Theta Optics GrooveCompact - features of red-dot scopes in airsoft
Call it a sign of the times, splendor or just the convenience, but it's hard for me to imagine using the airsoft gun without any optics on it. Most often my choice falls on red-dots because of their versatility and affordable price. Don't get me wrong though. If someone has just bought his first replica, there is no point in buying a scope right away. First of all, he won't know what type of scope he/she needs and he won't be sure what to look for when buying. In this text I will try to describe a few features that a good red-dot should have. Theta Optics GrooveCompact will serve as an example. This product came to me recently, but I am convinced that it can be an interesting proposition for many players. Let's get to some of the features of a good red-dot in airsoft.
Scope construction
I start with a rather trivial matter, which is scope construction. But don't be fooled. Only seemingly it doesn't matter how our red-dot is built and that's why I start here. However, before I move on, I would like to point out that this paragraph absolutely does not apply to people who do re-enactment. Unfortunately, such people doom themselves to using a given type of optics, even if the housing covers them half the field of view. Others who do not have such restrictions may choose to make their lives more convenient.
So how is it with the construction? As usual, the devil is in the details. Personally, I am a supporter of compact designs that do not obscure much of our field of vision and do not make our airsoft gun of a big scary block. There are a lot of collimators that at first glance look fine, but fall miserably on the field of construction. It is also easy to spoil the case with an unfortunate selection of mounts that will cause the scope to protrude too much.
So, I recommend small compact red-dots such as Theta Optics GrooveCompact. Due to the fact that we mount it directly on the RIS rail, we have a low-profile piece and in case it turns out that we can't aim comfortably (for example, we are disturbed by the stalker mask), we can get an additional height extender and solve the problem.
Glass quality
During my airsoft career I had contact with many different scopes and red-dots. Especially the first ones, unfortunately, tend to offer low optical quality in low price ranges. There is nothing like shooting on a sunny day, aiming and surprise yourself, because of the impression as if someone put up sunglasses in front of the optics. Dark glass also causes a deterioration of contrast and, as a result, difficulty finding the target in the scope. When using the red-dot, it is also worth remembering that it should be aimed at using both eyes. We can check whether there is no parallax phenomenon - i.e. whether the aiming point does not move when we shake our head while aiming.
The best way to assess image quality in is simply to look through it the scope. If after looking at low quality glass we are able to state that the image is clearly darker than the surroundings, I would advise you to look for a different model. When shopping online, it's best to use user feedback. I would advise you to generally avoid unknown brands and if possible, not to save on optics. In the photo below you can see that the image in Theta Optics GrooveCompact is bright and clean. So even affordable sights can offer satisfactory performance.
Crosshair quality
Many devices that we use every day are battery powered. In airsoft it is no different, and in addition to various types of flashlights or lasers, red-dot also often need batteries to function properly. What requires current in our sights are all types of illuminated crosshairs. They can take various forms. From straight ones like dots to complex shapes with crosses and circles to help you evaluate distances.
It's easy to fall into the trap of prosperity and be lured by the different sizes and shapes of aiming points, even though in practice we will still use one, up to two designs in our favourite or most visible colour. Therefore, I would recommend a person looking for a red-dot for his airsoft gun to focus on the number of degrees of backlight illumination. Thanks to the large range of brightness adjustment, it will be easier for us to select the illumination spot properly so that the dot is visible to us, which is even more important when playing games in sunny conditions.
I have already stopped lying to myself that I will learn how to use more complicated aiming points and I recommend using a simple dot to everyone. Before I calculate, "ok, this guy's leg is three dots long in the crosshair, assuming he is 180 cm high, the multiplier gives me a distance of 50 to 70 meters," I just got hit by the BB myself. In addition, when it comes to the colour of the backlight, I think that red works better. Often, even cheap scopes offer the option of choosing a red or green backlight colour. You can then experiment and choose the one that suits you best.
Good to have values
I would describe the above-mentioned features as key ones when choosing a red-dot scope for airsoft. Importantly, even affordable models can give us everything we need - just like Theta Optics GrooveCompact. However, what to look for if we have a slightly larger sum to spend and want to pamper ourselves a little?
There is a list of features that are good to have, but they are not crucial. First of all, I would include a coin-operated regulation system. Usually cheaper sights will require us to use a screwdriver to adjust. It can be hard in the field. The wider and larger adjusting screws that we can turn with a coin will be more universal and convenient.
Speaking of universality, it is impossible not to return to the topic of power. While I would consider it a secondary issue with a smaller budget, with a larger amount to be allocated, it's good for your own convenience to look for a collimator powered by popular batteries (e.g. AA or AAA) or those that we would buy anyway, e.g. for car keys (e.g. CR2032). Optical fibre is a good power source as it requires no batteries. However, it has its drawbacks. First of all, it will not be useful in the evening or in a very dense, dark forest, where there is not enough light on it. In addition, the low brightness of the reticle is often combined with the optical fibre. For these reasons, when I have to choose, I will take a better-quality battery red-dot than fibre optic.
Conclusion
Fortunately, nowadays it is difficult to find a very poor-quality red-dot scope for an airsoft gun. The emergence of new brands such as Theta Optics has increased competition and I have the impression that in the fight for customers, producers focused on the quality of their products. If only we can find a scope that, together with a clear image, will offer a good quality crosshair in the housing that is compact enough not to interfere with use, we should be satisfied. One of the factors that is potentially significant in our purchasing decision, and which I completely omitted is fashion. You can't hide that sometimes it dictates strongly what products are sold. However, this is material for a completely separate article, and as a practical person I will leave it for now focusing on technical features.
As for the Theta Optics GrooveCompact, I will say it briefly - it has all the most important features of an airsoft collimator, which in my opinion should be and all at a very affordable price so I can definitely recommend it. It has a very nice, compact structure, clear glass and clearly visible aiming points. Additionally, it can be powered by a popular coin-type battery. Let me know in the comments what you think about the presented red-dot scope and whether you agree with my list.
Author: Boreq
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