Where to mount a red dot?

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Scrod314

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Hello... I know, I mount it on the top rail. I'm a complete novice to red dots. I bought a Bushnell TRS-25. I also bought 3/8 and 1 inch risers. Where would you mount it if you want to co-witness with the pop-up sights? Immediately in front of the rear pop-up sight, or a few inches in front? Is it just something I have to adjust for myself? Here is a picture of the rifle. Thanks for all your help. IMG_20200926_162608.jpg
 
Mount that TRS25 against the rear sight, mount it at the front of the receiver, and mount it in between those two positions and see what you like best.

Basically, closer to your eye should allow you to see more through the red dot, while further from your eye should allow you to see more around the red dot.

If the risers you have will give the cowitness you are looking for, then mounting the red dot as far back as it will go will allow you to see the front sight a bit better through that little TRS25.
 
I'd let someone else mount it on their rifle. Not a fan of dot sights. But if I were to use one I'd mount it just about where your rear sight is now.
 
Honestly wherever it feels the most comfortable for you to raise the rifle and have the sight visible without straining. To me that tends to be towards the middle to front of the action but not out on the barrel.

Remember that you can use risers to raise up your red dot if it is too low to co-witness.
 
I like them about 10-12 inches from my face. But no more. But I also shoot with both eyes open and as was mentioned before, closer to your face let’s you see more through the red dot, both eyes open allows you to also see around it better.

Basically as close to my face as my rifle will let me, without being so close it hits my face.

This is one of the things that can only really be answered through experimentation. Mount it and see if you like it. If not, move it someplace else.
 
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Try it on one spot and see whether it works for you -- eye-relief is a non-issue, so it comes down to personal preference.

For myself, I like to have mounted on the receiver about as far forward as I can because I like having more peripheral view to either side of the scope. Alternatively, some shooters prefer to see more of the world through the sight's glass and mount it further back.

1022.jpg

Maybe there is only one right answer and I'm ignorant, or maybe it depends on your eyesight. I've tried this specific sight at different spots and this is what seems to work best.

BTW, it also works well for me as a substitute Scout Scope.

MauserScoutRifle02.jpg
 
With most red dot's there's no magnification which usually means you have unlimited eye relief. That makes it easy since you can put it pretty much anywhere you like for your own personal preference. Many optics have only 2 or 3 inch or some other length eye relief meaning you have to put them far enough back to be that close to your eye.

For your cowitness, the two most common styles are either 1/3 cowitness or full cowitness. Again, it's personal preference. If you have the full cowitness your sights should match up to your red dot when they are flipped up. That one is easier to set up if you have your rifle sighted in already, you just adjust the red dot to be at the same point as your sights.

I put mine pretty far forward so that I can put in a flip up 3x magnifier behind it even though I don't have the magnifier yet (I don't want to get used to having one far back).
 
My personal opinion, closer to the eye is a little better for hunting since it lets you focus more on your target, further from the eye is a little better for CQB since it helps your peripheral vision, and anywhere in between is acceptable if you want to split the difference or adjust the balance of your firearm.
 
The TRS25 is a nice little sight.

But it is a small tube w stuff around it.
I did not care for it at extended distance..... mounted on a handgun.

Did it work? Flawlessly.

Much prefer a sight like that closer to the eye, like on a rifle.

Closer the better for me.

My ol lady has one on her 1022 at the fwd area of a weaver scope rail.

She is running it as her only aiming system, is not using the irons.

Loves the setup
 
I'm with Jmr40 on this but I'm not going to be the one using it. If I were to install one it would be as close to my eye as possible to make the most of the small opening in the TRS 25. If I just had to use a tube type red dot on a rifle it would be a 30 mm one.

I do have a little experience with this sight. I put one on a gun a couple of years ago and tried to like it but wound up returning it.
 
For cowitness i would go w a 30mm. Aimpoint PRO if funds allowed. Primary Arms clone if not.

I liked my PA 30mm on a Contender pistol.
But it was a 3moa dot and the 223 bbl shot so well it needed a scope, of at least 4x.

On a 35 rem bbl it was ideal for deer hunting. Easy to shoot well. But it too shoot great and i went w a 2x EER for finer aiming.

Now the PA has a 2 moa dot. Same as the PRO.

My AR wears a cheap reflex clocked. Irons fixed Another wears a Leupold 34mm cowitness.1 moa dot.

If going big and cowitness id still go PA clone or PRO. Yes. My next rds will be Aimpoint.

However for those that like the smaller tube sights..... Trs25 or Sig Romeo 5. Lots of happy customers running either

My daughter has health issues so to avoid risk of detaching retina, she is handguns only. Shes shot irons and EER scopes.
I suspect a .22 lr bolt rig w TRS 25 is gonna be her range toy :)
 
It's personal preference really.

Buuuuut, most of the guys putting them on defensive carbines place them as far forward as possible to allow you to see around the RDS. I use cantilever mounts on mine for that reason:

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I'd let someone else mount it on their rifle. Not a fan of dot sights. But if I were to use one I'd mount it just about where your rear sight is now.

Taking off the rear sight is a bad idea. Keep your irons as backup in case the dot goes down.
 
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