The Sightmark Ultra is a popular red dot sight that offers a great solution for your aiming and target acquisition speed. This model comes with a side-mounted red laser that will enable you to acquire your targets very quickly in close-quarter situations, and the red dot sight will enable you to make precise medium to long-distance shots. Thanks to its dual aiming solutions, the Sightmark Ultra offers a complete sighting solution for both the inexperienced and professional shooters.
A good thing about this model is that it comes with a customizable reticle pattern. You can choose between four types of unique patterns, each of them designed to provide support in different situations. The 5 MOA dot is large and perfect for close-quarters or medium-distance shooting. Using this reticle pattern will allow you to acquire your targets easily when they’re in range, and you will also be able to switch from one target to another with ease when you have to. The 3 MOA dot encircled in a 50 MOA pattern is great for medium and long-range shots. This pattern will allow you to acquire your target with ease and make precise shots in quick succession. Both the 30 MOA encircled crosshair and the 3 MOA dot are suitable for similar purposes. These reticle patterns will allow you to make precise medium to long-range shots in a timely manner.
As far as the laser sight is concerned, this unit uses a class IIIA laser that’s classified as 5mW or less. This means the laser is safe to use, but even so, you shouldn’t look directly into it because it will blind you for a couple of seconds. The laser is crisp and clear, and it’s easily visible in both daylight and nighttime. However, you might find it difficult to use the laser with increased precision on a bright day. Even so, the laser offers a nice backup solution to the red dot sight, and it can be very effective once you get used to using it.
Another good thing about the Sightmark Ultra is that it can co-witness your AR’s stock iron sights. This will provide a backup solution to your target acquisition problems, and it will ensure you won’t experience any unpleasantness if the red dot sight runs out of batteries. The sight uses a 3-volt CR battery that can last for up to 4 hours of continuous use, depending on the brightness settings you use.
A great thing about this model is that it comes with a night-vision mode. This mode is very easy to use, and if you install the sight in front of a night vision monocular you will create a co-witnessed rifle you can shoot both during the day and the night. The sight uses a double-pane glass lens system that eliminates parallax. This is a great feature, as it will allow you to acquire your targets with accuracy even when you fire from the periphery of the lens.
The sight’s locking system is very good, and it holds zero well. This will allow you to fire many rounds without having to readjust the unit’s zero when you’re in the field. The unit’s aluminum construction makes the sight durable and strong, enabling it to withstand both the firearm’s recoil and the normal bumps and eventual drops it might suffer in the field.
Despite the fact that this is a very good red dot sight, it still has some misgivings. One of them is the difficulty to change the sight’s battery. The battery slot is located underneath the sight, so you will have to take the unit off every time you have to change the battery. Given that the battery usually lasts for about four or five hours, you will have to do this on occasion, and the process is time-consuming. The laser pointer uses another battery, but that one is easier to change.
All in all, this is a very good aiming solution, and if you use the red dot sight to co-witness your iron sights, you will actually have three aiming solutions installed on your rifle, if you include the laser.