Originally Posted by
contender1
As a long time,, (lifetime of over 50 years) handgunner,, I can say I've watched the world go from no optics on handguns,, to a variety of options.
Red dots have their place.
As noted,, as eyesight goes,, red dots can & will allow easier sight acquisition. In competition,, red dots are THE fastest at this.
But,, if self defense is your main purpose,, you need to consider a few things.
It takes practice to use them easily. A proper grip is necessary,, AND while in use,, the gun must be mostly aligned with your eyes. In a SD situation, you may NOT be able to do this.
And in a SD physical attack,, many people who have not experienced it,, subconsciously focus on the threat & NOT their sights. (Just ask a combat Vet about **** or their first time,) As such,, you may not actually get the gun aligned & focus on the dot.
Red dots are a good tool, and with practice,, can be very effective. Especially for range shooting & competition,, or even hunting.
And as noted above,, a laser is also a good tool for SD. A laser does allow for the active, physical engagement with a thug,, where you are not able to grip & use a handgun "normally." Think; "On the ground, primary hand disabled, fighting with an attacker,, and you only have your off hand capable of bringing your gun into use. A laser can be activated,, and if you are focused on the threat,, you'll likely see the laser dot. If the dot is on the thug,, pull the trigger."
I use this scenario,,as an example,, for a very simple reason. My mother was attacked,, sprayed with pepper spray (3) times & attacked. She was NOT able to get her handgun into use. She switched handguns after that. Her new gun had a laser.
But since the OP is asking about red dots,, yes,, they can help ageing eyes a lot. Just realize they are not the final word in sights for all applications.