Riton 1 Tactix ARD 2

The ARD 2's value case is the box, not the optic body. At $219.99 Riton includes a cantilever QD Picatinny mount and a low Picatinny mount, which covers both the lower-third cowitness height most AR shooters want and the low mount a shotgun or PCC receiver usually needs. Most sub-$250 red dots quote a body-only price and leave the mount as a $50 to $150 addition.

The reticle is selectable rather than fixed. A clean 2 MOA dot works when you want an uncluttered sight picture and a precise aiming point, and a 30 MOA circle with a 2 MOA dot inside gives you a larger shape to catch at speed inside a room. Nine brightness levels cover daylight through dark, and the lowest setting is night-vision compatible.

Sixty MOA of total adjustment at 1 MOA per click is plenty of travel for the mount heights Riton includes. Power comes from a CR2032 rated at 50,000 hours. Where the ARD 2 gives ground is weight: 7.5 oz with the mount is roughly double a bare Aimpoint T-2 body, and it is 3.3 inches long, so it takes up more rail than a true micro. Riton covers electro-optics for two years, transferable to any owner, rather than the lifetime term on its non-electronic products.