[JC45]

Are any of you familiar with the Vortex Venom 6 moa red dot. I see them listed for $239-$249. I received an email for it on sale for $139 + $10.99 shipping. Is this a good red dot ? I have been looking at the Holosun red dots which are more money and the price of the Vortex has me thinking. The Holosun has better features, I get that, but for the price it seems like I should take advantage. I’m not sure how long this will be available for the price. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[JC45]

I just ordered it but would still like your opinion if you have any experience with this red dot.

 

[wfm]

I don’t have a 6 moa but I do have a Vortex Venom 3 moa on a FN 509 Compact and have been pleased with it. As far as the price you are paying, that’s about 100 dollars cheaper than I have seen them. I would have ordered it too. Good deal.

 

[bad ninja]

Are any of you familiar with the Vortex Venom 6 moa red dot. I see them listed for $239-$249. I received an email for it on sale for $139 + $10.99 shipping. Is this a good red dot ? I have been looking at the Holosun red dots which are more money and the price of the Vortex has me thinking. The Holosun has better features, I get that, but for the price it seems like I should take advantage. I’m not sure how long this will be available for the price. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

The Vortex venom isn't a bad optic.
I have one on my wife's Q5 match.
We haven't had a problem with it, and it has pretty clear glass and a crisp dot.

I also have several Holosun optics.

The Holosun dots offer more features that are actually very relevant if you are planning on hard use or EDC.

The Holosun offers a bit longer battery life, a sturdier housing, 2 NV settings, shake awake feature and the new ones have a solar panel to extend battery life almost indefinitely.

I'll add:
There is nothing wrong with the Vortex venom dots, the Holosun versions are just a little.more updated.

 

[JBear]

Not sure about the 6 moa, but isn't it Vortex Venom that Kimber generally puts on their OI pistols? That's what's on my Aegis, and I know I've seen them on a few other models

 

[bad ninja]

Not sure about the 6 moa, but isn't it Vortex Venom that Kimber generally puts on their OI pistols? That's what's on my Aegis, and I know I've seen them on a few other models

Yep.👍
They put a Trijicon on the OI KHX.
The Vortex glass is clearer than the Trijicon.

 

[Rick in Oregon]

My Aegis Elite Custom was ordered with the 6 MOA Vortex Venom. Now after four years, it's still my only red dot, really like it for my range gun, but being my only one, my opinion is purely subjective.
Would I buy another? Yes.
Do I like it enough to leave it on the pistol? Yes.
With no experience with any of the other brands, my opinion is very limited, being this was my first RDS, but in the time I've owned it and shot the pistol, my take-away is all positive. This is the optic aboard this 9mm that allowed me to hit a torso-sized rock at a lasered 232 yards shooting BB 115gr ammo, and my W231 handloads with Berry's 124gr FMJ's with hits almost every time once the sight picture was verified in regard to holdover on the rock. Target acquisition is faster than with irons, the dot can be anywhere in the window, and if it's on the target, a hit is about guaranteed every time.



There may be better, more advanced units available as ninja mentioned, but this RDS has worked flawlessly for me so far. No complaints, no issues whatsoever; I like it.

 

[JC45]

Thanks for all your input. I’m familiar with the Vortex brand but not so much with their red dots. After I posted this I did some quick research and all the reviews were positive. I wasn’t going to wait and then it was sold out, so I went for it. I’m very happy to hear all of you have good things to say about the Venom.

I know the Holosun has better features, but it would have been $200 more and I wouldn’t have bought right now. Vortex seems to have an excellent warranty, so I’m happy with the purchase.

 

[JC45]

I don’t have a 6 moa but I do have a Vortex Venom 3 moa on a FN 509 Compact and have been pleased with it. As far as the price you are paying, that’s about 100 dollars cheaper than I have seen them. I would have ordered it too. Good deal.

I have a Deltapoint Pro with a 2.5 dot and I wanted to try the larger dot. I’m very happy with the DPP.

 

[benniesdad]

I have one on my Aegis Elite Custom. I also have another one on a Ruger Mk IV. The Vortex Venom was extremely popular among rimfire shooters for steel challenge but now you don't see quite as many because some people have gone for larger windows. One big advantage of the Vortex is their lifetime guarantee and they really stand behind their products. One disadvantage if you are planning on using it for more than a range gun is that it does not have shake awake.

 

[JBear]

Yeah, no shake awake bothers me. You're either burning battery or you aren't and there's no middle ground. That said, My Aegis is a safe queen; I've never even put a round through it so this isn't an issue for me. But I think pretty regularly that because I like my MCP so much for EDC that I'd like it even better with an optic. Stopped in a gun shop the other day and saw an Aegis Elite OI 4" in the case and almost put hands on it, but then I thought about it being turned on all day every day and I didn't bother even taking it out. If I get a carry gun with an optic, it's going to have to be smarter than the Venom or my OCD will be off the hook 60 hours a week.

 

[JC45]

The shake awake feature is something I really like and that’s what I wanted. I love it on the DPP. This gun isn’t going to be an edc. It’s something I’ll carry 1-2 weeks a year while hunting and maybe I’ll carry it once in a while when I ride my motorcycles. If this was an edc, I would definitely go for a red dot with shake awake.

 

[bad ninja]

My Aegis is a safe queen; I've never even put a round through it

 

[bad ninja]

The shake awake feature is something I really like and that’s what I wanted. I love it on the DPP. This gun isn’t going to be an edc. It’s something I’ll carry 1-2 weeks a year while hunting and maybe I’ll carry it once in a while when I ride my motorcycles. If this was an edc, I would definitely go for a red dot with shake awake.

I just leave all my Holosun dots on all the time.

DPP has about a 1600 hour battery life on the low setting. That was a deal breaker for me.
Holosun has a 50k+hour battery life, and the solar panel extends it well beyond that.

I know I sound like an advertisement for Holosun, but they are a whole generation beyond most other red dot pistol optics.

 

[JC45]

I just leave all my Holosun dots on all the time.

DPP has about a 1600 hour battery life on the low setting. That was a deal breaker for me.
Holosun has a 50k+hour battery life, and the solar panel extends it well beyond that.

I know I sound like an advertisement for Holosun, but they are a whole generation beyond most other red dot pistol optics.

I don’t disagree with that you’re saying, Holosun has some great features and an excellent battery life. You know, you get what you pay for.

Edit: I left this part out.
You get what you pay for and I went the cheaper route, but for this particular gun, it’s not going to make a big difference in my world.

 

[bad ninja]

You know, you get what you pay for.

Not always.

For example: Trijicon has higher prices because they can't sell to the government at one price, and sell lower to the public.
They also have outdated tech because they have a government contract to provide specific models at a set price.
Their love of that sweet .gov money prevents them from innovating and competing in the marketplace.
Always do your research.

I would love to "buy American", but I'm not getting hustled by a lazy company that lives on government pork.

 

[JC45]

Not always.

For example: Trijicon has higher prices because they can't sell to the government at one price, and sell lower to the public.
They also have outdated tech because they have a government contract to provide specific models at a set price.
Their love of that sweet .gov money prevents them from innovating and competing in the marketplace.
Always do your research.

I would love to "buy American", but I'm not getting hustled by a lazy company that lives on government pork.

Trijicon prices are out of control. At the end of the day it’s a red dot.
I do have a set of their iron sights coming for my wife’s M&P 9 but they are in-line with other night sights and I’m very happy with the set I already have.

 

[JBear]

View attachment 135312

I didn't buy it because need more guns to shoot, I didn't even buy it because I really wanted it. I bought it because it was too good a price to pass up and I happened to have the money.

 

[OrangeTJ]

I have Vortex Venoms (3 MOA dot) on my S&W 686 and a Ruger MkII. They've been very solid, have nice crisp dots and clear glass. You can't beat the Vortex warranty, either. I also have a Holosun 507K with the ACSS green reticle on my HK P2000SK. The Holosun is significantly smaller and definitely more "feature packed". I like the green better than red and the ACSS reticle basically eliminates searching for the dot upon presentation.....but it was also almost $80 more expensive than the Vortex. Shake awake is more of a relevant feature for use on a nightstand gun than on an EDC because when carrying the gun it will almost always be in motion and hence, on. Not much different than turning the sight on when you holster it and turning it off when you take it off at night.

I'm going to try one of my Venoms on my Custom TLEII with a Burris Fastfire dovetail mount to see how I like a dot on that pistol.

 

[OrangeTJ]

I know I sound like an advertisement for Holosun, but they are a whole generation beyond most other red dot pistol optics.

I agree - Holosun is currently making the rest of the reflex sight manufactures look pretty lame. IMO - ACSS is the best thing since sliced bread but even if somebody doesn't go ACSS, their multi-reticle system and range of offerings from tiny to big, from open emitter to enlosed, etc., is ust beyond any other brand.