What Are The Best Red Dots For AK-47?

It's hard to find the perfect red dot for your AK. Luckily for you, these affordable options come highly recommended from reviewers who really know their stuff.

FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.

1. Aimpoint - CompM5 Red Dot Reflex Sight

Highlight: Three Years of (Constant ON) Battery Life.

Helpful review: The Aimpoint on an AK fits the elevated mount setup. Optic mounts for an AK are a bit of an answer without a question. The AK was never designed to have an optic. It was only made to use open iron sights. The AR platform was built with a top handle and became a flat top receiver; the AK is made with an open-top receiver.

The Aimopoint will not fit flat on the top of the gun, no matter what it is put on. Since that is not needed for a red dot on an AK, no problems will be had. The red dot reticle in this optic is excellent for two-eye open shooting. All I have to do is raise the gun, and the red dot shows me where the bullet is going to hit. Other optics have different reticles for different reasons. Still, the simple red dot can not be beat for two eyes open shooting.

The red dot was shipped to me in a plain white box. The other optics in the fancy case, with all the cool stuff included, are made for consumer markets. The Aimpoint is made for the police market. The inclusions are some shorter screws for use without the riser, the Allen wrench, and a battery to turn it all on.

Speaking of the battery, it is in a simple and exposed tube, to use a word. All caps, including the battery compartment, are sealed for water leakage. The lenses are protected by shoot-through caps or covers. The caps can be flipped up for a clearer view, but if things go bad in a hurry, or if this is on a turkey gun, I can shoot through the clear lens covers without an issue. The lens caps on the optic I ordered are see-through; the standard caps will have a black cap on the front, which obviously cannot be seen through. Mine are clear on the back and yellow on the front. These caps seem to be made a little better than the ones from Butler Creek.

The red dot is slightly different for shooters used to shooting with a scope. The reticle is made for quick shooting, not precision shooting. All this means is that this optic's red dot is bigger or more prominent than a deer scope illuminated dot. This dot is 2 MOA, and what that means to everyone else is it will cover a turkey's head when the target is about 25 feet away. With this type of optic, the bullet drop and reticle are different. At about 100 feet, not yards but feet, the bullet's drop is not predictable with the red dot optic.

The brightness of the red has ten brightness settings. This will make the reticle viewable in the sunshine and turn it down for darker times. The optic is also waterproof. The waterproof resilience will allow me to scuba dive with this scope if I lose my mind and still shoot like it did before I jumped in. This simplifies cleaning the red dot; just hose it off, and it is good to go.

The battery life is reported to be 30K hours of constant running. I am not going to test that, I am not sure I will live for 30K hours, and I know I will not care about battery life after about 3 hours of checking a dot to see if it's still there.

Get it from Amazon now: $979.00 & FREE Returns

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2. Holosun - 510C Open Reflex Sight

Highlight: Outer ring and center dot reticle.

Helpful review: This sight is the only one I have tested with a built-in solar charger. This is a new thing for me, and to be honest, with the advancements in solar technology, even a crusty old buggar like myself is paying attention.

The reticle has two colors for shooting in bright daylight and red for darker times. The reticle in this optic is my favorite for the reflex-style sights. The reticle has a 65 MOA ring and a small 2 MOA dot in the middle, making target acquisition fast and accurate. With the duplex dot-style reticle, following a target is simple and easy to keep on the target. It's easy to use with both eyes open when I remember not to close my left eye.

Getting this optic sighted in is simple. Holosun includes the tool to turn the turrets, and the reticle moves simply and accurately. I bore-sighted this in my shop in about five minutes and then went to the range, where it was in the X ring in less than ten minutes. That left an entire box of ammo that needed to be sent downrange at everything I could stand up for a target.

The Holosun is unafraid of recoil, and the AK with a scope mount sends plenty of that to the optic. I have mounted an optic on the gas tube shroud, and most are short of a "please beat me" scope style. By using the receiver mount, there is no way to have a co-witness with the iron sights.

I really like the look of this optic. It walks, talks, and looks like it should cost a lot more than it does. When I see these on many of the "sub-guns," like the MP5 or other small guns, they look like they were part of the original package. On the AK, it sits high on the mount anyway, but the low profile of the Holosun keeps it from looking like it will catch on to everything in the range.

Get it from Amazon now: $309.99 & FREE Returns

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3. Sig Sauer - Romeo5 1x20mm Red Dot Sight

Highlight: Eight daylight settings and two-night vision-compatible settings.

Helpful review: When I mounted one of the Romeo5 optics on a customer gun, I tried to see it in my shop and found that the iron sights and red dots did not align. Of course, I figured it was the mount and was going to take the mount off and start over. Upon further investigation, I found that the stock sights on the AK were bent or not mounted squarely by the manufacturer.

The Romeo5 comes with two mounting plates, a higher one and a low-profile one. I used the low-profile one, and the way the AK optical mount works, the low profile worked like a champ.

The only negative thing I can find about this scope or red dot is the look of a cube sitting on top of the gun. So far as function goes, I can't find anything to point out as a flaw. The materials this optic is made from will withstand anything an ordinary shooter will run it through. The mount will break before the optic breaks. Unless the customer decides to torture test this and tries to break it off the gun with a hammer. I am not sure any optic on the market can tolerate some of the crazy torture tests I have seen on YouTube and other places.

The red dot reticle is very clear. Some red dots I have looked at have a blurry outline, and the Romeo5 does not. The optic is easy to look through with the square body; nearly all red dots are made round, which works well for the eye to center automatically. Still, the square body makes it easier for me to get the red dot on the target.

The Romeo5 uses the shake awake feature. The battery has as much life as almost all red dot options have, but this one is made with a shake-awake feature. What the Shake Awake, or whatever it is called, is excellent for making sure the print is ready when needed. What happens or how this works is that the sight will turn off if it sits still for more than five minutes. When the gun is moved, the red dot will turn on and be ready to go to work.

Get it from Amazon now: $139.99 & FREE Returns

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4. Vortex Optics - Defender-CCW Micro Red Dot Sight

Highlight: Top loading battery.

Helpful review: I use a new mount type to mount them on a customer rifle. This scope mount was mounted on both sides and over the top of the action. I do not know how well this mount works, as the customer has yet to contact me.

This Vortex red dot has been mounted on many guns that leave my shop. I have put one on the M1 carbine I inherited from my Dad. Talk about a wonky scope mount. I do not recommend anyone try this unless they need to do something just to see it get done, like I did.

This Defender-CCW is excellent to use. It looks as clear as the air, though, and the red dot is spot-on perfect. Like all of the offerings from Vortex, this thing is made like a tank. With the heavy recoil of the AK and sitting right over the bolt, I expected the reticle to be off after sending 200 rounds down range. The red dot did not move, and the optic did not move on the mount either. I made RVT bedding for the red dot to ensure this did not happen. If anyone will do this, make sure to put some release agent on the red dot. If you don't, the red dot will be glued to the mount forever.

While on the range testing the mount and how it works for the AK, I found myself tempted to shoot some ravens in the field next to the range. I am happy to report that this red dot mounted on that AK was great at sending about four ravens to wherever they go when they become a hatband. I have been told that the black feathers look really cool on a leather cowboy hat.

The low profile of the Defender-CCW makes this red dot fit anywhere on any gun that needs one. The glass is broad, and it is easy to see the target through and follow if necessary. I can use this sight with both eyes open very quickly, and it feels natural when moving with the rifle-shouldered.

Get it from Amazon now: $249.00 & FREE Returns

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5. Bushnell - TRS-26 1x26mm Red Dot Sight

Highlight: Picatinny Rail easily mountable.

Helpful review: The TRS-26 is the red dot I always use to set up guns when they leave the gunshop. I like their dependability and price.

I read many folks talking about this as a good disposable red dot, and I will replace it with a more expensive brand later. I know some folks who have had me order a replacement or, more accurately, an upgrade to other optics. I do not have anyone who has taken one of these out of my shop to replace one due to failure. That is not to say they don't fail, but none of the ones I have mounted and reported back to me.

When I look through the optics, the red dot is clear and bright, and it is easy to pick up on the target when I use them. The glass used is of high quality, not as high a standard as other makers, but this does not cost closer to a thousand bucks either.

The adjustments are the old-school style, made for a coin to adjust. The slots are not square cut but made with a slight curve, like a dime, which fits perfectly. I have used the rim of a round to turn the adjustment as well, but it is a pain in the ass, so carry a dime or find a tool that will work and keep it in your pocket.

The materials are high quality, and the items that move are easy to move and not sloppy. I have done dunk testing with this in the sink to see how it will work. The optic does not make a waterproof claim, but my bathroom sink testing shows it could fall in the drink for a few seconds and live to work another day.

Get it from Amazon now: $224.95 & FREE Returns

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6. Feyachi - Absolute Co-Witness Reflex Sight

Highlight: Built-in rear sights for co-witness setups.

Helpful review: This site has built-in rear sight "ears" to use as a co-witness with the red dot. This is a great idea, but it is a weak and cheap rear sight to replace quality sights.

The Wide View glass makes this reflex sight very easy to use and gets on target quickly. The glass is of good quality, and the materials they use to make this sight are excellent. The lens coatings are suitable but not exceptional. Look at the price versus a sight that does not have a long-distance precision scope but a fast-action short-distance optic.

One thing to mention about this option is the weight. The AK47 is not a light gun; even with a stamped receiver, it is hefty. Saving a few ounces anywhere is a good idea, and the Feyachi is the best choice.

The site will be mounted to a rail, which is easy to mount to the gun. I have mounted one of these on an AK mount that replaces the rear sight in the dovetail. I am unsure how well this will work in the long run, but it looks awesome, so I hope it works well for the customer.

A couple of things to mention about this optic are the adjustments. The battery cover is OK to reach, but it needs the magic coin or a tool to adjust the windage and elevation. If the tool is lost, the range day will end early. This is not a total killer or use; it would be nicer to have a simple slot to use a screwdriver from the Leatherman Tool or a coin to make the adjustments.

Get it from Amazon now: $39.59 & FREE Returns