The Holosun 510C has been the go-to recommendation for years, the rifle optic everyone suggests when you want something better than a cheap Amazon red dot but aren’t ready to drop your money on an Aimpoint.
But things move fast. What was top-notch five years ago might be considered dated today. So, does the Holosun 510C still hold its own? Let’s see.
Open Emitter: A Dealbreaker?
We have to start here because this is the single biggest argument against buying the 510C in 2026 – this optic uses an “open emitter” design. That means the little laser diode projecting your reticle is exposed to the air, sitting in a small tray at the rear of the unit.
This is the vulnerability. If you drop this unit in the mud, or even get caught in a snowstorm, you might lose your aiming point. A single water droplet landing in that well can refract the laser, turning your precise dot into a useless, blooming cluster.
If you have fantasies of trekking through a swamp, crawling through dirt, running “duty” ops in a monsoon, or generally treating your gear like a shovel, this design is a liability. But let’s be real for a second. If you are grabbing this for a home defense setup where it sits by your bedside, or for burning down stages at a competition, that open design isn’t a bug; it’s a feature.
HOLOSUN 510C FDE Red Dot Sight
HOLOSUN 510C Black Green Dot Sight
HOLOSUN 510C Black Green Dot Sight
HOLOSUN 510C FDE Green Circle Dot Reflex Sight
$339.99
Price accurate at time of writing
Specs:
- Multiple Reticle SystemTM (MRS) gives you the choice of 2 MOA Dot, 65 MOA Circle, or both
- Solar Failsafe uses ambient light to power your optic even when your battery has failed
- Advanced LED technology gives you up to 50,000 hours of use on a single battery
- Parallax-free sight picture with unlimited eye relief
- Shake AwakeTM technology powers up at the slightest movement
- Easy to operate push-button brightness adjustment
- 6061-T6 Aluminum construction with titanium-alloyed hood
- Quick-detach mount makes a rock-solid connection to your firearm
Holosun vs EOTech
You can’t talk about this optic without someone mentioning EOTech. The main argument is usually that the EOTech is the battle-proven tank.
Here is the reality. EOTechs are holographic sights. Yes, they are built like tanks – you can smash the front glass, and they will still work. They have zero parallax shift, and they are the gold standard for shooting under NV.
But for the rest of us? The Holosun 510C actually beats the EOTech in day-to-day usability.
First, battery life. A holographic sight eats batteries like candy. You’re lucky to get 1,000 hours. With the Holosun, you get up to 50,000 hours on a single CR2032. Plus, it has Shake Awake – yYou pick up the rifle, the optic turns on; you put it down, it goes to sleep. With an EOTech, you have to remember to turn it on and off.
Then there is the reticle itself. Holographic sights look grainy, it’s just how the tech works. The Holosun uses an LED, which produces a much cleaner, sharper image.
Astigmatism
This brings us to a massive point that doesn’t get enough press. If you have astigmatism, an EOTech or Trijicon might cause starbursts.
The 510C is famous for playing nice with bad eyes. Countless shooters report that while other premium red dots look distorted, the 510C stays crisp. Many say that the 510C is the only red dot some people can use effectively without glasses.
However, pay attention that each person experiences astigmatism in their own unique way. For instance, many shooters say that green dot sights are sharper than red ones, but that’s not universal. For some people, red light is still preferable. The same goes for different brands and sights.
AEMS vs 510С vs 512C
So, the 510C is great, but it has that open emitter weakness. Holosun knows this, which is why they released the 512C and the AEMS.
The 512C is literally just a 510C with a roof. They took the same internals, the same massive window (it still seems slightly smaller due to the overall housing design), and put the whole thing in a mailbox-shaped housing. Now, mud and rain can’t get to the emitter. If you love the 510C vibe but are paranoid about the weather, the 512C is a good choice.
Then there’s the Holosun AEMS. This weird-looking square optic is currently the darling of the gun community. It’s fully enclosed, smaller, and lighter than the 510C, but it still keeps a decent window size. Since Aaron Cowan at Sage Dynamics dropped it on concrete and it survived, everyone has accepted it as “duty grade”.
The AEMS is arguably the smarter buy right now. It does everything the 510C does, but it fixes the durability and environmental concerns. The only downside? Some people think it’s ugly, and it sits on a proprietary footprint, so mounting options are slightly more annoying.
HOLOSUN AEMS PRO X2 MRS Enclosed Rifle Reflex Sight
HOLOSUN AEMS CORE X2 Red / Green / Gold 2MOA Dot Rifle Sight
$299.99 - $314.99
Price accurate at time of writing
Specs:
- Up to 50000-hour battery life for long-lasting performance
- Shake Awake Technology with last setting recall for instant activation
- Multilayer Reflective Glass
- 0.5 MOA Adjustment per Click for precision sighting
- IP67-rated waterproof construction
- Durable aluminum housing ensures long-lasting resilience
Final Thoughts
So, should you buy the 510C?
If you want a massive field of view that makes acquiring targets stupidly easy, and you live a life where mud-crawling isn’t on the daily schedule, absolutely. It’s a fantastic optic. It’s reliable, the battery lasts forever, and it works great if your eyes are getting old.
But if you’re buying an optic for a duty rifle or you actually hunt in terrible weather, skip it. Spend the extra cash on a 512C (or 512T with a titanium housing) or AEMS. You get all the benefits of Holosun tech without the anxiety of an open system.
And whatever you do, please don’t put a non-magnified red dot on a 20-inch barrel unless you really know what you’re doing. You’re just wasting all that ballistic potential. If you intend to shoot beyond 200 yards, get a ACOG (fixed magnification), an LPVO (1-6x or 1-8x), and a red dot magnifier combo.
