Cyelee is an up-and-coming red dot company that would be easy to dismiss. It’s one of what I call ‘Amazon’ brands.
Amazon brands are garbage-tier optics companies like Feyachi and Pinty. Cyelee started popping up in odd corners of the firearms world, likely a big marketing push by the brand to get optics out there.
Cyelee contacted me directly and offered to send me the CAT0 micro red dot sight for test and review.
While dismissing the company is easy, it might not be wise. Sure, it’s Chinese optics, but that’s the most common red dot. Holosun used to be a very similar company. Holosun and Macho Man both taught me one thing: the cream always rises to the top.
Is Cyelee going to rise to the top of the optics world? Will they have a massive booth at SHOT in a couple of years?
The best way to find out is to take the CAT0 to the range and let the lead fly.
The CAT0 In Living Color
The CAT0 is a micro-sized optic designed for subcompact and micro-compact firearms. It fits the Shield RMSc footprint, which has become the standard for micro-sized guns.
The CAT0 isn’t all that novel or unique. If you look at the various Holosun, CHPWS, and similar sights, the Cyelee wouldn’t stand out all that much.
Until you get to the price, at 149.99, it’s not an expensive optic. The CAT0 is cheaper than the competition and promises competitive features. You get stuff like shake-awake tech. After four minutes of inactivity, the optic goes to sleep, and absolutely any movement will spring it to life.
Cyelee went with a top-loading battery that uses a hex head to remove the cap. (A Hex head wrench is included.) Drop a 1632 battery in the thing, and you’re good to go. The optic brags about 50,000 hours of battery life, but I’d probably cut that number in half when using a brightness level capable of being seen during the day.
The window is a decent size at .89 x .63 . It’s larger than the Holosun 407K, which tends to be its main competitor. Big windows aren’t a big deal; they tend to be easier to use for new shooters who might have trouble finding the dot. Inside that window, we find our 3 MOA dot, which has eight daytime settings and two for night.
Shooting The CAT0
The CAT0 drops on the gun easily enough. Cyelee includes an absolute ton of different screws. They have different diameters and lengths, so you can find the right combo for your gun.
I really wish the footprint would dictate the screw, but I appreciate Cyelee recognizing that that’s not the case.
I mounted the CAT0 to the CZ Nocturne P09C, which does require a short screw due to the small slide size. The CAT0’s manual brags that it’s prezeored, and only minor adjustments are required. That turned out to be mostly true. I had to adjust the dot slightly up and to the left. If you are the type that shoots low left then this dot would be zeroed for you.
With the zero in place, I shot through a few long strings of fire, trying to observe the optic’s refresh rate. I was looking for a streak of solid red as the gun recoils, and I got it. The dot doesn’t lag and stutter when moving quickly. When shooting rapidly, it’s nothing more than a red streak moving up and slightly to the right as I shoot.
The 3 MOA dot is fairly crisp and nice. The lens has a slight notch filter, but less than I expected—I’d argue less than my Holosuns.
The side buttons provide your brightness controls, and they are rubberized. The buttons sit fairly deep under the rubberized housing. It might feel annoying, but this does make it a lot tougher to accidentally adjust brightness when carrying concealed. When you finally reach the button, it’s nice and tactile.
In the Sun
I like to see how optics perform in varying brightness levels, and the evening sun in Florida works quite well. I assumed the firing position at varying angles. I exposed my backside to it, faced it, let it hit my sides, and essentially assumed every clock position.
When facing a bright light, or mostly facing it, I had problems seeing. This was not due to the light blinding me—I might be a Jarhead, but I don’t stare at the sun. Instead, the light created reflections in the optic lens that threw red everywhere, making it challenging to find the dot from the draw or even the low ready.
Next, I gave the optic a few falls from chest height to the ground below. I didn’t throw it against concrete or anything crazy, just grass and dirt. After multiple drops at multiple angles, I grabbed the gun and shot a group. The zero remained on point and problem-free.
I hit it with a blast of water to clear the accumulated dirt off and to test the IPX7 rating. Water didn’t seem to do anything I couldn’t wipe away. The Cyelee CAT0 does nothing fancy or fantastic. It’s a basic, bare-bones dot that’s budget-friendly. It’s impressive what a 150-dollar dot can do these days. Five years ago, a 150-dollar pistol dot didn’t exist, and the budget-tier optics certainly wouldn’t work this well.
Specifications:
- Dot Size – 3 MOA
- Window Size – .89 x .63
- Battery – 1632
- Battery Life – 50K hours
- Settings – 8 day and 2 night
- MSRP – 149.99
Overall – *** (and a half)
It’s a very basic red dot and the definition of bare bones. It’s 100% average, which is perfectly fine overall. The price is solid, and the only notable downside is the reflection when faced with bright light. While it doesn’t tick the same boxes as optics like the EPS Carry, it’s a budget contender for those who don’t mind a lack of fancy.
Where To Buy
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