Window Size
The first thing one notices is that the window is huge. If it’s not biggest window on the market, it’s one of them. Previous Holosun offerings have had more conservative optic sizes. This is because the larger the window, the less durable the optic. The glass is by far the most vulnerable part of the red dot.
But with this competition-oriented optic, Holosun decided to allow users to capitalize on the performance benefits of the larger window. All things being equal, bigger glass is more forgiving. The most difficult part of using a dot is actually finding the dot. The bigger the window, the easier it is to find.
This allows competition shooters to push their speed, take more risks in performance, and still get a good sight picture. With a smaller piece of glass, a shooter’s eye-to-window alignment needs to be nearly perfect to be able to see the dot and take the shot. A larger opening allows for less precise alignment, and those fractions of a second can make the difference in national championships.
All the Angles
In addition, a greater aperture allows for more unorthodox shooting positions. With smaller windows, since alignment is so important, a competitor’s eye needs to be directly behind the dot. This can be difficult if you are crouching behind a barrel or leaning out from a barricade. Bigger windows allow the eye to see the dot from a more off-center angle.
This can be useful in defensive situation as well. Imagine shooting from under a car that you are using as cover. It’s a weird position, and it can be difficult to get perfect head alignment. The 507Comp makes this much easier.
Now the downside to all that forgiveness is that sloppy technique can be reinforced. If you get used to the large window, it might be difficult to go back to a smaller optic. But this is really a training issue. Even with the bigger glass, you should still strive to keep the dot in the center of the window.
Competition Reticle System
The next competition specific feature is the plethora of reticles available. There are four different reticle components:
- 2MOA dot
- 8MOA circle
- 20MOA circle
- 32MOA circle
And these components can be used individually or together in various combinations. For instance, you can have 2MOA dot with a 20MOA circle; or 2MOA Dot, 8MOA Circle, and 32MOA Circle. The versatility of this system makes it unique. In addition to allowing a lot of options, the muti-reticle system allows the user to pick the reticle based on the shooting requirements.
If you wanted to mount the 507Comp on a rifle that need to take precision shots, you could choose the 2MOA dot. But if you wanted to mount the optic on a pistol being use for shooting lots of steel targets up close, you might choose the 2MOA dot with 8MOA circle. This combination almost looks like a solid 8MOA dot. That’s great for fast shooting at large targets.
I found myself using the 8MOA circle a lot. I liked that the 8MOA circle was large enough to easily acquire at fast speeds but was small enough to engage most combat sized targets. An 8MOA circle covers 4 inches at 50 yards, 2 inches at 25 yards, and 1 inch at 12.5 yards. And, if you needed to take a very precise shot, the empty hole of the 8MOA donut was perfect.
Standard Holosun Features
In addition to these two competition features, the 507Comp has nearly all the standard Holosun features we have all come to know and love.
The battery life is crazy long at 50,000 hours (around five years). That’s probably with just the 2MOA dot, but with the Shake Awake technology, if you change the battery every year (or two), you should be fine.
The footprint is RMR, which is pretty common now. There is a side loading battery compartment, so the optic does not have to be removed when changing batteries. There are eight daylight brightness settings and two night-vision settings. I didn’t test the NV settings, but the brightness was no problem even in very sunny conditions.
The housing is a sturdy aluminum. While I didn’t do a durability test, I really don’t have much concern about this optics ruggedness. Holosun has really earned a good reputation. While I would not use the 507Comp as a hammer to drive in nails. I would bet that daily CCW and competition use will not cause any issues.
Really, the only thing missing is the solar charge ability.
Shooting Impressions
Shooting the 507Comp was exactly what I expected. I got all the benefits of shooting a larger window, like the Trijicon SRO, at almost half the cost. It’s super easy to find the dot. I was able to really push my speed and still find the dot waiting for me.
Two things surprised me. One was the holster compatibility. The large red dot still fit in all the holsters I tried, including duty holsters with retention. I also had no problems carrying it concealed. The larger overall size was not really noticeable during CCW.
The second surprise was the notch filter. The notch filter is the glass coating used by manufacturer to help the dot show up better and reduce reflections in bright sun. It’s commonly seen as a blue tint in optics such as the Trijicon RMR. The tint on the 507Comp was barely noticeable.
Pros & Cons
