Budget Optic Review: Sig Sauer Romeo 7S
I’ve used a lot of Sig Sauer red dots over the years on pistols and rifles. I keep going back to them because they’ve been reliable and usually sell at a good price point. Early in 2024, I decided to try a new red dot, the Sig Sauer Romeo 7S. 8 months later, I’m ready to share some thoughts on it. Is it worth the money?
How Did We Get Here?
I’ve primarily used 2 Sig Sauer red dots on my long guns and AR pistols, the Romeo 5 and the Romeo MSR. Both have been reliable in my experience. The Romeo 5 is packed with features and can be found for $130 or less pretty easily. (Sometimes on sale for $99). The Romeo MSR has been discontinued. Like its slightly more expensive sibling, it was inexpensive and reliable, albeit with fewer features. I bring those 2 up because the Romeo 7S fits in between them in terms of features and price.
The Specs
The Sig Romeo 7S is capable, feature rich compact red dot, especially at its price point. It has a 22 mm aperture, slightly bigger than the 20 mm Romeo 5 or the Romeo MSR. The optic allows for unlimited eye relief and is parallax-free. It features a 2 MOA dot with 9 daytime and 2 night vision settings. Sig claims a battery life of up to 50,000 hours on a medium setting. (That’s over 5 years) Part of that battery length is due to Sig’s MOTAC (motion-activated) system that puts the dot to sleep when motionless for a while and instantly wakes when moved. It’s often called “shake awake”.
Dimensions
Length: 3.03 inches (77 mm)
Width: 1.62 inches (41 mm)
Height: 1.77 inches (45 mm)
Weight: 7.6 ounces (216 grams) with a mount
The housing and mount are aircraft-grade aluminum, and the optic is both shockproof and IPX-7 rated as waterproof and fogproof. Unlike most red dots on the market, the Romeo 7S is powered by a regular AAA battery. That makes finding a replacement easy and inexpensive. A nice touch is the little wire tether that keeps me from losing the battery compartment cap when I do a battery swap.
Like all Sig Sauer electro-optics, the Romeo 7S has an unlimited lifetime guarantee.
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Mounting the Romeo 7S
Mounting the Romeo 7S is simple. The aluminum mount is sturdy and uses a single screw that can be tightened with either a screwdriver or socket. No Allen wrenches are needed. It mounts easily on standard 1913 Picatinny rails.
I decided to put this on my Palmetto State Armory AR pistol. This particular gun has a 10.5-inch barrel and is chambered in 5.56 mm. It often fills the “truck gun” role for me, as well as a home defense role most of the time.
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Zeroing
The Romeo 7S is easy to zero. I had used a Feyachi Bore Sighting Laser to get it pretty close before I went to the range. The windage and elevation dials are easy to reach and give very good audible and tactile feedback when making adjustments.
Unlike the Romeo 5, there are no caps over the dials. This makes the dials easy to get to, but I wouldn’t mind if they added those to protect the dials from getting sand and junk in them.
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Shooting Impressions
There were no surprises here. I expected the Romeo 7S to perform as well as the Romeo 5 and Romeo MSR and it did not disappoint. Over the 8 months, it has held zero and has performed flawlessly. In terms of function, I have no complaints about its performance.
It’s worth noting that the know to turn it on/off and adjust the brightness is in the back, facing the user. Unlike many of its contemporaries, this dial doesn’t have numbers on it or turn infinitely. It’s super simple…turn clockwise until you see the brightness you want, and counterclockwise fully to shut it off. As a guy who has replaced several batteries on my Tango- MSR scope because I accidentally stopped on a NV setting, I appreciate this simplicity.
Red or Green
The 7S is available with either a red or green reticle dot. What is the difference? Some shooters with astigmatism find the green dot easier to use. The red can cause a bit of a “bloom” for them and not be as crisp, but the green does not cause the “bloom”.
Personally, I choose red dots and I don’t mix green in. I have shot green and they work just fine, but for defensive uses, I stick with one color. That’s just my preference. Make informed choices for yourself based on your context.
I have heard complaints on the internet about a “halo” around the objective lens. I do see a halo when the dot is turned up very bright, but I don’t see it in most settings I use indoors. Frankly, it doesn’t bother me.
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Minor Points
The Romeo 7S comes with flip-up lens covers. I usually leave them on during storage and transport, but they are prone to coming off while trying to flip the lens cover-up. Since they’re clear, I don’t have to flip them up to use the gun in a hurry, but still, they’re not secure. I’ll probably lose one at some point and then just take the other one off.
Also, be aware that the nut that holds the optic on sticks out a fair amount. (See the pic below. Nut is on the left) It hasn’t been a problem for me, but if slick appearances and smooth surfaces are a big deal for you, this could be an issue for you.
The Verdict
Would I recommend the Sig Sauer Romeo 7S for an average shooter? Yes, without hesitation. Sure, if I were going into a combat zone or wading into the zombie apocalypse, I may choose something else. But most of us aren’t doing that. We’re taking it to the range and may call on it to defend our loved ones, our church or our homes. For that, what I would call a light-duty role, the 7S is a solid option that doesn’t hate your wallet.
While the sleeker Romeo 5 will probably continue to be my default red dot, I have no reason to not recommend this optic. As I mentioned, it resides on an AR pistol that I frequently use in a defensive role, so I trust the Romeo 7S enough to stake my own life on it.
If you are looking for a budget-friendly, reliable red dot, this is one worth looking at. You can find the Green Dot Version here or Red Dot Here.