Dot sights vs black-on-black

[Z_Infidel]

I was reading the latest thread on night sights and started thinking about whether I should install them on my guns or not. I think I will probably have a set installed on my wife's gun since she likes the 3-dot setup anyway.

On the other hand, I am still trying to decide whether I like the 3-dot sight setup or prefer plain black sights. For general shooting, I seem to do better with plain black -- especially at distances beyond the typical self defense "contact" range. I like to position the top of the front post directly beneath the center of the target instead of putting a dot where I want the bullet to hit. This is probably because I use a front post with ghost ring on my rifles instead of a front bead.

I want to avoid using different sighting systems for self defense and other types of shooting if possible. But sticking with black sights means depending on a light (which I practice with anyway) and being proficient at shooting one handed, which I also practice regularly but not as often as I should.

The other thing I've thought about is that if I am ever confronted and have made a decision to draw my gun instead of using hand-to-hand skills (which I have much more training and experience with), there is also a possibility that I might need to use my non-shooting hand to deliver a blow or slow the attack while drawing. In that case, is it better to have a light or just rely on night sights so the non-shooting hand can be freed up? Of course a good light can be used as a weapon too... Maybe this belongs in the tactics section.

So I'm seeking opinions on this. I like black on black sights the best. Should I switch over to shooting the 3-dot setup for the sake of night sights or stay with plain black and always depend on one-hand shooting with a light?

 

[ddj8052]

You should stick with what ever works best for you. That said, I like neither. What I do like is some kind of marking on the front sight and solid rear sights. For me this is by far the best sighting system. Some of my guns have a single white dot on the front sight, some have a Mepro front sight. My competition guns all have a Fiber optic front sight with some kind of adgustable sight on the rear. This set up for me is by far the fastest to acquire.

 

[AK103K]

For serious target shooting, I like narrow, clean black sights the best.

For any gun that may be used otherwise, I prefer the three dots, and especially three dots that glow. I also like the rear sight to have a more generous notch. You can still use them to make precision shots, just like a target sight, but for closer, faster shooting up close, the dots cant be beat.

For anything at arms length, especially if you have a hold of the target, I dont think sights are an issue at all.

 

[wally]

When I was younger and my eyes were good I liked plain black sights front and rear by far the best. I never found dots on the front to help. Anything on the rear sight is IMHO a distraction. Now that I'm old with less than good eyesight I'm finding the fiber optic front sights to work wonderfully with the plain black notch rear. They are finding their way to all the guns I shoot regularly, and if not available for a gun it soon fades from the regular rotation.

--wally.

 

[Bobo]

For target use - black.
For defensive use - dot.
If same gun is used for both - dot.

The best solution is to have at least two guns. One specifically set up for target and one specifically set up for defense.

Practice target shooting with the target gun and practice defensive shooting with the defense gun.

 

[Z_Infidel]

I read an article about Larry Vickers that mentioned he liked to set up guns with night sights so that they should be used as plain black sights in daylight, and when aiming with the night sights in low light the bullet will actually impact the target just above the front dot. Has anyone else used this method? It makes sense to me...

 

[noops]

You might take a look at Heinies, they have their Slant Pro and Slant Pro Straight Eights (which is just a slant pro with 2 dots that line up vertically instead of horizontally). They are machine-lined across the back and the dots are more subtle than Trijis or meprolights, but work great at night. I put the Straight Eights on an H&K usp compact, and I'm going to start putting them on all my guns. Expensive though.

Noops

Edit: p.s. Vickers also recommends Straight Eights here: http://www.vickerstactical.com/Tips/nightSights.htm

 

[MechAg94]

I have one gun with the glow in the dark dots. It is nice to pick up a pistol in darkness and know exactly where the sights are. Mainly just for defensive use though.

 

[Navy joe]

My guns all have a black rear sight and an easy to see front. Sometimes that is accomplished with orange nail polish, preferably it is accomplished with a plain rear and a fiber/tritium combo front sight. I am moving towards Heinie slant-Pro straight 8s as I can afford them. They have a single rear dot under the notch and the idea is you stack the dots when using in low light. One better is I think the Novak, they have one that has a tritium horizontal line under the notch, usually it is green front dot and orange rear bar. Three dots is way too busy to look at.