Truglo Red Dot Review 2024 [Expert’s Complete Review]

Sometimes it is best to go the traditional route; especially when the traditional route can save you hundreds of dollars. What do you lose out on going the traditional route? There have to be features missing in a budget-friendly red dot sight right? In this review, we will be looking at the Truglo Traditional Red Dot Sight and discuss how the benefits are in the features. 

Being prior military, Infantry to be specific, because yes, it does matter, I have more experience shooting with a red dot sight than any other type of scope. Red dot sights are the bread and butter of the US Army Infantry soldier. Only the high speeds in each squad were gifted the coveted ACOG. 

Red dot sights are best for CQB (close quarter battle), 3 gun competitions, room clearing, and home defense. I reminisce clearing rooms, running CQB drills, and acquiring targets with my M4 and red dot sight in hand. I was never high-speed enough to be presented with an ACOG, but I made the red dot sight work for me just as well. 

I found the Truglo Red Dot 30mm to be adequate for the price point. Inexpensive, but offers excellent performance. The 30mm objective lens size allows for a great collection of light. I enjoy that you can choose between a red or green dot. Having a choice between dot colors allows for application to different targets and backgrounds.

In this article, I will be reviewing the Truglo Red Dot Sight and discuss all of its many features. I will outline why this red dot sight offered by Trulgo is worth the investment, and how it checks all of the boxes you would look for in a red dot sight, without breaking the bank.

Read further to learn more about the Truglo Red Dot, and how it can benefit your shooting.

Truglo Red Dot 30mm Review

The Truglo red dot sight is available in a dual 5 MOA red dot and green dot reticle. Having a dual reticle color allows for better target acquisition based on target and background. This red dot sight has a wide field of view which boosts the speed of target acquisition, and the provided unlimited eye relief ensures a comfortable shooting experience. 

Waterproof, shock-resistant, and fog-proof, the Truglo sight provides great durability for the price. With anti-reflective coating on the target facing side, you can rest assured your sight won't give away your position. Windage and elevation are adjustable, and the lightweight compact design won't weigh your build down. 

For a budget-friendly red dot sight, the Truglo red dot can hold its own. With features that rival more expensive red dot sights, the Truglo is a great entry-level red dot sight. The Truglo red dot sight can be placed on a variety of platforms thanks to its weaver-style mounting system. 

With a fixed magnification of 1x, this sight is built for speed and accuracy. Great for home defense situations and plate plinking at the range. I don't like the 5 MOA reticle as it seems to struggle past 75 yards. I would much rather shoot my 2 MOA at 200 yards that also performs at a closer distance.

This red dot sight comes with 11 brightness adjustment settings, which begins to blur the view through the lens at the 8th brightest setting. The rubber lens caps that come with the sight are cheap and tear off quickly. With a tubed design, the field of view is extremely limited compared to an open sight red dot. 

This multi-reticle 30mm red dot sight works great in the field due to being shock-resistant, waterproof, and fog-proof. The adjustments are smooth and easy to obtain in a field situation. The zero once obtained is held no matter the recoil on the hardware you are using.  

With a length of 3.8 inches and a weight of 7.2 ounces, this Truglo dot sight is a great compact option for your AR build. This sight can also be a viable crossbow optic option. I have an extensive background in archery after managing the world’s largest archery center for the past couple of years.

Quality crossbow optics are hard to come by at times because the mounting system doesn't always match up to rifle-specific optics. Having an optic that not only fits but also offers a dual color reticle is a great advantage to a crossbow setup. With a limited lifetime warranty, Truglo is a great entry-level option for either archery or rifle applications.      

What’s in the package: 

The Truglo Red Dot Sight when purchased comes with the sight and a receipt. At the price point, there is no surprise that the sight comes in a package with nothing else included. It's ok though, you are purchasing a red dot, you don't need all the cool guy stickers and lens cleaners. 

Unlike bigger scope options, most red dot sights come with the mounting system required to mount to your rifle’s Picatinny rail. I suggest using blue Loctite on your mounting system’s screws to ensure the screws stay in place. Make sure you use the correct Loctite so that you're able to remove your optic for cleaning or remounting purposes.

The placement of a red dot depends on the type of gun you are mounting it to. Long guns (rifle, shotgun, AR, AK), or handgun will have different mounting systems. Ensure you research the best placement of your red dot before mounting it to your desired weapon system.   

Key Features: 

5 MOA Reticle

Having a reticle of 5 MOA (minute of angle) is a beneficial aspect and a negative one at the same time. As I mentioned previously in the article, having a 5 MOA red dot reticle is the reason this sight is not very efficient past 75 yards. 

The physical size of the reticle gets in the way of accurate shooting. Even at the lowest power setting, the reticle size maintains its annoying size. This aspect is very much a personal preference, and perhaps you enjoy 5 MOA dots, if so feel free to disagree in the comment section below!

Other than my distaste for the 5 MOA, there are some benefits to the size of this reticle. Benefits such as quick coverage and accuracy at short distances. For home defense a bigger MOA size is beneficial. Each MOA translates to one inch at 100 yards. A 2 MOA dot at 100 yards will cover 2 inches of the target. A 5 MOA at 100 yards covers 5 inches of the target.

With this knowledge, you can see why a 5 MOA dot doesn't work as well past 75 yards as a 2,3 or even 4 MOA dot size. Just like everything else in life, your MOA size is determined by usage and preference. I have always held the opinion that if it works for you as a shooter don't change it.

In the hundreds of students I have had in shooting sports over the years, I have learned to allow students to sacrifice some form for function. If you like shooting a 5 MOA at 100 yards and can be target accurate then more power to you!    

24x34mm Window

After receiving a quick education on MOA size, you can understand why the Truglo red dot at 5 MOA is great for quick target acquisition at short distances. Now add to that a 24x34mm window, and you are at the ultra-fast target acquisition level. 

A red dot with a large window improves your field of view, which makes this big-window-type of optic very useful for CQB and home defense. Square window red dots are more popular as the square design has been proven to improve shooting from and around vehicles or when using night vision devices. 

Unless you are in shooting from or around vehicles and using night vision devices type of profession, square or tube red dot sight is not as big of a deal as it may seem. I will say, however, that majority of the most popular red dots have a square body design. Side note, this reminds me of the badass square body chevy trucks that definitely need to make a comeback. 

Purpose-driven red dot sights are the best way to make a decision on a purchase. Much like a gun purchase, other than the, “I feel like buying a new gun today” purchases, most of us purchase a gun based on what we need it to do. These are tools. Tools to perform a certain task that we have deemed necessary.

Red dot sights and scopes in general are the same way. You should focus on the purpose the scope is meant to serve. The Truglo red dot is the correct purchase if you are looking for a CQB, 3 gun, or home defense type of sight.  

Two Choices of Reticle Color 

Personally, I feel that this is the biggest selling point of the Truglo red dot sight. Having the ability to choose between green or red reticle color pays dividends that I would wager most shooters overlook. 

Tactically science agrees that red dots catch the eye faster than green dots. Red dots are better suited for faster target acquisition during the day and when observing a target in a green environment. The green dot is more relaxing to the eye, lessening the effects of eye fatigue. 

Eye fatigue is something I teach to students who are convinced that shooting with one eye closed is the best option. For some reason, the majority of youth I have trained have been told that you should close one eye when shooting. Not only is this incorrect, by many governing teaching agencies, and science, this seems like something learned from Hollywood.  

The green dot is proven to be a superior color choice for nighttime use and to prolong the life of your battery. A 5 MOA green dot sight at night sounds promising and all, but honestly I would utilize the green dot sight offered with the Truglo 30mm because I struggle with having astigmatism in both of my eyes. 

The green dot is proven to help people who suffer from astigmatisms simply because it is softer and easier on the eye. People with astigmatism have issues with their vision being distorted or blurred. After a couple of hours at the range staring at a red dot, I start to get headaches. If I had the option to switch to a green dot I would be able to sustain longer periods of time shooting.  

Pros/Cons: 

Pros:

• Two reticle color choices (red or green) 

• Handles recoil well (multiple platform application)

• Budget-friendly 

• Extremely long battery life 

Cons: 

• Low-quality lens caps

• The reticle is compromised past 75 yards  

Alternative Scope Option:

1. Vortex Optics Sparc AR Red Dot  

The Vortex Optics Sparc AR Red Dot is a great alternative to the Truglo Red Dot although it is quite a bit smaller with an objective lens diameter of 22mm. The Vortex Sparc AR is a mid-price range for red dot scopes and has a 2 MOA dot size. I have one mounted on my 9mm PCP carbine from Ruger. Complete with Vortex Optics VIP warranty, this is a quality alternative to the Truglo Red Dot.    

Final Thoughts: 

The Truglo 30mm red dot sight is the traditional red dot option that satisfies the majority of shooter's needs. Built for CQB, 3-gun, and home defense, this 30mm tube sight can benefit any shooter's itinerary of weaponry to include crossbows. 

The 5 MOA reticle is a hate it or love it, make it or break it type of situation for most shooters. If you are against it, I would encourage you to try it out for yourself. At an entry-level price, there is nothing lost at giving the Truglo red dot a try on your home defense build.

With the benefits provided through the green dot reticle for people with astigmatism, this sight is more beneficial than what originally meets the eye. If you suffer from astigmatisms and have a passion for shooting, I encourage you to try a green dot scope and see if it helps you as it did me. 

Please leave a comment in the comment section below if you use green dot sights for this reason. I would be interested to see how the green dot technology helps others with astigmatisms.    

With so many red dot sights on the market today it can become overwhelming to choose what is the best fit for your needs. With this review of the Truglo dual reticle red dot, you now have some knowledge on what to look for in a red dot sight, and what Truglo has to offer. If you enjoyed reading this review of the Truglo red dot let me know in the comment section below!   

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