Red dots or steel sights

[HPMike800]

Really a question of age. After about 40 Irons get tough to use.

 

[maddock]

Really a question of age. After about 40 Irons get tough to use.

Absolutely, After 40 my eyes slowly had more and more issues with irons. Apertures are still usable but slower, however open sights (post and notch) are virtually unusable.

 

[Mauser98]

I know guys in their 70s and 80s that can use irons effectively. They just wear eye glasses.

I think the main reason a rifle needs a red dot is so that you can aim at night.

 

[Pro2a]

Primarily RD, iron as backup.
Red dots saved these older eyes, and made me thin I still had some kind of skill

 

[AR-15Man]

Really a question of age. After about 40 Irons get tough to use.

It’s unfortunate that the people who would benefit the most from using a red dot are often the most resistant to new technology.

 

[Yotatrd4x4]

For me I like red dots and think they are superior in some situations but my issue is I can buy or already have quality steel sights on most all of my rifles and handguns and it costs a good amount for a quality red dot. I'm not saying 1 is superior but I voted for irons because they are more durable and fool proof than a red dot. Notice I said more as irons can fail or break or lose zero. Irons dont lose battery power, corrode or get scratched glass or fog up or flicker etc. Irons though are not as precise as a red dot and dots are effective in low or no light, red dots work better for people with older eyes that lose focus or for folks with poor eyesight as well. I like using dots for sure and have a few but irons are hard to beat durability wise.

 

[Elk34]

I'm old school so not really into putting scopes on my AR's. I run red dots on some. On others I just load a tracer every 3 rd and use steel sights if I play at night.

 

[AZ_Misfit]

Use both, RDS as primary but on everything I have BUIS. And try to be efficient in both just in case.

 

[samnev]

Really a question of age. After about 40 Irons get tough to use.

And when you get to be my age iron site are a no go so its red dots for my tired old eyes.

 

[Bigfoot]

My aging eyes don't like irons anymore.

 

[Jeep]

I don't have a lot of time with steel sights . Most of my time has been with red dots.

 

[Pscipio03]

As you get older the red dot will help you out tremendously on target acquisition on pistols.
For rifles, if you're still running irons you've seriously missed the boat.
Once you do enough pistol dry fire practice you'll be able to find the dot as fast as irons, then eventually faster.
As for having back up irons, I mean to each his own. Modern pistol RDS that are of quality build should be able to withstand the beatings that 99.99% of us will give them. People will always point out the RMR as having issues, but that RDS wasn't designed to handled the reciprocating of a slide- it was designed to sit atop a ACOG that doesn't move back and forth at tremendous speeds. Now, the Gen 2 is seriously robust.
My most recent 1911 build has completely blacked out front and rear sights to distract even less from finding the dot.
I'm sure at one time people poo-poo'd semi auto pistols, too. 'I've got a wheelie- no need to upgrade or hold more ammo.'

 

[Pro2a]

RD with iron backup is the way to be prepared.
I think RDS are becoming way better built, and able to handle slide banging

 

[storage_man]

I'm and old guy and have have had Red DOts on many different rifles, but never a pistol. All of them have iron sites. I shoot everything with corrective though and the loss of vision is not crippling. But I picked up a Sig at the beginning and its got a slot milled with a cover for a red dot. Oh what the heck I like the gun I'll pick one up. There are NONE anywhere near Arizona and last week I canceled my orders with OpticsPLanet and SIg for the their Romeo site that fits this gun. I figure 5 months is enough. I doubt the sig is going to see a red dot anytime soon.

But I have ordered and hopefully will will come in in the next 2 weeks. Its a Holsom Green DOT ? Personally I perfer the green dot. What does everybody else say ?

Note: I didn't complete the poll - It lacks a green dot.