Whether you’re looking to lighten up your rifle or make seeing the sights easier, you’ve no doubt considered using a red-dot sight. Having shot the Police Olympics in Ohio recently, I had an opportunity to mount, zero and compete with Trijicon’s latest red-dot, the RMR Type 2. The RMR is a small, effective and lightweight red-dot sight for not only rifles, but pistols too.
With recently upgraded electronics, the Type 2 RMR (Ruggedized Miniature Reflex) red-dot is worth its weight when it comes to function and reliability. Technical talk is usually wasted on me; I just look for something that works for me. I don’t like complicated equipment and I certainly don’t like added weight.
The RMR comes in a variety of configurations that can be mounted on a pistol or rifle. There are three options for illumination: LED, Adjustable LED, or Dual Illuminated. The LED RMR automatically adjusts for brightness. If you want to manually adjust for brightness, try the Adjustable LED RMR. And for those who don’t want to use batteries, the Dual Illuminated RMR contains a tritium-phosphor lamp for illumination and fiber optics for brightness and contrast.
I opted for the adjustable LED model. I know there’ll be some of you who’ll think I’m nuts because, after all, batteries can fail. Well, my model has a 5-year battery life. If I change the battery every year on my birthday, like my smoke detectors, I think I’ll be OK. You can get the red dot itself in a variety of sizes, from a 1-inch or 1 MOA dot, to one as big as 13 MOA. This means the size the dot appears at 100 yards in inches. I chose the 1 MOA dot so I can refine my sight picture. Since it’s on a rifle it’s very easy to find the dot and put it on a target. Other dot sizes are available, based on the model you choose.
If you have a hard time seeing your sights and are getting to where you need reading glasses like me, you can put an RMR on a pistol. This is where you would probably want a larger dot so it’s easier to find. If you’re not shooting far, the dot can be bigger since it’ll cover up less of the target at close range. Think about a 6.5 inch/MOA dot on an 8-inch plate at 100 yards. That’s not the best sight picture for me, but a 1-inch dot on an 8-inch plate would be easy to aim for at 100 yards. Understand? We’ll if not, you can go to Trijicon’s website and look at the different RMRs and dot sizes.
(Chris Cerino photo)
I’ve tried the RMR on my pistol, and found that there’s a heck of a learning curve to finding the dot when presenting the gun. It slowed me way down, but those who use them all the time are smoking fast. I’ll have to dedicate some more time to training with it.
Mounting the dot was easy with Trijicon’s lightweight absolute co-witness mount. (Absolute co-witness means the red dot appears directly in line with my rifle’s iron sights when the sights are flipped up.) Two bolts hold the base to the gun, and two screws mount the RMR to the base. Then it was on to zeroing.
I’ve taught a lot or AR15 classes and it blows me away to see ladies come in with not only big, heavy rifles, but bulky optics on top. Scopes and larger red-dots can weigh a half pound or more. The RMR, on the other hand, weighs only 1.2 ounces with its battery, and its base is only 2.4 ounces. That’s 3.6 ounces total—not even a quarter pound! If, like me, you train with rifles for long hours on a range, you understand the need to go light.
Zeroing the RMR was easy. The hardest part was trying to remember that the adjuster clicks on it are in 1-inch movements. (Most red-dot adjustments are in half-inch increments.) I’d move the adjusters and shoot, and then realize I moved them way too much. I got it straight in the end.
One tip, though: With a co-witness mount, you can start zero by flipping up your iron sights and adjusting the red dot to be in line with them. Doing that put me in a 6-inch Shoot-N-C target on my first shot at 50 yards. Also, it’s best to zero red-dot sights as far out as possible, preferably 50 yards or more. According to Trijicon, this gives your RMR the best chance of success by reducing focal parallax.
(Chris Cerino photo)
For my first time using a red-dot sight, I ended up doing pretty well at the Police Olympics. We shot targets out to 200 yards and as close as 10 feet. I scored high, winning two silver medals in two rifle events. I know it’s not first, but I came in second place to none other than my own husband. Yes, I like easy guns to shoot, and red-dots make it easy. I also like light guns, and the RMR keeps my gun light. I suppose the proof is in the medals.
Adjustable LED MSRP: $699
Dual-Illumninated MSRP: $577
LED MSRP: $649
Michelle Cerino, aka Princess Gunslinger, first entered the firearms industry in 2011 as co-owner, president and trainer at a national training company. She immediately began competing in both 3-Gun and NRA Action Pistol, becoming a sponsored shooter. Michelle is currently a columnist and Managing Editor of Women’s Outdoor News, as well as owner of Pervenio LLC. She also manages social media for Vera Koo and FASTER Saves Lives. Michelle encourages others to step out of the comforts of home and explore. View all posts by Michelle Cerino
