How Good Are Red Dot Sights?

[brihacharan]

Red Dot Sights
Fast shooting - Accurate shooting
www.aimpoint.com/us/products/whyreddotsight/

Of late quite a few fellow members have been questioning about Red Dot Sights, especially about its comparison with Open Sights & Scopes....

While searching for information on this interesting subject I came across this bit of information, which I thought would elicit some personal experiences from fellow members.....

To be successful, every shooter must be able to aim accurately and quickly under a variety of conditions. On a shooting range, there is plenty of time to take aim, but in the real world, everything is in fast motion. Add rough terrain, foul weather and high levels of stress and even the most experienced marksman will be put to the test.
The single red dot has been proven to be the fastest type of reticle to place on target and provides the greatest increase in hit probability on close quarter moving targets. Red dot sights allow you to remain focused on the target. Shooting with both eyes open means that you remain in touch with what is going on around you, and can deal with new situations as they arise.
Red dot sights are superior to iron sights and scopes in several ways. Using these other types of aiming devices require that your focus leaves the target.
In practice this means:
Red dot sights
With red dot sights you remain focus on the target, you simply place the dot on the target and you pull trigger. The point of aim is the point of impact.


Iron sights
With iron sights, hunters must align the rear and front sights with the target - waste of valuable time.


Magnifying scopes
With magnifying scopes, the field of vision is severely limited and locating your target through a tube with one eye closed wastes valuable time and destroys your situational awareness.


Now that you have a fairly clear picture....your own take on this subject would be welcome!!!
Briha

[kshitij]

I guess you need particular tools for particular jobs. The red dot seems to be the perfect tool to use for close quarter applications where you need to have more in your peripheral vision. It may not be so suitable for long range applications where half inch dia accuracy is expected.
For me, or rather for the kind of shooting i like to do, i would have the red dot on a pistol and the scope on a rifle.

[brihacharan]

I guess you need particular tools for particular jobs. The red dot seems to be the perfect tool to use for close quarter applications where you need to have more in your peripheral vision. It may not be so suitable for long range applications where half inch dia accuracy is expected.
For me, or rather for the kind of shooting i like to do, i would have the red dot on a pistol and the scope on a rifle.

You're right Kshitij!
However I tried my Hawke Red Dot Sight on my Samurai 22 cal & it worked well up-to 50ft approx....managed to get 3/4" groups!
Beyond that a Scope is always favored
Briha

[timmy]

Noting:

shooting with both eyes open means that you remain in touch with what is going on around you, and can deal with new situations as they arise.
Red dot sights are superior to iron sights and scopes in several ways. Using these other types of aiming devices require that your focus leaves the target.

I shoot a scope with both eyes open.

With red dot sights you remain focus on the target, you simply place the dot on the target and you pull trigger. The point of aim is the point of impact.

If the range at which you are shooting is close enough that you don't have to allow for trajectory, than this is true, otherwise it's not. But the same holds true with a scope, as well, or even with iron sights.

That said:

If your eyes are old, red dots are very nice.

They do allow you to obtain a sight picture very rapidly and work well for something moving, if that's what you are shooting at.

The red dot covers several minutes of angle, which is no problem for shorter ranges, but for longer ranges, it is too large.

You wouldn't find them as useful for shooting like Baljit at targets 1000 meters away.

They don't have a "relief distance," so you don't have to consider this -- you can use them on a handgun or long gun and you don't have to worry about the scope whacking your eyebrow.

For handguns, air guns, and short range rifle shooting, they can be very useful. For longer ranges at smaller targets, a scope would be better.

I think that the comparison is more of a question of what you are shooting and what you are shooting at, so what kind of tool can you choose for the job?

[brihacharan]

For handguns, air guns, and short range rifle shooting, they can be very useful. For longer ranges at smaller targets, a scope would be better.

I think that the comparison is more of a question of what you are shooting and what you are shooting at, so what kind of tool can you choose for the job?

Thanks Timmy for sharing your views & observations
These should clear the cob-webs on the pros / cons of Red Dot Sights Vs Scopes for all those who are keen to know.....
Like I mentioned earlier- up to 30 yds the Red Dot works fine for me & anything beyond that & up to 70 its scopes all the way!
Briha