The 4 Best Red Dot Sights for AK47 – Review of AK 47 Optics

best red dot for ak47, best red dot for ak 47

Photo by Sveenys Armory / CC BY

The AK platform is one of the most popular in the world, and the second most popular rifle in the United States. The AK platform is well known for its reliability but is also known for its short to medium range effectiveness. That being said the AK is an excellent rifle that suffers from poor stock iron sights. The AK platform can be improved greatly by the addition of an optic. The AK is not out of the box optic ready, but a side mount can be added, as well as many aftermarket optic gas tube covers. The AK platform, be it the 47, the 74, or the 100 series can be greatly improved by the addition of a short to medium range optic—in other words, a red dot sight.

So what’s the best red dot for AK47 rifles? Well, that’s a loaded question (no pun intended), and there are a few different answers depending on your objectives.

Vortex Strikefire 2

The Vortex Strikefire 2 is from an up and coming optics company that has dived headfirst into the realm of tactical optics. Let it be said that Vortex is no stranger to building glass. They’ve produced a variety of different binoculars and scopes for a decade, and their extension into the tactical word has been embraced gleefully by the shooting community. The Strikefire 2 is a close range, red dot optic that is perfect for the AK platform.

The AK shines in an urban combat role and Strikefire (see full specs) shines with it. The Strikefire 2 is parallax free and has unlimited eye relief. This is important when it comes to the AK since mounting a red dot on the gas tube is a very popular option. The Strikefire 2 comes with a slew of awesome features including a 6-hour auto shutdown, coated lenses for clarity, a red or green reticle option, and it can be used on rifles or shotguns.

The Strikefire 2 is also water and dust proof, with the joints sealed by O-rings. The dot is a 4 MOA, and while some may prefer something a bit smaller, the 4 moa dot is easily visible in both low and bright lights. The clear lenses, the wide 30mm tube, and the combination of unlimited eye relief and parallax free design makes the Strikefire 2 one of the best red dot sights for AK47 rifles.

Vortex StrikeFire II - Best Budget Red Dot?

Sightmark Ultra Shot

The Sightmark Ultra shot is awesome little optic, and an excellent option for the AK platform. The weapon is a red dot optic in the same vein of the famed Eotech. It’s an open top red dot that is square instead of circle shaped. The Sightmark features the necessary parallax and unlimited eye relief to be gas tube mounted.

The Ultra Shot is relatively small and needs very little rail space to be mounted effectively. The Ultra Shot also features a quick detach (QD) lever that ratchets down tight and effectively. The Sightmark Ultra Shot is a small and lightweight optic that adds very little bulk to your Kalashnikov platform of choice.

The Sightmark Ultra Shot is by far one the best red dot sights for AK 47’s. It’s simple to use, compatible with magnifiers and features a quick detach digital switch. It has an excellent price and knowledge this is a product made in America.

Sightmark Ultra Shot M-Spec After Action Review

Eotech XPS2

When things get serious and you are expecting to go to war the Eotech XPS2 is ready for you. Backed by the reputation of Eotech’s optics, the XPS2 is a solid red dot sight designed with quality in mind. Eotech has sent their optics to the front line of the war on terrorism, and they have proven themselves over and over again as a company not to be trifled with. Many an operator caught their last sight of a terrorist through an Eotech optic.

The Eotech XPS2 (see full specs) is purpose built for war, and if you are taking your AK to combat the XPS2 can hold your hand on the way. The design is ruthlessly efficient and weighs a feathery 8 ounces while it eats hardly any of your rail estate. Is it parallax free? Yep. Eye relief? Unlimited. Mount it anywhere and let it ride. The XPS2 is the best AK 47 sight if you are looking for a serious tactical option.

The XPS2 is a compact optic that delivers a full-size field of view. The XPS2 is waterproof up to 10 meters, and features a powerful 600 hours of use off a single CR 123 battery. The Eotech XPS2 can be utilized with an Eotech magnifier to extend its range beyond a hundred yards and allow the weapon to reach its potential of 300 meters. The XPS2 is a wonderful optic and is perfect for the AK platform.

Eotech XPS2-0/American Defense review

Bushnell TRS 25

The Bushnell TRS 25 has become quite popular in a short period of time. The TRS 25 is designed to be a short range, close quarters battle optic for carbines. The Bushnell TRS 25 is a simple design and is extremely easy to use. The AK is designed to be a short to medium range rifle, and the TRS 25 is perfectly compatible with the AK. It features an unlimited eye relief aspect, as well as being parallax free. The TRS 25 is not an optic exclusive to the AK platform or even carbines, the TRS 25 can be swapped from rifle to shotgun with ease.

The TRS 25 features a 3 MOA red dot that is adjustable to 11 different settings. This allows the optic to be utilized during both bright days and dark nights. The TRS 25 is shockproof, dustproof, and waterproof. Pretty impressive for a budget optic.

For a low price, you get a well built, waterproof optic, with easy to make adjustments. On top of that the TRS 25 is lightweight and compact at merely 6.3 ounces on top of your rifle. The TRS 25 is an excellent value and works wonderfully for the AK platform in any caliber.

Bushnell TRS-25! BEST BARGAIN RED DOT! I Got One!!

Parting Shots on the Best Red Dot Sight for AK47 Rifles

The AK platform needs very little to make it run, plenty of videos are out there that feature the AK 47 functioning like a champ without a dust cover or even a gas tube. The AK doesn’t need much more than ammo to run. Can the platform be improved? Certainly, an optic can improve the rifle’s ability to get on target, and can improve its accuracy, and can even improve its overall function and range. A good optic on an AK series rifle can make the difference between, “Is it dead?” and “Did I miss again?”

  • Owner of Reloaderaddict.com, Boyd Smith is a major handgun enthusiast, and although he owns Glocks, he prefers the revolving wheel type. His go-to guns are a Smith & Wesson 642 Performance Center for carry and a Ruger GP100 in the nightstand biometric safe (he has kids). He loads both revolvers with old-school 148-grain Federal Gold Medal .38 wadcutters. It’s OK if you think he’s a wimp. Email him.

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3 responses

  1. I have owned the Sightmark model and magnifier with the UTG side mount. IMO the best value for the buck and application. What stand out most are the reticle options on the QD, brightness, cam lock etc. Would highly recommend.

    • I have tws dog leg rail with peep sight on the very rear of the rail. Looking for a small red dot for cowitness. Any help??

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