Hey there! Welcome to my review of the Vortex Venom vs. Holosun 507c.
If you are trying to find the perfect optic for your pistol but are confused with the plethora of options available, you have come to the right place.
Due to the rise in the popularity of red dot sights, many companies are coming forward to make quality red dots. Two such popular companies are Vortex and Holosun.
I will compare the two popular optics from these well-known companies: Vortex Venom vs. Holosun 507c.
The main difference between the Vortex Venom and the Holosun 507c is the reticle. But, I have also explained other differences and similarities.
What To Expect?
I will make a detailed comparison of the following features of these two optics:
- Durability
- Weight and size
- Reticle options
- Battery life
- Battery features
- Brightness settings
- Footprint
- Price
I will also declare the winner of each of these categories.
Vortex Venom vs Holosun 507c: Specifications
Holosun 507c vs Vortex Venom: Features
Below is a detailed comparison of all the essential features of the 507c stacked up against the Vortex Venom.
1. Durability and Reliability
One of the essential features of any red dot optic, or any optic, is how durable it is. For measuring the durability of an optic, ask yourself these important questions.
- Is the material used for the optic strong?
- For how long does it hold zero?
- How do different weather conditions affect it?
The Venom and 507c have some commonalities and some great contrasts regarding durability. I will mention both of them and answer the above questions at the end.
Commonalities
The 507c and the Venom have an anodized finish, protecting them from corrosion.
Also, the elevation and windage turrets are recessed in the optic’s body in both red dots. It might be a small detail for you, but this prevents these turrets from accidentally changing the settings.
So, bumping your optic in a wall or dropping it will not affect the windage/elevation settings.
The 507c and the Vortex Venom are also submersible into 1 meter of water—this indicates that they can bear rain splashes, snow, and fog. They are also shockproof to handle the daily abuse very well.
So, this answers our question about water resistance. These optics will not be ruined by water splashes, snowfall, or fog.
Contrasts
The Holosun 507c is a highly durable optic. First, it uses 7075 T6 Aluminum as housing material. This type of Aluminum is known for its tensile strength. Also, it is built with thick housing.
On the other hand, the Vortex Venom uses the 6061 T6 Aluminum for its housing.
If we compare the material of the two sights, the 7075 T6 Aluminum has more tensile strength than the 6061 T6 Aluminum. This difference in the housing material makes the Holosun 507c more durable than the Vortex Venom.
Compared to the Venom, it has a thicker housing; this is also evident in the dimensions of this optic. It is wider and taller than the Venom.
So, this is the answer to the first question above. The material used for both the optics here is Aluminum – which is very durable, but the 507c uses a tougher form of Aluminum.
Durability Test
For the durability test of the 507c, I will take reference from the Sage Dynamics video review of the Holosun 507c.
To test the durability of the 507c, Aaron Cowan does the following tests in his video review:
- 4 shoulder drop tests
- 2000 shots burnout
- Many single-handed manipulations.
After all the abuse, the 507c maintained its zero at 25 yards, but the optic’s lens and hood were damaged.
So, we can extract from this test result that the Holosun 507c can hold zero well.
Now, I will take help from some customer reviews to analyze how well the Vortex Venoms holds its zero.
One user mentioned:
“I have been using this for almost every competition I enter now, and I have shot over 1000 rounds with it. Zero is still holding and did not have to adjust it since I first zeroed it.”
Another mentioned:
“Onto the red dot itself. It’s very strong, I wouldn’t hesitate to rack the slide on something with it. The dot holds zero after about 1000 rounds; it’s still dead on.”
These reviews show that the Vortex Venom can hold zero even after 1000 rounds, which is a huge number.
There are many more reviews that mention how well this sight holds zero.
Here, you get the answer to the second question. Both these sights are reliable as they hold their zero well.
Yes, there is no data for exact comparison, but the testing and the reviews validate it.
Battery Cover Issue
Another reliability issue with the Vortex Venom is a constant complaint by the users that its battery cover is hard to operate.
So, it is not suitable for use in a situation where your life is in danger. In contrast, there is no such complaint about the 507c.
Winner: Holosun 507c
The winner in this category is the Holsun 507c. I will give the edge to the Holosun 507c because it uses stronger housing material and has a thicker build. Also, the battery cover problem of the Vortex Venom makes it less reliable, hence losing in this category.
2. Size and Weight
When it comes to size and weight, shooters prefer a compact and lightweight optic. Adding a bulky red dot on your pistol is neither practical nor desirable.
| Vortex Venom | Holosun 507c | |
| Height | 1.02 inches. | 1.54 inches |
| Width | 1.11 inches | 1.24 inches |
| Length | 1.9 inches | 1.78 inches |
| Weight | 1.1 ounces | 1.5 ounces |
507c is taller and wider than Vortex Venom
As evident from the numbers mentioned in the above table, the 507c is a bit taller than the Vortex Venom. Also, the 507c has more width than the Venom. These differences make Venom the more compact option.
507c is heavier than Vortex Venom
The 507c is also a bit heavier than the Venom. But, this difference in weight is negligible.
Winner: Vortex Venom
If we ignore the weight difference between the two, the Vortex Venom is still the winner because it is more compact.
3. Reticle Options
In this category, I will compare the reticle options of both the optics and explain how good or bad these are.
Holosun 507c
The Holosun 507c has 3 reticle options or what we generally call a Multiple Reticle System (MRS). This feature is something you will find in most Holosun optics. The 3 reticle options with the 507c are
- A 2 moa dot
- A 2 moa dot surrounded by a 32 moa circle
- A 32 moa circle.
A 2 moa dot is ideal for precision, especially at a longer range. And the 32 moa circle is easier to find.
A more advanced shooter can use a 2 moa dot for a more precise shot, and the new shooters can switch to the 32 moa circle to find the dot faster.
And if you want both precision and speed, use the circle-dot combination.
So, you get the best of both worlds with the 507c reticle options.
Vortex Venom
The Vortex Venom offers two dot sizes: a 3 moa dot and a 6 moa dot. But they don’t come in one optic; there are two different models for each dot size. However, it is still better than Vortex Viper, which comes in only 6 moa option.
The 3 moa dot and 6 moa dot have their benefits and limitations. You can declare one to be better than the other. Below are the differences between the 3 moa and a 6 moa dot.
3 moa
- The 3 moa red dot is smaller, and it gives more precision.
- It covers less of the window, so you view the target better.
- It’s ideal for more advanced shooters looking for precision.
- The downside of using a 6 moa is that it’s harder to pick.
6 moa
- The 6 moa is larger, so it’s easier to pick.
- It gives faster target acquisition.
- More suitable for people with weak eyes.
- Ideal for young shooters who are learning to pick the dot.
- The drawback is that it doesn’t give the required accuracy at a longer range.
So, choose your reticle size according to your preferences.
Winner: Holosun 507c
The Vortex Venom has 2 dot sizes. But, you don’t get the two options in one model. There are 2 different models for that. While in the 507c, you can switch from a dot to a ring or both on the same optic.
The 507c has 3 dot sizes in one optic, and the Venom has just 1. So, the clear winner in this category is Holosun 507c.
However, it depends on the shooter’s preference if they want all these options or not. But having more options is never bad.
4. Battery Life
Holosun 507c
The 507c runs for 50,000 hours on setting 6. So, if you continue to use your optic in a medium setting, you get more than 5 years of constant battery.
With this, you know that your optic will never die; it will never betray you at the range or in a defense scenario.
This kind of battery life adds complete reliability to an optic. You know that you can trust your optic to be always on.
Vortex Venom
Vortex Venom has a battery life of 30,000 hours if you keep it on the lower settings and 150,000 hours if you switch to higher settings.
So, your optic can run for 3 years if you keep it on lower settings. But, in the higher settings, the number is not very impressive.
Side battery tray
You don’t need to change the battery of the Holosun 507c very often, but even when you have to, it’s very convenient to do it with the side battery tray.
With the side battery tray, you can change the battery of your optic without removing it. It spares you from the hassle of re-zeroing your optic after every battery change.
Top-loading battery
The Vortex Venom also has a top-loading battery compartment. This feature was not there in other Vortex optics like the Vortex Viper. So this is a great feature to have because it makes the process of changing the battery easier.
You can change the battery with both optics without removing your optic. But we already know that Vortex Venom has issues with its battery. So, I will declare the 507c winner in this category.
The 507c has Shake Awake
The 507c also has a Shake Awake feature. This feature automatically turns the optic off if it doesn’t detect any movement. And as soon as it detects movement, it turns on.
By doing this, the shake awake feature prevents wastage of power. Also, you never have to worry about turning your optic off after using it.
It is a relief for people who forget to turn their optics off after using.
The 507c has a Solar Panel
The 507c also has a solar panel. This solar panel acts as a backup in case the battery of your optic dies.
You can run your optic even without the battery if you have sunlight.
This feature makes the 507c much more reliable than the Vortex Venom, which doesn’t have any backup like this.
Winner: Holosun 507c
The 507c is a clear winner in this category. It has longer battery life than the Venom and amazing battery features like the Shake Awake and the Solar Panel.
6. Brightness Settings
Both the 507c and the Vortex Venom have 10 daylight brightness settings. They also have an auto-brightness feature that detects the ambient light and adjusts the reticle brightness accordingly.
The difference between the brightness settings of the two optics here is that the 507c has 2 night vision settings, but the Vortex Venom doesn’t have any.
Winner: None
The 507c and the Venom have similar brightness features, but the only difference is the Night Vision. I don’t think this is a big deal because most people don’t use this feature. So, there is no winner in this category.
7. Footprint
A particular optic’s footprint is an important consideration because you want your optic to fit most guns. The 507c uses the RMR footprint, and the Vortex Venom has its own footprint.
Winner: Holosun 507c
The 507c is the winner in this category because the RMR footprint is the most popular full-size footprint in the industry and fits most guns.
Also, many guns come with a plate compatible with an RMR. If not, many aftermarket gun slides are cut for an RMR footprint.
8. Price
There is no one fixed price of the two optics here to rely upon. The prices of these optics change due to many factors in the market. But, generally, the Vortex Venom is 50-60 bucks less expensive than the 507c.
Winner: Vortex Venom
Vortex Venom is the winner in this category for being less expensive. This price difference might not be a big deal for some people. But, for those looking for a budget option, this is an important consideration.
Overall Winner
The overall winner is the Holosun 507c. No prizes for guessing! The 507c has more durable housing, a longer battery life, the Shake Awake and Solar Panel, and multiple reticle options.
All these amazing features make the 507c much more desirable and dependable.
My Pick
I would pick the Holosun 507c over the Vortex Venom. I would do that because I love the multiple reticle options on the 507c – it gives me more dot sizes to explore.
However, by picking the 507c over the Venom, I’m not completely dissing the latter. The Vortex Venom is a good option for people with specific reticle size preferences and a tight budget.
Vortex Venom vs Holosun 507c – Comparison Videos
Endnote
To sum it all up, both Holosun and Vortex are credited for making quality red dots. In the above article, we have compared the popular options from the two companies: Holsun 507c vs. Vortex Venom.
Both the optics are durable enough to hold zero for a long time and are made of good quality Aluminum. Also, both the optics have recesses turrets and are water-resistant.
However, the 507c is the winner in the durability category because it has 7075 T6 Aluminum housing, which is stronger than the 6061 T6 Aluminum housing of the Venom.
The 507c is the winner again in the reticle options category as it has 3 reticle options. The Venom comes with either a 3 moa or a 6 moa reticle. So, having multiple reticles make the 507c a winner in this category.
The 507c is also the winner in the battery life category as it has more battery life than the Vortex Venom. The 507c also has amazing battery features like the Shake Awake and the Solar Panel. These features are missing in the Vortex Venom.
Another category in which the 507c is the winner is the footprint, as it has the RMR footprint, which is a more popular footprint than the Vortex Venom footprint.
One important category in which the Venom beats the 507c is the price. The Venom is 50-60 dollars less expensive than the Holosun 507c.
Finally, I have declared the overall winner, which is the 507c.
FAQs
Is Holosun 507c good?
The Holosun 507c is made with 7075 T6 Aluminum – a material known for its strength. It is durable enough to hold zero even after 1000 rounds. This optic can run for 50,000 hours without interruption. Not just this, but the 507c also has 3 reticle options for the shooter to use.
Will Holosun 507c fit RMR cut?
Yes. The Holosun 507c uses the RMR footprint. So, it will fit slides with an RMR cut.
Is Vortex better than Holosun?
The Holosun 507c is more durable than the Vortex Venom. It also has a longer run time and more reticle options. However, the Vortex Venom is more affordable than the 507c.
