Barska’s 30mm M16 Electro Sight is an affordable choice for anybody new to the red dot scene. The Barska Red Dot might not be the most rugged on the market, but it’s no slouch either. While I wouldn’t recommend a Barska red dot for military or LEO use it’s perfect for the civilian market. Where most budget red dots are designed for Air-soft use, this red dot was designed to be used with an AR15. I really wasn’t expecting a lot before I got my hands on the Barska Red dot, but it was actually a pleasant surprise.
[letsreviewunique title=”Barska Electro Sight M16 Riflescope” pros_title=”PROS” pros=”Affordable Price Point,Waterproof Construction,Clear Glass Optics,Unlimited Eye Relief,Holds Zero,Sturdy Construction” cons_title=”CONS” cons=”Short Battery Life,Less Durable than More Expensive Competition,Might Not Withstand Heavy Recoil” affiliate=”Check Price,https://www.amazon.com/BARSKA-1×30-Electro-Sight-Riflescope/dp/B001JJCHUM?tag=jdhute74-20,Buy on Amazon,https://www.amazon.com/BARSKA-1×30-Electro-Sight-Riflescope/dp/B001JJCHUM?tag=jdhute74-20″ accent=”#dd3333″ final_score=”85″ format=”5″ skin=”1″ animation=”1″ design=”1″ custom_image=”1253″][/letsreviewunique]
Barska M16 Electro Sight Unboxing
When it comes down to it you really do get what you pay for with red dots. You really need to look at the Barska red dot with open eyes and appreciate it for what it is(a budget red dot scope). You shouldn’t expect to get the best scope in the world at this price range. Barska designed an affordably priced scope built to withstand the recoil of an AR15. They even call their sight the Barska 30mm M16 Sight. The design is comparable to the Bushnell Trophy TRS-25 and the UTG Red Dot.
Built to withstand the moderate recoil of the AR15 this red dot is actually fairly well built for the price. Thankfully Barska decided to include a fully waterproof enclosure. So you shouldn’t have to worry about moisture fogging up your lens and obstructing your view. Barska claims they have a shockproof design, but I wouldn’t recommend testing it. Being an extremely affordable red dot you should only expect it to handle moderate abuse. Bumping it around in the safe or a short drop on a shooting bench. I really wouldn’t trust this red dot to withstand heavy real world abuse.
First Impression
When I first opened up the box Barska actually managed to surprise me with their build quality. I was expecting one of the cheap red dots for air soft and paintball. What you get is a sturdy aluminum constructions with minor plastic accents. The Optic feels sturdy in your hands weighing in at a little over 12.8 oz. You shouldn’t expect to put the electro sight onto a light pistol. You could pair it with a 6+ inch hunting revolver, but your best choice would be an AR15.
The Barska Electro Sight is everything an affordable red dot should be. It lacks a lot of the bells and whistles of more expensive optics, but comes with all of the basics. Barska chose a very durable design that makes the electro sight accurate and easy to use. You shouldn’t have to worry about losing zero with moderate use. You definitely shouldn’t run this scope through torture tests like other high end optics.
I’m actually impressed with the clarity of Barska’s glass. Before I received the sight I was expecting to notice some distortion in the glass. The electro sight uses a true 1x magnification with a 30mm Objective lens. In my opinion a 30mm lens is about the gold standard for an AR15. For comparison it’s the same size lens used in the Vortex Strikefire and slightly larger than an Aimpoint Pro.
Eye Relief and 1x Magnification Reticle
Like most red dot optics the Barska Electro Sight has unlimited eye relief. You should be able to mount the sight just about anywhere on your rail(within reason) and get a decent field of view. Unlimited eye relief is a standard feature on most red dots and expected in this price range. No matter your height and arm length you should be able to get a full sight picture.
Barska uses a Red Cross-Dot Reticle in the electro sight. The fully illuminated cross dot is very easy to see in most brightness levels. With multiple brightness settings you’ll be able to dial the sight in no matter the ambient light. At high brightness levels you will likely notice slight ghosting and reticle blur. Just dial back the brightness setting a bit until the reticle looks good. Personally I’m not a fan of Cross-Dot reticles, but everybody’s opinion is different. I prefer a standard red dot that doesn’t obscure your field of view at close range.
Dialing the Barska Electro Sight In
It’s actually extremely easy to zero in the Barska Electro Sight. It’s extremely easy to setup and dial in the red dot using the windage and Elevation adjustment knob. Luckily all red dots use basically the same setup process so you can follow any instructional video. The adjustment knobs come with screw on caps to avoid accidentally knocking it off zero. I like to use the SiteLite Mag Laser Boresighter to quickly sight in all my rifles out to 25 yards. Due to the ballistic properties of the AR15 you won’t have much bullet drop out to about 300 yards. To adjust the sight simply adjust the side knob for horizonatal movement and the top knob for vertical movement. With a boresight your red dot should be up and running in minutes. Once you have your optic zeroed the real question is will it hold zero?
Does The Barska M16 Electro Sight Hold Zero?
The Barska Electro Sight is sturdy, waterproof, clear, illuminated, but does it hold zero. The main question you should ask is whether or not the Barska Electro Sight holds zero. It seems basic enough, but high recoil rounds can throw off the zero on even moderately priced red dots. I decided to test the Barska Electro Sight on both my AR15 and SKS. Since the AR15 is what this red dot was designed to be used for the majority of testing was done on it.
After shooting about 500 rounds through the Barska Electro Sight I was pleasantly surprised with my groupings. After getting it properly zeroed in at 50 yards I was consistently hitting about the size of an apple. Considering my hatred of Cross-Dot Reticles I was actually pleasantly surprised at my performance with this budget red dot. I wouldn’t say I’m an expert shooter, but I do have a 50 and 100 yard range in my backyard(shoot at least every other day). My groupings are a little better with the Aimpoint pro I typically run on this rifle, but the Barska Electra Sight was nothing to laugh about. The best thing about it is there was no noticable drift with the AR15 or the SKS. I personally wouldn’t trust the zero of this red dot on a bullet heavier than the 7.62×39mm Ak47 round
Barska Electro Sight Review Final Thoughts
So at the end of the day would I buy the Barska Electro Sight again? It really is a nice little sight for the price. Would I compare it to the Vortex Strikefire or my Aimpoint Pro? No there’s absolutely no comparison, but you shouldn’t expect that at this price. What you are getting is an extremely affordable mid grade optic that is perfect for a beginners AR15. Like with all optics match the scope to the gun. The Barska Electro Sight is the perfect budget sight for an affordable rifle like the M&P Sport or Ruger AR556. You would benefit from a more expensive red dot but most people will be happy with the Barska Electro Sight.