Teach Me About Pistol Red Dots

[SteveL]

That is if your FSP has some form of "hey thats the front sight", I went blacked out sights because I dont want any other distraction.

Also never ever slave the dot to the front sigh, use it to get a general idea of alignment but definitely make sure your elevation is good.
Im thinking of moving to the 15y as the usual 10y is just not good enough.

Just a couple videos I go back to from time to time and some new ones im seeing that show some really good points.
obv we never want to shoot past 25y with a handgun, the margin of error and backdrop is just so much we aint Jerry.

I had a couple more videos saved but it seems yt deleted them because the commies dont want to teach people like their own how to use an rds.

Im also on the comp train, when I find out the radian is good to go my carry gun will get it

https://youtu.be/tpkb0Lyr9RM
https://youtu.be/ciN4J1BJFFM
https://youtu.be/yIjbhQj_uM8

My sights are blacked out as well, and for the same reason, but I still found it helpful seeing the front sight through my optic while I was still getting the hang of finding my optic reticle/dot. And I would never try to line my dot up with the sights and call it good. As a general rule, my pistol RDS are zeroed at 25 yards.

I have never messed with comps at all, but I've been getting more and more interested in trying one out.

My dry fire and presentation with RDS is starting to improve. I agree, the RDS will show your weakness. With irons I have more indication of poor presentation and don’t have to concentrate or think about larger adjustments when it’s bad. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a bad presentation.

I think the anti RDS crew should consider one just for dry fire practice.

I agree. When I was working at a gun store and people were shopping for their first red dot I would always try to let them know what to expect initially and encourage them not to give up on it.

[BuzzinSATX]

Which takes me full circle back to.... Just use the front sight then!

Not quite. Using the front sight to find the dot is a crutch used while learning. Once trained on proper presentation, the front sight isn't used at all. One of the biggest advantages to red dots is that they allow the shooter to target focus, where the dot automatically superimposes on the point of aim.

IOW, with proper presentation, you focus on the target, present the pistol, and the dot appears at your POA. It's just going to take a little work to untrain yourself from looking for the front sight as you've been shooting irons for so long. Once you've done so, you'll likely find yourself quicker, and will certainly find yourself more precise.

IMO, the biggest resistance to pistols RDS from folks who just "try them out" is that red dots will REALLY highlight people's shortcomings in their presentation. The immediate reaction is to blame the RDS, and to think it's the RDS that's the problem. It isn't. When I got my first pistol RDS and started working on presentations and dry firing, I noticed that my precision with irons also improved. Although I eventually lost that improvement with irons due to my unaided vision getting worse, my precision with the RDS has continued to slowly get better.

Agree ^^^^^^^

The biggest difference between using the front sight and using a red dot is sight picture clarity, especially with smaller targets.

With 60 YO eyes that went through PRK laser surgery in 2006 and having decent distance vision, using iron sights, I struggle to get a clear image of the sight and the target is pretty (very) blurry. If I get a clear picture of the target, my front sight is very blurry.

With a red dot, I focus on the target and simply overlay the slightly blurry red dot and my shot groups are much tighter. Target is clear, the dot is a bit blurry due to my eyes but a way easier way to shoot effectively.

I can ring 4” plates @ 30 yards in 10/10 with a dot. Those days of doing that with irons are gone…

I had to go with a fiber optic sight on my shotgun to hit launched clays with regularity. The brass bead just wasn’t cutting it.


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[markm]

Pappabear donated this Sig Romeo for my son's X5 Legion. Mounted it up. We'll run it for a while. Grip angle and sight aim very naturally. No searching.

[georgeib]

Pappabear donated this Sig Romeo for my son's X5 Legion. Mounted it up. We'll run it for a while. Grip angle and sight aim very naturally. No searching.

Main reason I went away from Glock to all Sig now. Points much more naturally.

[BuzzinSATX]

Pappabear donated this Sig Romeo for my son's X5 Legion. Mounted it up. We'll run it for a while. Grip angle and sight aim very naturally. No searching.

Nice! I suspect over time you will come to like the dot.

I had an older friend who I shot with a lot. He was 76 and failing health. Our shooting was done on a friend’s property where we set up a folding table and chairs and shot at targets 12 yards away.

He only wanted to shoot scoped rifles (.22’s, .223) and scoped handguns because he hated that he shot terribly with his pistols. He finally tried my red dot and after 30 minutes of hitting bullseyes again, asked me to mount red dots on all his pistols. He had a couple Ruger Mk3/4’s and XDm’s in 9, 40, and .45. I also mounted a red dot on a Henry .22. That made his last few years shooting way more fun. He used to show up with targets like pennies taped to cardboard or .45 cases glued to wood trim that we’d sit and shoot for bragging rights. He loved that he could hit small targets again, even with really old eyes.

The mounts I used were the dovetail mounts. Not really ideal but they worked for what he needed.


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[markm]

Nice! I suspect over time you will come to like the dot.

I love shooting a good dot on the right gun. No doubt about it. My gripes are durability and mounting. This gun should be good cuz it's large and has low recoil, so I'm hoping it wont come loose or break.

[Ron3]

I love shooting a good dot on the right gun. No doubt about it. My gripes are durability and mounting. This gun should be good cuz it's large and has low recoil, so I'm hoping it wont come loose or break.

I wonder how often properly installed optics are getting loose or breaking off the compact guns? Serious question.

I've got a few hundred more on my XDM Compact .45 since it came loose the first time. I cleaned the mounting screws / holes better the 2nd time & used more Loc-tite Blue. If it comes loose again I'll switch to Red or another brand. If screws shear, well, that would mean something else.

I've been firing some Underwood +P from it, too. Still on there.

It's probably the compact 10 mm guys who've really pushed the recoil limits of optic mounting.

[markm]

I wonder how often properly installed optics are getting loose or breaking off the compact guns? Serious question.

We've fought mounting several installs. I think properly cleaning the fasteners and thread holes helps, but I'd LOVE to see a better mounting solution... something like pic rail.

I've not seen one full on break off.

[georgeib]

We've fought mounting several installs. I think properly cleaning the fasteners and thread holes helps, but I'd LOVE to see a better mounting solution... something like pic rail.

I've not seen one full on break off.

The Aimpoint ACRO, Steiner MPS, and Holosun 509T use a rail type mount.

[markm]

The Aimpoint ACRO, Steiner MPS, and Holosun 509T use a rail type mount.

I mean on the pistol slides. Like a pic junior version or something glorious. Mounting the sight in the pic above did NOT inspire the greatest confidence in the world. I'd give it 75% of staying put/not coming loose.