Once upon a time, there were few options for red dot rifle optics. Aimpoint, EOTech, and Trijicon were about it for optics stout enough to adorn a fighting rifle. Over the last decade and change, the optics world has exploded with new offerings. Among those additions has been a name normally synonymous with firearms — Sig. Since 2015, they’ve offered an expanding lineup of quality optics. Not long ago, I finally joined the fold of Sig optics owners and purchased a Sig Romeo 4T. After some research and a little range time, I would be remiss to not share the quality — and features — of this red dot with you.
The Sig Romeo 4T
I hate to admit it, but the Sig Romeo 4T was a bit of an impulse buy. My safe contained a few shamefully neglected AR-15s that were absent a reliable, durable, and practical optic. During my search for one, a friend sold me on the Romero 4T rather quickly. After playing with one for a little bit, you’ll understand why my decision was impulsive and far from misguided.
The Sig Romeo 4T is arguably Sig’s best offering in their micro red dot lineup. I’m sure this point is up for debate, but that’s for another time. So, without further ado, let’s delve into the specs, features, and my perceived pros and cons with this durable little red dot.
Romeo 4T Specs
Battery Life
The Sig Romeo 4T is a 20mm optic in a similar vein of micro red dots like the Aimpoint T1 and T2 series. The Romeo 4T is powered by a standard CR2032 watch battery. The CR2032 is kind of the standard with micro red dots, especially with small pistol red dots and illuminated low-powered variable optics (LPVOs). However, the Romeo 4T takes things a step further.
The 4T includes a small solar panel on the top of the optic that significantly aids battery life. Sig advertises an astounding 100,000-hour battery life for the Sig Romeo 4T. While this obviously depends on several factors, such as if the optic is run during lighted or unlighted conditions, that’s over 10 years of battery life. I haven’t owned the optic that long to truly determine if there’s any truth to those advertised numbers, but it’s certainly believable. The Sig Romeo 4T also features Sig’s MOTAC “shake-awake” sensor. The optic powers down after 120 seconds of no movement. The optic then turns back on when it senses movement from the user. While I’m sure there are some concerns about the optic turning on if riding in a vehicle, the advertised battery life should negate any hesitation.
Reticles
The above title isn’t a typo. Yes, the 4T has reticles. By pressing and holding both brightness adjustment buttons, the reticle switches between one of the four reticles available on Sig’s Ballistic Circle Dot reticle system. The included reticles are a dot, circle, and dot (similar to EOTech style reticle), ballistic dots and circle, and ballistic dots. The dots act as ranging measurements for most 5.56 trajectories. The reticles are adjustable with 10 daytime and two low-power night vision settings. The 4T has a 100 MOA adjustment range with ½-MOA increments. The scope covers act as adjustment tools for windage and elevation.
The Sig Romeo 4T’s reticle is one of the crispest reticles I’ve ever seen in a red dot. In my experience, red dot reticles tend to starburst and many are somewhat fuzzy under brighter illumination. Even with a 4x magnifier, the 4T’s reticles were extremely crisp. Sig did a fantastic job with the clarity of their glass and the reticle in this product.
Additional Features and Accessories
The Romeo 4T arrived well-packaged and with plenty of accessories. The packaging included both clear and occluded scope covers for the optic. The included scope covers are exceptionally secure and not just cheap press-fit covers commonly included with scopes and red dots. The optic covers are secured to the objective and/or ocular lenses with a threaded ring. The optic also came with a waffle pattern diffuser for the optic’s objective lens to reduce the likelihood of the optic inadvertently glinting under day or artificial light.
Three different mounts were included with the 4T. The optic came with a standard 1.41-inch AR-15 riser mount to co-witness with rifle iron sights. A low-profile mount for pistols or rifles requiring reduced optic over bore mounting was also included. The 4T also had an available spacer for the AR-15 riser that added the option for lower third co-witness with AR-15 iron sights.
The Romeo 4T is durable and resilient against the elements. The optic is waterproof at a 20-meter depth for one hour. For those of you looking for a new optic while snorkeling or scuba diving, then the 4T may be worth considering. While I’m being sarcastic, there’s nothing wrong with an overbuilt optic. After all, the knowledge you’ll never exceed the optic’s certified durability instills a profound sense of confidence when relying on something to save your life.
Final Impressions
The Romeo 4T is an impressive package. In my limited range time with this optic, it’s performed exceptionally well. Sig seems to have thought of most features and options desired in a micro red dot. Furthermore, they’ve gone a step further and built it with specifications that meet or exceed the requirements of a fighting optic — whether civilian, law enforcement, or military.
On the opposing side of things, the 4T gets only minor suggestions for improvement. Sig put a lot of thought into this optic. The dual-power supply running one of four reticles, MOTAC “shake-awake” technology, and night vision compatibility are all great features. When considering the optic’s rugged specifications, it’s a solid and durable optic to boot. However, I’d like to see Sig go a step further and include the option for automatic brightness adjustment. It’s not a deal-breaker as far more expensive optics don’t include this feature. Nonetheless, I think Sig has the ingenuity to make an automatic brightness setting that actually works. After all, they’ve basically done everything else.
The Sig Romeo 4T isn’t cheap on the wallet when compared to baseline micro red dot sights. However, in the grand scheme of high-quality micro red dots, it’s not the most expensive and is more than appropriately priced. Furthermore, I think you’ll be hard-pressed to find one as durable and with as many out-of-the-box options, features, and accessories. Overall, the Romeo 4T is a great buy if you’re in the market for a rugged and reliable micro red dot for your fighting rifle. The Romeo 4T is available from GunMag Warehouse for $539.99. It’s worth every penny — and then some.
