Trijicon RMR 6.5 MOA Adjustable LED Red Dot Sight Review
This is in the same series of RMR that comes with the Trijicon Acog, by itself just for users who want the RMR portion with red dot. A good reason to get this rather than the Acog is for co-witness functionality.
The brightness mode is automatic and will change to any of the 8 settings based on current conditions. A 6.5 MOA LED is one of the best on the market and also the easiest to see. If manual operation is preferred, the buttons are easy to use and see, and out of the 8 brightness settings 2 are NV and 1 is super bright.
The housing materials are forged from 7075-T6 aircraft aluminum alloy, with mechanical engineering focusing on making the sight as reinforced as possible. In order to provide the best experience when acquiring a target, multi-coated lens creates a wide-band light transmission to make sure that the target area color stays constant.
With little to get in the way of targeting, this is a great ally to beginner and up shooters. Without the use of special tools shooters can change the windage and elevation levels 1 MOA per click, one of the easiest adjustments on a red dot sight available.
The price is pretty hefty and about a third of the price of the Acog, but is worth every bit being charged. This product is well known for having multiple versions of itself for sale, which is both a blessing and curse in its current iteration. The product reviewed is the adjustable led, the more popular of the other two.
The other two versions are the non-adjustable, and the dual illuminated. Most appealing about the dual illuminated is that it is the version used on the Acog, and doesn’t require batteries.
Whether this is the turning point in a buyers purchase is another story, but for the record the dual illuminated version lasts 15 years on its built in circuitry while the adjustable version lasts 4 years, under good weather conditions.
The trade off with the adjustable versions limited battery is that the red dot is always going to be brighter, and unaltered by stronger conditions than the other models. When comparing the three models together, the adjustable version possesses the most clear and reliable red dot available.
Accuracy
As one of the more functional RMR’s in the industry, the Trijicon RMR 6.5 MOA Adjustable LED is more than reliable and functions very well as is. This version is the 6.5 MOA, but with versions ranging from 3.25 all the way up to 13 there is something for everyone. Clearness of the dot is very easy to see, even with the lowest possible setting, and in any light condition users can be sure it will be illuminated.
At only 1.2 ounces it won’t weight the weapon down at all, and is light enough to be used with scopes of the users choosing. With one of the better and more visible red LED dots it does a fantastic job of marking the target and addressing settings automatically without user input.
Eye relief is unlimited and field of view at 100 yards is unlimited. This is a very worthy addition to any shooters artillery, and target acquisition will be second nature after getting used to it. Windage and elevation adjusting have a soft but audible click and can be changed quickly in the heat of the moment. Magnification is a standard 1x with no way to improve, as this is mainly used for the marking features and is not considered a primary scope.
Features
Being made from airplane material, the rugged construction of this piece can take a beating better than any other. The patented shape is also made to absorb impact and take stress away from the lens, so if something tragic does happen it won’t affect the most important piece of the unit. It’s 45mm in length, so compact and small enough to co-witness on most weapons. Battery being used is a CR2032 that powers the LED sight very well with a 4 year continuous shelf life at setting 4.
The battery is a lithium battery, and not a standard battery that is easy to find, so weather conditions do affect how long the battery lasts. Users can save battery life by manually turning it off by pressing both plus and minus buttons simultaneously and holding for three seconds.
With eight adjustable settings for brightness including 2 NV modes and 1 super bright mode, there is always a setting for any light condition users throw at it. Automatic brightness settings works well when shooters are rapidly moving and going from indoor to outdoor areas and vice versa. In any tactical situation, this RMR does a fantastic job of adjusting without needing any manual input.
Accessories
With the many different versions available the main thing to pay attention to is the mounts (if any) are being sold with it. There are versions that come with the following mounts of RM33 low picatinny, RM34 tall picatinny, RM34W low weaver, RM35 full size ACOG mount with bosses, RM36 compact ACOG, and RM38 full size ACOG mount without bosses.
So many variations make the educated decision for the buyer that much easy, and for the more advanced user they can simply choose the no mount option and buy it separately.
As far as what’s in the package besides if a mounted package is chosen, that’s pretty much it besides a standard warranty. The functions of the product can be extended with additional purchases such as additional mounts for pistols which includes kits as well as personalized for particular weapons, and the LensPen optical component cleaner and brush. The last being the most important, as many users don’t have the proper tools readily available to care for the unit.
Disadvantages of Trijicon RMR 6.5 MOA Adjustable LED
Extreme temperatures will significantly affect battery life and decrease it to up to half of its 4 year span. Having to use a battery at all with systems that have built in 15 year systems seems like a step back, and with a nonstandard battery installed it will take some research before replacing it.
The mounts are easy enough to figure out, but for a beginner this is the part of the system that will require a bit of research on the end of the user. There are many help sites, forums and videos available but there is a good chance that even with research a new user may get lost in all of the configurations.
When comparing this RMR to the Trijicon Acog, it might be more plausible to purchase the Acog depending on what the buyer has in mind. If the idea is to add it to an existing scope then it would make more sense to purchase the Acog, as the configuration when using it with a different scope could be a pain.
Magnification is the standard 1x with no room for improvement, so this is definitely capped to being a high end red dot sight and nothing more. Co-witnessing may take some fiddling with the mounts before it is fully available, and in some cases may not work at all.
The dual-illuminated version of the RMR doesn’t require a battery, while this version depends solely on that battery. On shots over 200+ yards users will definitely miss the extra power not offered with the 1x magnification. This item is not mod-able like other RMR products on the market, even in all of its flavors and variations.
Summary
The Trijicon RMR 6.5 MOA Adjustable LED is an excellent choice for anyone wanting a high end red dot sight. There are so many variations without accessories, and so many variations with accessories that it will no doubt confuse a lot of people not familiar with the process.
The adjustable version that is being reviewed may not fall in line with what some shooters are interested in, especially with the battery constraints.
There is also some limitations to be noted like the 1x magnification, which is normal, but if a shooter goes after this unit misunderstanding that it works for long range shooting they will be disappointed.
This is still an incredible product that is only limited by its understanding of use by buyers, and shouldn’t be restricted because of its many versions. Anyone who purchases this will be very happy with what they end up with.
