The snow was coming down hard when I got to my outdoor shooting range in north-central Wisconsin. The thermometer read 7 degrees Fahrenheit. Not exactly optimal conditions in which to try out the tactical RT-R Mod 3 RMD red dot from Riton Optics.

“Maybe another day,” I thought.   

Then I came to my senses. Tactical situations, after all, don’t wait for optimal conditions. Good weather, bad weather, day or night, completely unexpected or with some warning — when it’s go-time and your gear needs to work, it’s time.

Which very well could be during a snow storm and single-digit temps.

Easily attached to a shotgun, rifle or pistol, the RT-R Mod 3 RMD (Riton Micro Dot) features Riton’s 2 MOA ultra-precise red dot. With a 23mm objective lens and multi-coated lenses, the Mod 3 RMD sports 1X magnification, six illumination settings (with on/off positions between each settings), three mounts of varying sizes and a one-piece, aircraft-grade aluminum tube. It runs on a single CR 2032 battery.

I’d mounted the Mod 3 onto a Remington Model 870 DM 12-gauge shotgun — the tactical, detachable magazine version of Remington’s workhorse Model 870 platform. At my snowy range, I started my evaluation by “zeroing” the Mod 3 with 12-gauge slugs at 25 yards and shooting from a rest. First shots were about 8 inches low and to the left.

With adjustments equal to 1 MOA at 100 yards, it took a good deal of clicks to raise the point of impact, but that was done easily enough. A few shots later, I was on target and put three slugs into the bullseye just to be sure.

The snow fell and swirled. Yet the Mod 3’s red dot, set at “5” illumination, cut through the white stuff; the optic itself never fogged up either, despite having been in a warm house just 15-minutes prior. Snowflakes landed on both the objective and ocular lenses, but slid off with little to no trace of moisture.

By the time I switched my loads over to buckshot, the snow had stopped. A half hour later, the sun even came out. But, to me, the Mod 3 had already shown it was an effective optic, immune to snow and cold.    

Riton (pronounced “right-on”) Optics was launched by Marine Corps veteran Brady Speth and his wife, Carrie, in 2013. Initially the Speths and their employees focused on R&D to get their planned optics “right-on.” Within a couple years, Riton offered several optics for the shooter, all with a tactical focus thanks to thorough field evaluations by elite military personnel.

Today, Riton offers the Mod 1, 3 and 5 line-ups of riflescopes for hunting and tactical uses, the Mod 5 10x42 HD binoculars, two red dots and a 3X magnifier. Most recently, Riton launched the Mod 7 4-32x56IR rifle scope for the long-range competition and hunting markets — a first focal plane optic with 32x power and tactical zero-stop turrets that is receiving very positive reviews. 

Riton’s an up-and-comer in the tactical optics market thanks to quality products, a fine warranty and a thorough marketing program.

When I switched over to running buckshot loads through the 870 DM, my goal was to see how quickly the Mod 3 RMD got on target, the optic’s ability to adjust point of impact through various loads, and the all-around functionality of the optic. The Mod 3 RMD scored high marks on all counts.

The Mod 3 RMD has 1x magnification—which means no magnification at all. But the glass and its coatings do a fine job of making images “pop” in snowstorms, full sun and in low-light situations. The red dot itself is smaller than a lot of red dots I have used, allowing for greater precision in aiming.   

I switched between 00 Buck and 1Buck loads, each shell holding eight and 16 pellets apiece, respectively, and points of impact shifted between loads. When I first shot the Remington Ultimate Defense 00 Buck, for example, its eight pellets hit low and left at 20 yards. I gave the elevation and windage controls on the Mod 3 RMD the appropriate clicks and the patterns shifted up and over very nicely. 

The controls, by the way, clicked positively and audibly. I made my adjustments using the brass lip on a spent shotgun shell; a coin or a screwdriver will also work fine.

I ran a few drills firing off three rounds of buckshot as fast as I could at 15 yards offhand and aiming at Birchwood Casey “Bad Guy” targets. The Mod 3 RMD put me on target fast and got me back on quickly. My best drill had me placing more than half the 24 pellets fired into “Bad Guy” vital zones.

The Mod 3 RMD is sold with three mounts of differing heights with the tallest version already attached. That mount, though, was too tall for the Remington Model 870 DM, so I switched out to the lowest mount. 

That change over was easily accomplished.  First, I used the provided wrench to remove the four small screws holding the mount to the base of the Mod 3. Then switched out mounts, reinserted the four screws and attached the newly mounted optic to my 870 DM’s Picatinny rail. 

I was impressed with the precise way all the mounts fit onto the bottom of the Mod 3 optic, the smooth way the screws went into their threads and the fact the mount didn’t shift one bit on the Picatinny rail during my shooting. 

To me, that says Riton knows the how and why of precision machining. 

How To Sell The Mod 3 RMD 

First, make sure there’s a model available for customers to handle with battery installed so they can eye up the red dot reticle. Sales staff should also explain that the unit comes with the three different mounts. That’s important, as most red dots come with one or maybe two mounts and additional mounts cost extra.  

Staff should also stress the rugged construction of the Mod 3 RMD. The one-piece tube is CNC-machined from 6061-T6 aircraft-grade aluminum and features a Type III hard coat anodize finish.

“For the independent retailer, Riton is a true partner, providing sales materials and in-store help to its retailers,” said Todd Neice, Riton’s national sales director.

“We will send our retailers black counter mats, catalogues and brochures, sticker and patch swag, as well as the new banners we are working on,” said Neice. “We have local reps around the country, and they will come in and train a store’s counter people.”

Neice added, “Riton also offers a behind-the-counter program that allows your employees to accumulate points and turn them in for free optics. This program is done on a weighted scale.”

The Riton warranty on the Mod 3 RMD, and all other Riton optics, is impressive and should be covered in a sales pitch. Riton requires no proof of purchase or registration for a defective optic, and all optics are covered by a lifetime warranty regardless of purchaser. All warranty replacements will receive a brand-new product, and that product will be shipped within 48 hours of receiving and approving a return.

Loss, theft and/or deliberately worn and damaged products are not covered, and the Riton Warranty is void if damage results from unauthorized repair or alteration.

Riton’s larger marketing program is very active, too, and includes advertising space both in print and digital, and is distributed among several platforms, including Shooting Sports Retailer, Tactical Retailer, Skillset, Ballistic, RECOIL, AR15.com, Outdoor Sportsman Group and the Taylor Made Media outlets of Midsouth Shooters Supply.

“We also participate in several marketing opportunities through some of our larger dealers, such as Optics Planet and Gander Outdoors,” said Calley Carpenter, Riton’s director of marketing. “In addition, we work many of our marketing opportunities through valued partnerships with entities such as Black Rifle Coffee, Safari Club International, the NRA, Talking Lead and iHuntFit.”

Riton attends most of the major trade and consumer shows. For 2019, Riton is actively growing its ProStaff team, with the goal of 100 people by the end of 2019. 

Riton Optics has partnered with the television show, Red Rising, seen on Sportsman Channel, and Riton products will be shared on Q3 and Q4 episodes in 2019. 

Riton complements all these marketing facets with a very aggressive social media program. Both Riton’s Instagram and Facebook footprints are growing quickly, as are the company’s Twitter and YouTube channels. Riton is producing and sharing a good deal of video content, too.  

“We work though influencer partnerships to increase our various social media followings, and we have consistently grown each month,” said Carpenter. “We currently have a dedicated Digital Media Manager, too, who focuses on daily posts, engagement and growth of the pages.”

All these marketing efforts, paired with high-quality products like Mod 3 RMD, suggest Riton will be around for years to come, as it continues carving out a larger slice of the tactical optics market.