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Slavia · Moderator

I recently purchased a BSA red dot sight, the "Huntsman," model HMRGBD30CP. It has red, green, and blue 5 MOA dots, three brightness settings for each color, and 1/2 MOA clicks on the turrets. Just in case anyone might be considering this model, here are my thoughts:

I wanted to replace the open sights on my B3 with something that would be easier to use for aged eyes. The intended use will be pop can-sized targets, outdoors, at 20-40 yards. I have used those $10.00 paintball/BB sights, but they are built too cheaply for my taste. (The lenses are plastic, and the adjusting screws thread through plastic - they get sloppy the first time you zero the unit.) I got this one at a local farm/fleet store for $35.00, and it was the cheapest alternative to go "the next step up."

Given those parameters, it works as I had hoped, so I'm satisfied. Here are some extraneous details that would apply in other situations:

1. Even though it has no magnification, it is an optical system with lenses. The manual says it is parallax corrected for 50 yards, which is true. I have to strain to focus the image at 10m, and can only do so with my glasses on. At 20-40 yards it's no problem.

2. I have other BSA red dot sights, and they also have parallax error (the dot moves when you bop your head back and forth). On those others (mounted on pistols) I sanded the paint off the rear bezel to create a kind of "ghost ring" reference circle to get around the problem. This sight has an internal tube similar to the image erector tube in a telescopic sight. You can see the rear edge, which gives that same ghost ring effect. Plus, the cheek weld on a long arm aids in consistent eye position.

3. Since it has that same visible internal tube, the field of view is less than the 30mm lens would imply.

4. This sight has three brightness settings, and all are too bright to use indoors. My other sights let you dim the dot until you can actually see an indoor target through it. Not so here. In addition, the dot is 5 MOA wide, which pretty much obscures any indoor-sized target. Even outdoors it might be a problem. Say the kill zone on a squirrel is 1" - that's 4 MOA at 25 yards, and this dot will completely hide it. A telescopic sight will be much better for precision work. For "minute of pop can" accuracy it's fine.

5. The three colors are produced by three LED's, and if you change colors while holding still you can see the point of aim change very slightly. Again, not for precision work, but O.K. for my intended use.

6. BSA is a division of GAMO Outdoor U.S.A., Inc., which may influence your choice.

So, it does what I intended, but may have limitations for other applications. Everything is a compromise.