Over the last few years, Holosun has become a significant player in the red dot sight market. I recently set up one of my BCM AR-15s with a red dot sight. I did not want to spend Aimpoint or Eotech money, so I went with the Holosun 403r.
I’ve owned the Holosun 403r for about 6 months and shot about 1000 rounds through the rifle with the Holosun red dot sight mounted. The sight is easy to use, durable, and lightweight. The battery life is outstanding, and the sight has maintained zero flawlessly throughout my various shooting drills.
I’m impressed with the Holosun 403r’s performance and recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone looking for a good-quality red dot at an affordable price.
Would I buy the Holosun 403r again? Absolutely.
Why you can Trust This Review
My name is Matt. I’ve been shooting, training, and competing with firearms for the last 21 years. I spent five years in a US Marine Corps infantry battalion, competed in USMC shooting competitions, and trained with various weapons, optics, and gear in both a military and civilian capacity. I do this stuff because I love it.
I’ve subjected gear to truly heinous levels of abuse in regular use and a testing capacity. Based on my real-world experience and testing, I aim to provide valuable insights to help you decide if the Holosun 403r is worth your hard-earned money.
Testing the Holosun 403r
I bought the Holosun 403r about six months ago. The optic has been mounted to a 16-inch BCM AR-15 and a Geissele 11.5 SBR. With this optic mounted, there are approximately 1000 rounds between the two rifles.
I zeroed the optic on both rifles at 50 yards and confirmed zero at 200 yards. Durability was tested by dropping the BCM rifle with the optic mounted on various surfaces and bashing the optic on barricades, car doors, trees, and other things during shooting and training with the optic.
Shooting conditions varied from 20F to 70F, ranging from cold, rainy, and generally miserable conditions to warm, sunny spring days.
My typical shooting involves practical drills involving rapid fire, reloads, weapon transitions, improvised shooting positions, and dynamic movement. I do not enjoy shooting off a bench, and I think the way I like to shoot is the best way to put a weapon or optic through its paces in a more realistic way.
Holosun 403r Product Specs
| Feature | Spec |
| Reticle | 2 MOA Red Dot |
| Battery Life | Up to 50,000 Hours |
| Brightness Settings | 10 Daylight, 2 Night Vision |
| Housing Material | Anodize Aluminum |
| Waterproof Rating | IP67 |
| Adjustment per Click | 0.5 MOA |
| Mounting Options | Low Mount and Lower 1/3 Co-Witness |
| Weight | 3.53 oz |
- Precise 2 MOA Dot
- Long battery life
- Light weight
- Durable construction
- Good glass quality
- Non-captive adjustment caps
Accuracy
The Holosun 403r is an accurate red dot sight. The small 2 MOA dot aids in making precision shots. Red dots excel at close-range rapid shooting, and this red dot is no different. The Holosun 403r would be an excellent home-defense red dot optic. Longer range performance is good for a red dot. But shooting a red dot at longer ranges depends on how you are as a shooter, your weapon, ammo, and your eyesight. I have no issues making hits on an 8-inch steel target at 200 yards. For shooting beyond 200 yards, I’d prefer a magnified optic.
Battery Life
Holosun lists the 403r as having 50,000 hours of battery life. That’s the equivalent of over five years of battery life on a single CR2032. I haven’t owned the optic long enough to test the full five-year battery life, but the optic has been turned on for the entire six months I’ve owned it. I expect the battery to last for many years to come.
Durability
I subjected the Holosun 403r to my typical gauntlet of use. I’ve dropped it numerous times, banged it against things while moving and shooting, left it in the snow and freezing rain for hours, and shot with it in pouring rain. The optic hasn’t missed a beat.
Ease of Use
The Holosun 403r is a simple and easy-to-use optic. Brightness is adjusted using the side-mounted dial. Adjustments with or without gloves are quick and easy due to the added knurling on the brightness dial. The windage and elevation adjustments are capped and include a built-in tool to make point-of-impact adjustments. The adjustment caps aren’t captive so don’t lose them.
he red dot’s battery is located inside the brightness adjustment dial. Replacing the battery requires using a coin or cartridge rim to unscrew the battery cap. The whole process is very straightforward. Not that you’re going to need to replace batteries much.
Optical Quality
The Holosun 403r’s glass quality is excellent. There is a slight tint to the glass, but it’s minimal and isn’t noticeable when using the optic. The front lens has a reddish anti-reflective coating to reduce glare from the shooter’s perspective. This feature works well when shooting in bright sunlight.
Optic Mount
The included optic mount works as it should. There have been no instances of the optic losing zero or the mount loosening unexpectedly. Another benefit of the Holosun 403r is that the optic uses the same footprint as the ubiquitous Aimpoint T1 and T2. This gives you a vast array of aftermarket mounting options if you want a quick-release mount like the ADM AD-T1 or Geissele Super Precision T1 mounts. Or if you want a shorter or taller mount.
Summary
The Holosun 403r has been an impressive optic, especially at its price point. The red dot offers durable construction, an impressively long battery life, and a precise 2MOA dot. The included 1/3 co-witness mount works perfectly on AR-15s or similar rifles, and it also includes a low mount well suited for shotguns, lever guns, or any long gun where a lower optic mount is desired. The Holosun 403r is an outstanding red dot sight at a great value.
FAQ
The Holosun 403r looks like a very close copy of the Aimpoint T2. From a performance perspective, the Holosun gives you most of the features at a fraction of the price. The Aimpoint T2 is battle tested in multiple war zones and is a proven combat-grade optic. The Holosun does not have the pedigree of the Aimpoint T2.
The brightness can be adjusted using the brightness adjustment dial on the side of the red dot. The windage and elevation are adjusted using their respective adjustment dials on the top and side of the optic.
The Holosun 403r offers an incredible value for its price point. You get most of the performance of optics four times its price.
Turning the brightness adjustment dial to the zero setting turns the optic off. Not that you really need to ever turn it off.
