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Pros - Sights in easily - Exchangeable base for Weaver or Dovetail mounts - Perfectly illuminated reticles Cons - Knobs and lenses pop off under too much recoil - Not fully multicoated

Welcome to our review of the BARSKA 1x20mm Green/Red Dot Crossbow Sight with Dovetail/Weaver Exchangeable Base. BARSKA makes decent optics, and I am always pretty pleased with their crossbow sights. They tend to work well for both crossbows and other weapons, so they’re quite versatile. I got my hands on the 1x20mm Green/Red Dot Sight, and put it through its paces on one of my crossbows. Here’s what I found out.

How Much Magnification Do I Get From the BARSKA 1x20mm Green/Red Dot Crossbow Sight?

You might have heard of WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) when it comes to Web editors. Well, this crossbow sight is a WYSIWYS (What You See Is What You Shoot) sight. It has no magnification at all, and a 20mm objective lens providing a 1X view. The field of view at 100 yards is 36 feet, and the the sight features unlimited eye relief. The reticle is selectable between a green dot and a red dot.

How is the Optics Quality on the Crossbow Sight?

The optics on the BARSKA 1x20mm Green/Red Dot Crossbow Sight are about what I’d expect out of a sub-$75 sight. They’re decent enough, and BARSKA has multi-coated at least one of the air-to-glass surfaces of the optics. Unfortunately, the optics are not fully multi-coated, so you don’t get quite the light transmission that you might if BARSKA had spent a bit more money on the anti-reflective treatment of the optical system within the sight.

Even so, this sight performs very well during low light conditions. The image, even during pre-dawn or post-dusk times, is bright and clear, and the adjustable illumination of the dots works perfectly at just the right light intensities. There was no haloing or ghosting around the dot, making it perfect for hunting at virtually all legal hours. The sight requires a CR2032 3V lithium battery, which can be difficult to find in the field, so be sure to carry a spare with you. Then again, if you’re hunting with an illuminated scope or sight, you’re almost always going to need a spare CR2032, since most of the models I’ve seen take that particular battery.

The wide field of view on this sight makes it easy to acquire and track your prey, and I’ve found it easy to take down bucks even on the move because of the great field of view. Of course, you have to know how to lead the animal, but the sight provides enough of a linear field of view to make that easy to accomplish once you know what you’re doing.

While BARSKA does not say one way or the other whether this sight is nitrogen-purged, I did not experience any fogging with the sight, even on damp, muggy, or extremely cold days. I think it’s safe to assume that it is nitrogen-purged.

What’s the Housing Like on the Crossbow Sight?

The housing is constructed of aircraft grade aluminum, and is quite rugged and durable. The knobs are ridged for easy use, but the windage and elevation knobs are a bit on the smallish side. These particular knobs aren’t adjustable if you’re wearing gloves, so make sure you sight in on a nice day. The rheostat, on the other hand, is quite large and easily turned even with gloves on. The sight comes with lens covers, so you can keep your glass safe when you aren’t using the sight.

Several people I know with this sight have complained about the knobs coming off or the lenses popping out. They, however, were using the sight with .45 and .50 caliber handguns, which might generate too much recoil for the sight to handle. While I have not experienced this myself, it’s worth noting, especially since BARSKA charges $20 to for return shipping if you have to send in a sight for RMA warranty service.

How Easy is the BARSKA 1x20mm Green/Red Dot Crossbow Sight to Mount?

Mounting this sight is easy, whether you have a Weaver rail or Dovetail. The base is exchangeable; by removing it and flipping it upside down, you can switch back and forth between the two mounting types. Once you’ve chosen the correct mount for your weapon, the sight installs in seconds and is ready to sight in.

How Easy is the BARSKA 1x20mm Green/Red Dot Crossbow Sight to Sight In?

Sighting in the BARSKA 1x20mm Green/Red Dot Crossbow Sight is very easy, with 1.18" click values at 100 yards. The instruction manual provides very easy to understand instructions for determining the click values at different ranges, making it quite simple to sight in the sight no matter what range you are shooting from.

I had the sight fully zeroed within 5 shots, and it remained true for two full seasons of use. This thing is rock solid, and performs beautifully.

Is the BARSKA 1x20mm Green/Red Dot Crossbow Sight an Easy to Use Sight?

Yes, it’s a simple point and shoot. The rheostat is easily adjustable to provide different intensities of the red or green dot, and the sight is easily zeroed and maintained at zero.