Offset Red-dot mounts?

**JSantoro** · 05-29-10, 23:40

For a right-handed shooter, putting an offset optic mount to the left side seems like an awful lot of fighting one's own physiology for very little return. Fighting it to the point that you're missing those OH SHIT shots that you probably really want to make good on.

Also, it's possible to mount mini-RDSs on an offset mount: RMRs, Dr Optic, etc. I've always thought that the T1/H1 and it's analogues are oversized for application as an OH SHIT sight, while most of the mini-RDSs aren't robust enough to be used as a primary. That's not to say that they won't work, of course.

**Bobert0989** · 05-30-10, 04:46

Originally Posted by JSantoro

For a right-handed shooter, putting an offset optic mount to the left side seems like an awful lot of fighting one's own physiology for very little return. Fighting it to the point that you're missing those OH SHIT shots that you probably really want to make good on.

Also, it's possible to mount mini-RDSs on an offset mount: RMRs, Dr Optic, etc. I've always thought that the T1/H1 and it's analogues are oversized for application as an OH SHIT sight, while most of the RDSs aren't robust enough to be used as a primary. That's not to say that they won't work, of course.

That was my thinking on the T-1's... a lot of money and a somewhat bulky (for lack of a better word) in comparison to a much smaller Dr. sight.

And BKB, I have tried a few methods and positions, and I can see now why people are saying it's like fighting my own physiology. I believe that with some proper training, I could make good use of a sight at the 1 o'clock... My main reasoning behind my thought of placement came from the fact that when looking through my scope, my line of sight more naturally travels down the left side of the reciever/rifle than it does the right. It's on my right shoulder, therefore the right side of the rifle is on the outside of my body. Also, when moving with the rifle, the sight on the outside would be at greater risk of getting snagged or smacked up against something compared to being on the inside towards my body. Is my thought process way off base here? Should I just go with the right-hand mount and train with it like most all of you do?

Thanks again for the input. Have any of you tried reversing your offset's, and learning to shoot with it like that?

Also, what sizes of RD's would be ideal for this setup? Is a 2MOA too small/accurate for what I am needing? Should I go larger, such as a 4MOA or even larger?

Thanks

Bobby

**Failure2Stop** · 05-31-10, 13:23

I tried a left-side mount thinking that I was really onto something noone else was clever enough to think of.
I was wrong.
The left side mount is the wrong way to go for righties.

Also, remember that if you are shooting any formalized competiton, having 2 optics will generally force you into "Open", something you might not want to do. I didn't, so I don't have one on my game gun.

Thy still have viability in the real world, and one more reason that the right side mount is better is that most proficient shooters have their light at 1030, which blocks the MRD.

I like the Trijicon RMR. I think mine is the 4 MOA one. It's pretty robust, but that robustness is somewhat compromised due to the mounting methods on the market right now. I am hoping that Larue will release his T1 offset mount with a mounting base for the RMR.

**Bobert0989** · 05-31-10, 22:18

Originally Posted by Failure2Stop

I tried a left-side mount thinking that I was really onto something noone else was clever enough to think of.
I was wrong.
The left side mount is the wrong way to go for righties.

Also, remember that if you are shooting any formalized competiton, having 2 optics will generally force you into "Open", something you might not want to do. I didn't, so I don't have one on my game gun.

Thy still have viability in the real world, and one more reason that the right side mount is better is that most proficient shooters have their light at 1030, which blocks the MRD.

I like the Trijicon RMR. I think mine is the 4 MOA one. It's pretty robust, but that robustness is somewhat compromised due to the mounting methods on the market right now. I am hoping that Larue will release his T1 offset mount with a mounting base for the RMR.

I appreciate the input, but two thing sstick pout here to me... I won't be competing with this rifle, and will not be using a light mounted up-front.

Did you actually use the left-side mount at all or did you just write it off from the beginning?

Thanks

Bobby

**JSantoro** · 05-31-10, 23:39

That last is only a very mildly fair question, and that's based on not taking in the innernets at face value. As it is, you won't get too many IPs/SMEs here that will pull a Vizzini and scream "Inconcievable!!" at you unless the concept in question has distinct, verifiable trends that render it wrong/user-unfriendly/too pricey to be worthwhile/what have you. More simply, That Thing has been tried and found wanting, which in no way is that to mean that you can't make it work for you, it's just not what jives for the 90% of the population.

If you're not worried about competition (of which making the simplest movements possible IOT prevail in a Shit's Goin' Down situation could be said to represent the ultimate form thereof), then run your gun the way you want to if you are getting what you consider good results. Results are all that matter.

To get those good results, I think you'll have to be a Cirque de Soliel contortionist to not have to needlessly muscle the thing into position. Yes, I've tried to use a southpaw's gun set up that way, and it was just ducky for weak-side shooting and bloody annoying for my dominant (right) side. Maybe your wrists are double-jointed or on balls like the old GI JOE dolls; I dunno. I'd never do it, but you ain't me, nor is F2S.

I think you're going against your body's grain, unless you're left-eye dominant, in which case it makes a certain sense. Nobody has yet said that it's outside the bounds of possibility.

Look at it like others are asking questions that they hope you can answer for them. Give it a try, and kick some feedback. More info is good info.

**Bobert0989** · 06-01-10, 00:35

Originally Posted by JSantoro

Look at it like others are asking questions that they hope you can answer for them. Give it a try, and kick some feedback. More info is good info.

Will do. Once it's all said and done, I'll let you people know exactly how well I like whichever way I decide to run it.

But I'm still having a rough time choosing an optic to stick out there. I saw one setup when google-ing offset red dot setups, looked like a standard Dr. at about the 0130 position... but worried me that it would be more likey to become damaged (or inoperable) than say, a full bodied T-1 or H-1 (Both are higher in cost than I'm wanting to go right now)... should I try some cheaper options or even clones, just to see if that's going to work for me before investing so much in a sight?

Thanks again for all of you guys' help.

Regards

Bobby

**ALCOAR** · 06-01-10, 13:48

Originally Posted by Bobert0989

Will do. Once it's all said and done, I'll let you people know exactly how well I like whichever way I decide to run it.

But I'm still having a rough time choosing an optic to stick out there. I saw one setup when google-ing offset red dot setups, looked like a standard Dr. at about the 0130 position... but worried me that it would be more likey to become damaged (or inoperable) than say, a full bodied T-1 or H-1 (Both are higher in cost than I'm wanting to go right now)... should I try some cheaper options or even clones, just to see if that's going to work for me before investing so much in a sight?

Thanks again for all of you guys' help.

Regards

Bobby

TNVC designed this unit directly of training and such so maybe it is something you should look at.
http://tnvc.com/items/weapon_optics/rdpII.html

**Failure2Stop** · 06-01-10, 20:05

Originally Posted by Bobert0989

I appreciate the input, but two thing sstick pout here to me... I won't be competing with this rifle, and will not be using a light mounted up-front.

Did you actually use the left-side mount at all or did you just write it off from the beginning?

Yeah, I tried it out for a while.
I found that the left side mount was not working for the following reasons:
More vision blocked by the primary optic than when placed on the right side
Interference with 1030 light (moot for other locations)
Snagged on/bouncing off gear
Worse firing position than a sight inward roll
-I haven't done it that way for over a year, so some other points may have been forgotten.

Like Mr. Santoro pointed out, it might work for you, but you would be an anomaly, and I would highly recommend trying both sides with an open mind with the goal of being as effective as possible. But hey, it's up to you.