US Optics has just released a new compact red dot optic called the RISE. The Red Dot Integrated Sight Enhancer is engineered for precision, speed, and accuracy. Likewise, it features a 3 MOA dot, 10 brightness settings, including two for night vision, and a battery-saving sleep mode.

The US Optics RISE Red Dot Optic

The rugged red dot’s housing is machined from tough 6061 T6 aluminum that is anodized and water-resistant. It uses the common CR2023 battery, and the design allows it to be loaded from the top. So, it doesn’t affect zero when changing the battery. US Optics claims over 75,000 hours of battery life, at its lowest setting, and that works out to over 8 years of use!

The RISE can be manually adjusted for brightness and also has a brightness recall mode. The red dot will go into sleep mode after two minutes of inactivity and will instantly awaken with movement.

Weighing in at just 1.32 ounces, the RISE red dot is so lightweight that it will not adversely affect slide velocity, even on micro-compact pistols. It uses the Delta Point Pro footprint and has a window size of 24 x 20mm.

Running the RISE on the Ruger RXM

As luck would have it, I received the new Ruger RXM for review shortly after the RISE red dot arrived. This past December, Ruger turned some heads when it introduced what is basically a redressed Glock 19 Gen 3 pistol. The striker-fired gun is such a close copy of the Glock that aftermarket parts, like trigger kits, will work with it.

Of course, Ruger never copied a gun that they didn’t improve, and the RXM is no different. It features Magpul’s Enhanced Handgun Grip (EHG) with improved ergonomics and a Fire Control Insert (FCI) that houses the trigger and related parts.

The serialized chassis can be switched to larger or smaller frames, thereby increasing the gun’s capacity or concealability. In addition to grip size, Ruger will also offer different color grip frames. Of course, there will also be a series of larger and smaller slide/barrel assemblies for the RXM family.

An important design feature of the RXM is its innovative optics platform that doesn’t require plates to attach an optic. Removing the polymer cover plate reveals a series of holes that can accommodate a Trijicon RMR, Delta Point Pro, Holosun K, and Shield RMSc. Of course, this means it can handle other red dots that share those footprints.

It took just a couple minutes for me to arrange the small pins Ruger includes with the RXM to the Delta Point Pro configuration and screw the RISE red dot into place.

A Sharp, Well-Defined Optic

One of the immediate things I noticed about the red dot is that it is sharp and well-defined. Unlike other dot sights that I’ve used, the dot is perfectly circular and not elongated. I did my shooting on a bright, cloudless, Arizona spring day and never had an issue finding the dot.

When I sighted the RISE in, I used the lowest brightness setting I could see and centered the 3 MOA dot inside the 2-inch diameter black bullseye. Windage and elevation corrections were made easily—each click is equal to one MOA. After my third group, my dot was perfectly regulated for 15 yards.

I did some draw and fire exercises with my steel targets set out at 15 yards and used a Galco Triton 3 AIWB holster. For this shooting, I increased the brightness to its #6 setting and had no issues finding my dot on presentation.

I kept the RISE on the Ruger for my 300-round evaluation, and it was just as reliable as the pistol. There wasn’t a single flicker or starburst during testing, and the RISE remains drama-free post-evaluation.

The US Optics’ RISE Red Dot is priced at $279.99, offering great value for shooters.

US Optics RISE Red Dot Specs