The HK VP9 is one of the most versatile sidearms in the market right now, with a laundry list of additions and accessories available. And one of the best additions you can make on your VP9 is to add a red dot sight scope. Not only does it make the handgun look significantly cooler, but it also makes it more accurate in the range and tactical situations.
Since there are a lot of sights to choose from, your head might be spinning as you can’t decide. In this guide, we will go over all of the important elements that come with buying a red dot sight, as well as the best red dot sights to buy.
Best Red Dot Sights
Trijicon RMR Type 2
The RMR Type 2 is easily the poster child for the best VP9 optic, as it manages to get everything right. The sight is in pristine condition and is built to last, with its incredible construction being able to survive most tough conditions. Unlike some other red dot sights that are just smaller versions of optics for rifles, the RMR was specifically engineered from the ground up to handle the G force of a pistol. Furthermore, the battery compartment inside the RMR also houses the battery perfectly, ensuring that there is not a case of loose contact.
The reticle is a clean 3.25 MOA red dot that is precise to the centimeter. Shooting with this sight is especially fun, considering how it perfectly rests on the handgun, allowing you to take those excellent shots.
Vortex Venom
Vortex Venom is a red dot sight for your VP9 pistol that manages to get everything right while staying at a reasonable price. It is a very good optic for beginners since it has a very fast target acquisition, thanks to the precise red dot.
The open scope design of the Vortex venom means that it offers a much wider field of view, as the larger window can help you better track the reticle as well. You can especially feel the gun’s precision improving at the range, with the 3 MOA reticle being good for both mid and short-range shooting.
And if the battery in the Vortex venom tends to run out, you can easily change it with the help of a dedicated slot. Simply slide open the compartment, insert the new batteries, and your red dot sight will be as good as new.
Holosun 507C X2
Holosun is possibly the most popular name in scopes, with their 507C being a household name as a great alternative to the Trijicon RMR Type 2. If your pistol features the RMR mount, you will be able to place the 507C on top easily. You will not need to buy a new mount.
The stand-out feature for this gun, in particular, is its multi-reticle system, which allows you to choose from three different types of reticles. The first reticle is the 2 MOA center dot, the 32 MOA circle alone, and finally, both reticles together. The diversity is great for someone going through speed shooting, as they can quickly cycle between the reticle they need for the shot.
To top things off, it also has a quick battery compartment to the side, which allows you to swap your batteries quickly. You do not have to take off the sight and nor do you have to worry about re-zeroing the sight.
What to Consider When Buying a Red Dot Sight
Like buying any other product, you will have to consider a few factors before deciding on a red dot sight. By making these considerations first, you can save yourself from buying a red dot sight that might not fit your specific preferences. Some of the things you should consider:
Reticle size
The size of the reticle dictates the gun’s accuracy quite a bit. In some scopes for high-caliber guns, you can even adjust the size of the scope, depending on the range between you and the target. Bigger reticles are better for long-range targets, as the smaller dot helps improve the shooter’s accuracy. On the other hand, a larger reticle is better for close range or fast targets since keeping a smaller dot can be more difficult.
Fortunately, you will not need to adjust the red dot size on optics for pistols since they are always close to mid-range weapons.
Full body vs. Open Scope
There are two types of red dot sights in the market. While most red dot sights for pistols are available scopes, some use a full-body scope. The major difference between the two is that the available scope only has a lens to reflect the laser dot, whereas the full-body scope also features a proper tube that can allow anyone to see through the lens clearly.
Open scopes can provide people with a better field of view while still providing a precise red dot to see through. However, it is usually not good enough to deal with moisture and dust, which makes it a good option in the range. Full body optics are especially useful since they can effectively handle moisture and dust.
Battery Life
The battery life for a good scope needs to be a lot since you do not want it to die out on you while you are on the range or in a tactical situation. Especially with open scopes, battery life can be a serious issue. Luckily, with the way technology is improving, red dot sights are becoming more efficient, allowing them to run for over 50,000 hours in some cases.
Some open scopes also come with the feature to easily replace the battery from the top without removing the scope first. The added features can save people a lot of time on the range.
Brightness
You can also choose between various brightness levels on different scopes, some of which can even come with night vision. You can change the brightness depending on your shooting environment, with a brighter reticle being useful in lighter or sunnier environments and dimmer ones being good for darker ones.
The Benefits of Owning Red Dot Sights
Red dot sights have many benefits over iron sights, which is why many people prefer one over the other. And by understanding the benefits, you will be able to make an even better decision when buying your optics.
Versatile
Red dot sights are some of the most versatile scopes that you can find since there is one for almost any kind of firearm. You can find one for shotguns, rifles, pistols, and even bows. This versatility means that you can train your eye to work with red dot scopes and then pick up any other weapon and shoot.
Accurate
Another benefit to owning a red dot sight for your pistol is that it is very accurate. Some scopes have close to zero parallaxes, making them more reliable. With that little parallax, the point of aim also becomes the point of impact. That alone proves just how frighteningly accurate red dot sights can be when firing with them.
Fast
Another incredible benefit of red dot sights is that they are also very quick in acquiring targets. With little to no parallax error, you can even easily find the target and do not have to spend time calibrating. It is especially effective on faster targets or targets nearby. In this specific case, open scopes are much faster since you do not have to look through a tube to acquire the target.
