You need to decide if you are going for self defense or not. If it's self defense a "red dot" is your best option. One of good quality with easily take you out to 300 meters for a center mass shot. I have Eotechs on my M4 and HK, I'm use to them and the quality is great. I've tested the Vortex SPARC and for it's price it's a good little optic and has a 1 MOA dot.

I have some civilian friends that have mounted a red dot and then gone back to a scope because they've grown up with a scope and either hunt or punch paper and are not concerned with someone coming at them from 50 feet or just from the other side of a door.