If you have listened to the podcast, you already know that we are fans of the Holosun products. Holosun came out with their micro reflex sight, the HS507c, some time ago. This little reflex sight has some really awesome features. After waiting a while for the green one to come out, I asked if they would send a red one out for review. Yes, I got tired of waiting for the green, which is either available now, or soon will be.

The HS507c is small. Coming in at 2.65 ounces, it is light also. Dimensions are - 1.8” long, 1.2” wide, and 1.6” tall. The visible window is 0.63”x0.91”. I like the window size, it works well for me. One of my favorite aspects of the 507’s are their “industry standard” mounting platform. Holosun did some homework and decided to use the Trijicon RMR mounting holes and form factor. This means the 507 should work with all RMR cut pistol slides and mounting bases. I used it on two different RMR cut glock slides. The 507 fit both of them just great.

As opposed to many other micro red dot sights, the 507 has different reticle options. Not only can you choose the 2moa dot, but also a circle dot, or just the ring! The ring is a 32moa circle, and the circle dot adds in the 2moa dot in the center of that ring. I tried out all 3 types of reticles. I liked the ring only reticle for close up shooting, around 5 yards and closer. Of course the circle dot worked well for me from about 5-10 yards. Which leaves the 2moa dot. The dot is what I actually leave the sight set to. Brightness adjustments are on the left side with a “+ or -” button. There are 10 daylight and 2 night vision settings. I found that the dot reticle works best for me, of course your choices might be different. Either way, the Holosun gives you choices that other sight manufacturers don’t.

The Holosun HS507c is also packed with a “Solar Failsafe”. Yes that means that the 507 can be run off of solar power. On top of the window housing is a solar panel. The panel allows the 507 to run without the need of a battery in all but the very darkest of conditions. This feature also automatically adjusts the diodes brightness. I am not big into auto adjusting sights, but the Holosun’s works well. FYI, I don’t like the auto adjust features because if the sight is in a dark place, and the targets are well lit, the dot will not be bright enough on the target. Having a “Failsafe” for when or if the battery dies is still a great option. Speaking of battery, it uses a CR2032 with up to 100,000 hours of life. Or around 50,000 hours of constant on in the middle brightness setting. It is a good thing that it has long battery life. To change the battery, one has to remove the sight, as the battery is changed through the bottom of the sight. Not my favorite, especially since some of Holosun’s regular sights have a battery tray on the side.

If you are using the 507 in the battery mode, it has an auto off/shake awake feature. As one can guess, the sight will automatically turn off after a set time time period of no movement. Settings are something like 1,2,4 hours of non-use. There is also a “don’t turn off” feature. The instructions tell you what buttons to press for adjusting this. Along with the auto off comes the shake awake feature. Just as it states, any movement of the sight will wake it up to the last brightness setting. I left the 507 in my safe, facing to where I could see it. It is so sensitive, that just opening the safe would turn it on. So I left it undisturbed in a safe, dark place. When I returned, I could tell the sight was off, when I just touched the sight lightly, it turned on! So it works spectacularly. This feature aids in the extra long battery life.

This little sight is a beast. The 7075 anodized aluminum housing can take quite a beating. They rate the thing at 5000G’s! I even ran the 507 loose, yes I didn’t loctite the screws at first. If you want to use the 507 on something else, it does come with a picatinny rail mount.

I may not have as many rounds through the sight as I’d like. But so far, the 507 has done everything I wanted it to do, even more. The dot or circle is pretty clear. A lot better than many red dots, but not as sharp as a few. Some notable firearms people have used the 507 way more than me. Guess what, they have held up for them. I’d say the 507 is good to go, especially since I have used other products from Holosun.

All in all, I am super happy with the HS507c. Holosun turns out a nice product. It has various reticle, auto off/on functioning, solar use, and uses a RMR mounting pattern. So if you are looking into something like this sight, check out Holosun. Holosun keeps impressing me with their products.

Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Compact reflex style sight with multiple reticles

Target Market:

Those wanting a pistol or shotgun mounted red dot sight

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

Parallax free
Multi-reticle System 2moa dot and 32moa ring
Included CR2032 battery - up to 100000 hours of use
10 Daylight & 2 NV Compatible brightness settings
Shake Awake technology with last setting recall
Failsafe solar power
Auto brightness
1 moa adjustments
Picatinny mount
Adjustment tool
RMR mounting platform
7075 aluminum housing

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

Green dot/circle

What others are saying?:

5/5 stars on Amazon

Better Than The Rest... HANDS... DOWN!

I have to say, this beats out the RMR on EVERY front. I gave the RMR a try and it failed miserably to impress me, especially for almost $600.

The HS507C is rugged and has withstood my 1,000 round test on my 226 Legion. It’s dead accurate with the 2MOA dot and the CQB Circle it fantastic for that speedy target acquisition. Holds zero perfectly as I didn’t have to adjust it at all since I sighted it in with the first mag.

The clarity of the glass and lack of severe parallax (unlike the RMR) is unparalleled in such a rugged micro red dot. The ability to change reticles puts it a head above the rest and the battery life is second to none! 10 + YEARS! I’ve used them all, The Delta Point, Burris FastFire, Doctor, RMR, Vortex Venom, etc.

The auto adjust brightness works well and on a sunny Texas day that dot it bright and very crisp. The RMR is splotchy and oblong.

For only $300 you are getting a VERY Feature-Rich product that has a lifetime warranty to back it and it worked so well I bought a second one.

Definitely worth the money and don’t get me wrong, I waited 3 months for the first one, it was agony and I wasn’t expecting to wait any longer than 2 weeks for the backorder. But honestly it was DEFINITELY worth the wait.

5 stars all day long. And I have worked with Holosun before and if you have a problem, they will fix it and have it back to you up and running within a week.

Let’s face it, even Trijicon and Leupold manufacture a lemon every once in a while. It’s the luck of the draw when it comes to mass produced items.

Link to other reviews:

Warrior Poet Society

Price point:

MSRP =$299.99

Retail = $299.99 on Amazon

I need it now! Availability:

Amazon

Our Rating:

Pros:

Multiple Reticles
Solar
RMR mounting platform
Battery life
Price

Cons:

Battery Location

Score: 8.50 Great

Favorite Link: AR15 Podcast

Holosun has been around for a while now. Some of their products are innovative in the red dot market. Lets take the HS503C for example. It starts as a red dot, adds in a circle dot option, and then adds in solar power to increase battery life. I contacted Holosun to get one in for review, and they graciously complied.

I was intrigued by the 503C's solar power. I will do my best to explain it. The solar panel sits on top of the optic and does not charge the battery. Don't be disappointed though, it runs the circle dot very well. In fact it will actually run the circle dot in daylight, without the battery! When talking with Holosun, they mentioned that the 403C even works better with solar power, and probably would run without a battery in pretty low light, but it is a red dot only. However, when running the 503C on the solar setting, only the circle dot works. The option of having a red dot or circle dot reticle only works on battery power, which was kind of disappointing. When using the battery power, one can switch between the dot or circle dot by holding down the "-" button. To switch between solar and battery, and vis-versa, hold down the "+" button.

The HS503C comes with everything you need. When you first open the box, you notice that the red dot is already attached to a riser mount. This gives you a lower 1/3 co-witness with an AR rifle's iron sights. You can remove the riser and put on the supplied low mount if you are mounting it to something that doesn't need the extra height. Also in the box are tools to mount and adjust the sight, a screwdriver to remove and install the battery, a cleaning cloth, and a set of rubber caps. I mounted this one on an AR. One of the big downfalls of this sight are the teeny screws that hold the battery in, make sure you use the proper phillips head screwdriver so as to not strip them out. The HS503C has an industry standard T1 mounting size, so any aftermarket Aimpoint T1 mounts should work, but I would try it beforehand, just in case.

Now on to some specs. The HS503C has a 2moa dot or a 65moa circle with a central 2moa dot. The adjustments are 1/2 moa with the caps serving as the adjustment screwdriver. Also inside the cap are the markings for up/down and left/right. On the right side is the battery tray, it is held in by 2 screws. Also on the right side is the brightness and on/off buttons. To turn the sight on, push the "+" button, to turn it off, hold down both buttons. In the battery only mode, you can adjust brightness by pushing the "+" or "-" buttons. In solar mode the dot will auto adjust for brightness. There are 9 daylight brightness settings and 2 night vision ones. Holosun states 50,000 hours of runtime with the dot at the 6 setting and 20,000 with the circle dot, so on par with other brands.

I have been using the HS503C for some time now. The sight is very clear. The 2moa dot allows for precise engagements. Having the 65moa circle dot is a nice option, and it really shines when shooting up close. But my favorite part is probably the self adjusting solar setting. Even in direct bright sun light, the circle dot was easily visible on the solar setting, the same in low light. I haven't treated the Holosun very nice either, it has been thrown in the back of a pickup a few times, dropped on the ground, and it has held zero.

People sometimes ask if I would recommend certain products. The Holosun is on that list. It has done everything I could ask it to do. If your looking for a good mid priced red dot, check them out.

Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Solar and battery powered Micro red dot or circle dot

Target Market:

Anyone wanting a quality combination red dot or circle dot reticle

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

2 MOA dot or 65 MOA Circle Dot
20,000 hr battery life with Circle Dot
50,000 hr battery life with 2 MOA dot
9 Daylight and 2 Night Vision brightness settings
Waterproof to 1 meter
Weighs 4.4 ounces with tall mount
2.6" Tall x 2.5" Long x 1.4 "Wide with tall mount
0.5 MOA adjustments
Uses 1 CR2032 battery
Operating Temp: 14F to 122F

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

Red dot only (HS403C)

Protected adjustment knobs (HS503CU)

What others are saying?:

4/5 stars on Amazon

PRICE is awesome for what you get

Let's start with the positives, PRICE is awesome for what you get!!! The glass is really clear and the dot / circle dot are just about perfect. Easy to sight in and it works just as advertised. Best buy for the money hands down. Now there are a couple of fustrating things about it. The battery tray screws trust me these things are tiny and a Philips head to boot put down a white towel when the come loose and hit the ground they disappear. Ask me how I know. A torx bit or hex head would make installation much better. The dot adjustment buttons are smallish and are much easier to use using your trigger hand if you are right handed. This doesn't sound too bad until you try it. I also feel that I'd you like to shoot wearing gloves the size of the pads are just too small. Now that being said I still am extremely happy with this purchase and would and will buy it again.

5/5 Stars on OpticsPlanet

Great little optic

HS503C... Buy it you wont regret it! After looking around and doing research for an optic for my new lightweight AR build I decided to go with the holosun and man I'm glad I did. The HS503C has a Crisp circle reticle and dot amazingly cleaner than the EO tech. I love the option of being able to switch between the 65 MOA circle with a 2 MOA dot and the single red dot. It's easy to zero and function, the solar option is a great feature but the battery life is even better. Bang for buck you can't beat it!