Eve Flanigan 02.17.23
Sightron is a company I had not heard of before this month, so I was excited to get a chance to see what their optics are all about. In this trial of their non-magnifying red dot optic, the Sightron S30-5, I was not disappointed. The Sightron S30-5 has a 30mm tube. Rings for mounting on a Picatinny rail are included. The bottoms of the rings are set low. When I pulled out my AR15 which I thought would be the model gun for this review – this system proved workable – but too low to be optimal. And hey, cranking my neck down to get a view through the tube doesn’t look great in photos (and who wants to look bad in pictures). So, I reached into the safe for a different gun.
Out came my old school Remington 870 tactical pump 12 Gauge shotgun. This optic is rated for shotgun recoil whereas many entry-level red dots aren’t, so it would make for a good test. The ring bases, which appear to be made by Sightron, secure to the rail with bolts that have slots large enough to turn them with a coin. I turned them tight, to what I’d estimate is 25 inch-pounds. They were re-checked before range use the following day. As for the rings, I was a little skeptical at how their one-screw-per-side design would stand up to shotgun use. In the absence of advice on tightness from the user manual, I used the included Allen wrench to tighten them as well as I could. There was a definite point in each where I felt I’d strip the hardware if I continued to tighten, so I put each just at the cusp of that point. Long story short, this system held up well for a 50-round test. Were I to make this sight my own over the long term, I’d invest in a sturdier base and rings, but for getting started with a red dot, it’s a very serviceable setup.
Looking through the sight, the view is a 5 MOA dot. One CR2032 battery, included, powers the device. On the left side of the housing is a typical brightness adjustment knob, graded from 0 (Off) to 10 (Brightest). On a dreary winter day, I found settings 3 and 4 ideal and more than bright enough for the 25-yard shots we put on light gray and black targets. The dot is small enough to not obliterate torso-size targets at 200 yards, obviously a longer range than I wanted to attempt with a 12 Gauge, but perfectly fine on a carbine.
Adjusting windage and elevation is simple with this optic. The turrets are covered in textured, screw-on covers which show every indication of being as good at staying put until they’re removed as any I’ve seen on much more costly sights. Adjustments are set at a chunky 1 MOA per click. A penny is actually the recommended tool to adjust them which couldn’t be handier. The turrets are marked with arrows and directional words so, no, there’s no need to memorize which direction to turn them. A non-magnifying red dot on a long gun is certainly not the ultimate precision optic. So, I feel the 1 MOA increments are acceptable.
According to the user manual, the out-of-the-box zero should be tested at 25 yards. Hard to argue with that with pretty much any close- or mid-range optic, so I did. Zero was set pretty well from the factory. This entire test was done with two brands of 00 buckshot, and during the entire test we had no pellets out of the 18×24-inch border for a police shotgun qualification, and only two outside of the smaller pistol scoring zone. A couple clicks down and a couple to the right made the perfect buckshot zero. The dials have a palpable-enough feel to be certain about adjustments.
Two attachments are included with the sight, and I find each quite useful. The front ring of the optic is threaded for easy removal and attachment of one of the other accessories. First, there’s a perforated cover that prevents glare keeping the gun invisible to hunted quarry or a two-legged predator. The second is an extended, plain cover which acts as a sunshade. I like the practicality and look of the first, and the second will surely cut some glare in bright conditions. Both twist on easily and the threading seems sufficient to keep them secure.
Despite my doubts about the base and rings, they showed no indication of loosening. I left the range pleasantly surprised with this little optic as well as the overall package. Sightron S30-5 appears to source parts and assembly from Japan which to my mind beats dealing with the communist regime currently associated with spy balloons. Thanks to environmental regulations on lens coatings, there are no optics made entirely in western nations.
The Sightron S30-5 Red Dot makes a great choice for the shooter on a budget who needs a red dot that will work on any long gun. The conveniently included hardware, battery, and tool make it easy to get up and running. Its 30mm tube makes it easy enough to choose a higher mount if desired. Its housing accessories are icing on the cake to specialize for certain conditions. So far, it has performed much better than others I’ve tried around its price point of $200.
Specifications: Sightron S30-5 RDS
- Magnification: 1x
- Objective Diameter: 27mm
- Field of View: 52 Feet @ 100 yards
- Eye Relief: Unlimited
- Reticle: 5 MOA Dot
- Click Value: 1 MOA
- Finish: Matte Black
- Waterproof: Yes (1 Meter)
- Weight: 5 ounces
- Length: 4.625 inches
- Tube Diameter: 30mm
- Sunshade and Glare Guard Included: Yes
- Lens Covers Included: No
