XS Big Dot Opinions?

[JCooperfan1911]

I like a bead on my home defense shotgun but in some lighting conditions it’s tough for my aging eyes to pick up. I see there is a tritium dot product from XS Sights that epoxies onto the existing bead:



Most reviews tell a dramatic difference in visibility and that it is a great upgrade. But a “glued on” sight seems kind of Mickey Mouse to me. Do these things actually hold up to use or can they be expected to fly off with little shooting?

 

[Hangingrock]

I have a shotgun with a front sight bead (night sight) epoxied in place. Its still in place after a decade of firing. The thread on the bead stem did not match the barrel female thread pitch. I simply cut the threaded stem off and epoxied the sight in place.

 

[kudu]

As a skeet and trap shooter if I have my gun mounted to my shoulder I know where it's pointed without a bead or sight of any kind. I like a nice Bradley white front sight on most of my guns, but I really don't need it, and many times have lost it while shooting and didn't know it. We often shoot trap games at night at our gun club under the lights shining out over the field so the targets are lit up. Many times we would go behind the skeet house and shoot from an unlighted area where the shooter could not see his gun or barrel and call for the target. It's surprising how many "good" shooters couldn't hit a target and some rarely missed. It really boils down to gun fit and how much time behind the trigger.

I know that my trap gun is not considered by many as a home defense gun and many home defense guns have so much stuff attached on them that they are unhandy and unwieldy. Every one of my 25+ shotguns I own has run at least one 25 straight on the skeet or trap ranges. The 870 I keep ready to hand in the bedroom is a bare bones 26" vent rib that I can and have shot many rounds of skeet and trap with. I know where it points when I have it in my hands. I would hope I have enough light to see my target or I won't be shooting at it, bead or no bead.

 

[gralewaj]

I have the Meprolight version of this sight on a 20ga 870 HD gun, it's been glued on for around 9 years, has around 1000 rounds of 20ga buck and field rounds. Still holding strong. I love the Big Dot sights on my Glocks, super fast sight acquisition.

 

[herrwalther]

I went even more low tech than an epoxied site. A FO sight that clamps to the barrel and aligns with the bead. A lot more surface area to hold onto so it doesn't move. And much easier to pickup when shooting. $12

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0771SSKZL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1