I’m on a kick of just finding the cheapest products I can and reviewing them. I want to see how the budget market has changed.
The Cyelee WOLF0 is probably the cheapest, somewhat name-brand pistol red dot on the market. I previously reviewed the CAT0 from Cyelee, which they sent me.
I’m guessing they didn’t care for the review and left me to read the next name. I contacted them.
This WOLF0 was purchased by me for $106, making it exceptionally affordable. The WOLF0 is an RMR footprint optic, and I equipped it to a Staccato HD P4. Why? Well, something about attaching the cheapest optic I own to the most expensive handgun I own made me giggle.
I needed an RMR-compatible dot for review purposes. I keep various somewhat affordable dots for gun testing purposes, and the WOLF0 will be that dot.
What Makes Up the WOLF0
This is about as standard as an optic gets. It’s a basic open emitter design made from aluminum with a glass lens. Other companies have produced polymer optics with clear polymer lenses for a lot more money, so at least the construction is seemingly solid.
The WOLF0 has ten brightness levels, with two that can provide night vision use. It would be a little funny to see someone using something as expensive as night vision while rocking a dot this cheap. Kind of like tossing it on a 2,500-dollar pistol, right?
The optic comes with a shake awake that turns off after a few minutes with zero motion. Move it, and it fires right back up. At this point, shake awake is a necessity for dots as far as I am concerned. It’s become so prevalent that I never turn dots off anymore.
Cyelee includes a Picatinny mount, so it’s not just stuck on handguns. It’s a very low mount, so it’s not AR-friendly. Luckily, it’s an RMR footprint, so there are tons and tons of mounts available.
We get nice big buttons on either side of the optic. They are tactile and rubberized. They require a firm press to manipulate, so I don’t think they’d be manipulated while holstered.
The battery is a CR2032, and it loads through the top of the optic. The battery compartment is easy to unscrew and reach. Cyelee even textures the sides of the optic in a way that resembles a pistol slide to help get a good grip on the optic and slide while manipulating the gun.
At the Range With the WOLF0
With the optic mounted, I zeroed quickly. The turrets deliver stiff feedback, but it’s easy to feel what the clicks. It does feel a bit like forcing them, which initially made me think the optic was zeroed out in one direction. Finally, they moved, just took a little force.
Zeroing was easy. I first slaved the dot to the Staccato’s iron sights, then adjusted from there. The Staccato is an absurdly accurate gun, so it was easy to get the dot zeroed at 15 yards. The reticle is a 3 MOA red dot, which is mostly fine. It’s not Aimpoint perfect, and it starbursts a little at the bottom of the dot.
It’s fine for most people, especially with a handgun. For 106 dollars, it’s acceptable, but it’s not a crisp, perfect dot. At brighter settings, the little starburst gets a little worse. In terms of refresh rate, it’s adequate and capable. It doesn’t lag or stutter as the reticle moves back and forth.
I can trace the blur of a dot as it moves, and I shoot. The Staccato has fairly minimal recoil, and the dot pops back and forth quickly and drops right back on target. Going quickly, shooting at extended ranges, and beyond were all easy to accomplish.
The lens is fairly clear. There is a noticeable blue notch filter, but overall, it’s clear and doesn’t disrupt your sight picture or make finding different colors difficult.
Tough Enough?
The dot remained zeroed through 700 rounds I put through the Staccato. It ripped back and forth over and over without losing zero.
The WOLF0 claims it’s IPX7 rated, so I submerged it in water and let it sit for half an hour. I pulled it out, dried the emitter, and sure enough, it still worked. I dropped the gun and optic from chest height at three angles, both sides and the top.
The dot remained on, so I shot a group, and it remained zeroed. For 106 dollars, it can take some falls and water, so it’s going to stay my review optic for RMR-compatible guns. I can probably beat it up some more, but at this price point, I don’t expect a tank.
Specifications
- Reticle – 3 MOA
- Weight – 1.4 ounces
- Objective Lens – 24mm
- Battery Life – 50K
- Price – $106.94
Clarity – ***
The dot and lens are capable enough. The dot isn’t completely crisp, and the lens has a noticeable notch filter, but for the price point, it’s fine.
Ergonomics – ****
The WOLF0 is lightweight, has nice big buttons, and provides an easy-to-remove battery cap.
Overall – *** (and a half)
Is it radically different? No. Does it do something new? No. Does it work? Yes. It’s a fine dot at a solid price point.
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