How long did it take to get used to RDS on your CCW pistol?

[WillBrink]

My aging eyes would no doubt benefit from a quality RDS on my CCW pistol, a VP9. My limited experience with them, I didn't really like it, and found it harder to obtain the site picture I wanted, etc, unlike when one adds an RDS to a rifles, the benefits are pretty much obvious immediately.

On an AR, it's like "how did i ever survive without this on my rifle!" On a pistol, not so much, at least in my minimal experience borrowing such a set up from a buddy.

It's obvious the RDS on the pistol should also be superior and no doubt takes times to adjust to. For those who made the transition, how long did it take before the RDS showed itself to be what you'd hoped for? What did you do to make the adjustment? What advice do you have?

What I didn't want to do was spend all that $, modify my pistol, etc, only to decide I really don't like an RDS on my CCW pistol. That happen to anyone here?

[Ken1973]

Just sent my VP9 slide out to get milled for an RMR so I'll be interested in what folks have to say.

Playing with my friend's RMR-ed Glock it was immediately apparent anything 20+ yards away was way faster with the dot.

Also immediately apparent was that I would be doing a lot of reps to clean up my presentation so I wouldn't be searching for the dot.

[WickedWillis]

I went in with both feet on the RDS milling for my Glocks. I definitely underestimated how much trouble I was personally going to have getting comfortable shooting with a dot on a pistol. It took me several trips to get them properly (Or what I thought) was properly zeroed, and I really was not as patient with it as I needed to be at the start. I saw guys on here, and on youtube crazy fast and accurate with dots and could not figure out why I wasn't, and it added to my frustration.

Now I only have one Glock 19 set up with a milled slide and an RMR, and my goal in the near future is to get as comfortable with it as I am with irons. I have about 500 rounds through it with the dot at this point. I am taking it out this weekend even, to get some more reps in. I feel like I am still about 5-700 rounds away from being competent enough with it to carry or use for self defense. I assumed because I am proficient with irons, and dots on carbines, that I would be good to go. I got very humbled lol

[gunnerblue]

I’ve just began messing with RDS on pistols as my organization has recently adopted an optics-ready handgun. My fora thus far is a Bushnell TRS on a SW22 on steel at ten yards. Presentation was difficult at first but after 500-600 rounds became much more instinctive. I’m very hopeful moving forward with these optics and plan on acquiring the new ACRO for duty use once I’m completely comfortable.

One question I have is, how difficult is it to go back and forth between irons and red dot? I don’t really want to equip every handgun I own with an optic- especially CCW and backup/hiking revolvers.

[gaijin]

Subjective of course, I have no difficulty with transition from RD to irons.

[MegademiC]

A week of dryfire-90% of it draws. 10mins a day.

My opinion is that trying to train presentations with ammo is a waste of money and time. My live fire is for validation and recoil management, etc.

My first drill with a rds was on par with irons, and it only got better.
The only “struggle” I had was transitioning target to target and losing the dot. Learn to know acceptable sight picture for a given situation.

For example, if im moving and transition to a ipsc target at 5yds and see the dot swipe the target but lose it- im pulling the trigger. Ill typically pick the dot back up during trigger press or in recoil.

[LowSpeed_HighDrag]

Ive been carrying a G34 w/RMR on duty since January, and I carried a G19 w/RMR ccw for awhile before that. I am still not "used" to it. That, however, doesn't mean it hasn't dramatically improved my shooting game, especially at distance.

[SlimMan]

My first experience with a red dot (G19 with an RMR) began a year ago after shooting iron sighted handguns for 50+ years. Picking it up and shooting the RMR equipped pistol was no problem at all, however, drawing from a holster and quickly acquiring the red dot took some effort. For me, presentation is the key to quickly pick up the red dot. If I draw and raise the weapon to what is essentially a high-ready position and then extending my arms the dot was rather quick to pick up. But even at that, I probably went through several hundred rounds before I felt like I was doing a decent job in rapidly seeing the dot.

[T2C]

I tried shooting with a RDS on a pistol for a period of time and did not like it. After several hundred rounds I determined I am faster and more accurate using iron sights, even though my eyesight is not what it was 45 years ago. I learned to shoot handguns with iron sights in the 1960's, then mastered them in the 1970's, so the transition was a bit more involved than someone who has less trigger time. My primary AR carbines have RDS sights on them and switching back and forth between RDS and iron sights is doable for me. Handguns are a different story.

I know people who compete in 3 gun matches who run a RDS on their pistol. One of them is a close friend who told me it took him two weekends and 2,500 rounds to make the transition from iron sights to a RDS before he realized a benefit at pistol and 3 gun matches. In his world tenths of a second can make the difference between placing first or placing outside the top ten, so he will only shoot firearms with a RDS or scope since he made the switch. He carries a Glock with a RDS for concealed carry and put his iron sight handguns in mothballs.

[grizzlyblake]

Supposedly the Aimpoint ACRO makes presentation easier since you naturally want to center the tube in your vision, whereas an RMR really is flat without that sort of reference point.