Red dot.. ?? (poll)

Red Dot

  • Carry it everyday

    Votes: 3 13.0%
  • To cool guy for me

    Votes: 6 26.1%
  • Just get another gun and shoot away

    Votes: 8 34.8%
  • Want one... but too expensive of an upgrade

    Votes: 6 26.1%

  • Total voters
    23
Joined
Jan 31, 2017
Messages
52
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Thinking of picking up an RMR tonight.. I was wondering, since they cost about as much as a gun. How many people actually carry and use one? I see its benefits.. and its faults.. but would most people just rather pick up another gun than jump on the Red Dot band wagon?

The idea of being more threat focused and being more accurate at long ranges is very appealing to me.
 
If your looking for it on a carry gun the Trijicon RMR is the way to go as it stays on constantly. If it were for a range gun I would go with a Vortex Venom. Plus the Vortex is 1/3 the price and have the VIP warranty. I have the Venom on my .22 pistol, and my G35 MOS and like it very much. Still on the fence about putting one on my carry gun, but if I do it would be an RMR.
 
For a range gun the slide mounted optic is well worth the dough. I've had good luck with the Burris.
For a higher end range gun, for me the frame mount, i.e. C-more is a little easier to track. Buy some stock in a battery company though.
IMHO both are too bulky to tote around full time. For that I like Crimson Trace grips.
 
The idea of being more threat focused and being more accurate at long ranges is very appealing to me.

Red dots take a lot of practice to be really proficient with. Muscle memory needs to be dead on to have the dot appear in the screen exactly where you are looking when you draw. You don't have any early feedback like you do with iron. You see a lot of people do the red dot wiggle looking for the dot dof it appear on the screen.

Irons are faster at self defense distances. It's not really until 12-15 yards that a dot starts making a difference.

You can and should use a target focus with iron sights inside 10 yards. Then transition to more of a front sight focus the further you get out, but even that is not necessary, I target focus at all distances
 
I have a G17 with milled slide and RMR. It is not my carry set up because of the Godzilla size of the gun. If it was on a 19, and I'm debating getting one, I wouldn't have a problem carrying it. Not sire about IWB unless the holster had a good sized sweat guard.
 
I’ve tried red dots at the range for target competition, could never get used to acquiring the dot in a timely manner. Went back to iron sights with luminescent paint. Different strokes I guess, you just need to try it out and see what works best for you
 
Thinking of picking up an RMR tonight.. I was wondering, since they cost about as much as a gun. How many people actually carry and use one? I see its benefits.. and its faults.. but would most people just rather pick up another gun than jump on the Red Dot band wagon?

The idea of being more threat focused and being more accurate at long ranges is very appealing to me.

I have one on my G17 which I use for 3-gun, for carry in the winter months, and it's my primary home defense gun. It is excellent for putting shots on target quickly. I had the slide milled, then cerakoted , so it would sit as low as possible on the slide as possible. And I also added suppressor height night sights that co-witness with the dot.

Primary Machine did the slide work, and the workmanship is excellent. The total cost was $320. Price included milling for the red dot, milling a dovetail in front of the red dot for the rear night sight, the Dawson Precision night sights, and the cerakote work. But not the cost of the red dot.

I mostly had this done for 3-gun use and added the night sights for HD. I'm not sure that I would go through the trouble, or expense, if it was just for a concealed carry gun, but many do.

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I know hunting is not necessarily comparable with defense.......but...for the purpose of "target acquisition" I'll speak to the benefits. I added a red dot to both my pump action shotgun and my 50 cal front stuffer this last season and it is the best thing I did. It is much faster to get "on target" with the red dot and get a round off than with the iron sights. The second deer I took this last season appeared out of nowhere in a small opening 50 yards away and I had VERY little time to make the shot. If I had been using the iron sights I never would not have even attempted it. With the red dot it was quick shoulder and get the red dot on the front half of the deer and squeeze. Shot was a little front of where I wanted it......but hit the jugular in his neck and he bled out in 40 yards and went down. That's a deer in the freezer I never would have had the opportunity on without the red dot.

On a pistol the challenge like others have said....you have to practice and get the muscle memory of finding the dot to avoid "red dot wiggle".....but imo it's still much faster than lining up the rear and front sights .
 
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My daily carry is a Glock 19 with an RMR. Before I started carrying it I did not like it. Target acquisition took too long, but shot placement and groupings improved dramatically. I put surpressor height sights on and shot a bunch more and now it is my daily carry. Definitely factor in the cost of new sights and possibly a new holster to accommodate them, I like the Bravo Concealmemt Torsion.
 
I have one on my PC M&P 9L, it's a competition gun though , I don't think I'd ever put one on my shield LOL!!!
 
It is all the rage for sure. Roland Specials everywhere.

Supermoto hit it pretty well. At self defense distances irons are generally faster. You can just point with target focus, get a general picture and shoot. Red Dots really shine out past 15 yards however.

Red Dots do take a lot of practice to really get used to on a handgun.. I prefer the Leupold Delta Point Pro.. it has a huge window which makes it a bit easier.

For a combat ready handgun. Especially if that maybe all I am allowed to carry (Armed Escort or something like that) I would run a Red Dot with suppressor height all black irons.

For a carry gun or sidearm that I am gonna need quickly at close ranges I want blacked rear, hiviz front irons.
 
I prefer iron sights for most everything (except on a rifle).

I see no need for a red dot on a pistol. Especially a carry gun. Even laser equipped pistols are not something I’d want.

Practice with irons, get comfortable with them and leave the red dots to the long guns.
 
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