Red dot for FNX45 Tactical

[ScatPackLife]

I'm looking for some advice for red dots on my FNX45 Tactical. I've tried two already and they didn't work so great for me.

I got a Holosun HS407K. It's nice little red dot but it's too small for me. I was having an impossible time finding the dot. I happened to have a HS507C. This worked better but I still struggled with it.

Two things to keep in mind: I have uveitis so my eye sight isn't perfect. I use red dots on many of my long guns but don't have any prior experience with red dots in hand guns and don't plan on spending extra time to learn well enough to put one on every pistol I own. I will spend time shooting my FNX but it's just a range toy unless I can learn to shoot it better.

There are a few red dots that have large windows. The best that I have seen are the Trijicon SRO, Leupold Delta Point Pro, Vortex Venom, and the Sig Romeo 3 XL.

My issue with most of those is they are $500+, so even though I think it's the smaller of the four I'm leaving towards the Venom. I just can't make myself spend that much money on a range toy and I would rather put that money to a suppressor, which I'm planning to do soon. Thoughts on those 4? Hoping to get input from people who have owned two or more for comparison.

I'm also wondering about a tube style red dot. Like the Holosun I don't know if they make any that will fit a pistol. The reason this came to mind is because I was looking at scopes for one of my revolvers and someone mentioned that the tube is more intuitive than the reflex because of the shape. Thoughts?

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[Member 53328]

If you want an enclosed RDS you could try an Aimpoint ACRO or a holosun 509T.

 

[ScatPackLife]

If you want an enclosed RDS you could try an Aimpoint ACRO or a holosun 509T.

I was thinking more like the Holosun HS503CU. The guy said since it's round it's more intuitive to line up.

 

[L84Cabo]

Understand that a red dot on a pistol is not the same as a red dot on a rifle. With a rifle you have a repeatable cheek weld and multiple contact points between your body and the rifle. So it's pretty easy to get your head in the right position where you can see the dot. That is not the case with a pistol, as you are finding out.

Pistol red dots take most people time and training to get to the point where they can pickup the dot on the draw. How much and how long varies from person to person.

What many people will do, initially, is to align the iron sights on the draw, which usually helps to guide your eyes to the dot. There's mixed opinions on this but I personally think there is value in this in the VERY beginning to help familiarize yourself with how the gun needs to be oriented to acquire the dot. YMMV.

A red dot specific training class can also help tremendously...along with lots and lots and LOTS of presentations and dry firing. I've also linked several videos below that you may find helpful.

As for red dots, I'm a fan of and run the RMR 06 with the smaller MOA dot.

 

[ScatPackLife]

I did a lot of research and an aware a red dot on a pistol is very different than on a rifle. Especially after trying it

I would love to take some more training classes but just don't have the time right now.

Thanks for the videos

 

[Kruel J]

How about avoiding the Chinese Holosuns and go with a Burris or a Trijicon?

 

[ScatPackLife]

Trijicon is to expensive and Burris doesn't have larger size windows. Holosun doesn't have a large enough size window either. Holosun isn't the only red dot I own or use, I just like them for the price and was using them for examples. What I want is a red dot with a 30-35mm window for under $300. But I don't think this exist. Will just stick to iron sights for now.

Still wondering if anyone has used a tube style red dot on a handgun and how it compares to the open reflex.

 

[Ancalagon]

For what it's worth when I bought my FNX45T it came with a vortex venom. It fits the gun well in terms of proportions. It's my first and only red dot. I learned I have an astigmatism from it but it's not very bad with this one. Haven't used the dot much, mostly just use the irons, but I have no complaints about it when I do.

It has held up pretty well for the year or so I've had it. Except for once when I took it off I've left it on the gun while using irons and have had no issues with the size of the sight picture or any obstruction of the target. Would recommend it if you're leaning towards a less expensive red dot for it.

 

[GWS]

I'll be installing a Deltapoint once my FNX clears the background check

 

[Dirty Cary]

I love my sig romeo on my p320rx was a factory part tho. Has had no issues for 10k rounds and 2 batteries.

 

[ScatPackLife]

I love my sig romeo on my p320rx was a factory part tho. Has had no issues for 10k rounds and 2 batteries.
View attachment 1043303

Off topic, the Sig P320 system is brilliant IMO.

 

[ORhutner]

Buy once, cry once. My FNX45T runs a RMR07-6.5 MOA which is the only red dot I have used or looked through that is an actual dot for me and not a starburst. I have an astigmatism and either have to run prism optics or the RMR 6.5 MOA to avoid the starburst effect. I have looked through just about every red dot worth owning and RMR's are what works with my eyes. I do own aimpoints, MRO's, etc.... and just live with the starburst with those optics.

When it comes to pistol optics I find most people go with too small of a dot and it contributes to not being able to pick it up. Unless you are trying to shoot single hole group's a 6.5 MOA is plenty precise for pistol work 50 yards and under and certainly no issues with it ringing steel at 100 yards.

I have recently looked through the holosun HE509 series with a reticle like an eotech but half the size and got no starburst. I will likely try one out in the near future.

 

[ScatPackLife]

Buy once, cry once. My FNX45T runs a RMR07-6.5 MOA which is the only red dot I have used or looked through that is an actual dot for me and not a starburst. I have an astigmatism and either have to run prism optics or the RMR 6.5 MOA to avoid the starburst effect. I have looked through just about every red dot worth owning and RMR's are what works with my eyes. I do own aimpoints, MRO's, etc.... and just live with the starburst with those optics.

When it comes to pistol optics I find most people go with too small of a dot and it contributes to not being able to pick it up. Unless you are trying to shoot single hole group's a 6.5 MOA is plenty precise for pistol work 50 yards and under and certainly no issues with it ringing steel at 100 yards.

I have recently looked through the holosun HE509 series with a reticle like an eotech but half the size and got no starburst. I will likely try one out in the near future.

So again, I'm not interested in spending $500+, and the RMR is too small. If I'm spending that much it's either going to be a Delta Point Pro or a Sig Romeo3 XL because the windows are the largest I can find, but I would rather stick to the iron sights then spend that much.


I've never had issues with Holosun. My issue with 407K was me, lack of skill and uveitis (which causes lots of floaters), different than astigmatism. I have two other Holosun red dot optics that I have had a long time and they are great. They are as rugged and as practical as Trigicon IMO. Trijicon is for sure better but Holosun makes quality stuff. One thing Trigicon does better for sure is their glass but Holosun is still great IMO. Holosun is better than good enough and half the price. I never heard any one cry about Holosun.

Can we please move past the brand loyalty BS and get back to larger window red dots? I mostly don't care that much about brand. No one is going to change my opinion. If it's a good optic that works for my needs I don't care where it was made. If I'm spending hundreds of dollars it's going to be a suppressor. Thanks. Moving on….

 

[ScatPackLife]

And sorry ORhutner. That wasn't mostly directed only at you. I just wanted everyone to know I'm not looking for a top tier optic.

 

[ORhutner]

@ScatPackLife no offense taken. Never paid $500 for any of my Trijicon optics whether an SRO or RMR. New I usually spend between $400 - $450 watching sales and stacking coupons. I have picked many up on the used market just like new for $300 - $350.

If you want a big window, I just don't see any of the pistol oriented red dots fitting the bill for you unless you have looked through them and know for sure they will work. That Sig Romeo3XL looks to be about as big as you are going to get. I am not a fan of the Venom, mainly because it is from Vortex and yes they have a great warranty and I know because I have had to use it more than once which is why the brand is no longer in my safe. I have the SRO and shooting it next to an RMR, there is minimal benefit to my eyes. I shoot both eye's open with my red dots and for me the "window" disappears and there is just a red dot. Guess that is a long winded way of saying, if the RMR doesn't work for you, I don't think the SRO will either.

Don't have any advice on what might work for you, just some additional thoughts from my experience on what might not work for you that you are considering. If it were me and you want a suppressor for your FNX45T I would get that purchased first since the sooner you start the wait, the sooner you get your stamp/can in hand. Gives you the next 6-months+ to figure out the optic. One thing to consider, whatever optic you choose is going to get blasted with oil, carbon, etc... from the added back pressure of the suppressor and muck up the front of the optic very quickly (speaking from first hand experience). I am considering going back to just the open sights on my FNX45T for this reason.

What can are you looking at?

 

[ScatPackLife]

@ScatPackLife no offense taken. Never paid $500 for any of my Trijicon optics whether an SRO or RMR. New I usually spend between $400 - $450 watching sales and stacking coupons. I have picked many up on the used market just like new for $300 - $350.

If you want a big window, I just don't see any of the pistol oriented red dots fitting the bill for you unless you have looked through them and know for sure they will work. That Sig Romeo3XL looks to be about as big as you are going to get. I am not a fan of the Venom, mainly because it is from Vortex and yes they have a great warranty and I know because I have had to use it more than once which is why the brand is no longer in my safe. I have the SRO and shooting it next to an RMR, there is minimal benefit to my eyes. I shoot both eye's open with my red dots and for me the "window" disappears and there is just a red dot. Guess that is a long winded way of saying, if the RMR doesn't work for you, I don't think the SRO will either.

Don't have any advice on what might work for you, just some additional thoughts from my experience on what might not work for you that you are considering. If it were me and you want a suppressor for your FNX45T I would get that purchased first since the sooner you start the wait, the sooner you get your stamp/can in hand. Gives you the next 6-months+ to figure out the optic. One thing to consider, whatever optic you choose is going to get blasted with oil, carbon, etc... from the added back pressure of the suppressor and muck up the front of the optic very quickly (speaking from first hand experience). I am considering going back to just the open sights on my FNX45T for this reason.

What can are you looking at?

I have zero experience with cans IRL, all my experience is from online. That's not true, I shot a full auto Mac10 suppressed a few months ago, but I don't know what it was, So really I have no idea. I was hoping to get one that I can run on the FNX and my Scorpion EVO. Figure I would need an adapter for the EVO. I was gonna go down to Keith's and see what they suggest.

 

[ORhutner]

If you are going to be shooting 9mm fixed barrel (scorpion) and 45acp out of a pistol, I don't think there is a better suppressor for that application than the Rugged Obsidian 45. It comes with the nielsen device standard (needed to run on a pistol properly) and your choice of thread adapter. To run on your scorpion you will need a fixed barrel spacer and the proper thread adapter. These components will be needed regardless of the suppressor/brand you choose as it is tied to the operation of the firearm host.

I own an Obsidian 45, CGS Mod9 and CGS Nautilus (45 can), Rex MG7 .458, Rex MG7 .358 and if I had to choose only one can to cover .358 - .458 suppression duties between fixed barrel and pistol firearms, it would be hands down the Obsidian 45. Great suppression, slim profile for use on pistols, sounds awesome with both 9mm and 45 acp and excellent craftsmanship backed by a great company with rock solid warranty. There is nothing wrong with the other can's I mentioned and I like them all but they were purchased for specific use cases where as the Obsidian 45 does a great job as a do it all pistol caliber suppressor with the ability to suppress rifle calibers as well with some restrictions. You will be hard pressed to find a negative review on the Obsidian 45 and it is almost universally recommended (online and by those with wide exposure) as the best choice in the use case scenario you described.

Do your suppressor research online as almost every brick and mortar dealer is going to try and sell you what they have in inventory which isn't necessarily what is in the best interest of the customer. Right now most brick and mortar's only have the suppressors in stock that people don't want as there has never been higher suppressor sales in history then there is right now, there is a reason those cans are still in the display case most likely. If someone is giving you advice on which suppressor to purchase, always ask them if they have first hand experience shooting said suppressor and what other suppressors they have shot to benchmark against. Everyone thinks their suppressor is the best but most folks have only shot a couple at most and lack comparitive experience. I am no expert but own more than a couple cans and have shot many more. I lack experience with SiCo, Surefire and a lot of the no name regional brands and am only trying to share the experiences I have had as it takes a lot of time (waiting on tax stamps) and money (cost of can and tax stamp) to gain the knowledge unless you have friends in the game already. Unfortunately for me, the suppressor friends came after I had can's already in jail or else I would have made different choices with some of my early cans.

 

[Nosferatu]

I just bought my first red dot for a pistol, a Trijicon RMR 3.5MOA. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but after looking at a few in shops and seeing how they work, the RMR made the top of the list for a few reasons;

1. Made in the USA. I don't send money to a regime that hates me if I can avoid it.
2. I didn't find the dot any better or worse than any others, regardless of price.
3. I want this thing to work the rest of my life. I have more faith in Trijicon in that respect than others.
4. I bubbleguming hate spending my money on Chinese crap.
5. Amortized over the rest of my life, $250 vs $400 is nearly zero. Buy once, cry once.

 

[ScatPackLife]

If you are going to be shooting 9mm fixed barrel (scorpion) and 45acp out of a pistol, I don't think there is a better suppressor for that application than the Rugged Obsidian 45. It comes with the nielsen device standard (needed to run on a pistol properly) and your choice of thread adapter. To run on your scorpion you will need a fixed barrel spacer and the proper thread adapter. These components will be needed regardless of the suppressor/brand you choose as it is tied to the operation of the firearm host.

I own an Obsidian 45, CGS Mod9 and CGS Nautilus (45 can), Rex MG7 .458, Rex MG7 .358 and if I had to choose only one can to cover .358 - .458 suppression duties between fixed barrel and pistol firearms, it would be hands down the Obsidian 45. Great suppression, slim profile for use on pistols, sounds awesome with both 9mm and 45 acp and excellent craftsmanship backed by a great company with rock solid warranty. There is nothing wrong with the other can's I mentioned and I like them all but they were purchased for specific use cases where as the Obsidian 45 does a great job as a do it all pistol caliber suppressor with the ability to suppress rifle calibers as well with some restrictions. You will be hard pressed to find a negative review on the Obsidian 45 and it is almost universally recommended (online and by those with wide exposure) as the best choice in the use case scenario you described.

Do your suppressor research online as almost every brick and mortar dealer is going to try and sell you what they have in inventory which isn't necessarily what is in the best interest of the customer. Right now most brick and mortar's only have the suppressors in stock that people don't want as there has never been higher suppressor sales in history then there is right now, there is a reason those cans are still in the display case most likely. If someone is giving you advice on which suppressor to purchase, always ask them if they have first hand experience shooting said suppressor and what other suppressors they have shot to benchmark against. Everyone thinks their suppressor is the best but most folks have only shot a couple at most and lack comparitive experience. I am no expert but own more than a couple cans and have shot many more. I lack experience with SiCo, Surefire and a lot of the no name regional brands and am only trying to share the experiences I have had as it takes a lot of time (waiting on tax stamps) and money (cost of can and tax stamp) to gain the knowledge unless you have friends in the game already. Unfortunately for me, the suppressor friends came after I had can's already in jail or else I would have made different choices with some of my early cans.

Thanks for that info. The Obsidian 45 was one of the few that do multi-caliber that I kept seeing pop up and was kinda deciding between that and a YHM (I forget what the model was).

 

[ScatPackLife]

I just bought my first red dot for a pistol, a Trijicon RMR 3.5MOA. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but after looking at a few in shops and seeing how they work, the RMR made the top of the list for a few reasons;

1. Made in the USA. I don't send money to a regime that hates me if I can avoid it.
2. I didn't find the dot any better or worse than any others, regardless of price.
3. I want this thing to work the rest of my life. I have more faith in Trijicon in that respect than others.
4. I bubbleguming hate spending my money on Chinese crap.
5. Amortized over the rest of my life, $250 vs $400 is nearly zero. Buy once, cry once.