The first time I heard of Holosun I thought to myself; what kind of name is that? Followed closely by why is there a solar panel on that optic? But the very reasonable price point of their optics combined with the growing volume of good reviews that I was seeing convinced me to buy a few of them.
Among the different models of Holosun Optics that I purchased was the Holosun 507c gen 1 and (later) the Holosun HS507c X2. Initially, what drew me to this sight was that it seemed in many ways to be pretty comparable with the Trijicon RMR, but at a slightly lower price point.
Over the four years I’ve used this red dot sight I’d say that my initial assessment was mostly accurate and I’ve been very pleased with how the Holosun 507c has performed in a variety of conditions.
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Holosun 507c Features
The Holosun 507c comes to you packed with more features than just about any other miniature red dot out there. When Holosun first entered the market things like solar panels on optics, auto off/shake awake functions and multiple reticle options were not all that common.
But, Holosun managed to cram them all together in their optics and make the features pretty much standard across their product line.
Out of the box the Holosun 507c comes standard with the following features:
- Multiple reticle options including a 2 MOA dot and a 32 MOA circle/dot or just 32 MOA circle
- Up to 50,000 hours of battery life on setting 6
- 12 brightness settings (2 of which are night vision)
- Side load battery tray
- Solar Failsafe as Backup Power Source & to Preserve Battery Life
- Unlimited Eye Relief
- Rated for one meter of submersion for 30 minutes (IP7 rating)
- Auto off/shake awake technology
- Red or Green Dot Version
Within the box you’ll find the optic, owner’s manual, picatinny mount, mounting screws, wrench and battery. I really like the inclusion of a mount with Holosun’s optics. With the included options you’re set whether you want to run the 507c on a picatinny rail or pistol (it uses the RMR footprint) or anything in between.
As far as red dot pistol optics go, I believe that the 507c represents a great value, which provides the end user with both good features and durability. I have used the 507c for duty, concealed carry and competition, with one exception (which we’ll go into in the performance section) this optic has performed flawlessly.
Performance
As I said above, I have used the Holosun 507c for multiple applications in the 4 years that I have owned one. Overall, I would have to say that the 507c has excelled in almost every area.
Durability
When carrying the 507c as a duty optic I worked in both cold wet winters and hot (for the Pacific Northwest) summers. I also attended a pistol optics instructors’ course. During this course we did many, many drills which basically boiled down to using this optic as a handle or something to hook on a nearby object so the slide could be manipulated. The 507c held up to this physical abuse very well and hardly showed any cosmetic damage.
Another portion of this class involved removing the slides of our pistols and placing the optic/slide into a bag of mixed water and ice. The optics were then left there for approximately one hour, allowing some of the water to freeze on the optic. Each slide was then remounted to the frame and ran through a number of drills.
At the time the optic I was using was a 507c gen 1 which handled the submersion and shooting like a champ, the only noticeable issue was fogging on the glass, which happened to all of the optics in the class.
I replaced my gen 1 507c with the Holosun HS507c X2 (gen 2) due to the product recall. See further down to read more about that.
Battery Life
The Holosun 507c is rated with a battery life up to 50,000 hours due to its high efficiency and solar panel backup on top.
Since receiving my Holosun HS507c X2 I have found that it maintained everything I liked about the gen 1 with some nice upgrades. The X2 switched from a bottom load battery to a side loaded convenient battery tray. A compromise that came with this is the use of a CR1632 battery instead of the standard CR2032 that all of your other red dots use.
It is a bit annoying to have one optic that takes a different battery than everything else, but the use of the physically smaller CR1632 keeps the optic compact while still allowing for it to be loaded from the side.
Other optics that top load the CR2032 can get a bit thick, and in some cases when paired with a mounting plate this can necessitate the use of taller than standard iron sights in order to obtain a co-witness. Holosun HS507c X2 also allows for the buttons to be locked out so you don’t inadvertently adjust your brightness, ect.
The Holosun 507c series of optics does not have the military credentials of the Trijicon lineup and it is not as widely used by law enforcement. Although, as departments allow officers to personally purchase optics for their pistols the 507c series is seeing more and more use.
Based on my experience using both optics though, I would say that the Holosun HS507c X2 matches or exceeds the competition in many areas. It may not be as tough when it comes to blunt force trauma as the Trijicon but features such as a side load battery, multiple reticles and shake awake more than make up for that.
Controls
Brightness Settings & Auto Mode
The Holosun HS507c X2 is controlled via two buttons on the left side of the optic, these are primarily used to adjust the brightness up and down. But, various combinations are also used to work the different available features.
In order to turn the Holosun HS507c X2 on simply press and release either the “-“ or the “+” button, turning the optic off is accomplished by pressing and holding both the “-“ and the “+” buttons simultaneously.
Moving through auto mode, manual mode and lockout is also simple. The Holosun HS507c X2 will come out of the box set in auto mode. In order to switch to manual mode hold the “+” button down for 3 seconds. Once the reticle flashes you know your all set. Once in manual mode hold the “+” button down again for 3 seconds to get to lockout mode. The same procedure will get you out of lock mode. The “+” and “-“ buttons on the 507c series of optics are somewhat on the small side but this has never made it difficult for me to adjust the settings.
As I’ve said before, I am not the biggest fan of auto modes on red dot sights. I have found that if I am shooting from a dark environment into a light one the optic will adjust to my dark setting and I wont be able to see the dot against my well lit target. But, if auto mode is your thing I have found that the Holosun HS507c X2 adjusts quickly to changes in light.
I do appreciate having the solar panel as a backup power source should my battery stop working though. This was exactly what happened when my gen 1 507c was having connection issues (see recall section). The optic never quit all together, it just switched to auto mode using solar power.
Multiple Reticle System
One of the best options the 507c series has to offer is multiple reticles. These options are accessed by pressing the “-“ button and holding it down for 3 seconds in order to cycle though the different choices. Once the reticle changes release the button, then press it again, hold for another 3 seconds and you’ll access the next option.
Zeroing & Adjustments
When sighting the Holosun HS507c X2 in you’re going to make adjustments via an elevation knob on the rear of the optic above the emitter and horizontal adjustments by a knob on the right of the optic. Knob is probably not the best word to describe them as each one sits flush with the housing and the adjustment is made with an included tool, small screw driver or anything else that will fit in the slot.
In my use I have found these adjustments to be positive and responsive when sighting the optic in. While looking at the controls on the Holosun HS507c X2 you’ll also note that it has two drain holes so that water cannot pool around the emitter.
Glass/Parallax
From what I can tell Holosun is using pretty good quality glass on these optics. I have had no problems with it either scratching or breaking. The lens is of course set back in the housing so when you use it for manipulations, etc. This also includes not scratching when I use my finger, t-shirt or whatever else I can find to wipe the lens clean.
When looking through the optic the glass appears clear and there is no distortion around the edges. The coatings that Holosun is currently using impart a bluish tint to the glass but I don’t notice it when I look through the optic sight picture.
As with all optics in this category the Holosun HS507c X2 is parallax free so your eye can be any distance from the optic and it will not affect your ability to pick up the reticle. You may also notice that the glass in the 507c X2 is canted slightly back towards the shooter. This so the reticle is reflected properly when light from the emitter hits it.
The window on the 507c family of optics is not as large as what you would find on something like the Leopold or Sig offerings and is very much comparable to the Trijicon. This isn’t really a good or bad thing, just something that is worth taking into consideration when you are looking at all the options.
Pros/Cons of the Holosun HS507c X2
Pros:
- Multiple reticle options
- Solar backup if the battery fails
- Very durable under real world conditions
- Side load battery doesn’t require removing the optic
- Good price point
Cons:
- Uses a different battery than most red dot sights
- Made in China
- Doesn’t have a large track record of military or police use yet (if that’s important to you)
Holosun 507c Gen 1 Recall & Replacement
As I shot this optic more and more though I noticed that it had a tendency to flicker under recoil and then transfer back to solar mode. Initially I thought that this was due to the battery life getting weak, probably because I had bought the cheapest batteries that Amazon had. But, with some research I found out that the Holosun 507c gen 1 had an active recall for poor battery connection under recoil. The 507c gen 1s were very similar in design to the Trijicon RMR type 1, which experienced a similar issue.
Holosun was quick to get back to me and I had a replacement 507c X2 (current production model) shipped to me. So, I chalk this up to growing pains with a new product that the manufacturer made right as soon as they could.
Verdict
If you haven’t picked up on it by now – I like this optic quite a lot. While it may not have the track record with the military or police yet that some other companies do, in my personal use the performance of the Holosun 507c gen 1 and the updated Holosun HS507c X2 have been great. I don’t fault the company for having a recall right out of the gate, most companies do at one point or another and they handled the issue well from what I saw.
The current iteration of this optic seems to have kept everything I liked about the gen 1 and added several nice features. At the time of this writing Palmetto State Armory is listing the 507c X2 on sale for $263.99 and I’ve seen them for sale between that and $350. At that price I would consider this optic a great value considering how robust it has proven to be and all of the features it sports.
For me one of the biggest downsides of the Holosun HS507c X2 and all of Holosun’s products is that the company does their manufacturing in China. The quality control seems to be tight and it hasn’t affected the performance from the optics that I can tell. It would also likely be hard or impossible to come into the market at the same price with an optic made in the USA. But, like I said before I very much like this optic and would buy it again.
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From a young age Jesse has been an avid shooter and outdoorsman. He is a Marine Corps veteran, and has worked for the last decade as a commissioned, full-time, municipal Police Officer in Washington State. He is a state certified law enforcement firearms instructor, teaching courses in pistol, rifle, shotgun, and handgun optics, as well as other specialized fields. In his free time, Jesse continues to enjoy the outdoors hiking with his family, hunting, and shooting competitively in the Pacific Northwest.
