Glare Around Red Dot Optic

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I just picked up a Red Dot optic for my AR. Its a Vortex Srikefire II Red /Green dot and it was awesome the other day but today there is a red glare around the edges of the optic when I look through it. It is around the edge of the ring. The dot is in the middle but the outside of it has red hugging the edges when I look through. I am very new to red dot optics. Did I mount it incorrectly or am I doing something wrong? Thanks for the help.
 
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Have you tried turning down the brightness? I find that when my dot is turned up really bright it gets a bit of a glow around the outside edge.
 
Are you saying the dot itself is 'blooming' when you look at it? Or there is some type of glare/reflection in your field of view?

If it's blooming, turn down intensity (like mlaboss said) to the lowest that you can operate from in the given light conditions. Also, keep both eyes open and focus on target. Don't treat a red dot like a scope.
 
blooming because of the dot being too bright is probably the most common culprit. If he's talking about a " comet tail" blur effect, that's usually (but not always) because of an astigmatism.
 
Astigmatisms can do that. One of the reasons I've gone away from red dots and switched to holographics.

Interesting, had this problem tonight at dusk playing with the kids and the airsoft. Will have to investigate this holographic business.
 
Could you make a suggestion of a good holographic sight? Make/Model?

Thanks,
Tony P.
 
Could you make a suggestion of a good holographic sight? Make/Model?

Thanks,
Tony P.

It's usually Eotech and then there's everyone else with holographics. 512/552 are probably the most common. AA battery and the 552 is NV capable. The 511 model is the most affordable option but it takes N batteries and people complain about battery drain.

Some say not as rugged as Aimpoint or ACOGs though.

Someone with a bit more experience will probably chime in with more info.
 
probably need to move it a little closer to your eye and turn down the brightness when its not bright and sunny out.
 
The Captain on Last Ship uses Eotech. Nice trigger discipline.

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probably need to move it a little closer to your eye and turn down the brightness when its not bright and sunny out.

Ill mess around with it a bit more. I have perfect vision so no astigmatism here. I am just wondering if anyon has had this happen to them. As I mentioned this is my first red dot. It also has green dot but I like the red.
 
I have two Aimpoints that will prove you wrong. I'll never use them again or their products. I switched to EoTech.

I don't even know what to say to this. You switched to Eotech after destroying two of the most durable aiming devices ever created? How's that POI drift, battery eating and parallax that supposedly doesn't exist treating you?

And what did you do to two aimpoints to kill them?
 
I don't even know what to say to this. You switched to Eotech after destroying two of the most durable aiming devices ever created? How's that POI drift, battery eating and parallax that supposedly doesn't exist treating you?

And what did you do to two aimpoints to kill them?

I explained the entire sad story to Ty last year on the Friday night before the BBQ. For your benefit here goes:

- I bought a pre-ban AR with Aimpoint Comp from Four Seasons back in 1999ish. It ran perfectly for many years and many thousands of PMC and Wolf ammo.
- One day I was cleaning some guns at Braintree R&P when a long time member came in and asked me if I was interested in an Aimpoint Comp he had just taken off his pistol. I bought it.
- Suddenly ~2010-11 my original Aimpoint blanks out after shooting a couple of .223 rounds (I don't reload rifle, using only factory ammo). Replacing batteries didn't help. It worked for a bit and then blanks out.
- So I mount the 2nd one (I hadn't used it up to this point). Works for a while and then same deal.
- I contacted John Enloe, Repairs Manager at Aimpoint. He advises me that it is likely the switch and not an uncommon problem. Units are no longer under warranty so I ship both off for repair ($89 each IIRC). They send them off to Sweden for repair.
- After about 3 months I get them back. I can only say that the interior of the battery compartment has the same wear marks as when I sent them in for repair. They installed new batteries but left one switched on so it was DOA, replaced batteries and mounted one on the rifle.
- I hadn't been shooting that rifle very much so months went by before I took it to the range. Same problem occurred after shooting a while. Mounted the other Aimpoint and contacted John Enloe again. He had me ship that one back to him.
- Got that one back about a month later.
- Both units switched off after some shooting. I gave up! Last time it happened I was shooting with a friend who is a Fed so he let me shoot his with the EOTech (that is what his agency uses and he manages a SWAT team). It ran great.
- I bought an EOTech using the LE discount (or instructor, don't recall which) program direct from EOTech.
- I'm not looking back!

Both Aimpoint Comps are just sitting here collecting dust. Ty suggested (last year) talking to Aimpoint again but I'm not sure that it is worth my effort. Likely will just sell them off with full disclosure of issues and let someone else play with them. Maybe they will work better with Airsoft! [sad]
 
Worth noting:

- I don't do any tactical rifle shooting, as I live in a congested suburb (11 houses within 500', so no safe direction/backstop).
- The rifle sits in the safe between outings, switch shut-off, no banging around or abuse.
 
Worth noting:

- I don't do any tactical rifle shooting, as I live in a congested suburb (11 houses within 500', so no safe direction/backstop).
- The rifle sits in the safe between outings, switch shut-off, no banging around or abuse.

Did the battery's happen to go bad ? Not dead but bad and leaked ?
I've had this happen on tons of different electronic devices .
 
Kinda shocked you had the trouble with the aim points . They have a great rep.

Same here.

BTW, once it went out (last time), no amount of turning it off/on, taking batteries out, replacing them, etc. would turn it back on. Put the rifle in the case, took it home and it turned on when I switched it on! Frustrating to the nth degree.
 
I just picked up a Red Dot optic for my AR. Its a Vortex Srikerfire II Red /Green dot and it was awesome the other day but today there is a red glare around the edges of the optic when I look through it. It is around the edge of the ring. The dot is in the middle but the outside of it has red hugging the edges when I look through. I am very new to red dot optics. Did I mount it incorrectly or am I doing something wrong? Thanks for the help.

In the same location, in same ambient light conditions? Same symptom when viewing with either eye? Too much intensity vs. ambient light can cause that, with the inexpensive sights I've used. I also use them for hunting, and often adjust the intensity to suit ambient light conditions.
 
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