Introduced in late 2014, the Hi-Lux Optics MicroMax B-Dot is a mini red-dot sight that’s in the same category as the popular Aimpoint Micro T-1. Since, I have previously reviewed their optics (CMR 1-4x review) for TFB, Hi-Lux Optics asked me for some design inputs during the development phase of this mini red-dot.

I received my T&E sample just before last Fall’s Big 3 East Media Event and I was surprised by how good the final design is. The Hi-Lux Optics MicroMax B-Dot has a impressive 55,000 hours battery life, aircraft grade aluminum housing, and included a bunch of unique features and mounting options (which I will be going over in this review), plus all at a very affordable price point of $249 MSRP with a limited lifetime warranty.

 

During its development, the 1st question that Hi-Lux Optics asked me was what size should their new red-dot sight be? I immediately told them that something in the Aimpoint Micro T-1 size. Some still like a full size red-dot sights such as the Aimpoint CompM4, but I feel the mini red-dot size is more a versatile for different types of weapon platforms.

 

Next, I was asked by Hi-Lux Optics what kind of features I would like in this new mini red-dot sight. As a owner and a longtime users of two Aimpoint Micro T-1 and a H-1s, I would like to have a way to add flip-up lens caps and a killflash filter. Please note, this conversation took place just after SHOT 2014 and the Hi-Lux mini red-dot was in production months before Aimpoint announced their Micro T-2 model. The Hi-Lux MicroMax B-Dot comes with both flip-up lens caps and a screw-on honey-cone filter in the package.

 

Two other features that I have also recommended are tethered turret caps and extra battery storage. Experience from many Aimpoint T1 users is that the rubber bikini lens caps and the turret caps are often lost. That won’t be a problem with the new Hi-Lux MicroMax B-Dot mini red-dot.

Even with a long 55,000 hours battery life, there’s always the possibility of a bad battery and the reduction of battery life in cold weather. Just in case, the Hi-Lux mini red-dot carries a spare CR2032 lithium battery in its battery compartment cap.

 

The Hi-Lux MicroMax B-Dot features a sharp 2-MOA reticle. It works great with a magnifier such as the Samson 3.5x Magnifier on the first two images above. The lens are multi-coated and it’s clear in most light conditions with a slight green tint that shows up sometime in low light.

The illumination has 12 brightness settings via digital control with the two large buttons on top of the sight housing. There’s a programmable auto-shut off to preserve the LED diode life. Pressing both buttons together will turn of the sight. Pressing either buttons will turn on the sight or wake it up from auto-shut off.

 

The Hi-Lux MicroMax B-Dot was tested by Alexander Arms for extreme temperature and heavy recoil. Two of the Hi-Lux mini red-dots were mounted on the Alexander Arms semi-automatic Ulfberht .338 Lapua Magnum rifle. Over 300 rounds of .338 Lapua Magnum were fired at various temperatures during the test. The Ulfberht and both Hi-Lux MicroMax B-Dot sights were frozen in Alexander Arms’ cryo testing chamber overnight. The testing temperatures ranged from – 85F to +180F during the test. Both sights survived the extreme temperature and heavy recoil testing.

 

 

 

The Hi-Lux MicroMax B-Dot makes a good optic for the AK too. The 5.56mm AK in the image is a Definitive Arms custom build that feeds from Magpul P-Mag with the long version of the Krebs UFM Keymod handguard. Because of the Hi-Lux mini red-dot uses the Aimpoint T-1 mounting screw pattern, it fits the dedicated Aimpoint T-1 top cover on the Midwest Industries’ AK-SS universal handguard on my AK74, and Manticore Arms Renegade handguard on my Century Arms Yugo M92 shorty. For a rear mounting location, the Hi-Lux mini red-dot will fit the RS Regulate AKML mount with the AK300 series receiver side rail mount.

During the recent Spring 2015 edition of the Big 3 East Media Event, we mounted the Hi-Lux MicroMax B-Dot on a Rifle Dynamics AK that’s owned by Geissele Automatic, it’s their demo AK for the new Geissele AK trigger. Most of the Rifle Dynamics AK has a gas-tube optic rail mount and that particular mount has been known to fry low quality optics when it gets very hot.  We bump fired that RD AK until it was smoking and too hot to hold on to. The Hi-Lux mini red-dot sight was functioning fine even it was directly mounted on the red-hot gas tube.

 

During the Fall 2014 edition of the Big 3 East Media Event, we mounted a number of Hi-Lux MicroMax B-Dots on a lot of bunch of IWI guns including the Tavor, Galil ACE and even the Negev belt-fed light machine gun. After tens of thousands of rounds expended at the event, thousands in full-auto with the IWI Negev alone, all the Hi-Lux mini red-dots still worked.

 

 

Hi-Lux MicroMax B-Dot Specification:
Type:  Mini red-dot sight
Size: 2.5″x1.4″x1.4″
Weight: 3.8 ounces with the integral 1913 Picatinny rail low mount
Battery Life: 55,000 hours, plus a spare CR2032 battery
Mounting Options:

• Aimpoint Micro T-1 screw pattern,
• included removable 1913 Picatinny rail low mount,
• optional AR-15 riser mount ($29 MSRP).

Included Accessories: front and rear lens caps, honey-comb filter, microfiber cleaning cloth, manual
Price: $249 MSRP

FYI, for those TFB readers that were asking if Hi-Lux actually makes this or is someone else building it for them, I have asked the president of Hi-Lux Leatherwood regarding this. He confirmed that Hi-Lux is manufacturing and individually testing each MicroMax B-Dot sight at their own facility. The reason why parts of the sight look like other brands’ offering is because Hi-Lux sourced some of their main components, such as the housing casting & digital control buttons, from probably the same OEM parts producers. Even big red-dot manufacturers like Aimpoint and EOTech don’t make everything in house.

Also noted that the Hi-Lux MicroMax B-Dot should works with the new ALG Defense’s 6-second optic mount for the Glock pistol.

Special thanks to David Fortier of Shotgun News, Ancel “Shwell” Robinson of Big 3 Media Group, Bill Alexander of Alexander Arms for providing some of the photos. VSO for the video clip. And Geissele, IWI and WPA ammo for letting a bunch of gun writers have a lot of fun with your products, excessively so, for this TFB article.