I've had several Holosun optics, the only one I had issue with was the 510 (integrated mount gave out). I have been running a 503G (ACSS Reticle) for several years, taken it to numerous classes, many range trips, and have had zero issues with it. Glad to see you are being honest about these and not bashing them because it is fashionable to do so.
fieldy - I can't exactly say how accurately the hold over marks have been. They are calibrated for a 16" rifle with m855 (I believe). Mine is on a 13.9 and I shoot mostly 55gr ammo through it. At the classes I've taken it to I was capable of hitting silhouette targets out to 300 using the holds. They were close enough for me.
"Not only did it maintain zero, it looked good doin it" fantastic review as always and I completely agree on the fantastic accuracy and reliability of Rosco Manufacturing barrels! I've got their 12.5" and 13.7" barrels and love them both! On the Holosun mounts, that's definitely their weakness and unfortunately they're forcing us to go the aftermarket route, which adds cost.
I picked up the 515CM Elite in green a little over a year ago and I love it to death. This is the first review I've seen of yours on a rifle RDS, I've watched many of your pistol ones, and really surprised to see you drop the rifle and even more surprised to see this great RDS survive and still hold zero. I wish I had your ammo budget. Thanks for the great work!
Can you compare the Holosun 510C , 515 to lets say the Sig Romeo 5 or the Vortex versions? Wonder if the 300-400 $ price is worth it given I can buy the other ones for $100-150
I have come to find out that Holosun optics deliver more in value than what you are paying for in cost. That is the key to stratospheric success in keeping customer delighted and have then coming back for more.
Picked up the 515CM (Red reticle plus solar).That particular variant comes with the 1/3 lower. Love this dot. Haven't been able to go out and shoot it yet, but been dry firing with it quite a bit. Surprised the greenie doesn't! Also, it's my first 1/3 lower. Holy crap. Never going back to absolute...
Had been hoping you'd put a Holosun rifle optic through the ringer. I'm glad to see it made out alright, and I'll feel more comfortable recommending them as a budget optic. I'd be interested to see the 403/503 and 510/512 done as well.
I have 2 of the 512s and love them. I cannot attest to the durability as I try NOT to drop my rifles but they hold 0, have a great reticle and are pretty rugged. Also the battery life is rated at 50,000 hours and has solar panels to increase that amount of time as well. I got them on sale for $259 and includes a pretty solid mount. Might look at the Titanium AEMS if you have more money and like a higher mount.
@@brian_b_music Hopefully it was pre-Sunshine Highway BS. That band ended when Mike left imo. Although "The Gangs all here" was a good try before it was OVER over. Street Dogs makes the pain go away temporarily haha
Side note, their 3x magnifier is my favorite of all 3x as the eye relief is 3.6". The longest I have found in magnifiers. Also the mount is non-locking
3.6"!? You talking about the HMX3, cause that has an eye relief of about 2.75", but is definitely the better choice for a magnifier anywhere near it's price range!
@@johnnybagofdoughnuts4193 I still don't get it (but I hate XDs, and I'm betting it's making a jab at them for sucking). What are those things in the background that look like submarines?
It’s actually from a post he made back in 2017 of the 20th XD to catastrophically fail in a class over a two year period.. I’m sure there has been many more just like it since!! LOL.. P.S. That thread is still going strong with comments 4 years later!! 😹
Quality content as always. Holosun has come a long way. I think it could now be used as a duty optic if needed. I don’t know why one would but I think you could and still feel confident it wouldn’t fail you. It’s more then qualified for hunting, range guns and for plinking around.
@@secessionnow4133 uh huh, and yet somehow aimpoint has not learned anything from them and offered up a comparable optic. They also got hit by Trijicon for their pistol sights and yet Trijicon still doesn't offer an optic with the same features. We get it you hate them because they are made in China. That doesn't mean they are shit. As one guy already said to you the money saved goes towards ammo and or training to fight off invaders. Relax some....
@@secessionnow4133 I own a lot of rifles and I can not afford to put an Eotech, Aimpoint or a Trijicon red dot on all of them. I will always chose one of them for my rifles I would use for serious use and own several of each. I also have a few Holosun, Sig and Vortex products. Holosun is making a good product and I wish that Eotech, Trijicon and Aimpoint would take some cues from them and use the Shake awake tech that they have but it might be because that makes the optic less reliable is my only thought as to why they haven’t. As far as Chinese products, I always say buy American when you can but in free market capitalism, l if someone makes a great product for cheaper then don’t get mad at them. How do you like your iPhone/Android that you use everyday? What about your TV’s, appliances, etc. do you see my point yet?!
I just jumped on the Holosun Optics Parade. Fabulous build quality and longevity power use. I just cannot say enough good things about their products. Great video and info, thanks SD.!
Man thank God Aaron has prior military service. He was wearing a plate carrier . Almost had to call Dakota Meyer. Remember boys and girls. Only those that served can wear camo and plate carriers! All jokes aside great review as usual great channel. Keep it up !
Nice, I got the HS515CM instead of a T2 because I really wanted shake awake. It's a very nice optic. No complaints. I put mine on a Reptilia lower third mount
@@secessionnow4133 also, when trijicon can get their head out of ass and produce a tube dot on par with something hecho en China, I'll buy them again. Mro's suck to look through and have since they came out. I owned three, including one made a year ago. All had visible magnification and trijicon doesn't care. They are a one product company with the acog and I am keeping those. Name another rifle optic the produce that actually works on par with like priced items today. I'll wait. And before you mention the scopes, those are made by low and are already outclassed by competitors.
One optic I'd be very curious to see a review on is the Meprolight MOR Pro. Not many reviews on it and it offers a lot for the price. Meprolight tends to fly under the radar and often can be a little funky, but they build durable, quality optics.
after looking at the Holosun site and studying their offerings, for some reason their Titanium versions of the 515/530 sights only come with that standard riser/QD. While the Aluminum stuff of the 515/503/403 have the QD+riser; which means the Aluminum versions can be low mounted.
Just got one in the mail a week ago. The crosshair portion is a little crooked (it might be the segmented parts of the circle that are not evenly spaced and the actual hash marks you'd use for aiming and holds are fine). Either way, what a sweet little optic. I got the solar one. Even with a dead battery it'll run forever.
Great review! I noticed you strip your mags rather than let them drop is that just a learned trait or is the tolerance that tight in that particular lower ? Just curious! Keep up that great work !
I usually run Eotechs and Aimpoints. I was shooting with a friend who mounted a Holosun on his carbine. I was so impressed with the clarity of the circle dot reticle as compared to my Eotech. I'm seriously considering Holosun products on future builds.
@@peady64 I get that but they're not at all comparable. The eotech really is superior in every way due to the difference between technologies used to create a holographic vs red dot reticle. The crispness of the reticle is the only real advantage of a optical sight system.
@@trentf4891 They are most definitely NOT the same technology, thus why the Eotech looks like it does. If I could afford Eotechs for all my rifles I would definitely have them mounted, but if you don't have to have a holographic sight, Holosun is what is I recommend to anyone that needs optics on a budget!
Just received my red dot 515 CM yesterday. Grabbed it for my SOLGW 13.7 based on your review. Mounted it on my Scalarworks. Only gripe is the screws on the battery tray strip easily. Optic seems pretty durable overall. Appreciate the review man. I get attacked for buying a "Made in China" optic when I buy my Holosuns, but whatever. My astigmatism seems to like the Holosun circle dot the best for some reason. Appreciate all your reviews and knowledge brother.
T2 glass is still slightly better in clarity and contrast. But the difference is marginal. You have to directly compare them back to back to notice it. Not something that would be discernible while actually shooting.
With an astigmatism the green is said to be better for some. Also with the 65moa and 2moa together it helps with astigmatism. For some reason those to reticles together it clears up the distortion from astigmatism.
Green reticles "pop" more if you have color vision issues like I do. At least that's my experience with my degraded color vision and everyone else's mileage will vary.
You should try gold or amber reticles. Holosun makes some models in gold, trijicon makes some in what they call amber. I have some color issues , not totally color blind but definitely issues. I was 25 years old before I figured it out. Get behind a holosun with gold reticle, you won't regret it friend. Cheers
@@l337l0gan >I was 25 years old Same here. It took a few ex-girlfriends asking if I was color blind for it to finally sink in that I may actually be color blind. Turns out I'm moderately red deficient. So greens stand out to me but reds are a crapshoot for me (protanomaly). Thanks for the tip on that gold dot. I'll have to check it out.
I found out when I enlisted and tried to be a seal. After several tests they said "nope you're colorblind". Never had an issue before or since. Same here though, green is the best and it kinda pisses me off that the best optics don't come in green, although I kinda understand because it drains the battery so fast. I also saw a study several years ago that green is better for people anyways and is easier to see
After I bought my first Holsun 508T with a green reticle I will never, ever buy a red dot or reticle again. The green just pops for me. Also Holosun says that the green actually uses less power than red.
This optic sounds great especially for the price. ive already got a 510c but considering you didnt give that one the time of day I should probably upgrade. I do like the 510c though , It just needs a riser.(in stock)
I had a holosun mounted on an Ultimak gas tube on my AK. Did I do a burn down? No. But the optic got hot enough to not touch. Retained zero. I've sent back a RDS 507c for not retaining zero out of the box. Got a fresh unit. If you end up with a lemon they take care of you.
Kentucky Gun Company has the CM's for $255/shipped right now! I picked up a couple, cause I couldn't find the green version and these seem like great optics at that price 4 sure!
Holosun's gold dot really makes a big difference, try it out. Wife has astigmatism but can see that one no problem. The green doesn't work quite as well, but is also better than the red for her.
you keep your backup irons flipped down until you need them so what does it matter if they are absolute cowitness? if they were 1/3 would u keep them flipped up?
@@Rob-qr2kn excellent question, hard to answer exact, without magnification at my 25 meter indoor range I can put rounds through the same hole. Outside, non magnified I can take head shots at 100 meters. Magnified I'd say about twice that, maybe more. Any time I'm shooting for accuracy I turn the circle off and use the dot turned way down. If your on the fence about a 3x magnifier DO IT! I can't imagine running without the option. Also with a 3x mag I've switched from a 25m to a 50m zero. As far as just hitting silhouettes 100m with the dot, 300m with the magnifier easy.
@@BeerHandStrong Thanks for responding. I asked because I was considering an LPVO but for the money, I could probably just have a Holosun and a magnifier for up close and use magnification for distance and not have to adjust the LPVO . Trying to be effective, not break the bank. I am in the process of setting up my new Z-15 12.5 AR Pistol. Thanks again.
@@Rob-qr2kn I was in the same boat 2yrs ago, reason I went RDS and magnifier boiled down to eye relief and target acquisition. Most of my shooting the green dot works fine and anything farther is just a flick of the wrist. Basically the 3x mag gets me close enough to hit anything I can see with the naked eye. I've used my setup and a friend's Vortex eagle 1-6 side by side and I prefer the RDS & xMag. Hope this helps, also I'd highly recommend a green circle dot vs red circle dot, better in every situation 👍
Seems like I always hear this from the guy who owns a Russian AK. I get what you're saying but I also think it's very low on the list of the things ruining this country.
I absolutely love my "Holosun Military Grade Micro HS515CM" (the newer solar power model) I have it mounted on my IWI Zion pistol and it's a match made in heaven. Thanks for dropping yours so I don't have to drop mine!!!🤣😂🤣
Fun fact, my pencil is military grade too. Point is military grade vs actual military contracts that utilizes goes through the trenches are two very VERY important distinctions. Holosun, has zero, I am literally saying zero military usage. Even the chinese themselves don't use it. Does this mean it's inferior? Conjecture, but to preface saying & claiming it's military grade is delusional. It is military grade as far as marketing and no further then that.
@@koala83r72 OH NO! I guess I should return it along with my multicam panties!!! That is quite literally the name of the newer version of the optic from the manufacturer. I'm so glad you were able to educate all of us today on the distinction between actual military contracts vs names given by the manufacture. "Holosun Military Grade Micro HS515CM" as copied and pasted from their website. I never said it had a military contract but I'm very glad you cleared this up for everyone that may be confused. I can sleep sound tonight knowing that accurate distinctions were outlined here.
Holosun is pretty good, imo up there with Vortex. "I have a minor blem on my lense coating that only shows when looking directly at the sun" *Sends New Optic*, "I stripped out the threads on my 5 year old optic because of my own negligence" *Sends new optic*, "I lost my mount spacer because I'm stupid" *Sends new spacer*
The “value” guys are making some great equipment! One of my favorite setups is a Spitfire 5x with a 509t. Light, fast, and very forgiving. I’d use more expensive equipment but the spendy stuff isn’t as good.
Its one thing to say that "value" equipment is fit for duty, or hard use. Its another to say that its better than its competitors. The Aimpoint T-1/T-2 or H-1/H-2, etc.. Holosun ain't better than Aimpoint/Trijicon/EOTech/etc.. Just because its "affordable," doesn't make it better, not by a long shot. If they were the best, dudes way more high speed than your or I would be using them to stack bodies across the globe, but they aren't. Things could very well change, but, as the dude above me says, give as few of your dollars as possible to the CCP. Some stuff just cant be avoided, but, I make damn sure to control it where I can.
@Random Pickle you don't need a solar panel when your battery lives for a ton of hours.. I get the reticle options, but for me it's not enough. I'm going with an optic that has been around the block before and has been dependable for years.
I had a green dot from them a couple years back that was green dot but like a Romeo 5. I sent it in and they sent me one of these as a replacement. I won out on that deal! Never had an issue with that one and the reticle isn’t blurry due to my astigmatism
What torque are you using on the base/cam lever screw? Holosun doesn't list a spec. After having the optic for over a year with no issue I just discovered my zero shifted up and over several inches. Figured out the base screw had loosened just a bit. Tightened and witness marked with pain pen.
I’m a bit hesitant to trust my 515. I bought one brand new and found that it’s shake awake feature didn’t work, I would have to bang on the optic with my hand to get hit to activate, so I disabled the feature. Then I found that if I put the rifle in a bag for any period of time and took it out, the optic would act as it if was on, but the dot wouldn’t appear. So I sent it back to Holosun and had a very difficult time working with CS to get a replacement. After several weeks, I got a new one, and have been very hesitant to trust it too. I’ve found the zeroing dials very difficult to move and I had a very hard time zeroing it. I will be selling it as soon as possible and replacing with an aimpoint pro.
"the optic would act as it if was on, but the dot wouldn’t appear" -- wtf does that even mean?? LOL -- If you can't see the dot, how would you know it was "acting like it was on." C'mon man, you gotta do a better story than that. I've got a handful of Holosuns, as well as Aimpoint and Trijicon--never had a problem with any of them. I've only heard good things about their CS, too.
@@bn6728 Ah yes I see how that would be confusing. Note that I always kept it on the "dot only" mode, rather than circle dot. When I experienced it acting like it was on, it surprised me. I would see no dot, but hold down the +/- buttons to try to get it to respond. I held them down together or on their own, for 5-15 seconds, hoping something would happen. When nothing did, I assumed the battery might be dead - which was odd since I had only had the unit for a couple weeks. I started by popping the battery out and back in. When I replaced the battery, I found the unit was in circle dot mode. This told me that the optic was responding to the commands I was attempting to give it while holding down the +/- buttons, but was not displaying the dot. CS eventually told me that the issue was with my shake awake system.
Any chance you would review the 515 CM? It is the “military” grade supposedly. I feel that it would be more “duty” rated. I have it and it’s been good so far. Great video though!
They claim the titanium is 2 or 3 times stronger than the aluminum. As the titaniums are more expensive than the aluminum I think they are probably military grade too.
Big question here. Where in the hell can I find one? I really, really want a 512 in green or a Romeo 8T but I'd take one of the l these. But can't find them
Good stuff. Not sure if it's TRUE or not but I think i heard that this dot takes aimpoint t1/t2 mounts and or risers. Do you have any idea if this is true or not? Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Have a the 530 series on a Scalarworks, love it. Only difference between this and the 530 is that the 530 has a 30 mm lens while this is 20 mm (I believe), and it has no zeroing adjustment covers like the 530. Not a dealbreaker for me. I think the 515 has a T2 mounting profile so you could always throw out the absolute mount and get an aftermarket lower 1/3. Great review as always, was waiting to hear what you thought about their rifle lineup.
I have the 515CM, which is their 'military grade' 7075 aluminum housing with solar feature on my 11.5" 'bugout' gun. Have had several Holosun RDS's, so this was something very familiar in a very rugged package for an emergency gun. I just stick with the dot and I've always found Holosun's dots to be nice and crisp. Was considering an Aimpoint PREO or Trij MRO, but I'm happy with this and saved a little extra money. And thankfully, the mount tat came with it which has the same QD as your was lower-1/3rd height, which I also prefer.
@@jrozz421 If you want the solar version with the battery on the side, rather than in a tray, get the SIG Romeo 4T. Compare the 4T to the Holosun 515 line, and you'll see that it is the same optic. I think Holosun has a contract with SIG to exclusively produce that version for them, otherwise, why would Holosun not make such an optic, which is obviously the best configuration?
@@bn6728 I was looking into that as well, but I think that Sig only come absolute cowitness height, whereas the HS515CM and HS515GM are lower-1/3rd....although if it's T1-mount compatible you could always get any aftermarket lower-1/3rd I guess. The GM (no solar) were out of stock for a long time, so when the CM's got back in stock I went with it. Not crazy about the battery tray either...good idea but a little iffy execution. But still doable, I keep the 'tool' for it in my pistol grip as well as the spare battery.
I'm new to having a weapon light mounted on my rifle. Is there something I need to do to the lense to make it easier to clean afterwards? Muzzle device is a solgw nox, but the light/lense is an inch or so behind it/won't be getting directly blasted. I've heard chapstick or vaseline?
I've noticed you've been running right handed a whole lot recently. Have you decided to dedicate to that manual of arms? Or is that just indicative of firearm layout?
The culmination of Aarons burndowns are what caused the 2021 ammo shortages
I'm not even mad.
Worth it!
I've had the 515 for years, and love them. I use the solar version which works, daylight bright, without a battery.
I've had several Holosun optics, the only one I had issue with was the 510 (integrated mount gave out). I have been running a 503G (ACSS Reticle) for several years, taken it to numerous classes, many range trips, and have had zero issues with it. Glad to see you are being honest about these and not bashing them because it is fashionable to do so.
it's fashionable to bash Holosun? Thought things like crimson trace are more suited for that?
Steven I think it is less frequent now, but a year or two ago, Holosun was not respected or seen as a viable option by many content creators. IMO
@@DHolmes419 oh well, how time changes lol
David Holmes, I have the same red dot. How accurate are the hashmarks for u? I've only been able to go out to 200 yards because of distance issues.
fieldy - I can't exactly say how accurately the hold over marks have been. They are calibrated for a 16" rifle with m855 (I believe). Mine is on a 13.9 and I shoot mostly 55gr ammo through it. At the classes I've taken it to I was capable of hitting silhouette targets out to 300 using the holds. They were close enough for me.
"Not only did it maintain zero, it looked good doin it" fantastic review as always and I completely agree on the fantastic accuracy and reliability of Rosco Manufacturing barrels! I've got their 12.5" and 13.7" barrels and love them both! On the Holosun mounts, that's definitely their weakness and unfortunately they're forcing us to go the aftermarket route, which adds cost.
I picked up the 515CM Elite in green a little over a year ago and I love it to death. This is the first review I've seen of yours on a rifle RDS, I've watched many of your pistol ones, and really surprised to see you drop the rifle and even more surprised to see this great RDS survive and still hold zero. I wish I had your ammo budget. Thanks for the great work!
I can't believe this guy dropped his AR on pavement, unbelievable! Dropping it on grass, ok ill go with that.
Can you compare the Holosun 510C , 515 to lets say the Sig Romeo 5 or the Vortex versions? Wonder if the 300-400 $ price is worth it given I can buy the other ones for $100-150
@@steffeness1 it's 1000% worth it to spend the extra money. The cheaper sig and vortex optics are not good
Thanks for the review. Appreciate that you do these for us so we don’t have to spend our money.
Aaron, your channel is my go-to for any kind of review.
I have come to find out that Holosun optics deliver more in value than what you are paying for in cost. That is the key to stratospheric success in keeping customer delighted and have then coming back for more.
Picked up the 515CM (Red reticle plus solar).That particular variant comes with the 1/3 lower. Love this dot. Haven't been able to go out and shoot it yet, but been dry firing with it quite a bit. Surprised the greenie doesn't! Also, it's my first 1/3 lower. Holy crap. Never going back to absolute...
Sage dynamics is the real MVP: doing ammo burn down when ammo is $$$$!!! Well done sir!
Love my holosuns for the budget crew represent!!
Thank you Aaron. God Bless you and yours. 🙏🏻🇺🇸
Had been hoping you'd put a Holosun rifle optic through the ringer. I'm glad to see it made out alright, and I'll feel more comfortable recommending them as a budget optic. I'd be interested to see the 403/503 and 510/512 done as well.
I have 2 of the 512s and love them. I cannot attest to the durability as I try NOT to drop my rifles but they hold 0, have a great reticle and are pretty rugged. Also the battery life is rated at 50,000 hours and has solar panels to increase that amount of time as well. I got them on sale for $259 and includes a pretty solid mount. Might look at the Titanium AEMS if you have more money and like a higher mount.
I hereby propose that any optics that pass 3+ drop tests are now called "Droptics"
Thats a droptical illusion
@@joemo1033I know I’m two years late. I was busy listening to Droptic Murphys.
@@brian_b_music Hopefully it was pre-Sunshine Highway BS.
That band ended when Mike left imo. Although "The Gangs all here" was a good try before it was OVER over.
Street Dogs makes the pain go away temporarily haha
Great video as always 🤘🇺🇸 looking forward to more of your quality reviews
Side note, their 3x magnifier is my favorite of all 3x as the eye relief is 3.6". The longest I have found in magnifiers. Also the mount is non-locking
3.6"!? You talking about the HMX3, cause that has an eye relief of about 2.75", but is definitely the better choice for a magnifier anywhere near it's price range!
Thank you for another honest and thorough review!
Lmao at Aaron's Springfield XD shirt. I love it.
Took me too long to get it
@@johnnybagofdoughnuts4193 I still don't get it (but I hate XDs, and I'm betting it's making a jab at them for sucking). What are those things in the background that look like submarines?
@@joeflowers9084 it’s making fun of Springfield for putting the words “grip zone” molded into the grip.
GRIP ZONE!!!
It’s actually from a post he made back in 2017 of the 20th XD to catastrophically fail in a class over a two year period.. I’m sure there has been many more just like it since!! LOL.. P.S. That thread is still going strong with comments 4 years later!! 😹
Quality content as always. Holosun has come a long way. I think it could now be used as a duty optic if needed. I don’t know why one would but I think you could and still feel confident it wouldn’t fail you. It’s more then qualified for hunting, range guns and for plinking around.
Yes they stole all the patents from aim point and imported to China
@@secessionnow4133 uh huh, and yet somehow aimpoint has not learned anything from them and offered up a comparable optic. They also got hit by Trijicon for their pistol sights and yet Trijicon still doesn't offer an optic with the same features. We get it you hate them because they are made in China. That doesn't mean they are shit. As one guy already said to you the money saved goes towards ammo and or training to fight off invaders. Relax some....
@@secessionnow4133 I own a lot of rifles and I can not afford to put an Eotech, Aimpoint or a Trijicon red dot on all of them. I will always chose one of them for my rifles I would use for serious use and own several of each. I also have a few Holosun, Sig and Vortex products. Holosun is making a good product and I wish that Eotech, Trijicon and Aimpoint would take some cues from them and use the Shake awake tech that they have but it might be because that makes the optic less reliable is my only thought as to why they haven’t. As far as Chinese products, I always say buy American when you can but in free market capitalism, l if someone makes a great product for cheaper then don’t get mad at them. How do you like your iPhone/Android that you use everyday? What about your TV’s, appliances, etc. do you see my point yet?!
@@secessionnow4133 If your patents get stolen that easily, your ideas are worthless.
Also patents don't teach you how to make an optic lmao.
Own multiple Holosun optics for several years...they are fantastic 👏
I just jumped on the Holosun Optics Parade. Fabulous build quality and longevity power use. I just cannot say enough good things about their products. Great video and info, thanks SD.!
Man thank God Aaron has prior military service. He was wearing a plate carrier .
Almost had to call Dakota Meyer. Remember boys and girls. Only those that served can wear camo and plate carriers!
All jokes aside great review as usual great channel. Keep it up !
Lmfaoo
Show me where the instagram personalities hurt you
@@nc_classics9767 Right in the constitution. :(
@@christopherobrien4493
Nice, I got the HS515CM instead of a T2 because I really wanted shake awake. It's a very nice optic. No complaints. I put mine on a Reptilia lower third mount
Thanks for the great, honest review Aaron.
Another great review. Thank you Aaron
I've been waiting on a review for their micro dots. Thanks Aaron
Get a trijicon stop supporting the ccp
@@secessionnow4133 lol
@@secessionnow4133 also, when trijicon can get their head out of ass and produce a tube dot on par with something hecho en China, I'll buy them again. Mro's suck to look through and have since they came out. I owned three, including one made a year ago. All had visible magnification and trijicon doesn't care. They are a one product company with the acog and I am keeping those.
Name another rifle optic the produce that actually works on par with like priced items today. I'll wait. And before you mention the scopes, those are made by low and are already outclassed by competitors.
@@secessionnow4133
Get a sig optic as the are built in the US
@@secessionnow4133 Man you should destroy your phone/computer that you wrote comment with since it too was made in China
One optic I'd be very curious to see a review on is the Meprolight MOR Pro. Not many reviews on it and it offers a lot for the price. Meprolight tends to fly under the radar and often can be a little funky, but they build durable, quality optics.
Great review. Currently waiting for mine (red dot). Been two months. Hopefully soon
after looking at the Holosun site and studying their offerings, for some reason their Titanium versions of the 515/530 sights only come with that standard riser/QD. While the Aluminum stuff of the 515/503/403 have the QD+riser; which means the Aluminum versions can be low mounted.
Aaron " I'm not a UA-cam creator/gun channel." Then drops new videos every Friday like clockwork.🤣
The drop test improves accuracy.
Just got one in the mail a week ago. The crosshair portion is a little crooked (it might be the segmented parts of the circle that are not evenly spaced and the actual hash marks you'd use for aiming and holds are fine). Either way, what a sweet little optic. I got the solar one. Even with a dead battery it'll run forever.
I have a 515CT on a Unity mount and I’m a huge fan. It’s been a tank.
Nice review, seems a very durable sight.
Fun fact: Aimpoint uses a 6061 Housing on the T2/Comp M5/Comp M5s. The HS series uses 7075 & HE Series uses Titanium for the housings/optics body.
i thought COMP M5 was 7075?
Wrong. Check out Holosun’s website. Only the 515 and 530 are either 7075 or Titanium. The rest are 6061.
@@thejdshipley the AEMS is 7075.
@@slowmo7500 depends which version. They also have a titanium
The Comp M5 is 7075. That’s a fact.
Excellent review. Thanks for providing information I can trust.
I think Aaron's videos are uhhhhhh, some of the best.
Great review! I noticed you strip your mags rather than let them drop is that just a learned trait or is the tolerance that tight in that particular lower ? Just curious! Keep up that great work !
I run Holosun optics on some of my rifles. Never had any issues. Best for the money in my opinion.
Same
Hands down
I usually run Eotechs and Aimpoints. I was shooting with a friend who mounted a Holosun on his carbine. I was so impressed with the clarity of the circle dot reticle as compared to my Eotech. I'm seriously considering Holosun products on future builds.
@@peady64 I get that but they're not at all comparable. The eotech really is superior in every way due to the difference between technologies used to create a holographic vs red dot reticle. The crispness of the reticle is the only real advantage of a optical sight system.
@@trentf4891 They are most definitely NOT the same technology, thus why the Eotech looks like it does. If I could afford Eotechs for all my rifles I would definitely have them mounted, but if you don't have to have a holographic sight, Holosun is what is I recommend to anyone that needs optics on a budget!
Just received my red dot 515 CM yesterday. Grabbed it for my SOLGW 13.7 based on your review. Mounted it on my Scalarworks. Only gripe is the screws on the battery tray strip easily. Optic seems pretty durable overall. Appreciate the review man. I get attacked for buying a "Made in China" optic when I buy my Holosuns, but whatever. My astigmatism seems to like the Holosun circle dot the best for some reason. Appreciate all your reviews and knowledge brother.
Which Scalarworks mount is the HS515 compatible with?
this is what i've been waiting for
Great video as always Aaron
Love the "Fuel Level" mag !
I have this with a red reticle. Comes in the pelican case, very nice package. I don't see any comparable aimpints being any better than this.
T2 glass is still slightly better in clarity and contrast. But the difference is marginal. You have to directly compare them back to back to notice it. Not something that would be discernible while actually shooting.
Easily my favorite optic. Definitely best bang for your buck.
With an astigmatism the green is said to be better for some. Also with the 65moa and 2moa together it helps with astigmatism. For some reason those to reticles together it clears up the distortion from astigmatism.
I couldn't find the HE515GTC-RD model anywhere like a year ago, so I ordered it straight from Holosun.
I love me some Holosun optics!!!
Green reticles "pop" more if you have color vision issues like I do. At least that's my experience with my degraded color vision and everyone else's mileage will vary.
You should try gold or amber reticles. Holosun makes some models in gold, trijicon makes some in what they call amber. I have some color issues , not totally color blind but definitely issues. I was 25 years old before I figured it out. Get behind a holosun with gold reticle, you won't regret it friend. Cheers
@@l337l0gan >I was 25 years old
Same here. It took a few ex-girlfriends asking if I was color blind for it to finally sink in that I may actually be color blind.
Turns out I'm moderately red deficient. So greens stand out to me but reds are a crapshoot for me (protanomaly).
Thanks for the tip on that gold dot. I'll have to check it out.
I found out when I enlisted and tried to be a seal. After several tests they said "nope you're colorblind". Never had an issue before or since. Same here though, green is the best and it kinda pisses me off that the best optics don't come in green, although I kinda understand because it drains the battery so fast. I also saw a study several years ago that green is better for people anyways and is easier to see
After I bought my first Holsun 508T with a green reticle I will never, ever buy a red dot or reticle again. The green just pops for me. Also Holosun says that the green actually uses less power than red.
This optic sounds great especially for the price. ive already got a 510c but considering you didnt give that one the time of day I should probably upgrade. I do like the 510c though , It just needs a riser.(in stock)
This is what I wait for before I buy an optic.
And I buy loooooooots of optics. Thanks Aaron.
Get a trijicon or aimpont. Help the 🇺🇸
@@secessionnow4133 aimpoint isn’t american bub
@Random Pickle back when it first came out? unless the problems are still there Idk what you're talking about
@Random Pickle holy fuck that's one brutal awakening, thanks
Holosun is my favorite optic manufacturer… at any price point.. change my mind
I had a holosun mounted on an Ultimak gas tube on my AK. Did I do a burn down? No. But the optic got hot enough to not touch. Retained zero. I've sent back a RDS 507c for not retaining zero out of the box. Got a fresh unit. If you end up with a lemon they take care of you.
Just picked up the CM version for a Bren 2. Very happy with it.
Kentucky Gun Company has the CM's for $255/shipped right now! I picked up a couple, cause I couldn't find the green version and these seem like great optics at that price 4 sure!
Bought the Holosun 515 and mounted it to a Unity Tactical after seeing its capabilities in comparison to Aimpoint and Trijicon.
I did the same thing and althought looks a little funky it works like a brick
you and me both 🤙
What type of foot print does it have? Aimpoint?
@@pedroserrano8606 Aimpoint micro footprint.
Just bought the 515T for 360. Big W, gonna put it on a unity fast
Can you please do a review on the Sig Romeo 5? I know it’s budget but I would like to see how it performs during your testing.
So from what I understand from a friend, who has started teaching me about Nods, green puts less strain on the image intensifier than red.
I hope you get your hands on the Bushnell rxs 250 soon
The three people that disliked this video are grip zone fanboys 😆
It’s now up to 6 fanboys 🤣🤣🤣🇺🇸
@SageDynamics
Could you do a test of different steel targets when you do the 2k round tests to compare the damage?
Where's my astigmatism crew in here watching this even though they can't even see this damn red dot?
Present
Holosun's gold dot really makes a big difference, try it out. Wife has astigmatism but can see that one no problem. The green doesn't work quite as well, but is also better than the red for her.
👌
A starburst is still faster and more accurate than irons
@@MyLonewolf25 Prism or holographics my guy. Work great.
I didn’t think I wanted a green until I finally tried out the green 507c, do I “need” it? Nope, but I do really like it.
I have one of their HE530G's and it's a tank
you keep your backup irons flipped down until you need them so what does it matter if they are absolute cowitness? if they were 1/3 would u keep them flipped up?
I run the 515gt gr and thier 3x magnifier and after 16 months hard driving I'm still as impressed as I was opening the box.
@Sig Speer Thumb, without magnification how far could you see/shoot vs. with ?
@@Rob-qr2kn excellent question, hard to answer exact, without magnification at my 25 meter indoor range I can put rounds through the same hole. Outside, non magnified I can take head shots at 100 meters. Magnified I'd say about twice that, maybe more. Any time I'm shooting for accuracy I turn the circle off and use the dot turned way down.
If your on the fence about a 3x magnifier DO IT! I can't imagine running without the option. Also with a 3x mag I've switched from a 25m to a 50m zero.
As far as just hitting silhouettes 100m with the dot, 300m with the magnifier easy.
@@BeerHandStrong Thanks for responding. I asked because I was considering an LPVO but for the money, I could probably just have a Holosun and a magnifier for up close and use magnification for distance and not have to adjust the LPVO . Trying to be effective, not break the bank. I am in the process of setting up my new Z-15 12.5 AR Pistol. Thanks again.
@@Rob-qr2kn I was in the same boat 2yrs ago, reason I went RDS and magnifier boiled down to eye relief and target acquisition. Most of my shooting the green dot works fine and anything farther is just a flick of the wrist. Basically the 3x mag gets me close enough to hit anything I can see with the naked eye. I've used my setup and a friend's Vortex eagle 1-6 side by side and I prefer the RDS & xMag. Hope this helps, also I'd highly recommend a green circle dot vs red circle dot, better in every situation 👍
When I had my green MRO and my astigmatism hated it. And for some reason my astigmatism seems to like holosun emitters the best.
I'm wondering when he's gonna start sneaking in barrel and BCG reviews? I figure he goes through them like water.
He did a barrel review or two. Not BCG that I know of.
An few Labatt blue lights and a sage review, nice start to the weekend.
Hello fellow Canadian beer lover 🍻
Piss weak beer, sorry mate.
@@MaxwellAerialPhotography all Canadian beer?
There’s something so satisfying seeing a translucent mag feeding full auto 🤤
Will you be doing a review of the Springfield wasp micro red dot?
Where did you find a green one in stock??
I thought I lost the riser for the 3x magnifer. I emailed Holosun told them I wanted one and had a free one in less than a week.
It’s easy for them to do. They want to undercut usa manufacturing. They also have slave making their optics so it cost them nothing except shipping.
Seems like I always hear this from the guy who owns a Russian AK. I get what you're saying but I also think it's very low on the list of the things ruining this country.
@@secessionnow4133 replied on a Chinese slave labor made phone. Let's just be realistic here.
@@coldfront7914 ...”OTHER” options BESIDES Chinese crap!?
@@coldfront7914 again Taiwan but once this phone run its life cycle I’m getting this shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-5-30-inch-kit/
I absolutely love my "Holosun Military Grade Micro HS515CM" (the newer solar power model) I have it mounted on my IWI Zion pistol and it's a match made in heaven. Thanks for dropping yours so I don't have to drop mine!!!🤣😂🤣
Fun fact, my pencil is military grade too. Point is military grade vs actual military contracts that utilizes goes through the trenches are two very VERY important distinctions.
Holosun, has zero, I am literally saying zero military usage. Even the chinese themselves don't use it. Does this mean it's inferior? Conjecture, but to preface saying & claiming it's military grade is delusional. It is military grade as far as marketing and no further then that.
@@koala83r72 OH NO! I guess I should return it along with my multicam panties!!!
That is quite literally the name of the newer version of the optic from the manufacturer. I'm so glad you were able to educate all of us today on the distinction between actual military contracts vs names given by the manufacture.
"Holosun Military Grade Micro HS515CM" as copied and pasted from their website.
I never said it had a military contract but I'm very glad you cleared this up for everyone that may be confused. I can sleep sound tonight knowing that accurate distinctions were outlined here.
@@hartshot8455 Bet your multicam panties were not only military grade, but probably made in china too.
@@koala83r72 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼
Aaron is the guy on the radio that has those deep uhs
They need to dump the clear scope cover on the front and replace it with a solid black one. There are tactical considerations for use that way
Holosun is pretty good, imo up there with Vortex. "I have a minor blem on my lense coating that only shows when looking directly at the sun" *Sends New Optic*, "I stripped out the threads on my 5 year old optic because of my own negligence" *Sends new optic*, "I lost my mount spacer because I'm stupid" *Sends new spacer*
In terms of durability and being reliable, how does it compare to the Aimpoint T2? What are your thoughts after testing?
The “value” guys are making some great equipment! One of my favorite setups is a Spitfire 5x with a 509t. Light, fast, and very forgiving. I’d use more expensive equipment but the spendy stuff isn’t as good.
Every dollar you send to the ccp destroys this country further
Every dollar I save is more ammo to fight off invaders. Buy the best tool for the job.
Its one thing to say that "value" equipment is fit for duty, or hard use. Its another to say that its better than its competitors. The Aimpoint T-1/T-2 or H-1/H-2, etc.. Holosun ain't better than Aimpoint/Trijicon/EOTech/etc.. Just because its "affordable," doesn't make it better, not by a long shot. If they were the best, dudes way more high speed than your or I would be using them to stack bodies across the globe, but they aren't. Things could very well change, but, as the dude above me says, give as few of your dollars as possible to the CCP. Some stuff just cant be avoided, but, I make damn sure to control it where I can.
@Random Pickle the MRO is an embarrassment of an optic I can't believe they haven't fixed yet.
@Random Pickle you don't need a solar panel when your battery lives for a ton of hours.. I get the reticle options, but for me it's not enough. I'm going with an optic that has been around the block before and has been dependable for years.
I had a green dot from them a couple years back that was green dot but like a Romeo 5. I sent it in and they sent me one of these as a replacement. I won out on that deal! Never had an issue with that one and the reticle isn’t blurry due to my astigmatism
Nah they will do it to undercut usa made optics
@@secessionnow4133 what?.....
Saw the notification and zoomed here faster than fauci trying to cover up the Wuhan Oopsie.
What torque are you using on the base/cam lever screw? Holosun doesn't list a spec. After having the optic for over a year with no issue I just discovered my zero shifted up and over several inches. Figured out the base screw had loosened just a bit. Tightened and witness marked with pain pen.
I have the HS515CU, it's discontinued but is it essentially the same other than the solar option?
What aftermarket mount solution does it take? Same as Aimpoint T1/T2?
Legendary shirt for a legendary post lol.
I’m a bit hesitant to trust my 515. I bought one brand new and found that it’s shake awake feature didn’t work, I would have to bang on the optic with my hand to get hit to activate, so I disabled the feature. Then I found that if I put the rifle in a bag for any period of time and took it out, the optic would act as it if was on, but the dot wouldn’t appear.
So I sent it back to Holosun and had a very difficult time working with CS to get a replacement.
After several weeks, I got a new one, and have been very hesitant to trust it too. I’ve found the zeroing dials very difficult to move and I had a very hard time zeroing it.
I will be selling it as soon as possible and replacing with an aimpoint pro.
"the optic would act as it if was on, but the dot wouldn’t appear" -- wtf does that even mean?? LOL -- If you can't see the dot, how would you know it was "acting like it was on." C'mon man, you gotta do a better story than that. I've got a handful of Holosuns, as well as Aimpoint and Trijicon--never had a problem with any of them. I've only heard good things about their CS, too.
@@bn6728 Ah yes I see how that would be confusing. Note that I always kept it on the "dot only" mode, rather than circle dot. When I experienced it acting like it was on, it surprised me. I would see no dot, but hold down the +/- buttons to try to get it to respond. I held them down together or on their own, for 5-15 seconds, hoping something would happen. When nothing did, I assumed the battery might be dead - which was odd since I had only had the unit for a couple weeks. I started by popping the battery out and back in. When I replaced the battery, I found the unit was in circle dot mode. This told me that the optic was responding to the commands I was attempting to give it while holding down the +/- buttons, but was not displaying the dot. CS eventually told me that the issue was with my shake awake system.
Any chance you would review the 515 CM? It is the “military” grade supposedly. I feel that it would be more “duty” rated. I have it and it’s been good so far. Great video though!
They claim the titanium is 2 or 3 times stronger than the aluminum. As the titaniums are more expensive than the aluminum I think they are probably military grade too.
Big question here. Where in the hell can I find one? I really, really want a 512 in green or a Romeo 8T but I'd take one of the l these.
But can't find them
Good stuff. Not sure if it's TRUE or not but I think i heard that this dot takes aimpoint t1/t2 mounts and or risers. Do you have any idea if this is true or not? Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Nice shirt. I wonder how many people have read that article?
Have a the 530 series on a Scalarworks, love it. Only difference between this and the 530 is that the 530 has a 30 mm lens while this is 20 mm (I believe), and it has no zeroing adjustment covers like the 530. Not a dealbreaker for me. I think the 515 has a T2 mounting profile so you could always throw out the absolute mount and get an aftermarket lower 1/3. Great review as always, was waiting to hear what you thought about their rifle lineup.
Thoughts on the Noisefighters’ Panobridge MK1? Poor mans Panoramic Night Vision.
I have the 515CM, which is their 'military grade' 7075 aluminum housing with solar feature on my 11.5" 'bugout' gun. Have had several Holosun RDS's, so this was something very familiar in a very rugged package for an emergency gun. I just stick with the dot and I've always found Holosun's dots to be nice and crisp. Was considering an Aimpoint PREO or Trij MRO, but I'm happy with this and saved a little extra money. And thankfully, the mount tat came with it which has the same QD as your was lower-1/3rd height, which I also prefer.
I have the same optic. I cant find anything I don’t like about it except the dam battery tray. The solar option is fantastic.
@@jrozz421 If you want the solar version with the battery on the side, rather than in a tray, get the SIG Romeo 4T. Compare the 4T to the Holosun 515 line, and you'll see that it is the same optic. I think Holosun has a contract with SIG to exclusively produce that version for them, otherwise, why would Holosun not make such an optic, which is obviously the best configuration?
@@bn6728 I was looking into that as well, but I think that Sig only come absolute cowitness height, whereas the HS515CM and HS515GM are lower-1/3rd....although if it's T1-mount compatible you could always get any aftermarket lower-1/3rd I guess. The GM (no solar) were out of stock for a long time, so when the CM's got back in stock I went with it. Not crazy about the battery tray either...good idea but a little iffy execution. But still doable, I keep the 'tool' for it in my pistol grip as well as the spare battery.
The green reticle is good on St Patricks Day
Holosun- lower 1/3 production starts Monday!
Source?
I'm new to having a weapon light mounted on my rifle. Is there something I need to do to the lense to make it easier to clean afterwards? Muzzle device is a solgw nox, but the light/lense is an inch or so behind it/won't be getting directly blasted. I've heard chapstick or vaseline?
Chapstick before shooting then wipe afterwards
I've noticed you've been running right handed a whole lot recently. Have you decided to dedicate to that manual of arms? Or is that just indicative of firearm layout?
I only shoot handgun left.
I only use green. And also have one in blue which I like a lot
Booring is good booring is reliable. If it doesn't work you can always hit them with it.
Aaron what upper and lower of yours have the most “burn down”s on them and how many is that if you know
BuT iTs mAdE iN ChYnA!!! Awesome review as always man.
What isn’t these days?
I would like if they were made here in the US, doesn't mean I don already own 2 though lol.
Eh, its refined Chinesium, not crappy Chinesium.
The xD thread lives in infamy, even appearing in a UA-cam video. It is eternal.
God Mode [On] Off
What’s the deal with the XD shirt?
@@Jordan-nc3zy search “Cowan XD thread” on FB and then just start reading 😂
@@GeauxRussGeaux wow that was gold lol