Monstrum Tactical Vader
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- Reticle
- Battery Life
- Brightness Settings
- Build Quality
- Price/Value
3.4/5Overall Score
Specs
- Materials: 6061 Aircraft Grade Aluminum
- Lens Coating: High Definition Multi-Layer
- Fog & Water Resistance: Yes
- Eye Relief: 4.0-5 in
Pros
- Price/Value
- All Metal Construction
Cons
- Battery Life
- No advanced features
The Monstrum Tactical Vader is the Monstrum red dot sight that features a 2 MOA dot and is available at a great price of less than $100.
First impression
My first impression of the Monstrum Tactical Vader red dot sight was that the box was very small and compact. So I really didn’t expect much in the way of accessories or additional items in the box.
That was something I was a bit wrong about. What came in the box was:
- Vader Red Dot Sight
- Absolute Co-Witness Mount
- Low Profile Mount
- Hex Key
- Lens Cloth
- Lens Covers
- Manual
- Sticker
For such a small box, it comes with a decent amount of accessories and items. Now on to the good part! I was able to get my butterfingers on the red dot itself.
Once I pried it from the foam I was pleasantly surprised by its all-metal exterior construction.
The weight felt substantial and for the sub $100 price point I was surprised by the quality feel the optic had.
The adjustment turrets appear to be in the right spots and are clearly labeled.
Materials
The Monstrum red dot is made of 6061 Aircraft Grade Aluminum and the only place that seems to not be the case is the membrane pad to adjust the brightness and turn the optic on and off.
The mount on this red dot appears to be made of the same 6061 aluminum that the optic is made of.
Weight
The weight of the Vader red dot sight clocks in right at 5 ounces. That comes in slightly lighter than the Primary Arms SLX MD-25 but right on par with the Sig Romeo 5, which is right around the same price point.
With a 5 oz weight, this optic can easily be used for nearly any gun. Including a pistol caliber carbine or short barrel rifle.
Reticle
The reticle on the Vader red dot is a single crisp 2 MOA red dot. With the 10 levels of illumination, you can find a brightness setting for nearly any time of day or situation.
This optic doesn’t have a green dot option for those that prefer green dots over red, but maybe Monstrum will add it as an option to their lineup.
Dot Adjustment
The dot adjustment for elevation and windage is very simple. I like optics that have the forethought to add notches on the caps so you can use them to adjust the optic.
This red dot has those notches and you can easily adjust the elevation and windage on the Vader red dot.
Power source
Like most of the micro-style red dot sights, the Monstrum red dot is powered by a single CR2032 battery that’s housed on the side of the optic.
The one thing I’ll caution with this optic is the battery cap. The threads on the battery cap feel like they could easily cross-thread or damage them trying to get the battery cap back on.
Durability
The material makes me think this optic will be fairly durable. As I’ve stated in previous optic reviews we don’t have a standard established for durability so we don’t grade the optics based on durability, yet.
But with the all-metal construction, this optic likely stands a higher chance of holding up from impacts.
Sight Picture
The sight picture on the Monstrum red dot is really good. The turret caps and the battery compartment are low profile and don’t take up a ton of the sight picture.
This is one of the best jobs I’ve seen a budget red dots do when it comes to not blocking the sight picture.
Operation of the Vader Red Dot Sight
Using the Vader is simple as can be, on the front of the box you see the quick start instructions.
To turn the optic on you can push the – / + membrane pad button for 2 seconds. The turn-on-time is extremely fast and responsive while there is no audible click on the membrane press you can easily tell when it’s pressed.
To adjust the brightness you have to make individual button presses on either the + for increased brightness or – for decreasing the brightness.
Mounts and Mounting Options
The Vader red dot is unique optic for its price point it comes with two different mounting options.
The two mounting options are low profile and a absolute co-witness Picatinny Riser Mount.
I personally use the absolute co-witness riser mount exclusively. But if you had a PCC like a Stribog or a shotgun you were using this red dot on the low-profile mount would be the perfect option.
Monstrum Red Dot Final Thoughts
I didn’t really know what to expect for the overall quality on the Monstrum Vader because Monstrum is a relatively unknown company.
But I was pleasantly surprised by a lot of it’s features and overall design.
The membrane touchpad worked flawlessly and while I haven’t pressed it thousands of times… yet. I think it will hold up well long-term.
It does come with a 5-year warranty which is decent considering this is a sub $100 red dot sight.
We are always on the lookout for the best red dot sight and I was glad I could get my hands the Vader to test it out.
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