XS Big Dot Sight Review

[Kennydale]

My vision is terrible. I can't see my front sight worth squat with my regular glasses using progressive lenses. I have special shooting glasses that make iron sights a joy to use but they're a lost cause with my regular glasses.

I can shoot a red dot fine with my regular glasses but plain irons are a fuzzy mess. I wouldn't expect the XS big dot sights to be faster. I would expect them to be less accurate. But I may experiment with them in the future simply because I can actually see them.

Either that or I need to consider switching to red dots on my SD handguns, a step I really don't want to take since the training (or, more accurately, re-training) required is more of an effort that I can put forth right now.

I agree with Ben. I really want to give those puppy's a tryout. If I am sitting with my grandkids in a restaurant and the SHTF I'd like to think I could do more then just shield them with my body. If the XS BIG DOT can give me a half second quicker reaction, that might make a difference.

 

[M. Sage]

Eh, I don't know if it's full-blown hate. He does have a bit of a point. I've gone from Big Dots to a Siglite rear/TFO front setup and since the TFO got jacked up, been actually thinking about some more target-styled sights. Why?

Why the hell not? The TFO was fast and accurate for me (when my brain didn't confuse the glowing red front sight for a red dot, focus my eyes on the target and hose it like I had a rifle...), and I think more so than the Big Dot was. Then again, my skills increased a lot since those days, and the Big Dot was on a P220 vs the P226 I have now. IMO a bit more gap between the edges of the rear sight and front sight will allow me to get it centered better and hopefully faster. I just need to figure out what the right gap is for me...

 

[Kennydale]

Yes, we know. They're "gunfightin" sights. I still have yet to receive a logical explanation from anyone as to what makes them a gunfightin sight vs. notch and post, and what supposedly makes them better at the task. If the object of a gunfight is to be faster and more accurate than the other guy, standing the best chance of ending the fight instead of having it ended for you, logic would dictate that whatever allows a shooter to be fastest while still maintaining acceptable accuracy would be ideal. If speed and accuracy were superior with XS Big Dots, why then is there not a single top level competition shooter that is using them? Furthermore, I think that speed and "acceptable accuracy" should be more precisely defined, as I have yet to see any big dot proponent make a clear definition as to what that means to them, at what speed as measured on a shot timer, and at what size shot group at a given distance, etc. The explanations are always esoteric, without clear definitions or specifications.

Contrary to popular belief with the "tactical timmies" that are afraid of competition, shooting at a top level in USPSA/IPSC, Steel Match, Bianchi Cup, etc. requires not just supreme speed, but extreme accuracy at speed. At that level, shooting with some of the best in the world, you cannot just throw shots at speed and get away with it.

It is my position that XS Big Dots can allow a less experienced shooter to gain an increased, false sense of self-confidence in their abilities, and a false sense of what is probably an inconsequential improvement in speed, which can be further reinforced when competitive speed and accuracy standards are not enforced or maintained, or even measured in the first place. IMO, these perceived improvements in "ease" of shooting, as well as the perceived improvement in speed are actually probably more directly attributable to achieving a more relaxed mindset, not thinking so hard about shooting, and instead just SHOOTING the gun. This is a principle that is easily achieved with notch and post sights, and is simply a matter of training.

IMO big dots are akin to driving a LeMans prototype racer at 200+mph with a speedometer that only has 3 measurements, 0mph, 100mph, and 200mph, as well as a steering wheel that provides minimal feedback or precision. Basically, you have less feedback and data to work with when driving at speed, actually making it more difficult to successfully drive at those speeds. You can hit the gas pedal and drive at 200mph, regardless of what your "speedometer" says, but the speedo with less data (front sight), and the steering wheel with less precision (rear sight) make it harder to do so as efficiently and with a lower degree of accuracy.

Most people need to relax and just shoot the gun instead of over-thinking it and putting stuff on their gun that might ultimately limit their capabilities. But that's just my opinion.

Darn Sig_Fiend that's kinda a long winded diatribe just to say "I'm Right , Your Wrong" ?
(Too Much Caffeine?)

 

[SIG_Fiend]

All I post are the observations from my own experiences and the extensive, deep thought and practice I put into these things. I post in a logical manner, and the things that I post generally are my conclusions from using rational, critical thought. This thread started out as somewhat of a light-hearted joke, all in good fun, poking fun at people that are die hard big dot proponents. As of yet, everyone that is complaining doesn't seem to even be taking into account or addressing the rational and logical comments I've made based on my own experiences and practice.

Thanks for the reported post BTW. Seriously?

 

[40Arpent]

?...everyone that is complaining doesn't seem to even be taking into account or addressing the rational and logical comments I've made based on my own experiences and practice.

I don't have any experience with XS sights, but i can say that if anyone else around here is like me, your posts are so long-winded that reading them just wears me right the **** out to the point that I'm too spent to respond. How many times have you repeated the same "the top comp shooters don't use 'em" crap in this thread....why not just cut-n-paste? Secondly, as evidenced in the last 7 words of the quote above, you come across as a know-it-all. Are you one of the top national competitive shooters you keep harping about? How do your times stack up against theirs? How often do you compete in any of the organizations you've mentioned? Having an opinion is one thing, but trying to force it down someone's throat, especially with your "Tactical Timmy" digs...that shit gets old fast. Humble pie, have a slice.

 

[Andy]

I guess all those professional hunters who go after wounded, charging dangerous game in Africa with a big ivory bead (express sight) should stop their stupidity and instead listen to the 3-gun competitors and use the sights they use...

I guess some folks just don't get the benefit of having a big old white point of reference right in front of them - while they're hard-focused on the threat as humans instinctively do - in the half second it take to bring the gun up and use that big spot to get a rapid alignment onto center-mass for that one shot. Those sights are mean to to help someone get a big visual point-of-reference of where the heck their front sight is in relation to a threat while focusing ON that threat.

They'll forever imagine that close-up combat is like competition; they have no concept of the wide-eyed panic that occurs and imagine themselves to be coldly calm and steely-eyed, cooly focused on their front-sight at a distance of 2 yards with a half-second to rip off an accurate shot or die. Good luck with that.

And yes - apart from actual firefights overseas, I have many years of IPSC, Steel and Pin-shoots under my belt; IDPA and some 3-gun, too.

 

[RACER X]

Thanks for the reported post BTW. Seriously?

Fyi: I didn't report your post

And I'm w Andy, target practice or competition shooting isn't fight or flight responses.

 

[40Arpent]

Fyi: I didn't report your post

Neither did I, but I report ALL of your posts.

 

[jln370]

SIG_Fiend, I had the pleasure of taking a pistol class in which Paul Gomez was one of the instructors, he was running XS Big Dots, just sayin'


The picture is a freeze frame from this video, he clearly is running the XS Big Dots. While in class I had factory sights on my G19, Mr. Gomez said you need to get some Big Dots on that thing, so I did and I love them, so I think I'll stick with the experts advice.

 

[40Arpent]

Paul Gomez

May God rest his soul, but if memory serves, Mr. Gomez was not "top level in USPSA/IPSC, Steel Match, Bianchi Cup, etc." I think he was one of what SIG_F referred to as a "Tactical Timmy"....so you are doing it all wrong.

 

[SIG_Fiend]

May God rest his soul, but if memory serves, Mr. Gomez was not "top level in USPSA/IPSC, Steel Match, Bianchi Cup, etc." I think he was one of what SIG_F referred to as a "Tactical Timmy"....so you are doing it all wrong.

Stop putting words in my mouth. I've taken a class with Paul before, and he happens to be one of the instructors I have the utmost respect for. I didn't always agree with every single one of his conclusions, but Paul was a deep thinker and someone that put a considerable amount of time, effort, research, and development into every thing he did. I consider him a role model in that regard. Losing him, the firearms training world lost a major asset.

Look, this thread started out as somewhat of a joke, all in good fun, then people had to get serious, and of course I responded in a serious manner. Some of the things I post are basically a mental dump of what is rattling around in my mind, channeled through the keyboard. Sometimes (okay a LOT of the time LOL) it's way too much. Sometimes maybe there's some detail there that helps someone. Sometimes it simply doesn't translate the way I intended. Who knows. I'm autistic (I have Asperger's), so give me a freakin break if I go a bit overboard, ramble on too much, or sometimes come off as abrasive. It's not usually what I intended.

 

[40Arpent]

I think your use of the word overboard is what prompted this analogy:

If you don't know how to swim, and go out fishing on a friend's boat, it'd be a good idea to let him know beforehand that you can't swim.

 

[AustinN4]

I read every post in this thread and found it entertaining. Just because someone likes or dislikes something should not automatically make it good or bad for someone else.

I picked up a used Shield yesterday and it has XS 24/7 Express Big Dot sights on it. I will find out on my own when the weather gets a bit better, but in dry fire it does seen easier for me to get good sight alignment with both eyes open than with my full size M&P with factory 3 dot sights.

But that is probably just a function of my eyes. Shooting with my variable bifocals is a PITA, which is why I am much faster and accurate with a RDS with both eyes open. I was seriously considering having my FS M&P slide milled for a RMR, but if the Big Dot works out for me on the Shield I may put them on the FS as well.

 

[SIG_Fiend]

I read every post in this thread and found it entertaining. Just because some likes or dislikes something should not automatically make it good or bad for someone else.

I picked up a used Shield yesterday and it has XS 24/7 Express Big Dot sights on it. I will find out on my own when the weather gets a bit better, but in dry fire it does seen easier for me to get good sight alignment with both eyes open than with my full size M&P with factory 3 dot sights.

But that is probably just a function of my eyes. Shooting with my variable bifocals is a PITA, which is why I am much faster and accurate with a RDS with both eyes open. I was seriously considering having my FS M&P slide milled for a RMR, but if the Big Dot woks out for me on the Shield I may put them on the FS as well.

You got big dots too? OH NO IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD!!! I'm just joking around with you.

 

[claymore504]

I would not say they suck. I have them on my Shield and Glock 27 and like them. Heck, I also like the stock Glock sights that nobody else likes. Guess I am an odd one.

 

[Whisky]

.. Heck, I also like the stock Glock sights that nobody else likes. Guess I am an odd one.

I too like the stock Glock sights (the XS Big Dots look interesting, for something other than my Glocks..)