Best AR-15 Sights 2023
Want to wow your friends with your shooting ability? If you want to have accurate marksmanship while firing your gun, you’ll need to use one of the best AR-15 sights on the market.
Figuring out which sight to buy isn’t easy because there are so many factors to consider. We have done all the homework for you to make your task simpler. By the time you finish reading this article, you’ll be able to find an AR-15 sight that will take your marksmanship to the next level.
Top AR-15 Sights Table
Types of AR-15 Sights
Before you can decide which sight to buy, you will need to figure out which type you want to use. Some shooters prefer to use iron sights, which don’t rely on optics to help mark their targets. Other gun enthusiasts prefer to use something a little higher tech.
- Red-Dot Sight. Many of the best AR-15 sights employ a red dot method. A tiny light-emitting diode, commonly called a LED, will create a light that is reflected into a mirror. From there, the mirror directs the light onto the lens, and then you’ll see it while you are looking into your sight.
They work best for targets that are within 100 yards of you, although they can help with longer distances as well. Although these types of sights are called red dot, that does not mean the color of the light you’ll use will always be red. The lights can be a variety of colors.
- Iron Sights. Iron sights, or open sights, are a way to help shooters with their accuracy that doesn’t involve anything terribly high tech. It uses an alignment marker, which is usually made out of metal. Iron sights are trickier to use, and some shooters consider them a relic of the past because there are easier methods available now of honing in on your target. Iron sights, however, are a popular backup method to optic sights because optics can sometimes fail to work. Without backup iron sights, your shooting will be wildly off target if your optics fail.
- Telescopic Sights. These types of sights are often called scopes. They use a telescope in addition to a graphic image pattern that helps shooters get a lock on their target.
- Laser Sights. Laser sights use a small light that features a light beam that runs parallel to the barrel of the gun. The laser light can be seen even a long way away, although it typically doesn’t work well in bright light situations.
Top 3 Best AR-15 Sights Reviews
1. Magpul Industries USA MBUS Generation II
This sight is made of tough polymer instead of metal. That makes it a lighter option than a standard metal sight. It’s also strong enough to put up with all the abuse a sight can take.
It is a spring-loaded flip-up sight that you will not have to struggle to open. It can be triggered by pressing on either side or the top. Once you’re done using it, it retracts easily back into place.
These sights are simple to install – just slide them on. They only take a few seconds to adjust before you’ll be happily trying them out with shot after shot. They stay on tight. There’s no vibrating, shifting or moving, which gives you accuracy every time you use them.
The Magpul is one of the most affordable sights that also delivers quality performance.
2. Vortex Optics StrikeFire 2 Dot Sight
With this sight, you’ll be able to shoot with both your eyes open. You’ll be able to quickly find and get a lock on your target, which matters to shooters who are in high-pressure situations where every second counts.
This battery-powered sight has rear-facing controls, which allows you to easily turn it off when you don’t need it. You can also quickly adjust the 10-dot intensity levels. When you are done using it and turn it off, the next time you’ll turn it on, it will automatically go to the last setting you had it set on. That saves you more time to spend on shooting and less time you’ll need to fuss with your settings.
The red and green dots used by this sight are clear and are visible even in tough conditions.
For less than a car payment, this will be a sight that you will use for years to come – it will be a time-saver and will hold up well to rigorous use.
3. EOTech 512.A65 Tactical HOLOgraphic Weapon Sight
The EOTECH 512.A65 isn’t your grandfather’s sight. It’s a holographic sight that offers speed and versatility. It uses two AA batteries, but they give you long-lasting power – at the nominal setting, the batteries will last 70 hours.
While it will not give you night vision, it will improve your accuracy. It offers 20 levels of brightness to make sure your sight will be beneficial to you, even in full sunlight.
It is both waterproof and fog-proof, which means you won’t have to head indoors when the weather turns on you. However, if you like to shoot indoors at a range, you can head from the indoor range to outdoor conditions easily with this sight because it can handle either setting.
With this sight, you’ll be able to shoot with both eyes open. While the EOTech is expensive, it is a military-grade sight that will give you a great performance every time.
