The Current Trend To Red Dot Sights on Handguns

[brandyspaw]

Here's an interesting video about the current use of red dots on handguns that was done by Ken Hackathorn. I really have not embraced red dots on pistols all that much having tried an early generation red dot a while ago. I have to admit I was a bit less than impressed with them. I'm considering trying one again and this video provides some insight on why I might have been less than impressed when I tried one a few years back.

https://youtu.be/jjlL0hYgdag

 

[QuietM4]

He is 100% correct about everything he covered.

 

[G34]

I agree 99% can’t shoot for shit anyways

 

[Boriqua]

Great video. Agree with everything .. Except him doging my beloved cartridge. :naughty:

I got to mess with a red dot. It was easy to pick up and really worked well at distance.

I just could never justify adding something that has the potential of making my gun harder to coceal when its likely to be used at point shooting distances.

Also couldnt justify the expense. I will stick with irons but respect anyones decision to carry how they like

 

[thom]

If you try one, make it a green dot. It shows up better

 

[pneuby]

That was a heckuva good treatise. I've tried several gun/RMR combos several times. Briefly held onto a 365XL Romeo with one. The time I spent trying to fnd the dot, I could've long-since put the front sight onto the target and triggered one off. At distance, oh yea....that's where they shine.

 

[jdwnndjcasdljfnklwq]

First post here but.....

I liked the video, in fact I watched it and many other videos on the topic of RDS before finally purchasing one for a G19. I gotta say, it's pretty incredible how fun it is to shoot with it. I picked up the SCS and for me finding the dot is not harder than finding the stock Glock sights on the gun because they perfectly co-witness. I went target shooting with my pops recently and he's sold on them. His eyes aren't what they used to be and it helped him out a ton.

 

[Suck My Glock]

I think it has to do with what you were indoctrinated with as a new shooter. Those of us who started out before red dots were an option and HAD to learn iron sights will naturally always prefer them. I know I am in that camp.

But newer shooters who may have started out learning on an RMR pistol could easily be indoctrinated in that type of pistoleering and find iron sights difficult and pointless.

If C-Mores and RMRs had come about before tritium ampules in iron sights,...they might have had something to offer. But on a carry pistol, all I need is tritium irons and I'm good.

I do think red dots provide an advantage at long distance and with suppressors. But beyond that, I don't perceive much utility.

 

[knockonit]

every option for shooting should be explored, one never knows what needs will come up at times, i've read and hear just about every yea and nay on about every gat, and frankly have owned a whole lotta gats, some i moved out, some i still savor, some i cherish, but all shoot, i rotate range gats regularly, trigger weight from 1.5 to 11 lbs or so, some i shoot just so so, some well lets say you dont' wanna be the target, in reality its about mental and physical ability to overcome set designs on shooting, stance, gat usage, its a tool, its a toy, its a hobby, its a way of life, its what you want it to be, embrace and well it becomes so easy.
as for red dot, well, i have range rats, have never carried one with red dot, but will say am gonna give it try, it'll be a compact nine, so one will see, i'm far from a technical shooter,,more instinchtive than anything esle, and yeah, i shoot a lot.
hope you all give a dot a try, actual individual usages will very, as do opinions, don't knock it till you try it,
happy hump day,
shoot what ya brung and enjoy it
Rj

 

[paulgt2164]

I don't get the innate joy some people get out of going out of their way to excessively hate on anything "new" (and "new" usually isn't.)

"Finding the dot" isn't a problem with the hardware. It is a problem with training and "you." Reliability isn't an issue if you buy quality dots. That 39.99 made in cambodia via china via amazon red-dot is going to let you down. The Trijicon, Holosun, Vortex, etc - isn't. Plenty of pistols offer cowitness with a red-dot these days for those of you who are bi-sightexual.

After a couple thousand rounds of practice I am faster with a red-dot on my carry gun - both in target acquisition / sight picture and follow ups. With most thing, proficiency is gained through familiarity and repetition. It has co-witness sights "just in case" and it is so small, I don't even notice when carrying.

Every time something "new" comes out the same people turn into crusty fudds. These people still hating on "plastic pistols," "6.5 can'tmore," and semi-auto compacts crack me up. If it isn't your thing - it isn't your thing but why waste mental effort to campaign against it when it has all been proven and is in common use.

Garand Thumb just dropped a new video on the military's new optic - XM157. Can't wait in a couple years when the "if it ain't 70 years old it ain't worth using" crowd read about that in "American Rifleman" or whatever large-print magazine they get their "news" from. The hate is gonna be strong with that one (Just like with the new Sig Spear and it's .277 cartridge) even though similar technology (just not as integrated) has been around for quite a while (my Sig BDX stuff works as advertised....) They can hate on it while also complaining you can't by SKSs for 29.99.

We should revel in the current amount of saturation and choice we have. Never before in history have we had access to the variety of firearms and accessories we do now. Unfortunately - eventually this will end. I am guessing sooner than later. So why b*tch about having options, use that time to go shoot and try out the "new fangled hotness" - be happy you can - for now. Who knows, you might actually like it........

 

[mtptwo]

Red dots, like anything shooting related, take practice to use properly.

What I have found, is it boils down to hand placement on the gun during the draw. You will need to draw with the same grip on the gun every time, or the dot won't be in the frame and you will need to waste time hunting for it.

 

[QuietM4]

every option for shooting should be explored, one never knows what needs will come up at times, i've read and hear just about every yea and nay on about every gat, and frankly have owned a whole lotta gats, some i moved out, some i still savor, some i cherish, but all shoot, i rotate range gats regularly, trigger weight from 1.5 to 11 lbs or so, some i shoot just so so, some well lets say you dont' wanna be the target, in reality its about mental and physical ability to overcome set designs on shooting, stance, gat usage, its a tool, its a toy, its a hobby, its a way of life, its what you want it to be, embrace and well it becomes so easy.
as for red dot, well, i have range rats, have never carried one with red dot, but will say am gonna give it try, it'll be a compact nine, so one will see, i'm far from a technical shooter,,more instinchtive than anything esle, and yeah, i shoot a lot.
hope you all give a dot a try, actual individual usages will very, as do opinions, don't knock it till you try it,
happy hump day,
shoot what ya brung and enjoy it
Rj

It is very difficult to decide if I agree with you or not, due to your choice to use a sentence structure with which I am unfamiliar (or complete lack thereof). But, I think I agree with you.

 

[knockonit]

every option for shooting should be explored, one never knows what needs will come up at times, i've read and hear just about every yea and nay on about every gat, and frankly have owned a whole lotta gats, some i moved out, some i still savor, some i cherish, but all shoot, i rotate range gats regularly, trigger weight from 1.5 to 11 lbs or so, some i shoot just so so, some well lets say you dont' wanna be the target, in reality its about mental and physical ability to overcome set designs on shooting, stance, gat usage, its a tool, its a toy, its a hobby, its a way of life, its what you want it to be, embrace and well it becomes so easy.
as for red dot, well, i have range rats, have never carried one with red dot, but will say am gonna give it try, it'll be a compact nine, so one will see, i'm far from a technical shooter,,more instinchtive than anything esle, and yeah, i shoot a lot.
hope you all give a dot a try, actual individual usages will very, as do opinions, don't knock it till you try it,
happy hump day,
shoot what ya brung and enjoy it
Rj

It is very difficult to decide if I agree with you or not, due to your choice to use a sentence structure with which I am unfamiliar (or complete lack thereof). But, I think I agree with you.

lol, yeah i coulda been more articulate, but.................more fun to discuss my faults. hahaha
rj

 

[kenpoprofessor]

every option for shooting should be explored, one never knows what needs will come up at times, i've read and hear just about every yea and nay on about every gat, and frankly have owned a whole lotta gats, some i moved out, some i still savor, some i cherish, but all shoot, i rotate range gats regularly, trigger weight from 1.5 to 11 lbs or so, some i shoot just so so, some well lets say you dont' wanna be the target, in reality its about mental and physical ability to overcome set designs on shooting, stance, gat usage, its a tool, its a toy, its a hobby, its a way of life, its what you want it to be, embrace and well it becomes so easy.
as for red dot, well, i have range rats, have never carried one with red dot, but will say am gonna give it try, it'll be a compact nine, so one will see, i'm far from a technical shooter,,more instinchtive than anything esle, and yeah, i shoot a lot.
hope you all give a dot a try, actual individual usages will very, as do opinions, don't knock it till you try it,
happy hump day,
shoot what ya brung and enjoy it
Rj

It is very difficult to decide if I agree with you or not, due to your choice to use a sentence structure with which I am unfamiliar (or complete lack thereof). But, I think I agree with you.

You gotta speak Ricanese, I am fluent in his dialect

Have a great, gun carryin', Kenpo day

Clyde