Red dots on rifles.

[CHLChris]

The benefit of a prism sight is much lower weight over a 1-4x full-on tube scope. Good point, @Boboclown, for astigmatic shooters.

I have astigmatism, but dots still feel relatively circular for me.

BTW, I've had a lot of really good luck with a delta shape over a round dot.

 

[Boboclown]

For 1x, its etched reticle and astigmatism friendly. For magnified, much less weight like you said. And real estate.

 

[powermad]

Perhaps a red dot isn't the choice for eyes that don't work for them. That's unfortunate, but the way you describe it tells me that a red dot isn't the right choice for you. A red dot is not a bench rest optic, but a quick-shot optic. I really suggest that using the rear sight is not the way to go.

But to each their own. Vaya con Dios...

Exactly
Which is why I stated that I'll be going with a different set up for my rifles.
A pistol would be better suited for a RD for me, but with the way it shows up just isn't going to work.
Kinda pointless to use something that is good quality and spend money to have it be OK and sorta usable.

A pistol build with a 1x prisim scope would be just fine for me to 100 yds.
For me that's on the verge of pushing it distance wise without magnification.

 

[titsonritz]

IMHO there is no perfect set up for all applications.

Pretty much this. Everything is about compromise. When the priority is light weight, up close, quick and dirty RDS shine, need to positively ID a threat at 300+ yards and hit with accuracy, not so much.

 

[muskoka]

Trijicon Accupoint. Best of all worlds.

 

[CHLChris]

Well...except for cost. But it is only money!

 

[ma96782]

Speaking of red dot scopes.

Today, I was using my TruGlo red dot scope that is mounted on my Ruger 10/22. I had the target set up at 25 yds and I was doing some very rapid firing. Needless to say, I was happy with the results. The ammo was nothing special, just some Browning bulk box 40 grain lead stuff.



Aloha, Mark

 

[GWS]

Well...except for cost. But it is only money!

Like they say, buy once, cry once. I had a bunch of cheap scopes that I'd buy and replace because they weren't good enough
Now I have ACOG's on my AR's and on my .375 H&H I have a Accupower. I have felt no urge to replace any of them.

 

[muskoka]

Trijicon solution.

 

[Boboclown]

Like they say, buy once, cry once. I had a bunch of cheap scopes that I'd buy and replace because they weren't good enough
Now I have ACOG's on my AR's and on my .375 H&H I have a Accupower. I have felt no urge to replace any of them.

Depends, some have more quality than the price you pay, but those are companies who break the rules as far as price and quality go.

I like ACOGs, the concept anyways, but it depends on the gun. I'm trying to sell my TA33 cause it doesn't suit the rifles I currently have.

 

[Geardo]

Unless you have astigmatism
With the RD co-witnessed to the BUIS I can leave the front sight down and flip up the rear sight to focus the RD through the aperture, otherwise it looks like an exploding star to me.
Which for point and shoot is fine as long as I know which dot is which. In my case it's the brightest one.
Looking through the aperture makes it better but still kinda fuzzy.

Obviously trying to get precision groups in my case turned out to be futile.
I can tag a 9" plate at 100 yds but keeping all the shots in the center may be asking a bit much.

Same issues for me

 

[titsonritz]

I am not a great shot but I have been shooting a few decades
If I could get 200 yards that would really make me happy. I hit the target with the red dot I have but it looks more like a shotgun pattern than a grouping. I am figuring if it's more than 3moa then I am not impressed with it. I am not happy with a group that a pie plate could cover. I can do better than that with irons.
I will try next time I am out but the vortex strike eagle is looking more likely. Will be about five bills to change over.

No one is going to look down at a 3moa group on their chest a say, "That dude can't shoot for squat".

I have mine sighted in a 100yds, which makes for a very flat trajectory out to 200yds and that is all I need and then some on a HD carbine. Here is a ten shot group with my Colt 6920 loaded with XM193 5.56 using an Aimpoint T-1, I'm not complaining.

 

[Bottom Gun]

Not all red dot sights are good. I've seen some well known brands that I thought were crap. You get what you pay for.

I use a TA33 ACOG with red donut reticle and have no complaints whatsoever. I don't feel like I'm giving up anything by not having a higher magnification scope with crosshairs.

 

[Kruel J]

Why not have all three?

One with an optic, a red dot, and irons.

That's a good rounded compromise to this conundrum.

This. That's how I roll as well. Each rifle is set up differently for its purpose.

 

[aviatorbdm]

Have a Trijicon 1-4 which is fantastic. But a little big and heavy, so goes on my 18" barreled AR. On my 10.5" barreled AR pistol the Holosun with ACSS reticle works really well. Even for my aging eyes I can make out the chevron and lower dots for distance. Of course with a magnifier would be even better, but adds weight. Have considered the Primary Arms Cyclops 1x with etched ACSS reticle. But everything I had read on it says the reticle is too small without a magnifier.

 

[MDH]

For those who have issues with magnifiers and red dots, Aimpoint 200251. It flips to the side and it twist disconnects. I love it because it gives me a small 3 power scope to help spotting, without having to point my weapon at anything, but I can snap it into place in half a second, and flip to side if I want it attached but out of the way.

 

[Pandaz3]

I have used Irons, at least five different makes of red dots, a Great Vortex Venom 1 x 4 scope, and a Leopold VR-Patrol 1.5 x 5 Firedot scope. The Firedot is bright and with it dialed down to 1.5 it works better than a red dot for me, I have a cheap Redfield Revenge 4 x 9 on a AR-10. I love my Leopold, but a good RDS is fine with me.

 

[H2O MAN]

I prefer an RDS with a 1 MOA center dot, but the larger 2 MOA dot ain't bad. I've shot many a sub MOA group with both dot sizes on this 16.25" M14 without magnification. 300 yards is easy with the 2 moa dot, 1 moa is great for 400 yards.

 

[best defense]

While it depends on which dot sight you are using and what you are using it for, I tend to agree with the original post.
I put an inexpensive red dot 1:1 sight on a Ruger PC carbine and took it to a speed steel match last Sunday. It worked well, much better then the stock iron sights. Part of that is the fact that the red dot sight allows me to pick my head up a little bit and not mash my cheek into the stock. The iron sights on the Ruger are set for someone who has little or no flesh on their cheeks, and I am cheeky to say the least. Thru the entire match I only missed one target using the dot sight. I am not fast, but hitting the targets with the first shot really helps keep the time down.
The entire match is mostly real short range, nothing over 40 yards or so. I would not want to use that same sight at a target over 100 yards and that would be a streach.

On the other hand I have a Leupold Patrol sight on a 243 that I like to use for coyotes. It has a cross hair reticle with a tiny dot that you can turn on at sun down. The dot has 4 brightness settins and of course off. It works great out to about 300 yards and shines at 200 on the 243. (pun intended)

 

[Pandaz3]

I prefer an RDS with a 1 MOA center dot, but the larger 2 MOA dot ain't bad. I've shot many a sub MOA group with both dot sizes on this 16.25" M14 without magnification. 300 yards is easy with the 2 moa dot, 1 moa is great for 400 yards.

View attachment 515872

Nice rifle, really what I was looking for when I got my first Armalite AR-10 16", but the silencer on the bottom has a ugly piece of material attached to it.
Congratulations on the Governor's race