Red dots on carry guns

[Lightbuzzer]

I keep seeing everyone slapping red dots on their carry pistols now, is this actually better or just the latest trend? I've been running irons forever and they work fine, but maybe I'm missing out

 

[pasound]

They help when your eyes are getting old and that front sight is not as easy to find. I have them on my 22 target pistols, and on my Sig 365XL - a Romeo Zero.

 

[30calflash]

I'm a hold out on irons still, even being an old guy. I'm sure it has it's place but.....

3 years ago I attended a shooting event and met a friend there who had a Sig I think, with some kind of red dot. He had been home doing some repair work before getting to the range.

He handed me the pistol to check it out, I couldn't find the dot. Looked hard, wiggled it around for awhile but to no avail.

Gave it back and he started looking for it. After about 10 seconds plus he did, the reason it took awhile was he had been sanding drywall and the dust covered the lens (static) to where the dot was almost invisible. So, between my looking for it and his, we could have been in worse than a tight spot if it was needed at that moment.

So, I'll stick to my guns, with sights. I can see putting some hi visibility front sights on a couple that don't have them, or go tridium. But as far as a dot for carry, for my current purposes, no thank you.

 

[Eskimo]

I’ve been running a red dot on my carry gun for a while now and it does make target acquisition faster, especially when my eyes are tired and irons start looking like blurry chopsticks. The tradeoff is you’ve got batteries to worry about and you’ll spend some time hunting for that little dot until your draw stroke is dialed in. Once you get past that, it feels like cheating at the range...just remember, the optic won’t make you John Wick overnight… but it’ll get you a little closer

 

[WV460HUNTER]

On a SD carry redot is not needed most SD situations occurs in 7yards. At that range only thing needed is point and shoot off the front sight. In Hunting red dots are great for aging eyes.

 

[30calflash]

As some mentioned they have a place for those who need them in the field or for some match type events. I'm not sure on the SD end of things tho. My experience that one time underscored my feelings on them, for now. A bright and or night front sight is good for my aging lamps so far.

 

[Lightbuzzer]

They help when your eyes are getting old and that front sight is not as easy to find. I have them on my 22 target pistols, and on my Sig 365XL - a Romeo Zero.

Yeah I can see the advantage for aging eyes, I might try a Romeo Zero or similar on a carry gun, but I’ll weigh battery reliability and training first. Thanks!

 

[Lightbuzzer]

I'm a hold out on irons still, even being an old guy. I'm sure it has it's place but.....

3 years ago I attended a shooting event and met a friend there who had a Sig I think, with some kind of red dot. He had been home doing some repair work before getting to the range.

He handed me the pistol to check it out, I couldn't find the dot. Looked hard, wiggled it around for awhile but to no avail.

Gave it back and he started looking for it. After about 10 seconds plus he did, the reason it took awhile was he had been sanding drywall and the dust covered the lens (static) to where the dot was almost invisible. So, between my looking for it and his, we could have been in worse than a tight spot if it was needed at that moment.

So, I'll stick to my guns, with sights. I can see putting some hi visibility front sights on a couple that don't have them, or go tridium. But as far as a dot for carry, for my current purposes, no thank you.

Wow, that's a good reminder. Bad lens maintenance can make a dot useless fast. I’ll keep irons for carry, but still practice with dots and always check and clean the lens before carrying

 

[Lightbuzzer]

I’ve been running a red dot on my carry gun for a while now and it does make target acquisition faster, especially when my eyes are tired and irons start looking like blurry chopsticks. The tradeoff is you’ve got batteries to worry about and you’ll spend some time hunting for that little dot until your draw stroke is dialed in. Once you get past that, it feels like cheating at the range...just remember, the optic won’t make you John Wick overnight… but it’ll get you a little closer

How long did it take you to really get comfortable picking up the dot after the draw?

 

[Deleted member 29]

I figure if I ever need to shoot someone it will be up close and it'll be a point and shoot affair.

With an astigmatism all red dots look like fuzzy commas to me. When I look through a $35 one or a $750 dollar one it's the same. Now a prism sight on a rifle with the etched reticle is neat for people with astigmatism. The lighted crosshair is crisp and very easy to see.

 

[Creeker]

Many folks use the red/green dot with great success. I've had no desire for one on a sixgun. I love the irons & like others say, for SD you will most likely be too close to use sights.