U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Red dot pistols like the Sig Sauer P320 XFive Legion fitted with a Leupold DeltaPoint Pro have a way of making you feel like a better shooter than you might be in reality. If you are a ride-or-die iron sight shooting, two World War-winning gun owner, then you might disagree, but in my opinion, red dots are better. Transitions feel snappy, splits seem shortened, and your sight picture of a 2.5moa dot remains relatively undisturbed even as the slide is in operation.
In competition, the Leupold DeltaPoint Pro changed everything for me. It was the first time I used a red dot pistol in a competition, and I will never go back. The footage from the competition is actually the first competition where I used the DeltaPoint Pro. I’ve used it in multiple competitions over a year, and it has always been reliable and rugged. You can see in the video that the conditions were wet and humid during what was my first run-out with the DeltaPoint Pro. Not once were there any issues with fogging, and the glass remained clear as it is during ideal conditions. There are countless options for pistol optics, but the Leupold DeltaPoint Pro (DP-Pro) is high on that list.
Leupold DeltaPoint Pro
Described by the manufacturer as a set-it and forget-it optic, the Leupold DeltaPoint Pro is at home on a handgun but can also be used on a shotgun or rifle. The 2.5 moa reticle is among the crispest red dots that I have ever used. Night vision compatible models are available for the DeltaPoint Pro, but the one I have on my pistol only features daylight illumination. The DeltaPoint-Pro features motion sensor technology that will automatically shut off illumination after five minutes of inactivity and reactivate when movement is detected again. When you inevitably need to change the battery, you can replace it without removing the optic or losing its zero.
Looking through the DeltaPoint Pro you will see some clear advantages to this optic over the competition. For one, the window on the DeltaPoint-Pro is very large, making it easy to quickly acquire the dot and get on target. The optic also features very clear glass with a very minimal blue tint.
It’s not all positive for the DeltaPoint Pro, and a few of those previously mentioned advantages also come with some drawbacks. The larger window size comes with the downside of making the overall size of the optic slightly bigger than some other choices like a Trijicon RMR. Battery life is comparably less on the DeltaPoint Pro when compared to the RMR, but it is somewhat negated by the fact that the DeltaPoint-Pro can quickly replace a dead battery.
The greatest weakness of the DeltaPoint Pro is the illumination is controlled by one button. Pressing the button once will either increase or decrease the brightness of your optic. The optimal setup would be a two-button system for positive and negative brightness, T.Rex Arms has a good video explanation for this. The main concern is being able to accurately control the brightness of the optic while it is concealed. If you are going from a bright outdoor situation to a dark indoor one, you may need to change the brightness.
In my own use of the optic as part of my competition pistol, it doesn’t bother me that the brightness has one button. I leave my optic on the third or second highest brightness settings depending on the conditions or scenario. If you are considering the DeltaPoint Pro for concealed carry, take these factors into consideration.
Range Time
As I said, the Leupold DeltaPoint Pro is part of my competition pistol, a SIG SAUER P320 X-Five Legion. The P320 Legion is probably one of the best striker-fired competition-ready pistols on the market. All the features that make the P320 Legion a great gun are amplified by adding an optic like the DeltaPoint Pro.
The large window on the optic gives you a great field of view, allowing you to quickly find your dot and your targets. With some red dots it is easy to “lose the dot” in the window, causing shooters to squirm their heads around, literally looking for the dot. This is an easy issue to correct with training; it can happen with all red dots. Over time your muscle memory will align the gun to the correct spot to meet your eyesight. With the DeltaPoint Pro, I can honestly say that losing the dot was rarely an issue. Even when you are learning that sweet spot for where to lift the gun, it is easy to catch at least a glimpse of the dot because the window is so large.
Once you have the dot in sight, what do you see? That 2.5 moa dot as mentioned, is very crisp and has a nice defined shape when illuminated. It does not cover targets; even the smallest competition targets that I’ve aimed at are still visible and easy to hit. Zeroing the optic was easy enough with clickable windage and elevation adjustments that can be used without tools.
In the year I’ve owned the DeltaPoint Pro it has been very reliable and rugged even in some very nasty weather conditions. However, I’ve read reports that the battery life is shorter than the competition I still have yet to replace the battery. If you are using the DeltaPoint in a duty or concealed carry capacity that runs for hours on end, you will need to change batteries more frequently.
So is the Leupold DeltaPoint Pro the best red dot for your pistol? It is definitely a top contender, with only a few other optics coming close to the quality and reliability of the DeltaPoint Pro. As a choice for a competition pistol, there are few optics I would trust as much as the Leupold DeltaPoint Pro. Consider how you plan to use the optic, and let us know in the comments below what you think the best red dot is for a pistol.
Leupold DeltaPoint Pro Specs:
- Motion Sensor Technology(MST)
- Waterproof, Fogproof, & Shockproof
- UPC: 030317005856
- MPN: 119688
- Click Value: 1 MOA
- Finish: Black
- Power Supply: CR 2032
- Reticle: 2.5 MOA Red Dot
- Weight: 1.9 oz
- Battery Type: CR2032
- Battery Life (hr), Low Intensity: 1600
- Battery Life (hr), Medium Intensity: 1000
- Battery Life (hr), High Intensity: 300
Other Gear Seen in this Review:
- Leupold DeltaPoint Pro Red Dot
- Sig Sauer P320 XCarry Legion 9mm Pistol
- Streamlight TLR-1 Weapon Light
About Duncan Johnson:
Duncan is a firm believer in the Second Amendment and that “shall not be infringed”, which means exactly that. A life-long firearms enthusiast and a graduate of George Mason University, now competing regularly in 3 gun competitions, Duncan is always looking to improve his shooting skills. Duncan is a regular contributor to AmmoLand and assists in the everyday gun-news publishing as an assistant editor.
