I have a core red dot, which works great.

I got hit directly on the lens last game, from about 15 feet away. It survived without a problem, although there is still a bunch of red paint all around it now... I need to clean all my gear.

Mack wrote: DEVILDOGCOLLIER wrote: the second one you have posted looks almost exactly like the one i bought yesterday!!  i dont like using the ones with only one lense.  i get better sight acquirement withe the scoped ones bro.  but thats just me.   im pretty accurate with mine.... but trust me, it will be "different" once you put the scope on your marker. It's not actually a "scope" unless it also provides magnification . . . and magnification is pretty useless for aiming in paintball.

its not you idea of a "scope"  and it is a red dot 2 lense scope.   scope emplies the whole "2 lense" deal.  i use a   RED LASER DOT 2LENSED SCOPE

and yes i do agree that magnification is very useless in pb

ThatGuitarGuy wrote: wikipedia wrote: A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope wikipedia wrote: A red dot sight, is a non-magnifying firearm sight that uses an illuminated reticle, typically in the form of a red dot. Again, reading comprehension.

A red dot sight (also called a reflex sight or, for certain models, a reflex scope) is a non-magnifying firearm sight that uses an illuminated reticle, typically in the form of a red dot.[1] It can also be found on telescopes and point and shoot digital cameras that have electronic viewfinders. Red dot sights should not be confused with laser sights, which project a small red dot on the target.

Article wrote: Like conventional scopes, red dot sights place the target and the reticle on nearly the same optical plane, allowing a single point of focus. Because there is no magnification, the shooter need not worry about parallax or http://www.answers.com/topic/eye-relief" class="ilnk" onclick="assignParam'navinfo','method4'+getLinkTextForCookiethis;" target="_top - eye relief . The long eye relief possible makes red dot sights appropriate for firearms with heavy recoil that might drive a conventional short eye relief scope into the shooter's eye; one example would be http://www.answers.com/topic/shotgun" class="ilnk" onclick="assignParam'navinfo','method4'+getLinkTextForCookiethis;" target="_top - shotguns used for hunting http://www.answers.com/topic/turkey-bird" class="ilnk" onclick="assignParam'navinfo','method4'+getLinkTextForCookiethis;" target="_top - turkey . Red dot sights are also used on telescope sights.

From http://www.answers.com/topic/reflex-sight - this location.  Note that the first bolded section specifically defines red dots as lacking magnification and the second bolded section explains for which "certain models" it would be appropriate to refer to a red dot as a "scope."

http://www.opticsplanet.net/red-dot-sights-guide.html - Opticsplanet.net also provides a fairly accurate primer on these sights:

opticsplanet wrote: http://www.opticsplanet.net/red-dot-scopes.html - Red dot sights are almost always zero power, or one power. Same thing. This means they do not magnify. A http://www.opticsplanet.net/red-dot-scopes.html - red dot sight is not for precision shooting, but rather very close or very fast shooting.

Chuck Hawkes (amateur astronomer, professional photographer, camera store manager and photography teacher) also provides a very informative article at http://www.chuckhawks.com/optical_sights.htm - this location.

Chuck wrote: Electronic "red dot" sights have become increasing popular for handguns. Most of these look like short, fat, long eye relief telescopic sights, but have no magnification. They use battery powered electronics to project a red dot at the point of aim, centered in the optical tube, where the crosshairs of a conventional telescopic sight would appear. Red dot sights usually have conventional turrets with knobs for adjusting the windage and elevation of the sight, again similar to a conventional scope. Some red dot sights have dispensed with the tube altogether, and consist of a base with the optical and electronic systems necessary to project the red dot in a sort of "heads up" display. Most red dot sights come with rings, and mount by clamping to conventional Weaver-style scope bases. The red dot sight's optics put everything seen through it (red dot and target alike) in the same optical plane, again just like a conventional scope. The long eye relief and zero magnification make it unnecessary to focus a red dot sight.

Note the comparison to, yet differentiation from, magnifying "scopes."

With or without a sight basic marksmanship comes into play.  Mounting a sight on your marker doesn't make you Dead Eye Dick all of a sudden.  You still have to learn how to shoot.  I have two Laseraim Illusion red dots and love them.  Tube style, very durable, very bright.  I don't always use them but there are times when they come in REALLY handy.

As far as which one to get, I like the durability of the tube style red dots.  I'm a clutz and generally fall at somepoint during just about every paintball outing.  :)  With my clumsy azz whatever I have on my person better be milspec quality when it comes to it's ruggedness.