Position of optic on a carbine

[Craig_AR]

appy with them so far, but they are mounted more toward the rear of the firearm.
I see all the high speed/low drag guys mounting optics directly over the E-port, or even further forward.
What is the reasoning behind this?

When using the red dot, do you focus on the dot, same as you have used the front sight for years, allowing the target to blur, or do you focus on the target with the dot a little blurry? One or two others have mentioned this above, but not sure it has been discussed enough.
My understanding from several YouTube trainers (e.g. Active Self Protection Extra and Warrior Poet Society) on using RDS is that we need to shift from old school front-sight-focus to target focus. This applies for both long guns and hand guns. I am a recent convert, myself, having added RDS to my 10/22 and M&P 15 Sport only last summer. I am learning all this as I go along.
With the target-focus basis, moving the sight forward gives you improved field of view (pointed out in one of the first replies) on the target, and reduces the obstruction that the RDS body causes as you watch your target. Also, the trainers point out that with a properly sighted RDS, with target in focus and red dot on the target you have a properly aimed sight picture, no matter where the dot is in the glass field of the sight. Further, they advise that shifting from front-sight focus to target focus as you learn the RDS will take hundreds, if not thousands, of repetitions to unlearn the old habit and ingrain the new one. Thus, they recommend a LOT of sight picture dry fire to improve.

Good luck!

Craig

 

[herrwalther]

I put my red dots in the same area as I always have: right next to whatever backup sight I am using. I prefer to have more FOV through the sight but not enough to have the sight hanging out over the charging handle.

 

[Nuclear]

I mount mine as far back as possible, just in front of back up irons. There isn’t anything obscuring the target, because your other eye will “fill in” the blurry, out of focus lens frame when you focus on the target.

 

[CraigC]

After a lot of trial and error, I settled on over the ejection port.

 

[Zerodefect]

With a red dot, you focus on the target with both eyes.

Let the dot be blurry. If you're static, and shooting paper, you can dim the dot down for more accuracy.

 

[CapnMac]

Noticed a poster mentioned just leaving red dots turned on. I realize they have a motion sensor, and 'go to sleep' when left undisturbed. Anyone leaving their dots turned on?

Depends on the RDS.
Many of the modern ones will run for hundreds, even thousands of hours off a given battery.
Others have some form of "instant on" function.
Still others, you have to hit the button (better) or twist the knob (and many of those start either at the least or the most illumination--both of which are a pain).

 

[halfmoonclip]

Capn' Mack, concur, the Romeo has buttons, the Holosun a knob. The Romeo was unresponsive the other week (perhaps I needed to hold the button longer), while the knob is on or it isn't.
The MFG (Holosun) claims 100,000 hours battery life (at setting 6), so perhaps it's just worth leaving them on, and replacing them once a year like smoke detector batteries.
Moon

 

[AK103K]

Thats just what I do with my older Aimpoints (10K hour life). Leave them on and a new battery each fall at the time change.

 

[army_eod]

Red dots are good for both eyes open. If the dot is blurry, you have astigmatism. If that is the case, look at a prism optic like Primary Arms. They also can be good for both eyes open.

 

[CapnMac]

Mounting the RDS forward is handy not only for tip-out magnifiers, but also flip-up back up iron sights.
Since the RDS is 1x, you typically can aim through one in case of battery failure.

 

[chicharrones]

My Aimpoint doesn't even turn off. The lowest (off) setting is for night vision.

I generally turn it off/down for storage. Beware that they need their battery removed and put back in from time to time. The surface of the battery seems to invisibly corrode or something, and it won't turn on.

Interesting. I wonder is a smear of dielectric grease on the battery terminal surfaces would prevent that?

 

[chicharrones]

Red dots are good for both eyes open. If the dot is blurry, you have astigmatism. If that is the case, look at a prism optic like Primary Arms. They also can be good for both eyes open.

Or need a new eye prescription. When my red dots get fuzzy, I've been able to fix it by going to the eye doctor and get new glasses.

 

[Phaedrus/69]

Noticed a poster mentioned just leaving red dots turned on. I realize they have a motion sensor, and 'go to sleep' when left undisturbed. Anyone leaving their dots turned on?
Thnx,
Moon

I almost never turn my Aimpoint off. Only time is if I'm zipping the rifle up in a case and storing it for an extended period where I won't be using it. The battery lasts for years but still no sense leaving it on if I won't touch it for a few months.

 

[halfmoonclip]

On reflection, been waaaaaaaaaay too fussy shutting it off when not using it, even for a brief period. Phaedrus' has what sounds like the right idea. The whole notion of 'electronic (redacted)' and 'gun' in the same sentence just makes this codger twitch.
Been experimenting with the current location (front half is over the E-port) and am actually pretty happy with the view thru'/view around balance, tho' a reflex sight is somewhere down the road.
Moon

 

[gyp_c2]

You really shouldn't be "seeing" anything but the target with a dot on it.
I change batteries on mine every 5 years, whether they need it or not. I don't remember ever turning them off.