I don’t care for rechargeable batteries that can’t be removed. There are too many failure points for me, and for that and a few other reasons, I was never a big OLight fan. When OSight rolled out a red dot with a similar magnetic charger, it worked, but again, I’m not a fan. The OSight SE is a new optic that addresses what I see as the big failure point of the previous optic.
It’s no problem to swap batteries on the fly with the new OSight, and I can instantly drop a new one in the optic and keep it running. No proprietary charger or hood, just good old-fashioned high-quality batteries. The battery loads on the side, much like a Holosun. This addresses my main complaint with the original OSight, but will it affect any form or function? Let’s find out.
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Osight SE – In Living Color
The OSight SE is an enclosed emitter optic. It offers you three different reticles. We have a 2 MOA dot, a 32 MOA circle, and a combination of both the dot and circle. I like dots for handguns and circles for shotguns or offset optics.
OSight and OLight have this Apple-style packaging that I love. It’s quite fancy for a budget optic and provides a very slick setup. Everything is packed away nicely, and a fair bit comes with the optic. We get a little tool to attach the optic, zero it, and swap batteries. OSight includes a ton of different screws so you can attach this thing to anything with an RMSc footprint.
The ton of screws included make attaching it to any gun easy.
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The OSight sits impressively low to provide co-witness with most handguns and standard height sights. If your gun forces you to remove the rear sight to mount an optic, a small notch allows you a functional rear sight.
We get ten brightness settings. Two are night vision compatible. The optic comes with shake awake technology that automatically shuts off when it doesn’t detect movement for 3 minutes and turns back on when it moves again.
The new Osight SE ditches some of the downsides I had with the older model
Two buttons control the brightness levels, the reticle swap, and the on and off functions. It’s simple to use and intuitive to install. I installed mine on a CZ P09 Compact.
Through the Looking Glass
The OSight SE doesn’t suffer from the same problems as other budget enclosed emitter optics. It gives you a fairly clear view with only a slight blue tint. It’s nice and clear with good light transmission.
The dot is crisp enough. It’s not going to be mistaken for a higher-end optic. It starbursts a bit, but works well. In varying light conditions, especially under weapon lights, it works without issue. You can find a brightness setting that works well in both low and bright light without much difficulty.
For an eclosed, budget optic it’s surprisingly clear.
With light facing you from multiple directions, I didn’t notice any serious reflective issues. With the sun in front of the optic, there was some reflection, but nothing to make the dot difficult to use.
At the Range
This isn’t my first time reviewing an Osight SE. In fact, the first time I reviewed it, I broke it. It suffered through a lot of my durability testing, but ultimately leaked water into the design and eventually shut off, to never come on again. I did drops, water exposure, and heat, and eventually conked out.
With this new OSight SE, I avoided the durability testing, but I will say it’s not a go-to war optic. If you need an affordable red dot, particularly an enclosed option for home defense or even concealed carry, the OSight SE is tough enough. For duty use or high-volume shooting, you might need to spend a little more money.
The Osight SE has a great refresh rate
With that said, I mounted the optic on the P09 and got to shooting. Zeroing was easy, and the turrets provide good feedback with every click. A 15-yard zero was done in nine rounds, and I was scoring tight groups. Sticking to close range, I fired a 10-10-10 Drill, a Bill Drill, and a failure to stop drill.
The dot’s refresh made sure it didn’t lag and became a nice red blur. This made repeated hits easier and allowed me to track the dot between shots and watch it settle right back down on target. Rapid-fire strings of fire were easy to accomplish with solid accuracy.
At Long Range
Red dots are cheat codes for long-range shooting with a handgun. Long range being 35 to 50 yards for my skill set. The furthest I’ve ever made hits was 100 yards, but that’s not typical performance for me. At 25 yards, I could land rapid hits at 25 yards on a ten-inch gong. I could keep it swinging and catch it on the upswing to make the target go stationary.
The optic provides three different reticles
At 50 yards, I could hit the gong with slow, single-action fire. I could go a lot faster on a big IPSC-sized piece of steel. The two MOA dots are small enough to prevent any obscuration of the target. I used the big circle and dot and found it to be a bit much for precision shooting. For most people, the big 32 MOA circle is at typical handgun ranges.
Beyond the Range
Adjusting the brightness is easy. The buttons are easy enough to find and rubberized. They take a dedicated press and have some good feedback. They take that dedicated press, which I like because it’s too easy to press the button, and the adjustments could be made when carried concealed.
Much like Holosun, the battery tray can be a potential weak point. The screw tends to get loose and exit the gun while shooting. It’s smart to check the screw after long-range trips. Using witness marks and a paint pen is a great way to keep an eye out for this. OSight does include two spare screws in case it gets lost.
You can reach out and punch targets at ranges of up to 50 yards
My screw did get a little loose after testing, so this can and does happen. Make it part of weapons maintenance, and you won’t have any problems.
One handy feature I appreciate is that the dot will blink when the battery gets low. One flash per minute lets you know it’s time to swap things over.
Just watch that battery tray screw
Live Inventory Price Checker
| | Olight Osight SE Red Dot Sight 2 MOA Dot / 32 MOA Circle | Palmetto State Armory | $ 199.99 |
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| | Olight Osight SE 6 MOA Green Dot Sight, Black - OSIGHTSE6GN | Palmetto State Armory | $ 199.99 |
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The OSight SE
The OSight SE is a value, budget-friendly enclosed emitter optic. For range use and concealed carry, it will likely serve most users fine. It’s not tough enough in my experience for rough and tumble use. Mine will likely go on my newly acquired Titan X from Mantis and serve as a training optic, or on a dedicated training .22LR.
About Travis Pike
Travis Pike is a former Marine Machine Gunner, a lifelong firearms enthusiast, and now a regular guy who likes to shoot, write, and find ways to combine the two. He holds an NRA certification as a Basic Pistol Instructor and is the world’s Okayest firearms instructor.
