Why I gave up on red dot sights.

I haven't tried them on a handgun but will eventually if I can find the right one. I've tried them on rifles and don't care for them. But that is only because I find a low powered conventional scope does everything better than a dot sight. And I've really tried to like a dot sight.

At 64 my eyes aren't as good as they used to be. But I feel I can still make hits with a handgun out to 15-20 yards to do well enough. On rifles I expect better accuracy than I can get from a dot sight. Or iron sights at this point.

I see no downsides to a conventional scope on a rifle unless it has too much magnification. The only downside I see on a handgun is limiting how it is carried. For range use I'd have no problem with one. And as said want to try one eventually.

I'm also not a fan

I like dots, but for carry the glass gets dusty. Thats very annoying. There was a few times i couldnt see the dot clearly at all. I started doing routine wiping even with my shirt. Luckily no scratches but i removed the optic for now.
With a little practice, i was finding the dot easy. The dot should present itself out the draw immediately just from muscle memory and staying focused on target. You should not be looking for a dot on the glass, the dot should appear in mid air over your target like a hologram.
This is what i use now. I can attach my optic and no need to rezero. It is spot on everytime.

Sold off my older 9mm pistols and mini14 because I couldn't mount red dot sights and wml/laser. Bought a P320 and a couple Glock MOS all have red or green dots. Added tube red dots to a 556 pistol AR, and 9mm PCC. I use lasers as the backup sight so no need for buis. Even my 16" 357 Rossi has a red dot tube. Not going back to irons only.

brutus51 said:

Wanting to experience the latest and greatest I purchased a Sig P365XL with the Romeo zero sight.
Couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with it in the beginning, kept practicing and eventually got better.
Then I realized it was affecting the way I shoot all my other iron sight handguns. Took it off the gun and am using the supplied night sights. Like it much better this way, no batteries to worry about and it shoots like all my other guns. Sometimes new technology isn't all it's cracked up to be.

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wally said:

You'll change your tune when you get old and can't focus on the front sight.

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I agree with you @brutus51 .. along with potential battery battery woes it also makes the firearm harder to conceal. I have Tru Glo Day/Night sights on My Kimber Micro 9 with the red front sight that jumps out at me when I bring it up on target. My 72 year old eyes don't have any problem seeing it.

Gunfu_Blaster.45 said:

This is what i use now. I can attach my optic and no need to rezero. It is spot on everytime

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Holy heck is that a tall mount.

I complain about the size of Glocks MOS plate system. I want them buried low so I dont mess with my mount w RDS vs. non-RDS

Batteries are the devil.

-Stan

CDW4ME said:

I'm a bit nearsighted, can see front sight okay without glasses; but, glasses fuzz my front sight.
In contrast, the red dot has fuzz, a ear or tail without glasses; but, glasses make the red dot clear.
Initially, my subsequent shots were slow with dot compared to fixed; after 3-4 range trips and ~500 rounds my speed with dot is better.
I like being able to be target focused (dot) rather than front sight focused; also, if I'm wearing my glasses I've got some eye protection.

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With a little practice, your first shot will be faster with the optical red dot sight. Even the very small Remo zero is better than iron sight, but a larger red dot is probably a bit easier to get used to the difference. I will never carry a firearm without a red dot at this point.

Lol, at first glance I thought that said, “Batteries are the devil.” -Satan.

jmorris said:

Lol, at first glance I thought that said, “Batteries are the devil.” -Satan.

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Just set a reminder and change your battery every 10 months and you not have any battery problem.

Tcruse said:

Just set a reminder and change your battery every 10 months and you not have any battery problem.

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That and have back up irons you occasionally practice with anyway.

tarosean said:

Holy heck is that a tall mount.

I complain about the size of Glocks MOS plate system. I want them buried low so I dont mess with my mount w RDS vs. non-RDS

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I don't use an optic for carry, but I do have a brace for this gun and on the brace I want the site to be a little taller so I can clear my cheap on the brace.
Are use the rail that comes with the brace and it is much higher than this, Like this the optic is accurate past 7 yards.

tarosean said:

Holy heck is that a tall mount.

I complain about the size of Glocks MOS plate system. I want them buried low so I dont mess with my mount w RDS vs. non-RDS

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That’s not a MOS model, and yes, that is high.

I am not knocking the person who mounted that sight, but they took the long way around. They mounted a pic rail in the Glock rear sight, then Swamp Fox pic rail mount adapter, then the SF RDS.

Mounting a standard RMR plate adapter at the sight slot would have allowed the RDS to be mounted to the plate without the picatinny mount adapter. Swamp Fox optics have RMR footprint

https://www.amazon.com/Trijicon-RM44-Pistol-Mount-Models/dp/B004HCCMLW

An inexpensive red dot sight on a little Buckmark pistol got me going back to the range regularly at 65 years old. Getting ready to put one on my CZ 75B next. As an old skeet shooter, I like target-focus shooting, but mainly, my old eyes don't like iron sights on handguns anymore - especially in the lower light of an indoor range booth. I was amazed at how much accuracy came back with the switch to red dot.

Buzznrose said:

That’s not a MOS model, and yes, that is high.

I am not knocking the person who mounted that sight, but they took the long way around. They mounted a pic rail in the Glock rear sight, then Swamp Fox pic rail mount adapter, then the SF RDS.

Mounting a standard RMR plate adapter at the sight slot would have allowed the RDS to be mounted to the plate without the picatinny mount adapter. Swamp Fox optics have RMR footprint

https://www.amazon.com/Trijicon-RM44-Pistol-Mount-Models/dp/B004HCCMLW

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Those are okay, used one for a long time with no issues. I like the picatinny system better and the height over bore is not an issue, In fact, it more accurate past 10yds, it stays center on the bullet path. Its nice to have it optional and not have to rezero.

I really only like a red dot on a 10/22 or a 9MM PCC. It is interesting and I'm not so good at it, but I certainly have the impression having done it a few times that it is the fastest way to pick up targets, and although it makes it feel a bit like a video game, I'm probably most confident in getting hits with the red dot after a little practice. Don't think I'll ever shoot one on a pistol.

SwampWolf said:

Too late for some of us; certainly me. I grew up with and was trained for many years to focus on the front sight. I am an old dog and new tricks aren't warmly embraced.

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You just focus on the dot just like you would a front sight. It's actually easier, for me anyway, as the dot and target are seen in the same focal plane. Both are sharply defined but like I have already stated, whatever floats your particular boat.

I don't have red dots or optics on any of my handguns. Like another poster above, I am also 53 and the front sights are my nemesis; focusing at that specific distance is near-impossible for my eyes, corrected or not. Kinda frustrating, as I was approaching near-excellent control of the rest of my shooting technique (for me).

No matter, the way I like to shoot, the way I would shoot in a hairy live situation, I do just fine without them. It may be "wrong", but I focus on the target, point-aim with muscle memory (which puts me center mass almost instantly), and I put the (blurry) sight picture over the target to achieve fine detail accuracy. It's simply the way I have always done it, and it works for me. I admit, it's opposite of what seems to be the stated technique, but even focusing at the target, I can tell if the sight picture is out of line (front sight not level or centered).

I do like a red dot on a rifle or carbine, but for practical accuracy, I still seem to shoot better with iron peep sights.

doubleh said:

You just focus on the dot just like you would a front sight. It's actually easier, for me anyway, as the dot and target are seen in the same focal plane.

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I've tried shooting with the "dot" at our range, using other members' guns but it always took me a second longer to find the dot than it otherwise would locating the front sight on conventional irons. I'm sure much practice would make perfect but ammunition is too costly and time is too valuable for this 79 year old to make that journey.

I have no trouble what so ever finding the dot in tube sights. Just look and it's there. I'll confess to having to hunt for the dot now and then in the open type sights except for my Sig 365 XL Romeo with the shake awake sight. It's always right there where it is supposed to be. The others aren't a problem as they are for range, not self defense use.

Just before retirement I went through a week-long instructor course on the use of red dot sights, taught by Sig. It was five days and a couple thousand rounds. There is a learning curve switching from iron sights to red dots, but I feel comfortable with either at this point. I had been using a red dot on my issue M-4 for years, so that may have helped the learning.

As my eyesight diminishes more and more, iron sights are getting harder to use...red dots may be in my immediate future.

Slamfire said:

Les Baer told me not to shoot anything heavier than a 200 grain bullet.

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I'm intrigued. May I ask what his reasons are for staying at 200gr?