5 Best Red Dot Magnifier Combo’s For AR15 & More

Are you looking for a AR 15 red dot magnifier combo? Red dot sights are amazing and the best way to upgrade your iron sights. Red dots like this one pair great with the magnifiers we’ve reviewed below. It’s time to upgrade your red dot sight game and take your AR15 optics to the next level.

5 Best AR 15 Red Dot Magnifier Combos 

Below you’ll find our more detailed information on each of the magnifiers on our list. Please read through to find which red dot magnifier is going to be the most suitable for you. Under each detailed description, you’ll find a recap of the pros and cons. You should be able to find a red dot magnifier that will work for you out of our list.

Vortex VMX-3T Magnifier with Flip Mount

The Vortex red dot with flip mount is an excellent product. It’s backed by a powerful Vortex warranty that’s known to be the very best in the industry. The goal of this magnifier is to be simple, fast, and effective.

It allows for a quick 3x magnification for red dot sights which is the going standard. You can optionally seek out an x5 alternative but you’ll notice they’re harder to come across. Typically because it doesn’t synergize as well for an iron sight replacement such as the red dot sight.

If you’re already a loyal follower of the Vortex brand you’re going to get the quality you expect out of their products. This item is very lightweight and extremely tough. It’s been purged with nitrogen internally for reliable waterproofing and is fully multi-coated exterior.

Overall customers best describe this red dot magnifier as a home run. We weren’t able to come across any real complaints except a few people here and there stating that the eye relief was to close to their cheek. This isn’t really a negative for the item itself because eye relief is going to be different for everyone.

Positives Recap for This Product

• Out Performs Expectations
• Backed by Vortex Warranty
• Operates Well In Low Light Conditions

Negatives Recap for This Product

• Higher Priced Magnifier

Related: Best AR-15 Rifles 

Eotech HHS I with Eotech G33 3x Magnifier

The Eotech HHS I with Eotech G33. It’s one heck of a combo at that though. This combo is very high end hence the high price tag but for some of you, this will be exactly what you’re looking for.

This piece is perfect for the .223 AR15 because it’s ballistic reticle is specific to this caliber. If you’re someone with a lot of toys this combo set is compatible with generation 1,2,3+ Tandem Operation Night Vision Systems.

When focusing down the line with this sight the aiming dots may not be distinguishable from each other without magnification. it comes with a single transverse battery to reduce sight length and the base is shortened to where it only requires 2 3/4 inch of rail space at the most.

Overall this is an extremely well-done combination red dot magnification set. Customers all overpraise this set and we didn’t come across any common negative ground. The only thing we did come across was a few people saying it took some adjusting to get used to but other than that nothing else.

Positives Recap for This Product

• Takes Up Less Rail Space
• Designed specifically for .223 caliber.

Negatives Recap for This Product

• High Price Tag
• Takes Time to Get Used To

Related: Best AR-15 Quick Release Scope Mounts 

Primary Arms Gen 4 Red Dot Magnifier

Primary Arms Gen 4 red dot magnifier is the only non-flip magnifier on our list. This means that this magnifier sits inline behind your red dot sight and doesn’t allow you to move it to the side. This may appear like a negative thing to some people but it’ll be personal preference.

The fact that this optic sits inline gives it some beneficial aspects other magnifiers don’t have. The eye relief for this magnifier can be adjusted to a great extent and is one of the bigger bonuses to this optic. We find that magnifier such as this one is the most reliable. Once you become accustomed to the red dot and magnifier combo you can continue to leave the magnifier in place without swapping to a standard red dot.

Primary Arms is also made in the United States and often are of a higher quality to similar products. You may end up paying a couple of bucks more since it is made in the US but the level of quality follows behind this.

Overall this is a solid optic for your red dot sight. The negative comments we came across stated that it made the red dot blurry and that it was “OK at best”. We found these remarks to be the uncommon and not the general consensus of most customers.

Positives Recap for This Product

• More Wiggle Room for Eye Relief
• Made in the United States
• 1 Year Warranty

Negatives Recap for This Product

• Not a flip-out magnifier

TMS Tactical 3x Magnifier scope

This is the TMS Tactical 3d Magnifier Scope with a quick flip to side FTS mount for red dot sights. This is the mid-range magnifier on our list and it’s a popular option. This optic offers features of higher end magnifiers at a cheaper price point.

It instantly converts a CQB red dot sight into a 3x long “sniping scope”. You have the option to adjust windage and elevation to center the red dot without changing zero. The mount is a 30mm tube that’s fully coated for best optical performance.

The quick flip out is a 90-degree side mount that aligns with most EOTech sights of standard height. Before picking up this red dot magnifier check the center height of your red dot sight. Your height should roughly be within 36mm but there’s a second model of this optic that’s a 42mm model if needed.

Overall customers appear to be extremely happy with this red dot magnifier. There have been nearly all positive comments regarding this particular model. The one downside we came across was a few people saying they had trouble finding a comfortable eye relief with the optic.

Positives Recap for This Product

• High-End Features at a Good Price

Negatives Recap for This Product

• Difficult Eye Relief

UTG Red Dot Sight With Magnifier Combo

The UTG Leapers 6″ Red Dot Sight and 3x Flip to Side Magnifier Combo is an all in one package where both the red dot and magnifier are truly made for each other. Instead of having to match up two separate purchases and make sure they’ll work together you’ll save the headache.

This combo set is also quite affordable. Some of the more notable features other than what a great deal this equipment is are it’s crisp clear dot even when magnified.

The 3x flip to side magnifier also includes windage & elevation adjustments. Perfect alignment for the field of view. Both red & green dot options with brightness adjustable fine-tune rheostat.

Premium zero lockable and zero resettable target turrets. If you’ve used to different brands of red dot & magnifier before you’ll know it can sometimes be difficult for the two pieces of equipment to coexist. So, these features are quite good since both pieces work together easily.

It’s built to be equipped to a Picatinny style rail so it won’t fit a dovetail rail without an adaptor. It’s also shockproof, waterproof, and nitrogen filled.

Customers of this product are happy with it. For the price, it’s high functioning and performs better than expected. One customer did state the dot was faint and difficult for him to see during daylight hours.

Positives Recap for This Product

• Affordably Priced
• Ideal for someone needing a mix of budget & quality.
• Premium features seen on higher-end equipment.

Negatives Recap for This Product

• The red dot may be difficult to see in daylight hours.

About Red Dot Sight Magnifiers

Adding a red dot magnifier to your AR15 can be crazy fun and they’re very handy but we want you to be fully educated about the different aspects behind this product. The information in this section will provide you with a better understanding of the differences between magnifiers along with the information you should know before buying one.

Before Picking Up A Magnifier

Before you pick up one of these magnifiers make sure you already have your red dot sight. I know how that sounds but believe me we’ve had people “put the cart before the horse” more than once. That being said one of our 5 picks is a red dot sight and magnifier comb the Eotech HHS I (Eotech G33 3x Magnifier). It’s a higher end combo but it’s one of the best on the market.

Other than the one combo, we recommend pairing any of the other red dot magnifiers with the Bushnell Trophy Red Dot Sight Scope that we’ve linked to at the very top of this article.

Advantages Of Using A Magnifier

Red dot sights are the most popular replacement for iron sights. They improve accuracy and make aiming much easier. When you’re in iron sight distance and the red dot is on its target you know you’re going to hit your mark. It makes acquiring a target quicker and easier and in today’s world, they’re almost a necessity.

The downside of short distant scopes like red dot sights is when you get above 100 yards. Depending on your eyesight and other factors it becomes more difficult to acquire the perfect target. Some may argue at this stage you should use a rifle scope but if you’re moving between distances where you still want a red dot sight this won’t be the best solution.

That’s where red dot sight magnifiers come into play. It isn’t about having a scope for the 200 – 300-yard range but it’s more about improving what you already have. The standard x3 magnification creates the perfect storm. It makes targets up to 300 yards feel as if you’re still in iron sight distance.

Once you learn how to use a red dot sight with a magnifier it’s arguably hard to return to standard red dot sight.

Related: How To Sight In A Red Dot Scope

How to choose the best magnifier

Picking a good AR15 red dot magnifier isn’t difficult and a lot of the decision comes down to personal preferences. Depending on how you’ve built your AR15 and the height of your attachments may align you more with certain magnifiers.

One of the biggest factors we see affecting people isn’t so much how well the magnification works but the mechanical parts of the product. Getting a quality product where they’ve put effort into every detail such as the hinge and mount of the magnifier is important.

If you choose a flip to side magnifier the hinge is the most common problem. Some have had the hinge become loose or weak to where they have had to make their own adjustments and the magnifier doesn’t flip to the side anymore. It’s just something to consider…

The 2 types of red dot magnifiers

There is 2 main type of red dot magnifiers. You can choose between an inline magnifier that stays constant like a core attachment or a flip to side magnifier where you’re able to use it or your standard red dot sight. The majority of the best red dot magnifiers produced are the flip to side type.

The majority of people go with the flip to side option but if you’re looking for an inline we’ve got one on our list.

A lot of people get worried about the magnifier pairing up with the red dot sight. Nearly any magnifier will match up with any red dot sight in our experience. So you don’t technically need to find a combo set and you’re able to choose a better red dot sight that you like and magnifier independently.

Commonly Asked Questions

Does a magnifier make using a red dot sight at night any better? – Unfortunately, it doesn’t make the red dot sight any more capable of being used during the night or very low light. Red dot sights, in general, aren’t the best during low light conditions. If it’s near dark the red dot sight can make acquiring your target more difficult.

How far away is a red dot accurate? – Red dot sights aren’t designed to improve accuracy such as the grouping of your shots. They’re designed to acquire targets quickly and as long as you’re ringing steel at 100-200 yards you’re fine. Adding a red dot magnifier will allow you to acquire your target at a further distance but it’s the same concept behind overall accuracy.

When to use a red dot sight? – Obviously, you can use a red dot sight whenever you would like. However, a good example of when it’s best to use one is with a beginner level shooter. In the beginning, a new shooter has a lot of things to learn about firearms. If we take away the iron sight aiming equation that can focus on simply put the dot on the target. This gives them more time, in the beginning, to learn safety mechanics and focus on basic skills before focusing on becoming a better shot.

Related: How To Use A Red Dot Scope & Sight

Conclusion

The real “winner” in our top 5 list is the EOTech HHS I but honestly, each of these magnifiers has a situation they would fill a need for. Some of the budget options are perfectly fine while the higher end higher quality magnifiers have their place.

We’ve crowned the EOTech because it’s the only AR 15 red dot magnifier combo while the other optics are magnifier only. We designed this review in such a way on purpose because these exact magnifiers stand out and can be used with the red dot sight we linked to at the very top of the article.

I hope you enjoyed reading this and if you did make sure to share it with a friend. If you want to share some knowledge with us please leave a comment below.

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