Red Dots - Like them?

I like a red dot for rifles I use between 50 yds and 100 yds. Under 50 yds I prefer iron sights. Over 100 yds I prefer a scope. I have one pistol on which I've mounted a red dot, but generally I don't shoot pistols far enough to make it more useable than the pistol's iron sights.

I like the red dot sight. I've been using one for over 30 years, before people started to think they would be the thing to do. My accuracy improved and so did my times when shooting competitions.

The dot takes a little time to get use to but it's not hard. Unlike iron sights you concentrate on the target and not the front sight. When you sight hits the target you are ready to shoot.

I've been doing it so long that changing back and forth is not a problem. I've won matches with both systems but now that I'm almost 70 it's just easier for me to get the dot on target than to see the iron sights.

Play with yours. I'm sure you will like it. Give it some time and Good Shooting.

Steven

I've tried hard to like them having tried 3-4 over the years. I keep coming back to a low powered 1-4X type scope. I find that on 1X a conventional scope is every bit as fast to get on target as any dot sight and faster than irons. Especially in low light. The illuminated dots are easy to see in low light, but the target is almost impossible to pick up. Dot sights get washed out in bright light too. Dot sights tend to cover 2-5 MOA making any type of precision difficult at even 50 yards. At longer ranges even less so.

Compared to a dot sight a conventional 1-4X scope isn't that much bigger nor heavier, and at the same price point is a better quality optic.

I'm talking rifles here. I've not used one on a handgun yet and am still undecided. Some of the smaller ones look like they may have potential for use on a handgun at handgun ranges.

I like a red dot for rifles I use between 50 yds and 100 yds. Under 50 yds I prefer iron sights. Over 100 yds I prefer a scope.

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THIS^^^ Except I like red dots between 25 and 50 yards and prefer a scope over 50 years. The issue becomes that even a 2MOA red dot quickly is larger than the target I'm trying to hit.

My feelings are pretty much the same as jmr40’s. The only red dot I use on a long gun is the one on my turkey shotgun. I’ve decide to replace it with a scope to get better low light capability and magnification. My issue with that is the scopes I want have been discontinued. There are current scopes I could use and be happy with but they cost a lot more than I’d like to spend. I’d rather have a scope on a rifle than a red dot, I’d rather have a red dot than use irons.

People who do scientific studies of this (armies) have absolutely unequivocally found that optics improve speed and accuracy. The result of the ACR program in the 80s was that no rifle or ammo improved performance enough to be worth it, but optics were a total game changer. After this we got the flat top M16/M4 variants, and the M69 RCO (the Aimpoint Comp) and the ACOG on, pretty quickly, most every gun.

The same has been found, more anecdotally and individually, for a lot of people who shoot for themselves. RDS are they are the absolute go-to for all sorts of competition, as well as tactical work. Much much faster, more accurate, and other useful things like the dot floating in space so you can see the whole target, instead of having the gun obscuring much of it.

RDS on carbines should not be much or any higher than the iron sights. "Co-witness" is a common term, originally to mean you literally have to look through the iron sights, but now those are flip up or not present, so it's just used in the same plane as where the sights would be. This mechanical offset is only a problem at quite close ranges, but is easily accounted for; hostage rescue teams have always practiced their offset and can hit accurately enough to miss hostages with them. I am not tier 1 SF quality even on my best days and can easily account for offset at close ranges .


In practice, soldiers in the field rarely dialed range on their rifles, and range estimation is fraught with error so it's not super beneficial. Unless on a line with officers saying what range and when to fire, range dials are not super practical. So despite there being a handful of range-adjusting bases, they have all gone by the wayside, and holdovers are used. 5.56 is also fairly flat shooting, so the big orgs like armies that use it have no issues to their declared effective ranges aiming dead on. Further out, you can do well if you know holdover and watch for splash.

My take on red dots, is that they outclass irons in precision and speed at short to medium range, only losing in terms of pure precision to target type sights. They ARE faster than even a low power scope for very close range, but im not fast enough to really be able to tell a difference. The ones I've used, some of which arnt cheap, also arnt great for my astigmatic shooting eye.

Ove got a Bushnell LIL P on my ultralight AR and so far im REALLY liking that sight. I can adjust the diopter to take most of the starburst out of the reticle when its illuminated and its crisp and clear when its black. Thinking I might try a larger Prism at some point.

film495 said:

Do you like a Red Dot? or prefer Open Sights? Does a red dot make you shoot any better?

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I have a much harder time using open sights anymore, whether rifle or handgun.

I was lukewarm to red dots over 10 years ago when my vision was better, but now I consider buying a red dot for any new long arm I buy that will be primarily used for 100 yards or less.

I'm slower and a bit less accurate shooting 2x scopes compared to a red dot on a rifle at 50 yards or less while standing on my feet. My problem stems from the fact I tend to chase a reticle on a scope, whereas it's much more natural letting a red dot cover the target that my eyes are focused on.

Resting the rifle on something using a red dot or scope? The advantage goes back to the scope, even if just a 2x. I can simply see smaller targets better with some magnification.

As age goes so does eyesight. I have to use 2x magnifiers anymore to see pistol sights clear. Gotta vortex venom recently and what a difference. Mounted on Mark ii target that used to have a cheap tube red dot on it. I find the dot super easy to pick up and use.

I never had a good tube red dot but wonder why get one over a microdot.

ericuda said:

I never had a good tube red dot but wonder why get one over a microdot.

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Haven’t used any in a long long time but in the past found the purple microdot great at vision enhancement.

I have one on my in line muzzle loader. It’s a little fugly but it works well. I have one on my Ruger mk lite .22 pistol. It’s fun. I like it.
I’ve never mounted one on a tactical weapon. I don’t hate the idea. I was slow to integrate weapon mounted tac lights to my thing. I’m not there yet.

ericuda said:

I never had a good tube red dot but wonder why get one over a microdot.

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IMO, mostly it's a money thing for civilian shooters. A good enough small tube dot is usually cheaper than a good mini-reflex.

Tube types are supposed to be able to withstand hard knocks better as well. Of course, some mini-reflexes come with protective shields to help with that.

Then there is the idea that if it's raining and water covers the emitter of the mini-reflex, the dot is unusable until you blow the water out. While the tube type has the emitter sealed within. But I don't hardly ever shoot in the rain, so that doesn't really apply to me.

I am quite fond of red dots, especially the affordable and excellent SIG Romeo5.

I went through the red dot dilemma. I now have a lpvo. I’m also a hunter not a competition shooter. I found that the dot took away precise shot placement at any distance beyond about 50 yards like some others stated. It just was flat out unacceptable for hunting at normal ranges of 1-300 yards. Could I hit my target yes. Could I tell which end of my target I hit not really.

Don't forget magnifiers. Flip (or remove or push down or...) out of the way, and red dot. Up and you have a 3x (usually) scope with a red dot in the middle instead of a graticule/reticle.

If RDS does most of your needs but sometimes you need more magnification, get used to walking around with it flipped to side, then move it when more range or precision is needed.

Good LPVOs (Low Power Variable Optics, generally pretty true 1x on the bottom end and with daylight bright illuminated center dot or reticle) are also good if they work for you. I find the RDS+magnifier works best, but many knowledgable folks are the other way.

I like them sometimes. They can be good for acquisition but can also be large enough to obscure the target/intended aim point.

,I agree that a good scope is the only way to go when hunting due to its finer aiming ability. Thing is a lot of folk rarely even hunt anymore or like me, I pretty much just use one gun for hunting. Of course all my long guns are still scoped but as funds allow I will transition over some (marlin 1895 and 1894) to micro red dots. Just can't see sights as well anymore.

For pistol red dots are just more fun for plate shooting.

I love the hell out of a red dot sight. I used one for my last 2 deployments, and credit it with saving my life twice on one day during the last one alone. Didn't make me any better, but it made me quicker...

Not sure they are more accurate than irons, or a magnified optic, but it's the speed of engagement that I like. You mount the gun, and your brain will superimpose the dot onto the target in a nanosecond with both eyes open. There is no magnification, so there is no scope shadow. No sight has as forgiving an eyebox as a red dot, so when you are rushed, or not well trained, or required to fire from an awkward position... doesn't matter.

I have my best red dot (Aimpoint) on my go to AR pistol, and others (Sig Romeo 5) on other guns like my SBR, a .44 mag lever gun, a No 4 Mk1 Lee Enfield, my boy's Mosin, I recently gave him the one off my braced 10/22 Charger takedown to put on his AR...

They aren't a long range tool, so you need to know what you want out of the gun. They are for close in work, but if that work is likely to be fast, then a red dot is the way to go.

For a typical 5.56 AR, with a typical 50 yd combat zero, a red dot is the perfect sight. It's not precision your after. It's the ability to hit a man sized target quickly 0-300 meters by aiming center of mass. This will do it more quickly that anything out there.

If the gun can shoot small, it can shoot small with a red dot. It's just harder to see what small is without magnification, same as it would be with iron sights.

If the dot covers the target, one could adjust a red dot for 6 o'clock hold. Red dots with 2 MOA dots can have the brightness turned down which will make the dot as small or smaller than the width of typical front sight blades.

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most definitely can shoot small with a red dot. I can hold moa at 100 yards with a red dot from the bench. Dimming the dot for smaller foot print is counter intuitive for the function of the red dot. You need the contrast to use it how it was meant to be used as stated by space ghost. Red dots have their place with combat and competition being it. Any other purpose and there are better options.

I am a fan of red dots. My first was a tube red dot on my bullseye pistol. I now have them on revolvers, semi auto pistol, lever actions and shotguns. Not sure I'd use them out past 50yds where MOA was important but minute of 12x12 plate out to 150-200yds is very doable with a dot.

LoonWulf said:

My take on red dots, is that they outclass irons in precision and speed at short to medium range, only losing in terms of pure precision to target type sights. They ARE faster than even a low power scope for very close range, but im not fast enough to really be able to tell a difference. The ones I've used, some of which arnt cheap, also arnt great for my astigmatic shooting eye.

Ove got a Bushnell LIL P on my ultralight AR and so far im REALLY liking that sight. I can adjust the diopter to take most of the starburst out of the reticle when its illuminated and its crisp and clear when its black. Thinking I might try a larger Prism at some point.

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I seem to suffer from that not fast enough thing too. I don't really care for them on rifles but I have them on a couple on 22s because my great grand kids like them and grandpa is a sucker for what the kids like. I can do better with a scope when it's rifles but I love them on pistols and have several so equipped. The kids like these too.

I'm a total heathen.