts and Summary - The Tasco Red Dot's looks and quality go hand in hand. It may seem like just another cheap piece of tacticool gear, however it is much more than that. This optic will give you superior accuracy over accessories of the same price. Are there better? Of course, but expect to pay much more of your money. Although the Tasco Red Dot is designed primarily for air guns and/or minimum recoil rifles (generally rimfire), it is known to be used on weapons such as 12 gauge shotguns. I cant say that I would recommend this, but even still, that doesn't mean it cant be done as some people have had success in such experiments. The quality of the Tasco Red Dot is very good and despite being bumped into things for months now, still operates perfectly without a hitch. Still, don't go and drop it! Clarity in this sight is great. Greater still, you can adjust the intensity of the dot however you see fit. Use what works best for you! I would have liked to have a few other features such as changing the shape or color of the dot, but I guess I can let it slide and keep that stuff to those over the top airsoft and paintball sights. The Tasco Red Dot has proved an outstanding accessory in my arsenal and I would recommend it any day of the week to someone looking for something fresh. It works wonders for tricking your gun out as well as quick target acquisition, since you can shoot at the dot no matter which angle you head is at. It will stay on target. I think that anyone can enjoy the Tasco Red Dot, so go and pick one up at your local sporting goods store today! If you'd like to pick this sight up online, here's a link to the 1x30 Red Dot on Amazon. Also, you can find the 1x42mm version of the sight at this link, also on Amazon.com.