Swampfox has made quite a splash in the world of budget optics. The company has evolved from producing simple red dots to prisms, low-power variable optics (LPVOs), and more. Today, we’re looking at the Justice 2, a large and in-charge handgun-mounted red dot.
Swampfox offers a range of pistol red dots in various sizes, shapes, and designs. The Justice 2 is aimed at the competitive and budget-conscious shooter. It’s easy to get lost in the competition gear when buying, so saving a little money can be a big benefit.
I’ve used the Justice 2 in multiple roles and feel I can break it down to discuss its pros and cons, and where it could fit in your gear locker.
What Makes the Justice 2 Different?
It’s massive and provides the largest handgun optics window I’m aware of. It takes some cues from the Trijicon SRO, with a lens pushed slightly forward, but sticks to a more squared window design than the SRO’s circular one.
The window is 30mm, which makes it larger than the SRO and even the 507 Comp. There is something to be said for taking things to the next level, and the massive window does just that.
The Justice 2 comes in three reticle configurations, but the most impressive is the multi-reticle design. This model has four distinct reticles, which makes it a bit different from other multi-reticle designs. The four reticles are a 2 MOA dot, a 34 MOA circle, four subtensions that form an open crosshair, and a combination of the 2 MOA dot with the 34 MOA circle and subtensions.
You get all of this for less than $300. The MSRP is $269.99, and if you shop around, you can find it for even less. That’s what makes the Justice 2 different, but there’s more to it than just that.
The Basics
The Justice 2 uses a standard RMR footprint, which makes it readily accessible for the majority of optics-ready guns. It operates on a 1632 battery, which loads from the top.
The battery life is reportedly 50,000 hours, but that’s the maximum and likely comes from the lowest brightness setting. You get 10 brightness settings in total. To help keep the battery life on the higher side, the Shake Awake shuts the optic off after 225 seconds of inactivity.
Finally, to sweeten the deal just a bit more, the Justice 2 comes with a ton of different screws and a wrench to attach and zero the optic. The varying screw lengths make it easy to attach to a variety of different guns.
To the Range
I’ve used the Swampfox Justice 2 on both a rifle as an offset red dot and as a pistol optic. It performs quite well in both roles. The giant window offers some advantages you might not notice until the lead starts flying.
A big window is easier to get behind, and you can even mess up your presentation and still find yourself behind the optic. If your index is perfect every single time, then maybe this isn’t a big deal. However, competitions are all about speed.
You might find yourself pressing the gas a little too fast under the pressure of a competition. When that happens, that big window covers a multitude of presentation errors. I also like it when I’m forced to shoot with my left hand, as it just seems to make life so much easier. The great big window of the Justice 2 makes it easy for me to drive the gun between targets.
You can transition very quickly and track your dot between targets. If you want to move fast and you don’t want to worry about sacrificing too much technique, the big window does wonders.
One of the best skills you can have is the ability to track your red dot through the gun’s recoil pattern. A bigger window makes that easier because you can see the dot longer before recoil forces it to ‘leave’ the window.
The better you can track the red dot, the faster you can get back on target and put more rounds where they need to be. The window of the Justice 2 makes it easy to track the dot and nail long strings of fire into tiny groups.
I also found the big window and reticle handy when shooting in weird positions, such as from behind cover, in side prones, and with single-handed manipulations.
Beyond the Window
The reticles are crisp and clear. The jump between brightness settings is noticeable, and you can use this thing at high noon in Florida. When choosing my favorite reticle, I’d have to look at the task I’m accomplishing.
The four subtensions reticle is excellent when running the Justice 2 as an offset dot on your rifle. It’s big, and since offsets are designed for close range, you can just put the target between all those lines and start dropping hammers.
For handguns, the 2 MOA circle or the circle dot combination works best for me.
The big plain circle would be an excellent option on shotguns where speed is paramount. The reticles have no noticeable lag when recoiling. The refresh rate seems top-notch, which is nice to see from such an affordable optic.
The Downsides
A sub-$300 optic isn’t going to be perfect. We have to note a few downsides that are going to be prevalent when you start shooting. The window has some noticeable distortion. It fish eyes a little bit. It’s not a major deal, but it does make target focus a little more challenging.
To be fair, it’s not as bad as some of the RMRs I’ve shot with. There is also some noticeable emitter reflection. Again, it’s not a huge problem, but it’s annoying and noticeable, especially when shooting indoors.
Give Me Justice!
The Justice 2 offers competition shooters a solid optic with a huge window and multiple reticles, all at a reasonable price. The minor issues are notable but expected at this price point. Ultimately, the Justice 2 is a fantastic optic for the money and well-suited for rifles, handguns, and shotguns.
