Thread: Review of the Holosun HS503GU Circle Dot (Black)

Hopefully this may be of interest to some of you guys and girls.

I like red dot sights a lot for close in shooting (0 - 200m). Yes I also use numerous normal scopes.
I am currently running the following red dots at the moment on various rifles, pistols and shot guns.
2 x C-more
3 x Vortex Spark 2
1 x Vortex Razor
1 x Burris Fast Fire 3

After reading the reviews, I have just bought a Holosun HS503GU Circle Dot from NZAR15.com.

https://nzar15.com/store/red-dot/745...ircle-dot.html

Initial thoughts:
- Well packaged and very easy to use.
- Has great features like auto on / off and can switch between just the red dot and the circle dot easily.
- Comes with both a low mount and hi riser for a AR15.
- The low mount is really low so I have mounted it on my Mossberg 930 SPX shotgun to break it in.
- I will also try it on my 9mm carbine, 223 and 300 blackout over the coming months.
- Negatives are none of the caps or lens covers are tethered.

Anyway as I give this a thrashing over the next few months, I will let you all know how it goes.
First up will be a couple hundred rounds of shot gun this weekend.
This normally highlights if the scope is crap or not.

How does it compare price wise to other leading brands?

I have an eotech 552 on my AR. I like it a lot despite the negative press eotech has had recently. I have had no issues with mine.
Always keen to look at other alternatives if it does shit out.

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Its half the price off the likes of Eotech and Aim Point.
Looking forward to giving it a go with the shot gun especially with the circle dot setup.

Originally Posted by Simon

Its half the price off the likes of Eotech and Aim Point.
Looking forward to giving it a go with the shot gun especially with the circle dot setup.

Looking forward to your report back when you have put it thru it's paces.

I only bought the eotech as I got it cheap and it's out of the sandpit with battle scars.

Looks pretty rude all scratched and faded on my new JP😆


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The YT reviews from Military Arms Channel, Nutfancy etc all rave about them.
I'm very tempted.

I'll be watching this, big fan of small rds but can't justify aimpoint etc on everything!

I just bought the same unit, replacing a lucid hd7 on my .22 AR

It's a nice unit, crisp clear recticle and I like the eotech style that matches my eotech XPS-3. However it's nice to have the option of just a single 2moa dot as well.

I have an issue with my eyes, that makes rds sights not look like a crisp dot, but more of a star with a sunburst coming out of the right hand side. I have this issue with every rds I have ever tried, vortex, aimpoint, burris etc.
The only sights that do not have this issue for me are eotechs, doctor, and now the holosun. It's still there, but minimal unless I really crank up the brightness.
Now most people won't have any problems with this, but if you do I recommend the holosun as it's damn cheaper than an eotech.
An easy way to check is if you don't see a crisp clear dot, rotate the sight a full 360 degrees, if the flaring of the dot stays the same then it's not the sight but your eyes.

No issues with recoil or zero shift, not expecting it from a .22, I'll stick it on my .223 AR at some stage and try it out.
@res you are welcome to have a play when you are down this way

Originally Posted by bluemonsta

I have an issue with my eyes, that makes rds sights not look like a crisp dot, but more of a star with a sunburst coming out of the right hand side.

Sounds as you may have astigmatism?

Originally Posted by Ryan

Sounds as you may have astigmatism?

Yup, combined with age. Why is it when you are young enough to really enjoy these toys you are too poor to buy them?

Originally Posted by bluemonsta

I just bought the same unit, replacing a lucid hd7 on my .22 AR

It's a nice unit, crisp clear recticle and I like the eotech style that matches my eotech XPS-3. However it's nice to have the option of just a single 2moa dot as well.

I have an issue with my eyes, that makes rds sights not look like a crisp dot, but more of a star with a sunburst coming out of the right hand side. I have this issue with every rds I have ever tried, vortex, aimpoint, burris etc.
The only sights that do not have this issue for me are eotechs, doctor, and now the holosun. It's still there, but minimal unless I really crank up the brightness.
Now most people won't have any problems with this, but if you do I recommend the holosun as it's damn cheaper than an eotech.
An easy way to check is if you don't see a crisp clear dot, rotate the sight a full 360 degrees, if the flaring of the dot stays the same then it's not the sight but your eyes.

No issues with recoil or zero shift, not expecting it from a .22, I'll stick it on my .223 AR at some stage and try it out.
@res you are welcome to have a play when you are down this way

Dying to give mine a spin this weekend.
From past experience the old shotgun quickly determines of a red dot is crap or not.
Typically stuff starts falling off or they just quit going if they are not up to it.
Roll on Sat and Sunday.

Report time.
If NZAR15 had any more of these HS503GU sights in stock I would have just bought another one.
Yes that dam good.
Contemplating one of the solar versions now. Just waiting to hear back as to when the GU version will be in stock again.
Solar seems a bit of a gimmick and the battery compartment on the solar versions is a slide out tray rather than a capped turret.
Still it gets some very good reports around the web.

I have run red dots on a shot gun for many years but the circle dot leaves just a red dot for dead, for a shotgun at least anyways.
I wont be taking the Holosun of my shotgun any time soon hence why I want another one.

Was very easy to sight in.
I used buck shot at 15 meters on steel to do this.
The adjustment caps are a little hard to get off due to the extra protection around them but not too bad. I used the back if the caps to make the adjustment.
I don't see being an issue as once its sighted in they should not need to be touched again unless the sight is moved to another gun.
200 plus rounds of bird shot then followed on 6" plates and mini poppers.

Tested out the 10 min auto off feature.
It works a treat. 10 minutes of no movement and the dot turns off by itself.
Went to pick up the gun as gently as possible and as soon as I touch it, it turned itself back on.
Very cool.

Hopefully I have not made the photo too large below but this is looking at a Green (Club is short on white paint apparently) mini popper at 15 meters.
The shot pattern is about as large at the 65 MOA circle at this distance with my shotgun.
Makes for knocking these poppers down at speed child's play.
The dot can go very bright which is a big plus on bright days. Its about 1/2 way up the brightness scale in the photo below.
It lines up with the open sights on my shotgun perfectly which goes to show how low the low mount actually is.

Negatives are still the untethered caps and lens covers. Bound to get lost over time.
Otherwise I like it a lot and cant wait to give it another spin next weekend.
I will update this post after I have put more rounds down range.

Nice.

Side issue, how are you fining the 930 ? Thinking about getting one.

Originally Posted by Kscott

Nice.

Side issue, how are you fining the 930 ? Thinking about getting one.

I really like my 930 SPX.
They have a great trigger, ideal safety location and are dead simple to operate.
I did have trouble with it on the first outing when the ejector broke.
http://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co.n...rt-fail-13698/
Was repaired under warranty so no real issue. I have put a heap of rounds through it since then with 100% reliability.

Mine feeds everything from full power slugs to the lightest skeet loads / hand loads around.
They are way shorter than your normal shotgun (18" barrel) but I like this as it makes it quick between targets.
7 + 1 or 2 capacity (Google Ghost Load) makes it hard to beat for a A cat gun.
I think NZ guns have the cheapest ones currently but they come up second hand every now and then.

Ken (NZAR15) has more of the HS503GU sights on order.
They should turn up reasonably quickly he recons so I will wait for the next shipment for my second unit rather than go for the Solar version.
Apparently they sold out super quick.
Surprise surprise.

Quick Update.
I really like this sight. New ones should be back stock in another couple of weeks according to Ken.
I will get another one to have a play with on my AR-15s that's for sure.
The one on my 930 SPX is not going to be taken off.

So I put another 150 birdshot, 50 buck shot and 20 odd slugs through it today.
Not a single problem as you may have guessed.

I have never shot a lot of slugs over the years but after today I have a new respect for them after shooting a number of fist sized groups at 50 meters.
They are surprisingly accurate.