Holosun Paralow 403B Red Dot Sight
I recently learned about the Holosun series of red dot sights. What I really wanted was the Aimpoint T1 or H1 series of micro red dots to minimize weight and maximize battery life, but without the Aimpoint price tag.
I know. You get what you pay for and that's usually true. The Aimpoint T-1 starts at $681.23 and H-1 at $618.00 from a reputed online retailer. The Holosun 403A retails at $169.99 and the 403B at $199.99.
I was already an EOTech user and as such hated changing batteries frequently even without steady usage. The vampiric drain from the EOTech 552 made it inconvenient to keep it ready to go at a moment's notice should life get in the way and you forget to change the batteries out.
Despite offering a wide view, the EOTech was also heavier than the T1 or H1. Fielding a rifle for extended periods made me want an optic with as little weight and smallest profile possible. This inevitably lead my search to the Aimpoint T1 and H1 series of micro red dots. I had already tried the Aimpoint Micros via friends, but was I ready to plop down almost $700 for one?
After browsing a number of online forums and watching countless YouTube videos, I discovered a little-known manufacturer called Holosun. From what I could gather it appeared Holosun was one of the OEM manufacturers for Primary Arms red dots. If I had to guess I would say that Holosun is likely also the OEM for Leatherwood/Hi-lux on their Mirco-Max B Dot with the exception that the Leatherwood unit accepts a ARD on the objective with tethered caps and the Holosun branded offerings do not. It appeared Holosun was trying to make a better market presence in the US by going out under their own label.
Holosun claimed the same 50,000 hour battery life as the Aimpoint Micros. The YouTube community posted wanton abuse and mayhem being done to the Holosun. If all this were accurate the Holosun would be on par with more expensive Aimpoint micro dots as far as battery usage and possibly even durability. YouTube videos showed the 403A go for ocean swims, get frozen, get smashed by a hammer, and remount with an acceptable zero.
I recently had to stalk a mountain lion on foot at night with iron sights after it decided to sit on porches and eat things it wasn't supposed to eat. The whole time, I cursed myself for not having an illuminated sight on my work rifle. Trying to pick up a sight picture at night with iron sights on an AR type rifle can be challenging at best. It's even more difficult when what you are stalking is silently stalking you at the same time. Iron sights ultimately resolved the situation, but it took longer to acquire a usable sight picture and was less precise at night even with a weapons mounted light.
As a side note, please don't feed mountain lions off of your porch. Doing so causes mountain lions to associate people with food and it can end poorly for both sides.
Shortly after that episode, I purchased the Holosun 403B. I had originally made up my mind on the 403A, but changed my mind because of the following things:
The Holosun comes packaged in an attractive cardboard box with cut foam inserts. Included are bikini scope caps, two torx wrenches, 1/3 cowitness mount,low-mount, tool for adjusting zero, cleaning cloth, instructions, and an extra battery tray. The caps double as field-expedient adjustment tools for windage and elevation.
This will likely deter a lot of buyers as the unit is "Made In China." Just keep in mind that Aimpoint is made in Sweden.
The glass appears clear and free of aberrations. Some earlier users reported distortion in the glass.
Only time will tell how this sight will hold up. I'm still somewhat skeptical one can find an alternative on par with the Aimpoint Micro series at a sub $200 price point. I'll post updates on how this sight compares as it gets more use.
After all this, I'm still not sure what a "paralow" is. Watch this space.
I recently learned about the Holosun series of red dot sights. What I really wanted was the Aimpoint T1 or H1 series of micro red dots to minimize weight and maximize battery life, but without the Aimpoint price tag.
I know. You get what you pay for and that's usually true. The Aimpoint T-1 starts at $681.23 and H-1 at $618.00 from a reputed online retailer. The Holosun 403A retails at $169.99 and the 403B at $199.99.
I was already an EOTech user and as such hated changing batteries frequently even without steady usage. The vampiric drain from the EOTech 552 made it inconvenient to keep it ready to go at a moment's notice should life get in the way and you forget to change the batteries out. Despite offering a wide view, the EOTech was also heavier than the T1 or H1. Fielding a rifle for extended periods made me want an optic with as little weight and smallest profile possible. This inevitably lead my search to the Aimpoint T1 and H1 series of micro red dots. I had already tried the Aimpoint Micros via friends, but was I ready to plop down almost $700 for one?
After browsing a number of online forums and watching countless YouTube videos, I discovered a little-known manufacturer called Holosun. From what I could gather it appeared Holosun was one of the OEM manufacturers for Primary Arms red dots. If I had to guess I would say that Holosun is likely also the OEM for Leatherwood/Hi-lux on their Mirco-Max B Dot with the exception that the Leatherwood unit accepts a ARD on the objective with tethered caps and the Holosun branded offerings do not. It appeared Holosun was trying to make a better market presence in the US by going out under their own label.
Holosun claimed the same 50,000 hour battery life as the Aimpoint Micros. The YouTube community posted wanton abuse and mayhem being done to the Holosun. If all this were accurate the Holosun would be on par with more expensive Aimpoint micro dots as far as battery usage and possibly even durability. YouTube videos showed the 403A go for ocean swims, get frozen, get smashed by a hammer, and remount with an acceptable zero.
I recently had to stalk a mountain lion on foot at night with iron sights after it decided to sit on porches and eat things it wasn't supposed to eat. The whole time, I cursed myself for not having an illuminated sight on my work rifle. Trying to pick up a sight picture at night with iron sights on an AR type rifle can be challenging at best. It's even more difficult when what you are stalking is silently stalking you at the same time. Iron sights ultimately resolved the situation, but it took longer to acquire a usable sight picture and was less precise at night even with a weapons mounted light.
As a side note, please don't feed mountain lions off of your porch. Doing so causes mountain lions to associate people with food and it can end poorly for both sides.
Shortly after that episode, I purchased the Holosun 403B. I had originally made up my mind on the 403A, but changed my mind because of the following things:
- The 403A uses a proprietary style of mount. The 403B uses Aimpoint Micro mounts.
- The 403B still maintains sleek silhouette of the 403A which allows a less obscured sight picture over the Aimpoint series with the battery compartment on the side.
I still have reservations about the battery mounting setup for the 403B. The battery slides into the side of the sight on a plastic tray on the right side of the unit. The tray is secured via friction and an o-ring. The o-ring comes pretty dry so I dabbed a little 100% silicone grease on it and plugged it in. Despite what the manual says (in broken English); the sight does not include a battery. Fortunately CR2032 batteries are common and available at almost any store for a nominal cost.
The finish on the Holosun is as nice as the Aimpoints and EOTechs I've handled or owned. The machining is clean and there are no tool marks to be seen. The difference in texture is due to the excess silicone grease on the housing.
Only time will tell how this sight will hold up. I'm still somewhat skeptical one can find an alternative on par with the Aimpoint Micro series at a sub $200 price point. I'll post updates on how this sight compares as it gets more use.
After all this, I'm still not sure what a "paralow" is. Watch this space.
