Always On: Ruger's ReadyDot

There’s no shortage of companies offering reflex sights for the RMSc footprint. With the introduction of the ReadyDot, Ruger has joined the fray. 

During filming for “Handguns & Defensive Weapons TV” — watch it on the Sportsman Channel or stream on My Outdoor TV (MOTV) — I evaluated Ruger’s Max-­9 pistol, which first appeared in Guns & Ammo’s May 2021 issue. The Max-9 was delivered with Ruger’s new ReadyDot mounted, and the experience was different than shooting pistols with other optics.

In the category of micro reflex sights, there seems to be standing room only: Bushnell RX Micro; Crimson Trace RAD Micro; Holosun HS507K X2 ; Shield RMSc ; Sightmark Mini Shot A-Spec M3; SIG Sauer RomeoZero Elite ; Swampfox Sentinel; Trijicon RMRcc; and Vortex Defender-CCW, to name a few. 

For many shooters, superimposing a dot on a target is easier and faster than aligning traditional handgun sights. Reflex sights were designed for use with both eyes open, which offers the added benefit of increased situational awareness. However, they also support precise aiming when you’re focused on the threat.

While reflex sights have become reliable, holdouts and skeptics are quick to rebut that should the battery die, they become useless. Certainly, that’s a valid concern and justification for keeping with traditional sights. Plus, many iron sights are not tall enough to see through the lens should the dot fail. Ruger saw these as reasons to develop an optic that didn’t need a battery. The new ReadyDot is illuminated by a fiber-optic, which means ambient light creates the dot and naturally adjusts the dot’s brightness according to environmental conditions.

The ReadyDot’s 15 MOA red dot is prominent and difficult to miss. This typically isn’t the case with smaller dots in the 3 MOA range. While dots as large as 15 MOA lack pinpoint accuracy, they do offer quick alignment with the target. Find the big red dot, center it on the target and press the trigger. For self-­defense out to 15 yards, the ReadyDot would be perfectly suited.

If you’ve dabbled with reflex sights before but struggled to find the dot reliably, the ReadyDot’s 15 MOA reticle may be the solution you’ve been looking for. Adding the ReadyDot to a compact, concealed carry pistol could make finding and hitting the target much easier.

Having a polymer body and composite lens, the ReadyDot is affordable, durable, small and lightweight. It scaled at just .3 ounce, and measured 1.6 inches in length, and .9 inches in both width and height. The ReadyDot is waterproof and shock resistant. The 12mm dome shaped lens is constructed of optical grade polymer. To look through it, the lens has a blue tint due to the multi-layer coatings, but it is parallax free to 10 yards. If you can see the dot anywhere on the lens, it’s aligned with a bullet’s point of impact — and it retails for $100.

The ReadyDot ships with two M4 8mm screws and a T10 Torx wrench. Installation was a cinch. Since the dot is fixed, there’s no zeroing. Of course, having light-powered fiber optics, battery life is not a consideration.

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