There are myriad choices of red dot sights for you to choose from. They differ in budget and quality. But there are rare few gems like Bushnell TRS-25 which comes on a low budget without compromising on quality parameters.
Before I ordered this, I went through online Bushnell TRS-25 reviews and was a bit hesitant for I found mixed reviews. Some users complained and were not quite favorable of this product. Others mentioned that it is an outstanding product. I considered other options like SIG Sauer SigTac mini red dot but comparing the features; I finalized on Bushnell TRS-25.
The Bushnell TRS-25 is a light small and rugged red dot sight, designed for all kinds of rifles shotguns and handguns. Bushnell is a quality brand in optics, and they maintain their standard in this product. Craftsmen of Bushnell construct and assembled it. The craftsmanship and precision with this extent is built, exhibits its performance under rough conditions.
There’s no demand for centering, due to the parallax free layout where the dot follows the motion of the user’s eye when remaining fixed on the target. This sight can be readily utilized together with both eyes open (eye relief is infinite ), increasing the shooter’s awareness of their surrounding environment and providing quicker target acquisition.
The TRS-25 delivers full-size performance in sight with decreased size and reduced energy consumption. All red dot sights have an objective lens in the front. But, unlike a traditional riflescope with all lenses mounted perpendicular (at a 90-degree angle) to the axis of the tube, the objective lens at a red dot sight is placed off-axis and seems to be tilted when looking in the sight.
This angle of the front lens allows the light generated by the battery-powered LED light source inside the device to be reflected into the sight. The reflected light becomes the”scatter” or aiming reference that the shooter sees when a red dot sight is switched on.
Bushnell TRS-25 review
Mounting the dot
Mounting the dot is easy– the riser block slides onto the Picatinny rail and tightened down with a thumb screw. Snug it using a wrench if possible. But not TOO tight — you do not wish to have the excess stuff because you can not find a damn ratchet to loosen the screw, useless once the battery distribution goes thread. The red dot mounts onto the riser block via an Allen wrench. State, you’d most likely need to keep the riser block from the parts bin if you mounted the TRS-25 on a handgun.
With the riser block, the red dot”co-witnesses” front sight, meaning that the red dot aligns with the top of the front sight blade. (I use that as a great way to get a fresh red dot on paper before sighting it in — look through the optic with it then adjust the dot with the adjustment turrets until it just rests on top of front sight blade. Fine-tune from there through the live flame.)
Adjustments
The elevation and windage adjustment knobs are seen under water proof caps on the scope’s surfaces. Though they require a screwdriver or similar instrument to actuate, these knobs exude favorable clicks when flipped, and each click is equal to 1/2 moment of arc (MOA) in reticle change. In my view, 1/2 MOA clicks are perfect for red dots as they are much faster to zero and offer plenty of adjustment precision for an optic of this type.
Sits a dial with eleven different brightness settings. This knob is stiff to turn, as is true for red dots, however, selecting different power levels is easy, and a tactile click accompanies every level. The sight’s CR2032 battery is housed within the dial.
Glass Quality
While waiting for my TRS I spent some time so I could get a feel for its glass quality, searching for photographs of the sight film of the red dot. In the images I discovered, I thought that the glass appeared rather blue. It is common for dots to be flushed as the front lens has to be coated to reflect the scatter back and optics tend to exhibit glass compared to costly ones.
After the sight arrived, I was quite pleased to discover that I had been misled by the pictures that are online. The TRS is in no way near an Aimpoint far as overall clarity goes, than I anticipated but it is a much nicer optic. Its glass is on par with other possibilities that are high-value, such as those from Main Arms.
In order to give the TRS a small challenge, I decided to set it with my heavy-hitting PTR-91 A3R to see whether it could truly handle the recoil of a .308 autoloader. After 100 rounds around the PTR, I’m comfortable stating that the TRS should have no trouble holding zero on rifles. For good measure, I used Bushnell dot on my .300 BLK AR-15 with no difficulty.
The point on the TRS-25 is an MOA red dot. There are eleven different brightness alterations available on this optic, as I mentioned before. I tend to favor power level eight throughout the day, although setting number seven would be the usable one in the sun. At par twenty-five, the red dot had plenty of brightness to be visible in any situation, but I feel like the sight may use levels twelve or thirteen for power in wintery or other configurations.
As far as I can tell, parallax is a non-issue together with the TRS. Technically, all optics particularly if used at short ranges exhibit some form of parallax change, although the narrow tube of the TRS-25 helps to minimize the result. As always, consistent cheek weld is essential to accurate shooting.
Pro & Con
Pro’s
- It requires CR2032 batteries that are readily available at any grocery store.
- It has weight less than 4oz. This has been a big win for me since I don’t want to add weight to my rifle.
- Shockproof and waterproof upto 10 ft.
- 3MOA dot, meaning that the scatter covers a 3″ ring at 100 yards, allowing reasonably precise shot placement.
- Could be used on anything – Shotgun, rifle, handgun.
- Comes with rubber range covers that are decent.
- 11-position rheostat that allows distinct brightness settings.
Cons
The sight offers rather poor battery life on its mid-to-higher settings. It is being advertised having 3,000 hours of battery longevity, but my experience tells me otherwise. After accidentally leaving the sight on the mid-brightness settings for a week, when I came back, I found the dot very dim. Though the battery used could have simply been faulty or low in charge from the start, I seriously doubt whether the TRS can deliver 3,000 hours of service.
Conclusion
In the crowded funding optics market we have today, the Bushnell Trophy TRS-25 stands as a good choice for shooters. Though its battery life is okay and the reticle brightness may need some work. However, enthusiasts looking for a good range optic at a cost that is low should place the Bushnell Trophy TRS-25 in their list of top-buy.
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Bushnell Trophy TRS-25 Red Dot Sight Riflescope, 1x20mm, Black
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