Not... terrible? - Vortex Crossfire II 1x22 mm 2 MOA Reflex Red Dot Sight

Okay, so first and foremost, I purchased this sight because of value. For around $130 you get a lifetime warranty, and (on paper) lots of good settings. How about pros first? Lifetime warranty, appears to have strong construction. 2 night/low light settings, water resistant. Comes with high AR style mount and low mount. Built in adjustment tool for the red dots zero on the protection knobs much like those of Holosun. Drop test on tile floor from 5ft was successful. Did not lose its zero. Dropped in the sink for 30 seconds and did not show signs of leaking or fog. Mounted on my AK gas tube, I am able to cowitness quite well, no problems there. Cons? There's a few. Firstly, the battery compartment is on the side of the optic sort of housed inside the settings knob. Personally, id like it if the battery compartment were slide out tray or under the optic for greater protection. Moving on the brightness settings knob; its exceedingly difficult to turn (at least mine is) I actually had to use a channel lock to turn it. Good luck adjusting brightness quickly should you want/need to. Next, brightness.. Okay, just go ahead and come to terms with the fact that brightness settings 3-8 are utterly useless in anything but near darkness. And to be frankly honest, 3-6 aren't even there. Might as well have just left them off and just had maybe 5 total settings, but I suppose it helps marketing when you can say you have 39 brightness settings and the average cabinet queen collector salivates over it like a neckbeard with an onlyfans giftcard. You have to crank this guy up to 9 or higher to see the dot at all during the day. Period. However, the dot at 9-11 is acceptable. The weight is an issue in my opinion.. 5.5oz for an optic this size feels chunky. Holosun 503c definitely wins in that category. Overall, for the price, especially if you can find a coupon online like I did, worth picking up as a back up sight, or primary sight when budget constraints wont allow for a Holosun or Sig or EOtech or something like that. If you have an extra $70~ to spend, I recommend looking at the Holosun line.. Just feels easier to work and lighter. I recommend this optic mainly for the warranty and price.