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Feedback from my first pistol red dot has been surprising.

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  • Jeep0516

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    I’m a new shooter (8 months or so) but I can’t believe how my recently acquired red dot has been helpful in improving fundamentals. I’ve only had it for ten days but after two range sessions and constantly dry firing at home, the ‘movement’ of the dot I see on trigger pull/grip adjustment is very helpful. I never expected this kind of feedback. I know it’s not a substitute for sound iron sight practice but I got to say it’s easier to see and adjust my ‘mistakes’ on dry fire practice at home with a red dot on the pistol.
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    ZX9RCAM

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    I really like and frankly need a red dot on most of my firearms. I am left eye dominant and had surgery on my right eye so it’s really hard to aim. Red dot solved that easily.
    Out of curiosity, why would surgery on your right eye cause problems if you are left eye dominant?
     

    andre3k

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    The best benefit I've seen from transitioning to a red dot is the ability to shoot 100% target focused. Both eyes are open, pick a spot on your target, and bring the dot up to that spot. No more dealing with 3 different focal planes.

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
     

    NWFA

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    Out of curiosity, why would surgery on your right eye cause problems if you are left eye dominant?
    Surgery was to repair a detached retina and my vision is worst out of my right eye. The dot helps me shift my focus to my left eye. It’s really crummy when it comes to shooting with a scope though. I am forced to use my right eye and the clarity is not there. Same for red dots on rifles. I am sure years of poor fundamental shooting mechanics doesn’t help either.
     

    ZX9RCAM

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    Surgery was to repair a detached retina and my vision is worst out of my right eye. The dot helps me shift my focus to my left eye. It’s really crummy when it comes to shooting with a scope though. I am forced to use my right eye and the clarity is not there. Same for red dots on rifles. I am sure years of poor fundamental shooting mechanics doesn’t help either.

    It makes sense when talking about using a right hand rifle.
    This thread is about pistols, and that's why your comment was confusing.
     

    Mowingmaniac 24/7

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    I wouldn't put a red dot on a self defense pistol.

    Wait, Wait Mr. Thug perhaps Many Thugs while I line up muh red dot...damn, I can't find it as the pressure you thugs cause have me wishin I'd left it iron sighted, ow, ouch, blurp, well there goes all my liquidy red stuff...buh-bye!
     

    Darkpriest667

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    Surgery was to repair a detached retina and my vision is worst out of my right eye. The dot helps me shift my focus to my left eye. It’s really crummy when it comes to shooting with a scope though. I am forced to use my right eye and the clarity is not there. Same for red dots on rifles. I am sure years of poor fundamental shooting mechanics doesn’t help either.

    I'm left eye dominant, I shoot a pistol right handed but shoot a rifle left handed. It will change your world, it does help that I have been ambidextrous most of my life, but I imagine with some practice you can become a proficient left hand rifle shooter.
     

    andre3k

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    I wouldn't put a red dot on a self defense pistol.

    Wait, Wait Mr. Thug perhaps Many Thugs while I line up muh red dot...damn, I can't find it as the pressure you thugs cause have me wishin I'd left it iron sighted, ow, ouch, blurp, well there goes all my liquidy red stuff...buh-bye!
    If in the off chance that you can't find your dot at bad breath engagement distance doesn't mean you can't easily make COM hits. When I took Scott Jedlinski's red dot instructor class, we ran several drills using the dot housing as a reference point. Hits were more than adequate at 10 yards for proficient shooters.

    If you're having trouble finding the dot when you draw then you need to dryfire more and learn your index. Its as natural as finding the front sight on your pistol when you train for it.

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
     
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    cycleguy2300

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    The best benefit I've seen from transitioning to a red dot is the ability to shoot 100% target focused. Both eyes are open, pick a spot on your target, and bring the dot up to that spot. No more dealing with 3 different focal planes.

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
    Try just focusing on the front sight. It will likely speed things up quite a bit for you with irons.

    Let the target be fuzzy, let the rear sights be fuzzy.

    Until I get to 10y or so I barely reference my sights, but I am pretty much looking for speed in getting rounds onto target. "On target" is on target, I slow down a bit for head shots, but still just looking at the spot I want to hit or the front sight. Heck, I had a front sight come off halfway through a qual and passed in the mid 90% of possible score.

    Reddots are like cheating. I'll get one at some point, but my money has been goingntowards other things and I am hoping I get issued one.

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    cycleguy2300

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    If in the off chance that you can't find your dot at bad breath engagement distance doesn't mean you can't easily make COM hits. When I took Scott Jedlinski's red dot instructor class, we ran several drills using the dot housing as a reference point. Hits were more than adequate at 10 yards for proficient shooters.

    If you're having trouble finding the dot when you draw them you need to dryfire more and learn your index. Its as natural as finding the front sight on your pistol when your train for it.

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
    Just walk your rounds onto target.

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    andre3k

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    Try just focusing on the front sight. It will likely speed things up quite a bit for you with irons.

    Let the target be fuzzy, let the rear sights be fuzzy.

    Inside of 15 yards I find that front sight focus slows me down quite a bit. I prefer to target focus, picking an exact spot on the target with a slightly blurry front sight, and rears are always blurry. Past 15, I tend to focus more on the front sight but it depends on the size of the target. Target focused shooting past 15 has proven difficult for me.


    Reddots are like cheating. I'll get one at some point, but my money has been goingntowards other things and I am hoping I get issued one.

    I wouldn't quite call it cheating, but with a red dot you are only concerned about one focal plane, which is your target. No more front sight blurry or target blurry and juggling your focus between rear sight, front sight and the target, you simply bring the dot to where you are focused on the target. Both eyes are wide open and focused on your target. If you're staring at that dot on an optic then you're looking at the wrong thing.

    I shoot a local 3-gun match and I can get 100 yard hits with my pistol from the draw without much time wasted. I haven't done it with a timer yet but it isnt hard on a 12 inch plate. If you watch the first stage of my video, there are two steel plates at 70 yards. I hit the first one easily from the draw, shot low on the second, but quickly made it up with my 3rd shot. That would be a lot harder and it would take a lot longer to make those shots with iron sights. Nobody else in my squad took that shot with a pistol, everyone else used a carbine. Disregard my shotgunning on this day, I had issues with my VR-80.





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    Mowingmaniac 24/7

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    We all extol what works best for us.

    I love red dot sights, even more so if they're green, but all the dotted guns (if you will) I have are for the range, not for close encounters of the deadly kind...

    Sure, I could practice finding the red/green dot faster, but under attack, iron sights for me.

    It's muh nerves, doncha know?
     

    gll

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    My eyes pick up green as much brighter than red, too bright at night, and not good in the day against trees and grass... My preference is for red.

    More rifle related, but I run green lights on a couple rifles for predators, and a red dot works better than a green dot on green light.
     
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