Product Review Holosun 507C-GR-X2 ACSS Vulcan - battery life?

[Racer88]

So, the very cool ACSS Vulcan reticle with the outside "training wheels" ring turned on is expected to drain the battery faster (than if the outer ring is turned off).

Holosun's infographic:

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My own infographic:

I left the outer circle on, because I like it and I wanted to see how long it would last.

So, for context, I carry this PFC9 rig mainly on weekends and when I'm not at work.

During the week, due to the "dress code" at work, I pocket carry a S&W 642 Airweight.

So, I'll say that I carry the PFC9 half of the week.

When the PFC9 is idle (in the safe), the optic has an "auto-off" feature that powers down after 10 minutes of no movement. They call it "Shake-Awake."

I have the brightness set to "auto." So, when it's concealed, under a garment... presumably it will be at a low intensity, since it's "in the dark" under the garment.

So keeping that in mind... The battery lasted exactly 1 year. Today I noticed the reticle was flickering just a bit. Low battery. So it wasn't dead. But it was going going gone. So, I installed a new battery.

I really like the chevron center aiming reticle. I have regular dot optics, and I believe the chevron is better for defensive "work." It's faster and easier to pick up visually. A small dot is better for bullseye or precision shooting at the range.

The outer circle works very well to reorient you - almost instinctively - if your presentation is off and the chevron isn't there. Highly recommend the ACSS Vulcan version of the 507C. I believe it is an exclusive model available only from Primary Arms.

Holosun HE507C-GR-X2 Pistol Green Dot Sight - ACSS® Vulcan™ Reticle

The Holosun HE507C-GR-X2-ACSS is a new generation of pistol red dot sight packed full of features like the multiple reticle system, solar failsafe, and shake awake technology to ensure your reflex sight is always operational when you need it.

www.primaryarms.com

I find acquisition of the sight picture to be very very fast after a lot of training and practice. I am definitely faster with this now than I am with iron sights. And generally more accurate.

 

[brian]

That's far shy of the 50,000 hours I see advertised on many Holosun red dots. Unsure what the Vulcan suggests. Did you toss in a fresh battery day 1 or is this 1 year on a battery "as is" from what was in place when you got it?

 

[Racer88]

That's far shy of the 50,000 hours I see advertised on many Holosun red dots. Unsure what the Vulcan suggests. Did you toss in a fresh battery day 1 or is this 1 year on a battery "as is" from what was in place when you got it?

I believe the rating for the vulcan reticle is 20,000 hours, and that's just for the Chevron. With the circle, it's even less, at 17,000 hours:

The traditional dot reticles are much more battery efficient. Those are the ones rated at 50,000 hours.

To answer your last question... that was on the original factory battery. We'll see how the Duracell I installed lasts.

 

[Mooner]

My buddy and my experience.

My buddy and I got 507k about same time. Both EDC with the same optic with factory battery. Here some comparison.

Buddy:
Less than 6months.
Circle with Dot, Mid to High brightness

Me:
More than a year.
Dot only, Low to Mid cuz of my astigmatism

Edit: if you are new to dot, the Acess Vulcan reticle is highly recommend. It would cut down learning curve to acquired dot consistency. I sold mine as soon as I achieved this goal.

 

[Racer88]

if you are new to dot, the Acess Vulcan reticle is highly recommend. It would cut down learning curve to acquired dot consistency. I sold mine as soon as I achieved this goal.

I wasn't new to dots. I've had one on my HD pistol for many years. Though, admittedly I did not really dive into it, in terms of training and practice, like I have with my new dot-equipped EDC.

No doubt the outer circle was helpful as I trained and practiced draws and presentations. It helped increase my speed, as it made corrections in my presentation obvious.

It's worth noting that the outer circle of the ACSS Vulcan can be turned off, leaving only the chevron. I really REALLY like the chevron over the dot for defensive type shooting. It's much quicker to pick up visually, because it's larger. The arrowhead shape is intuitive.

Once your presentations are consistent, you won't even see the outer circle. And at this point, most times I don't see the circle. I leave it on anyway... just in case!