Zero range for pistol red dot

[daved20319]

So I've finally got my first optic ready pistol inbound, a Canik Mete SFX, and I already have the optic for it, a Swampfox Sentinel. So I've found several really good videos on learning to find/use the dot, but I can find absolutely ZERO (see what I did there ?) consensus on what range to zero at. Seems like everyone you ask has a different answer. Based on my past experience with other sighting systems, I'm almost certain I'll zero at 25 yards, but if someone has good reason for something else, I'm all ears. And BTW, this gun is going to be primarily a range toy/target piece, although I could certainly see it getting pressed into service as a night stand/HD gun. Later, and thanks.

Dave

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[Alexx1401]

What range are you planing to use it at? Are you planing on shooing at things 25 yards away? If so yes that would work. Do you plan to use the pistol for defense? If so make sure you can shoot it at 20 feet and still hit what you want with the dot set at 75 feet.

 

[Forester]

I like 20-25 yards for 9mm.
It will result in a mechanical offset (1.5-2.0 inches) at 5 yards and less. Beyond that it will have less offset as you get closer to 25 yards.
With a 25 yard Zero you are good out to most practical pistol ranges.

Just my $0.02

 

[Member 53328]

it's worth a watch.

 

[daved20319]

What range are you planing to use it at? Are you planing on shooing at things 25 yards away? If so yes that would work. Do you plan to use the pistol for defense? If so make sure you can shoot it at 20 feet and still hit what you want with the dot set at 75 feet.

No, I don't expect to be doing a lot of shooting at 25 yards, but the reason for zeroing at that range is vertical dispersion. Bearing in mind that red dots sit higher than irons, sometimes a lot higher, your zero range can have a huge effect on POI vs. POA. With a 25 yard zero, that difference is only around an inch or so at 5 yards, and that's really not going to matter in a defensive shooting situation. But a 5 yard zero at 25 yards would be somewhere around 6" high, and that's a significant difference. Knowing I'l be "close enough" at any range I'm likely to ever NEED to use a pistol is a great boost to confidence, so like I said, unless I see a convincing argument to the contrary, I'll be zeroing at 25 yards.

Great vid, by the way, I've watched a couple of his, and will watch them again, he has a ton of info that makes a lot of sense to me. As to zeroing, he said HE didn't care what his students used, as long as they were able to put effective rounds on target. He did characterize those with the longer zeros as snipers, and I can live with that . As I like playing around with pistols at silly ranges, I'll likely do some 50, even 100 yard shooting with this setup, so again, 25 yards makes sense to me. I zero rifle red dots at 50 yards, and I know that I can hit a center mass size target out to about 400 yards with that setup, and that's not just a one off, I could do that consistently with the Mini 14 I recently traded off for a nice .223 upper. Haven't shot the upper yet, and initial testing will be with a scope, but I have a nice red dot just waiting for its new home .

Anyway, thanks for the comments, later.

Dave