r/canadaguns • u/BrotherLefthand • Mar 31 '26
Buy recommendations Dots vs astigmatism (advice request)
I have a gnarly astigmatism that impacts my ability to use dots. I've tried etched reticle prisms, but the ones in my budget are too bulky for my shotgun. I need something relatively small and low-profile.
I'm considering the PA x1 microprism with the green dot, but haven't seen reviews of it from people with astigmatism. Does anyone have advice on this unit?
I'm trying to keep my budget sub $400, which is why I'm not looking at fancy closed emitters or holographics. I don't have an Eotech wallet.
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u/therowdyirishman Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26
Good questions! In my experience they're certainly a worthy option for shotgun use. I have bad eyes that require a 2+ prescription. Thanks to the adjustable diopter I could get a very crisp + flat image with AND without my glasses on. I ran one of these pretty hard on my 14" 590. It felt fast, wide FOV sight picture, easy to use with both eyes open and track during recoil. Etched reticle can be considered an alternative back up to irons. Reticle is large enough to offer similar benefits to a 65moa circle dot and brightness was always sharp enough to contrast easily. The mini ACOG footprint means you can find a high quality/durable QD mount, then it can pop off for access to OEM irons. This would be my first recommendation for a backup sight system on a serious rig (eg wildness defense).
Here's some photos of it on my Shockwave build. I also have another post comparing 3 different categories of budget 1x competitors from a few years ago. Open emitter micro (Bushnell) - PA 1x Gen II - Holosun micro rifle dot. I run a 1301 now and ultimately decided I prefer a T2 shaped red dot (HS503CU) with super minimal/low co-witnessed irons via a CROM mount, for a wilderness defense shotgun.