Looking for a cheap/ reliable sight for one of my rifles. I already have a few aimpoint but d  like to stay out of that range if possible. Any thoughts on micro dot candidates?

I have one T2 for my primary SBR and several SPARC IIs as well as EOTechs for other SBRs or carbines. The T2 really is better, no surprise there, but the SPARCs do the job very well, remarkably well given the price.

I have no experience with the other red dots you mentioned.

JPK

I had a primary arms red dot and gave it away. Washed out orange and certain red colors so they blend into the background. Shooting orange clays at distance was a no go.

For general shooting and a reliable  budget optic, I like the PA micros along with the TRS 25s from Bushnell.
Not APs by any means, but decent.

SPARC AR

This. Had mine for almost a year and love it.

Another vote for SPARC AR

of that group the sparc AR is the nicest imo

PSA frequently has the SPARC AR on sale by itself or bundled with a BCG or Pmags.

I'd say of the three mentioned get the one that you find the best deal on.

However if it was me I might lean more to PA or the Romeo 5 simply due to battery life. Vortex has a great product and an even better warrenty but they have yet to get the whole "Aimpoint-like" battery life thing down that the others have.

I have a Romeo 5 on an AR pistol with well over 1,000 rounds through it and not so much as a hair of zero drift. I slapped it on the rail and turned it on the day I got it. Zeroed it at the range the next day and have not had to touch it since. Every time I grab that AR pistol the Romeo 5 fires up and is ready for action. Best part....it was $139!

I recently bought a Romeo 5 for my CZ Scorpion and it has done fine so far.  It's obviously a Holosun in sig clothing but so far so good and the price was under $150.  Everythign else in the safe has a T1 or T2 on it so we'll see how this Romeo 5 thing does over time.

An intriguing new "twist" is the Sig Romeo 5 "XDR". Still has the great battery life but with a AAA battery instead of a CR2032, plus an interesting "battery in the mount" style design. It still has the 2MOA dot but also adds a user-selectable circle dot (eotech type) reticle.  Another feature is no turret caps, just recessed "screw adjustable" turrets (ala MRO). If it's as rugged and durable as the original Sig Romeo 5 they will have a winner on their hands with that one.

PA Micro is about the best deal out there and is a quality RDS in my opinion. I still have their original model and it is still on first battery, holds and has held zero over three different rifles, and has held up to minor abuse very well.

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I have 2 Sparc ARs and 1 Romeo 5.  I use them for my "range toy" rifles. I had the 2 Sparc ARs first and went with the Sig because i found it on sale and wanted something different instead of buying a 3rd sparc.  Neither of these would be what I consider hard use optics but would probably serve you well recreationally and maybe could be pushed into HD/SD role, they just don't have the track record of aimpoint or trijicon.....

Sparc AR Pros:  attached lens covers the snap together out of the way, vortex warranty, takes common triple A batteries, auto off after 12 hrs IIRC, little to no tint or magnification

             Cons: takes two hands to snap covers together, must turn it on and off, kinda an obstructed sight picture compared to the Romeo 5, you can see the emitter in the lower
                      right hand quadrant, battery life not the greatest

Romeo 5  Pros: excellent battery life with motion activated feature that turns it on when you pick up the rifle, mount seems more minimalistic (gap between the tube and the rail make it seem
                      smaller to me, more similar sight picture/profile to the Aimpoint micro dots.
         
              Cons:  bikini lens covers not as nice but can be removed with one hand, slight bluish tint to the glass, warranty not as good, controls not positioned as ergonomically, uses a less
                        common batter (2032, still pretty common however as many scopes use this type)

Summary:  if either one of them had flip caps like the aimpoints I have, that be a deciding factor for me. As it is, both styles of lens covers have their drawbacks. I give the Sig the edge slightly due to the Auto On feature.

I found another nice budget red dot.



I actually sold my Holosun red dots. I wanted something a little sturdier.
The Vortex Sparc-AR was also a consideration.

+50k Battery Life on a single AA
+Crisp Red Dot with no issues in bright sunlight
+Clear Glass with basically no tint.
+Very nice rubber armor.
+Bikini Covers are well made (But I don't use those)
+Front lense is recessed a bit so it basically has a built in sun shade.
+Looks like it can accept a kill flash, not sure what threading it uses.
+T1/H1 Mount Compatible (Newer models Only)
+Tethered Caps/O-Ring Sealed
+Excellent Customer Service
+12 Hour Auto-Off

-Weight 10.3 Oz
-Slightly bulky, it's a medium sized optic. The FSR model is even bigger/heavier
-T1/H1 Mounts need to be CASV Height for absolute cowitness. A low mount with the OEM spacer should work though.
-Made in China, what isn't.
-Water proofing (IP67 waterproof rating) is only rated up to 3 vfeet. Don't take it scuba diving. On the bright side if you have a tragic boating accident, Sightmark's CS is amazing.
-Not motion activated

I've seen the CSR on sale for $130, just a note only the newer models are T1 Mount compatible.

A CASV Height mount is needed for an absolute cowitness.