Holographic dot sights

[jdfoxinc]

I need some input about good quality dot sites for pistols. The 3 pistols I want to sight this way all have rails on the top of the action. Mid price range is my budget.

[shell70634]

I have EOTECH, Aimpoint, and Crimson Trace TC-25. CT-25's were $50 to $70 at LGS. I bought 2 of them about 3 months apart. Within a couple months both went back to Crimson Trace for replacement. I had only fired one of them and it was on a 300 BO AR. I would not recommend any of their products.

[Winger Ed.]

The better and better ones have a smaller and smaller dot that covers less and less of the bullseye.
They also respond better to changing adjustments like better scopes do.

The arms makers are putting rails on everything now because so many people seem to want to buy them that way.
Maybe just to look cool if nothing else.

I've tried a couple and never could get used to not focusing on the dot itself instead of the target.
I think if I ever put something on a pistol, I'd be taking a real hard look at the crimson trace grips.

[BigboreShooter]

I’ve had good luck with Vortex Venom. 3moa. I have Burris FF2, I prefer the Vortex. Having said that, mine are all on revolvers or 22auto. I have no experience on center fire autos.
There is a learning curve in using them. I used scopes on my hunting handguns for years,so it wasn’t a big jump for me. It seems to split the difference between iron sights and scopes.Just my two cents!

BigboreShooter

[contender1]

I see a LOT of red dot optics on a regular basis. And I have used several. In USPSA competition, there's a category called; "Carry Optics" and it's a popular category.
Of the ones most often seen, used, & depended on to WORK,, here's a list.
UltraDot
Burris FFIII
C-More
Holosun

Red dots are different & take a little getting used to. They are NOT forgiving of a poor gripping method. It's fun being a Range Officer at a match & watching a competitor "search" for his "dot."
But if you have a proper grip, and such, they are very fast target acquisition device for the speed shooters. You see the dot over the center of the target,, pull the trigger. No need to "align" the dot in the center of the optic window.

[NSB]

I’ve been using red dots for thirty years. I use the Burris FF3 and Vortex Venom the most for both hunting and competition. They are excellent for both. I’ve only ever had one of those two fail after thousands of rounds and it was replaced immediately under their warranty (it was the Vortex. The replacement has been fine). I’ve even put them on a 45-70 rifle to play around with and they worked great.

[Sasquatch-1]

If these are mounted on the slide of a semi auto, you should take a good look at the warranty of anything you buy. I had a cheap ($50.00) reflex sight mounted on a revolver that took a dump on me in the middle of a 2x4 shoot. It was replaced under warranty but with a sight that only had a 3 year warranty.

[Handloader109]

I've added a couple to a rifle and a potential carry, Holosun is what I bought. I have found an issue, but it is me. I had Lasik eye surgery to correct my severe nearsightedness about 20 years ago. I've since had pretty severe night starryness and unfortunately, it makes the red or green dot have a nice spike. I see it on opposite sides when using left or right eye, and expect it is the flap of the retina that was not cut.
I'd be checking this potential out if you have had lasik.....

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

[FergusonTO35]

Just like scopes on rifles, I would guess that alot of folks (not on Cast Boolits) think that mounting a red dot means they are guaranteed not to miss. Even very knowledgeable and experienced hunters fall for the former myth. I know one guy who is an expert hunter, but has seriously never tried to establish whether his rifle is actually sighted in. One time he missed a deer at close range. So, he proceeds to set up an empty pizza box at 25 yards and fires one round into it. The one round was kind of close to the center so he just called it good. I suggested that he actually fire some rounds through his rifle practicing at various distances and he looked at me like I had two heads. He is one of those older hunters who inherited the Great Depression mindset that you don't use centerfire rifle rounds for practice, that's what .22's are for.

[Rapier]

I am used to the tube style VS the reflector. I have three 2 MOA Gilmore Dots. They are alas out of production unless Leupold has some left over, some place. Got a used one a week ago.

I have a Trigicon no battery operated, ambient light, 6 MOA, I use it on a AR carbine, house gun. The 6 dot is OK for short distance work, but the Trigicon is pricey.
I have been using dots for about 40 years in competition, they take a bit of practice to use well. Canting is a major problem as is not watching the dot, both eyes open practice, practice.

[GhostHawk]

I have a pair or Ruger Mk III 22/45's. The first was new old stock, did not have the sight base.
Then Momma had a chance to shoot my Hipoint .40sw carbine with a red dot sight on it.
Target was at 20 feet, I had a 2" shoot and see bullseye on an orange slow pistol fire target.

She cut the 1" center totally out of that target. All 10 rounds in the 1" center. Handed me the gun with a grin from ear to ear. "Do they make one like that, that does not bump my shoulder so much?"

Why yes they do.

And after she shot it (with similar results) I hear "Can you put one of those dots on my pistol?"

Well that is harder. So for her birthday she got a new Ruger Mk III 22/45 With the scope rail and a Truglo 50$ dot sight mounted.

Her first outing she put 10 rounds in a group dead center that would have fit in a pop or water bottle cap with nothing touching the sides.

Eventually I was able to find a rail that mounted in the rear sight dovetail. (Weigatinny) And we were both in business.

IMO even a cheap 50$ Truglo sight turns a pistol into a sniper.

[practical_man]

JD

Slide mounted dots endure tremendous forces during cycling. My experience has been that all dots will malfunction eventually if mounted on a hard recoiling pistol. That said, the dots are getting better every year. Mean time between failure is going up.

I have used Burris FF and won’t use them again. Fine for rimfire but not centerfire.
Ultradots work well but they’re a tube type sight. Great for matches. Not ideal for daily carry.
RMR is reliable but pricey.
I’ve been using a Holosun for about a year. So far so good. Not enough rounds to give it an unqualified recommendation.

[BLAHUT]

Tryed them? Just got in the way> went back to a green lazer> on my .45 carry>

[GhostHawk]

I think they are gods gift to older shooters with eyes that can no longer do iron sights.

That being said I have 2 Ruger Mk III 22/45;s with dots, his and hers. Both will at 20 feet put 10 rounds into a pop bottle or water bottle cap without hitting the sides.

I have 3 highpoint carbines in .45acp, 9mm, and .40sw (currently borrowed by my son in law)

All 3 will cut a 1" circle out of a 2" shoot and see stick on target at 20 feet.
The .45 will stack them at 100 yards. The other 2 seem to shoot more of a "Cone" longer range = bigger pattern. But both came to me used.

The one that was really interesting was a pair of H&R Handi Rifles in .44mag. One with a 2x Red Dot sight. The other with a 1-5 variable.
Out to 75 they were neck and neck. But at 100 when I dialed the scope up to 5 it was suddenly making groups half the size of the Red dot.

A 2.5 moa dot at 100 covers a spot 2.5". Bullets on target could land anywhere in that circle. But the scope pulled groups down to just short of MOA. Call it a 1.5 " group. Which IMO is not bad for a pistol caliber carbine designed for close range defense.

In the field the Red Dot JUMPS onto target, is quick, lighter weight, less bulky, less to snag and catch. And would be my first choice for up to 100 yards.

If I need to reach further I have 2 handi rifles with 4x12 variables. .357 mag and .444marlin. Both will reach right out there. So to me the choice comes down to "What are you going to use it for? What do you expect it to do?"

[NSB]

It’s not true that you can’t shoot tight groups with a red dot at longer distances. The dot size isn’t the problem, it’s how it’s used. I have a couple of Win 45-70 rifles, one an 1886 and the other a High Wall. I have put a Burris FF3 on both and they shoot as well at 100 yards (actually 114 yards, the distance from my camp deck to my backstop) as they do with a scope. I can consistently shoot five shots into a group of 1.7” or less using a red dot on those guns. Using a 3moa dot doesn’t mean you can’t shoot groups smaller than 3”. It’s about how you aim that determines group size. You can either shoot at a larger circle than the dot and get a uniform perimeter around the dot, or turn the dot down (most people have them way too bright) and center the target inside the dot. Shooting at a deer, center the dot over where you want the bullet to strike. I shot Team Challenge matches where I had to open the 4” circular gates out to 60 yards with the handgun and I was using a 3moa dot and I could open them at a very high percentage rate shooting off hand in timed fire. I just centered the dot inside the gate.