Warning

 

Close

Confirm Action

Are you sure you wish to do this?

Confirm Cancel
BCM
User Panel

Page AR-15 » Optics, Mounts, and Sights
AR Sponsor: bravocompany
Posted: 1/12/2021 10:23:17 PM EDT
So, I’ve been researching and can’t find my specific situation. I bought a Romeo 5,
This is my first experience with a red dot. I see a bunch of tiny pin sized dots in a fairly tight cluster. The cluster of tiny dots doesn’t form a circle. Very well defined tiny dots combining to make a irregular shape. Nothing appears “blurry” though.
Link Posted: 1/12/2021 10:27:56 PM EDT
[#1]
Same. I can’t do precision work with my aimpoint. But I didn’t buy it for that.
Link Posted: 1/12/2021 10:49:19 PM EDT
[#2]
Everyone has an astigmatism to a certain degree. My eyes like to turn the red dot into an oval shape in most environments so my point of aim is tricky to get down.

Only remedy for me was switching to amber dots, dots larger than 4 moa, holographics, and etched reticles.

Everyone’s eyes will be different, just experiment with other options until you minimize the negatives.
Link Posted: 1/13/2021 1:11:38 AM EDT
[#3]
I got an Holosun 2moa green dot recently. it works well with my astigmatism.  red dots are a starburst.
Link Posted: 1/13/2021 1:41:43 AM EDT
[#4]
Yea, I'm 67 and it's a bitch with an Eotech. Never quite sure which part of the distorted circle I should choose to aim with.
Link Posted: 1/13/2021 1:41:43 AM EDT
[#5]
Sticky finger dupe of the post above
Link Posted: 1/13/2021 2:23:05 AM EDT
[#6]
Higher battery life red dots use circuitry that applies a high pulse width similar to how traditional lights work. So instead of the LED being at constant power (or low pulse width), it instead pulses faster than the eye can see. It's great for extending battery life, however it isn't compatible with astigmatisms.

If you're set on a red dot, try something like a Vortex Spark AR or EOTech with lower battery life. My Aimpoint appeared as a more transparent and reflective dot, where as a Vortex Spark AR looks like someone stuck a bright red sticker on the objective lens. This is not guaranteed though as everyone's eyes are different. There are more factors to it than anyone has likely even researched since it's a niche function with so many variables in users.

The safer bet is a prism or LPVO optic.
Link Posted: 1/13/2021 5:15:45 AM EDT
[#7]
Take a picture through the sight and see what the dot looks like on the image.  If it looks better, you have astigmatism.

Another thing you can try is sighting the dot through your rear peep sight.   That will make mine look more like a circle.   If I am trying to do more precision type shooting, I will flip up the rear sight to get rid of some of the starburst effect.
Link Posted: 1/13/2021 9:49:21 AM EDT
[#8]
Thanks for the replies. This is helping a lot. One thing I notice now is the difference between indoors and outdoors. So, when I turn the optic up to a brighter setting inside the house, the whole thing starbursts and the entire inside of the objective lens turns red. I literally can't see anything through the glass aside from red. When aiming it outside though, the objective lens clears up. The dot is still irregular, but totally useable. Is this normal? Do the red dots just flare up like this inside the house pointed at a nearby wall?
Link Posted: 1/13/2021 10:18:15 AM EDT
[#9]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
I got an Holosun 2moa green dot recently. it works well with my astigmatism.  red dots are a starburst.
View Quote




Which model / reticle ?
Link Posted: 1/13/2021 11:07:45 AM EDT
[#10]
Quoted:
So, I’ve been researching and can’t find my specific situation. I bought a Romeo 5,
This is my first experience with a red dot. I see a bunch of tiny pin sized dots in a fairly tight cluster. The cluster of tiny dots doesn’t form a circle. Very well defined tiny dots combining to make a irregular shape. Nothing appears “blurry” though.
View Quote
Even the slightest astigmatism will cause it.  All you can do is pick the lowest visible setting and focus on the target, not the dot.  Some days are worse than others, fatigue seems to play a part in it.

Back when this was not well known, I sent my Aimpoint Comp ML back for repair and was pissed that it came back with the same "defect".  

Other choice as the condition worsens is to move to prism optics.  The Vortex Spitfire line has the advantage that the reticle is visible, even when not on. They have a 1x and 4x and now a 3x and 5x.  Supplies are limited right now due to batrabies games, but I do have the 1x and 4x and I really like them.  One is currently on my truck gun.

I will eventually purge all of my red dots.

Interestingly, my Aimpoint H-1 is clearer than my Bushnell TRS.
Link Posted: 1/13/2021 11:23:52 AM EDT
[#11]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
I got an Holosun 2moa green dot recently. it works well with my astigmatism.  red dots are a starburst.
View Quote

This. For some reason those Holosun green pretty much ignore my astigmatism.
Link Posted: 1/13/2021 11:33:50 AM EDT
[#12]
my aimpoint looks like a "smear" not a dot. it is only like 8 MOA though instead of 2, and aimpoints aren't for precision for me. if I wear my glasses it is normal though. I had a bad set of glasses for my first ever set (at 32 years old), and the eye doctor wouldn't listen to me that night driving was terriable due to halo and smearing of light. new doctor and new glasses, I can see 20/10 and 20/15 again.
Link Posted: 1/13/2021 11:46:01 AM EDT
[#13]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Take a picture through the sight and see what the dot looks like on the image.  If it looks better, you have astigmatism.

Another thing you can try is sighting the dot through your rear peep sight.   That will make mine look more like a circle.   If I am trying to do more precision type shooting, I will flip up the rear sight to get rid of some of the starburst effect.
View Quote

A much easier method is to just turn on and rotate the optic while watching the dot. If the starburst /amoeba/blob shape does NOT rotate along with the optic, you have astigmatism.  If the starburst DOES rotate along with the optic,  your optic is jacked up.
Link Posted: 1/13/2021 11:49:55 AM EDT
[#14]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

A much easier method is to just turn on and rotate the optic while watching the dot. If the starburst /amoeba/blob shape does NOT rotate along with the optic, you have astigmatism.  If the starburst DOES rotate along with the optic,  your optic is jacked up.
View Quote



This.  Also, take a look after doing excersize, the better blood flow might vary your astigmatism.
Link Posted: 1/13/2021 12:13:43 PM EDT
[#15]
Red dots look like a bunch of grapes to me.  For some reason green dots not so much, but still there.  For anything that requires precision I use an etched reticle, prism or LPVO
Link Posted: 1/13/2021 12:32:39 PM EDT
[#16]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:



This.  Also, take a look after doing excersize, the better blood flow might vary your astigmatism.
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:

A much easier method is to just turn on and rotate the optic while watching the dot. If the starburst /amoeba/blob shape does NOT rotate along with the optic, you have astigmatism.  If the starburst DOES rotate along with the optic,  your optic is jacked up.



This.  Also, take a look after doing excersize, the better blood flow might vary your astigmatism.



I never considered that, but I didn't know that it was related to blood flow.
Link Posted: 1/13/2021 12:33:36 PM EDT
[#17]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

A much easier method is to just turn on and rotate the optic while watching the dot. If the starburst /amoeba/blob shape does NOT rotate along with the optic, you have astigmatism.  If the starburst DOES rotate along with the optic,  your optic is jacked up.
View Quote




I like that.   It makes sense.
Link Posted: 1/13/2021 12:44:01 PM EDT
[#18]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:



I never considered that, but I didn't know that it was related to blood flow.
View Quote

More like blood pressure and how it affects your eyeball's cornea and/or lens curvature. Mismatched curvatures can become more pronounced as your eyeball changes shape ever so slightly as the pressure in and around your eyeball elevates or decreases. I think. I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express once.
Link Posted: 1/13/2021 2:58:32 PM EDT
[#19]
Without corrective lenses I get a small circle of unevenly spaced dots, perhaps seven of them in a very tight pattern. Turning the illumination one or two clicks above invisible helps.

I purchased cheap readers that fixed the problem when shooting. I suggest you go the Dollar General and buy 1.00 and 1.25 reading glasses before your next shooting session and see if they don't clear things up. The difference was amazing.
Link Posted: 1/13/2021 9:43:58 PM EDT
[#20]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Without corrective lenses I get a small circle of unevenly spaced dots, perhaps seven of them in a very tight pattern. Turning the illumination one or two clicks above invisible helps.

I purchased cheap readers that fixed the problem when shooting. I suggest you go the Dollar General and buy 1.00 and 1.25 reading glasses before your next shooting session and see if they don't clear things up. The difference was amazing.
View Quote



This is Exactly what happens to me! Haven’t heard anyone describe it like this before so I wasn’t sure if it was the optic or me. Have you found an optic that works better than others personally?
Link Posted: 1/13/2021 9:47:51 PM EDT
[#21]
You probably have an astigmatism, that’s how Eotechs looked for me. The aim points and Romeo were way better, especially if you turn em down a little bit.

Eotechs look like pointillism starburst, so don’t get one of those. I got very lucky with the recall awhile back.

What I was trying to say is if Romeos are doing that to you, stick to the cut glass thing or LPVO for anything precision.
Link Posted: 1/13/2021 10:00:04 PM EDT
[#22]
Eyes are really weird. Some dots work okay for me some don’t work at all. Strangely enough, I’ve discovered some Holosun and Romeo 5s are almost a perfect dot to me. Aimpoint T2 was completely unusable. Aimpoint PRO is pretty good, just a hairy dot.

Oddest thing was when I looked through an EXPS3 and EXPS2 back to back. The 3 was bad, looked like a comma. The 2 was an almost perfect dot.
Link Posted: 1/13/2021 10:09:00 PM EDT
[#23]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Thanks for the replies. This is helping a lot. One thing I notice now is the difference between indoors and outdoors. So, when I turn the optic up to a brighter setting inside the house, the whole thing starbursts and the entire inside of the objective lens turns red. I literally can't see anything through the glass aside from red. When aiming it outside though, the objective lens clears up. The dot is still irregular, but totally useable. Is this normal? Do the red dots just flare up like this inside the house pointed at a nearby wall?
View Quote

The dot should only be turned up enough to see it without washing out. The brighter you have it, the more the distortion will show itself. Less brightness is better than too much.
Link Posted: 1/13/2021 10:10:47 PM EDT
[#24]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:



I never considered that, but I didn't know that it was related to blood flow.
View Quote

It is not related to blood flow, it is related to eye shape.
Link Posted: 1/14/2021 1:13:52 PM EDT
[#25]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

It is not related to blood flow, it is related to eye shape.
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:



I never considered that, but I didn't know that it was related to blood flow.

It is not related to blood flow, it is related to eye shape.

Blood PRESSURE, specifically in the tissues and muscles surrounding the eyeball, can affect eye shape... can it not?
Link Posted: 1/14/2021 2:22:09 PM EDT
[#26]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:



This is Exactly what happens to me! Haven’t heard anyone describe it like this before so I wasn’t sure if it was the optic or me. Have you found an optic that works better than others personally?
View Quote


It's you. Try the reading glasses I suggested. Very weak readers cleared everything up for me. They actually only cost $1.00 a pair, so I buy them in bulk. Dollar Tree carries them for a buck. 1.00 or 1.25's readers will make a huge difference if your eyes are like mine.
Link Posted: 1/17/2021 1:43:24 PM EDT
[#27]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

Blood PRESSURE, specifically in the tissues and muscles surrounding the eyeball, can affect eye shape... can it not?
View Quote

I suppose so, but I do not have high blood pressure, but have astigmatism.
Page AR-15 » Optics, Mounts, and Sights
AR Sponsor: bravocompany
Close Join Our Mail List to Stay Up To Date! Win a FREE Membership!

Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!

You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.


By signing up you agree to our User Agreement. *Must have a registered ARFCOM account to win.
Top Top