Everyone should be dubious of something that promises to do several tasks well versus a dedicated product.
The underlying concern is that compromises involved with making something adaptable invariably lead to compromises in performance.
The ZeroTech Trace HALO refutes this assumption. Incidentally, HALO stands for Heavy-duty Aspherical Lens Optic. Thank goodness for acronyms (in this case).
ZeroTech Optics is gaining momentum in the U.S. market with products like the HALO.
Based in Australia, where it’s earned 50 years of experience in the rugged Outback, the company’s U.S. operation is based outside of Murfreesboro, Tenn.
The ZT HALO is the “Goldilocks” of reflex sights—a little larger than your typical handgun-mounted dot and a little smaller than red dot sights often found on rifles/carbines. It’s just right for someone wanting maximum utility in a single unit.
The HALO’s size enhances its durability, utilizing a 7075-aluminum housing to ensure shockproof, waterproof, and fog-proof performance.
This also applies to the large, fully multi-coated 28x20mm aspherical lens for an expanded field of view and clear visuals. The aluminum housing extends past the lens for increased protection.
The unit is RMSc footprint compatible with ZeroTech, not only offering a variety of mounting screw sizes but also a Picatinny rail mount for versatile mounting options.
Other specifications include a 3 MOA red dot with 10 brightness settings (2 NV). It boasts 80 MOA of height and windage adjustment at 1.5 MOA per click.
The top-loading CR2032 battery provides 50,000 hours of use with auto sleep/shake awake features to help manage battery life.
The top-mounted battery compartment gives the red dot a thin base that enables a low-mounted lens. As well as the front lens, there’s a rear panel of glass.
Do not confuse this with an enclosed emitter-type design. Zero Tech uses this rear glass as an extra barrier to keep dust and water away from the emitter. Weight of the unit is a featherweight 2.7 ounces.
Since acquiring a Zero Tech HALO in mid-2024, I have used it on multiple platforms, not just different handguns, but rather handguns, carbines, shotguns, and pistol caliber carbines (PCCs), including the Springfield Armory DS Prodigy Comp and the CzechPoint vz58 7.62x39 carbine.
ON THE HANDGUN
I easily mounted the HALO to the Springfield Armory DS Prodigy via its AOS (Agency Optic System) RMSc interface plate.
The Prodigy Comp and HALO collaboration provided a very stable sight picture, no matter how many or how rapidly rounds went downrange.
The HALO’s dot came intuitively to eye when the Prodigy Comp was brought up to the firing position. This is an important part of the evaluation, as users do not want to have to “search” for the dot in the stress and fluidity of the moment.
In my experience, the low-mounted lens keeps the HALO where it needs to be for the shooter’s eye to find.
Plate racks and dueling trees were hammered. The big question on my mind with the Prodigy Comp/HALO combo was how the dot would remain on target during the recoil cycle.
The Zero Tech’s red dot fluttered around the IPSC targets “A” zone, but never recoiled completely off even during rapid multiple-round drills.
Thanks to the Prodigy Comp’s minimal recoil/muzzle flip and the HALO’s wide field of view, courtesy of its aspherical lens design, the Prodigy Comp/ZT HALO combo seamlessly transitioned to the next target.
Many times, the next target was already in my peripheral view given the wide-angle housing of the HALO, housing that virtually disappears when engaging targets with proper both-eyes-open discipline.
The HALO performed as if it were made to function on a handgun, which it is. My experience should assuage any concerns of the HALO’s performance on a handgun.
Thanks to the direct-mount capabilities, the HALO doesn’t sit awkwardly high on a handgun's slide. The HALO’s aspherical lens offers a pronouncedly more horizontal field of view compared to many other red dot sights on the market, further confirming its talents on a handgun platform.
ON THE CARBINE
Pleased with the performance on the Springfield Armory Prodigy Comp, I searched for another use for the HALO. The CzechPoint vz58 braced pistol chambered in 7.62x39 presented a perfect secondary platform.
The CzechPoint vz58 receiver allows for an optic side rail to be attached.
Because I did not fancy using the vz58 irons, especially with an overall sight length of only about 6 inches, the HALO red dot seemed like a logical upgrade. Its wide, parallax-free field of view and fast target engagement, especially from improvised shooting positions, make the HALO a perfect candidate for use on a braced pistol.
After a quick zero, range evaluation commenced with a function test, firing several magazines in rapid succession at various steel man-scale targets and vehicles at Echo Valley Training Center (EVTC). The steel targets provide instant feedback of rounds smacking metal.
My conclusion: The Zero Tech endured strings of fire ranging from 10 to 95 rounds with target distances measured in feet out to a hundred yards or so. The HALO facilitated the vz58 handled like a carbine, even though classified as a pistol.
IN CONCLUSION
In my range experiences, the ZeroTech HALO red dot enabled fast and accurate firing. Freedom from rigid eye-relief requirements is a major advantage of the red-dot family in general, and it was confirmed when working in tight confines or in improvised, often awkward firing positions to maximize cover.
Keep both eyes open, and if you see the red dot on target, pull the trigger. Making hits is just that simple. The adjustable intensity of the HALO red dot sight allows shooters to tune the 3 MOA dot reticle as needed, either in low light or bright conditions.
In sessions that totaled over 800 empty cases, the ZT HALO proved steadfast, maintaining a solid zero, and the red dot was always present when the slightest movement woke it up.
Goldilocks, indeed. It’s capable on both pistol and pistol-carbine platforms.
ZEROTECH TRACE H.A.L.O. SPECIFICATIONS:
Mounting Footprint: RMSc with additional Picatinny rail mount
Magnification: 1x
Objective Lens Dimensions: 28mm x 20mm fully multi-coated
Reticle: 3 MOA Red Dot
Brightness Settings:10 levels, including 2 for night vision
Battery Life: Up to 50,000 hours on a mid-setting
Material: 7075 Aluminum
Adjustment Range: 80 MOA for windage and elevation
Weight: 2.7 ounces
Footprint: Shield RMSc
Additional Features: Auto sleep/shake-awake
Battery: Top-loading CR2032
MSRP: $359