Red dots are to pistols, what ducks are to Jeeps

[Redleg37]

I learned to shoot irons but got a red dot when I deployed. When they work and if you spend the time to zero them they are much better than iron sights. Those are pretty important whens and ifs.

In 2003 My aimpoint m68 lasted an entire year deployment on one battery; but I made a habit of checking to make sure it was turned off. We had other soldiers whose batteries died within a week of deploying. At the time they took some sort of disk battery, not the standard AA that literally every soldier had an excess of. We never got issued more batteries. Several of my current guns have red dots, but they all also have iron sights.

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[Bandit’s Lair]

I learned to shoot irons but got a red dot when I deployed. When they work and if you spend the time to zero them they are much better than iron sights. Those are pretty important whens and ifs.

In 2003 My aimpoint m68 lasted an entire year deployment on one battery; but I made a habit of checking to make sure it was turned off. We had other soldiers whose batteries died within a week of deploying. At the time they took some sort of disk battery, not the standard AA that literally every soldier had an excess of. We never got issued more batteries. Several of my current guns have red dots, but they all also have iron sights.

Dude!!! That aimpoint was a GAME CHANGER!!!! First qual range I shot on after they went to those I dropped 3 points. Not 3 shots. 3 points. Total. I was like “this is cheating”. Locked in on the rapid fire and it was “possible, possible, possible”. 500 yrd line was a smoke show!!

 

[Mangey]

I have 4 ducks. My aim still sucks with a red dot, so evidently the OP is correct.

 

[ericw.]

lol I'm willing to die on the red dot hill! They are the present and the future. Train more!

 

[Janster]

This all depends on the gun and dot. I have direct mounts on several of mine. The GLOCK had to have a plate. It also only takes about 5 to add one on at the range, well at least for me. It also helps that I am an instructor.

Well of course... I think direct bolt-ons are few and far between.

All of mine needed plates...and some didn't come with the gun. The others, you'd get this bag of plates and another bag of assorted screws. So... you'd spend at least 5 minutes figuring out what screws you needed and end up using the original ones you took off.

 

[ericw.]

Well of course... I think direct bolt-ons are few and far between.

All of mine needed plates...and some didn't come with the gun. The others, you'd get this bag of plates and another bag of assorted screws. So... you'd spend at least 5 minutes figuring out what screws you needed and end up using the original ones you took off.

Direct mill or aftermarket with a direct milled optic footprint.

IMO there are only 2 choices. RMR footprint and RMS-C footprint. Anything else is just trying too hard to fit a specific red dot.

Red dots these days are insanely durable. Not like in the GWOT days. You really can get 1-2 years of constant-on runtime with modern red dots.

 

[Janster]

I learned to shoot irons but got a red dot when I deployed. When they work and if you spend the time to zero them they are much better than iron sights. Those are pretty important whens and ifs.

In 2003 My aimpoint m68 lasted an entire year deployment on one battery; but I made a habit of checking to make sure it was turned off. We had other soldiers whose batteries died within a week of deploying. At the time they took some sort of disk battery, not the standard AA that literally every soldier had an excess of. We never got issued more batteries. Several of my current guns have red dots, but they all also have iron sights.

I know most (or all) the guns we have, the irons & optics cowitness. If the dot dies, you can still see & use the irons. I'd think most are going that route these days....

We primarily use Holosun (disc batteries). We have a couple Osights...which are rechargeable.

 

[ericw.]

I know most (or all) the guns we have, the irons & optics cowitness. If the dot dies, you can still see & use the irons. I'd think most are going that route these days....

We primarily use Holosun (disc batteries). We have a couple Osights...which are rechargeable.

I don't bother with cowitness. You sacrifice part of your optic window for the rare chance that a red dot goes down and a quality optic has such a low failure rate.

I trust my equipment and we train to use alternative aiming methods. You can aim down the line between slide and frame, or the line between optic and slide.

Point shooting is very effective inside 10 yards.

Inside 20 yards, you put the target in your window, good chance you'll hit it even without a dot for point of aim reference.

There's a lot of methods but the best thing is trying it to see what method works best for you with your equipment.

 

[Janster]

Red dots these days are insanely durable. Not like in the GWOT days. You really can get 1-2 years of constant-on runtime with modern red dots.

We actually had two (one Holosun & One Osight) that were replaced under warranty. I think something inside got jarred loose during shooting because they suddenly weren't zero'd anymore and we couldn't get it back.... no adjustment. Replacements have been good (knock on my head).

But, we're enjoying them either way...soo much better (for us) than the irons.

 

[ericw.]

We actually had two (one Holosun & One Osight) that were replaced under warranty. I think something inside got jarred loose during shooting because they suddenly weren't zero'd anymore and we couldn't get it back.... no adjustment. Replacements have been good (knock on my head).

But, we're enjoying them either way...soo much better (for us) than the irons.

I would never spend my money on a Osight but holosun are typically good. I have over 13k rounds on an EPS Carry and it's maintained zero and never needed adjustment unless I took it off the weapon.

I also have an RMR and Trijicon RCR, both of those have never had a single issue.

I change batteries once a year before my birthday.

 

[Redleg37]

Dude!!! That aimpoint was a GAME CHANGER!!!! First qual range I shot on after they went to those I dropped 3 points. Not 3 shots. 3 points. Total. I was like “this is cheating”. Locked in on the rapid fire and it was “possible, possible, possible”. 500 yrd line was a smoke show!!

Our first range trip with them was in Kuwait before we convoyed to Northern Iraq from the Southern border. It was close quarter battle drills. People were drawing smiley faces or writing their initials with bullet holes in their targets. The same trip they gave us brand new, still wrapped in plastic M240Bs with incendiary armor piercing ammunition with thermal sights. I miss my 240.

 

[White Eagle]

As a 20 year retired GI that doesn’t use the sights on a property fitted pistol they are as useless as ducks on a Jeep

If you have to aim a pistol at point blank out to 10 yards, take up another hobby.

If you are one of the striker fired peoples, put a white dot on the bore center of the back of the slide and get busy.

 

[ericw.]

As a 20 year retired GI that doesn’t use the sights on a property fitted pistol they are as useless as ducks on a Jeep

If you have to aim a pistol at point blank out to 10 yards, take up another hobby.

If you are one of the striker fired peoples, put a white dot on the bore center of the back of the slide and get busy.

lol did you only read "10 yards"? The whole sentence is..

Point shooting is very effective inside 10 yards.

Point shooting = shooting without sights if you didn't know. Just pointing the gun.

 

[White Eagle]

I know everything

 

[Hootbro]

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