Holosun 507C Review Are the extra reticles really worth it?
How does the Holosun 507C Stack Up Against other Red Dots?
In this video, we’re going to take a deep dive into the Holosun 507C Pistol red dot optic and find out if it lives up to the hype. We also show plenty of footage of the Holosun 507C live at the range including first person perspectives firing at USPSA competitive shooting targets.
In the written blog post below, we’ll go into very fine detail about all of the features and functionality of the 507C. The most unique feature being its Multi reticle system, featuring 3 different reticle settings. This is a rare feature in pistol mounted red dots that you’ll only find in holosun optics. If you’re in the market for a red dot sight for your handgun, this review is a must-read.
If you’re looking for an unbiased review of the Holosun 507C Pistol red dot optic, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll give you our honest opinions and show you the pros and cons of this popular red dot sight. So, grab your popcorn and join us as we put the Holosun 507C to the test.
Is the Holosun 507C the new standard Red Dot for EDC?
In our opinion, the Holosun 507C is the best value pistol red dot available in terms quality for the amount of money that you’re going to spend on a red dot. The Holosun 507C has been making waves in the shooting community thanks to its unique features and affordable price point.
In this review, we’ll cover everything from the build quality and durability to the optic’s performance and accuracy on the range. Furthermore, we’ll go into all of the features that make the Holosun 507C (and by extension the more basic 407C model), the best line of red dots available in the RMR footprint for the money.
Who was the Holosun 507C made for?
Regardless of if your purpose is for home defense, self defense, concealed carry, or competitive / competition shooting. The 507C can fit all of these purposes. Plus, there’s a case to be made that it is the ideal do-it-all carry optic.
Where Can I Buy the Holosun 507C?
Holosun 507C
An affordable, robust red dot optic in the RMR footprint coming in almost $200 cheaper than the Trijicon Type 2 RMR
- Sturdy Construction
- Multiple Reticles
- Incredible features like Solar Charging
What are Some Budget Alternatives to the Holosun 507C?
It’s important to note that the Holosun 407C also exists as a budget alternative. However, the main difference with the 407C is that it does not include Multiple Reticles. Otherwise, these optics are exactly the same and the 407C comes in at about $65 cheaper than than the 507C.
Holosun 407C
Step down from the 507C, with many of the same great features, except for the multiple reticle system. You should go 407C if the different reticle selections doesn’t matter to you.
- Budget Friendly
Overview Features and Negatives of the Holosun 507C
- Multiple reticle selections
- Extremely bright emitter
- Superior durability
- Quality controls
- Solar panel charging
- A side battery compartment
- Great warranty
- RMR footprint
What the Holosun 507C Red Dot Could Do Better
The Holosun 507C isn’t without its negatives. However, the Holosun 507C isn’t the worst in these areas, but there are other optics that are better suited for competion shooting:.
Namely, the following qualities could be improved upon.
- Price
- Glass clarity
- Window size
- Made in China
Breakdown of Features
Multiple reticle selection (5/5)
The 507C features 3 different reticles:
- Traditional 3 MOA Dot
- 30 MOA Circle
- Dot + Circle
The reticle selection is nice. Ideally, for precision shooting I’d like to stick with the traditional dot.
However, for fast dynamic pistol / USPSA style matches, I personally like to use the circle dot + dot reticle. With this combination, it is very easy and quick to fire fast shots and quick transitions where precision isn’t really that important of a factor. However, with the dot / circle reticle, I’ve noticed improved split times.
Extremely Bright Emitter (5/5)
One of the best features of Holosun’s optics are the LED Emitters. Noticeably so, the reticle is extremely bright on the 507C. It can easily keep up with a variety of lighting conditions. Even on the brightest day, the 507C’s emitter is plenty bright and provides great contrast against any backdrop.
Durability (4/5)
The Holosun 507C has a great reputation for durability. However, my experience has varied somewhat.
Shortly after my first purchase, the first one that I owned actually failed after early on at about 600 rounds and after a few months of every day carry. It was a lemon, the emitter came loose and the optic wouldn’t hold zero.
I went through the warranty process (which I’ll discuss in more detail below) and was given a second replacement optic. However, the replacement has done much better. Currently, I have it on my main competitive shooting carry optics gun, a Glock 34, and it has since been going very strong.
For this reason I rate the durability at 4 out of 5, but I realize my first sample size experience is likely out of the norm. Since discussing my experience, I have a plurality of friends and acquaintances who have not experiences the issue I experienced. For this reason, I chalk my experience up to bad luck.
Excellent Controls (5/5)
This optic has excellent controls. The elevation and windage adjustments use a flat blade adjustment, which I greatly appreciate as I don’t have to carry tiny obscure allen wrenches along in my range bag. The adjustments make an audible and distinct click and measure to 1 MOA per click, which in my experience is true to spec.
Thankfully, the push button controls on the optic are intuitive and tactile. For this reason, I can say that they are the best I’ve seen on any carry optic that I’ve owned.
Innovative Features / Design (5/5)
The Holosun 507C also has a great number of innovative features that sets it apart from competitor products. Furthermore, in addition to the multi reticle system, the 507C X2 version that I have features solar panels to help keep the device powered even if the battery dies. Although running it this way won’t last be as bright as battery powered, the feature is really nice in a pinch and appreciated in the event of being at a match and forgetting to bring spare batteries.
Good Warranty (4/5)
The warranty on the 507C is decent. As mentioned above, I did have to warranty my first optic. Holosun’s warranty process was simple, and Holosun paid for all shipping costs. However, my main issue was the turn around time on getting a replacement, from filling out the form to receiving the optic in the mail, the entire process took nearly a month.
While the warranty process was easy, other brands like vortex have phenomenal customer service. Thus, I had to rate Holosun a little lower in this area.
Footprint (5/5)
The 507C comes in an RMR footprint, which I appreciate. Consequently, the RMR is probably the most common footprint for most full size pistols.
Areas for Improvement
Price (3.5/5)
The 507C is one of the more expensive optics out there. Subsequently, at an MSRP of $309, it comes in quite a bit cheaper than the Trijicon Type 2 RMR, which regularly sells for $400. However, the Trijicon is American made and has a proven, rock solid reputation. Conversely, the 507C comes in at quite a bit more expensive than other carry optics, but can sometimes be found on sale for around $250-260.
Evidently, at that price point, I feel the 507C is extremely competitive with other options.
Alternatively, more affordable Holosun 407C version, which is essentially the same optic except that it does not have multiple reticles, has an MSRP of $245. Consequently, if on a budget, I’d highly recommend the 407C as an alternative.
Glass clarity (3.5/5)
Glass clarity isn’t bad on this optic. However, I have found that the optic will get blurry fairly quickly with gun powder fowling. Because of the shape of the optic, which is what adds to it’s ruggedness, it’s also a little bit difficult to clean the interior lens. For this reason, I think we have a tradeoff between ruggedness and class clarity.
Window size (3.5 / 5)
Truthfully, the window size on this optic isn’t bad. However, itcould be a little larger for competitive shooting.
Country of Manufacturing (2/5)
Unfortunately, the optic is produced in China and owned by a Chinese company. While there is some distribution stateside in the United States it seems, the US operations footprint is not very large. However, at CRACKSHOT.tv we do prefer to support American brands or brands that produce gear and equipment in countries that are close allies. However, if this is an important factor to you, you might want to take it into consideration when considering this optic.
Conclusion
Overall, we really like the Holosun 507C. In our opinion, it’s a great, innovative optic and a good value if you can find one on sale. It does a lot of things very well and its a good all around option that can work for many contexts.
Holosun 507C
An affordable, robust red dot optic in the RMR footprint coming in almost $200 cheaper than the Trijicon Type 2 RMR
- Sturdy Construction
- Multiple Reticles
- Incredible features like Solar Charging
