Trying this whole optic thing.

[Winchester67]

Long time red dot guy, as many of you know. Like the late 1990's. The key, often overlooked, to learning the red dot is suppressor height sights. You have spent your whole life acquiring iron sights. Use that to your advantage. Draw your sidearm as always, sight picture as always and your brain will hand off from the irons to the dot. The lower sights don't work as easily and you spend time hunting the dot. If you would try suppressor height sights, all will become clear. I promise. And anything with mounting plates is probably going to mount the optic too high. That is my 19 on the left. Cut the frame to 26 because the butt is what is hard to hide.

 

[SkippySanchez]

When I taught myself to shoot with both eyes open I did it pretty quickly. I just practiced focusing first on a target instead of my front sight and trained myself to bring my gun up in front of my left eye. I figured out I was left eye dominant and the conventional wisdom at the time was to either wear a patch to change your dominant eye or just shoot left handed. I wasn't down with either of those solutions so I came up with my own.

I worked as a newspaper photographer for 30+ years and always used my left eye. I'm too old to change now.

 

[Winchester67]

And yes, I hate the Glock. But the 1911 didn't lend itself to the Trijicon, and I thought it was worth the change.

 

[Annihilator]

Red dots are fine if you like them, I am just used to iron sights, to me if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, just me set in my old ways…..

 

[SkippySanchez]

Irons are fine.... until old eyeballs can't see them.

 

[Jsimon78]

I got 3 pistols that came with the red dots, the dots are sitting on a shelf…..lol

I’m to the point. I couldn’t use an optic for qualifying on my CCL part.

 

[Winchester67]

Agreed on old eyeballs! The Sig 365 with the Holosun green circle/dot is smaller than the Glock 19/26 and I like it. A lot. But the low sights on the Sig means it is not a sidearm to learn the optic on. Too hard to find...get suppressor height sights to start with. After years with the Glock 19/26 with the Trijicon, I was fine with the Sig 365 XL with the Holosun.

 

[Jsimon78]

Irons are fine.... until old eyeballs can't see them.

My go to EDC will not get an optic. I know I’m not a spring chicken or experienced shooter but when I do go to the range I am usually trying to correct mistakes

 

[Winchester67]

Remember, before the Glock I was a five inch 1911 guy for decades. When I started with the 1911 it was a Colt Gold Cup because the sights were too small on the Government/Commander Models AND it was factory tuned to handle SWC target ammo, which meant it would feed the hollow points of the day. We read about custom pistolsmiths, but they were a long way from Missouri! Replace the collet bushing with a solid one and you were good to go. Except I shredded suit coat linings with that rear sight. Price I paid with a suit and tie job. But now, technology has caught up with us. The Browning Hi Power is about the size of a 1911. It was a 12 shot 9 mm with one up the pipe...don't try and load 13 back then. And here is the P365, much smaller and more importantly, reliable with hollow points which I can't say about vintage Brownings.

 

[Warrior9(Ret)]

I’ve had cataract and detached retina surgery in both eyes. The last was in February of this year. The gas bubble has almost dissipated. I have another follow up examination next month.
After that I’ll have my eyes examined and tested for a new prescription. I’m going to get my doctors opinion on using optics for shooting.
That ought to be an interesting conversation. Maybe I’ll get a prescription for one. That would be the day

 

[Winchester67]

Thinner? Not much.

 

[Jsimon78]

Agreed on old eyeballs! The Sig 365 with the Holosun green circle/dot is smaller than the Glock 19/26 and I like it. A lot. But the low sights on the Sig means it is not a sidearm to learn the optic on. Too hard to find...get suppressor height sights to start with. After years with the Glock 19/26 with the Trijicon, I was fine with the Sig 365 XL with the Holosun.View attachment 81805

Agreed on old eyeballs! The Sig 365 with the Holosun green circle/dot is smaller than the Glock 19/26 and I like it. A lot. But the low sights on the Sig means it is not a sidearm to learn the optic on. Too hard to find...get suppressor height sights to start with. After years with the Glock 19/26 with the Trijicon, I was fine with the Sig 365 XL with the Holosun.View attachment 81805

I’ll Be working on mine next weekend

 

[rcurtner]

I worked as a newspaper photographer for 30+ years and always used my left eye. I'm too old to change now.

Me too, chief photographer at my local newspaper.

 

[Lo-Profile]

I have a few guns with optics.
I definitely like green over red dots

Sig P365xl has a Holosun EPS Carry green dot (my usual EDC)
M&P has a Holosun SCS-MP2-GR
Two CZ P-09 Nocturne's with Holosun EPS Carry green dot
Prodigy has a Holosun 507k red dot
Glock 19 has a Holosun 407k red dot
Sig P320 M18 has a Leupold Delta Point Pro red dot

 

[Bassbob]

I have a few guns with optics.
I definitely like green over red dots

Sig P365xl has a Holosun EPS Carry green dot (my usual EDC)
M&P has a Holosun SCS-MP2-GR
Two CZ P-09 Nocturne's with Holosun EPS Carry green dot
Prodigy has a Holosun 507k red dot
Glock 19 has a Holosun 407k red dot
Sig P320 M18 has a Leupold Delta Point Pro red dot

Yes green is the way.

 

[Warrior9(Ret)]

Yes green is the way.

 

[TEXASforLIFE]

some backgrounds don't comply with green dots, but that's rare.

 

[SimonRL]

Long time red dot guy, as many of you know. Like the late 1990's. The key, often overlooked, to learning the red dot is suppressor height sights. You have spent your whole life acquiring iron sights. Use that to your advantage. Draw your sidearm as always, sight picture as always and your brain will hand off from the irons to the dot. The lower sights don't work as easily and you spend time hunting the dot. If you would try suppressor height sights, all will become clear. I promise. And anything with mounting plates is probably going to mount the optic too high. That is my 19 on the left. Cut the frame to 26 because the butt is what is hard to hide. View attachment 81789

That’s fine if that works for you, and for long time iron sight shooters I’m sure it works. For new red dot users you’re just introducing an unnecessary step that equals more time getting on target. The whole point of the dot is not having to line up front sight, rear sight and whatever you’re trying to hit along with associated changes in focus.

 

[TEXASforLIFE]

my 1st red dot introductions was in '85 or '86 with an aimpoint on my 629. very easy to shoot and learn as it wasn't any different than a scope for me. sun direction was the only issue at times.

 

[Winchester67]

Simon, I have to disagree. There is not an extra step, you are acquiring the iron sights and your brain hands off automatically. You just treat the firearm with a dot sight the same way as a regular firearm...if you have suppressor height sights it works. If you have lower sights it does not. My local Police Department has approved dots because I have been friends with the lead SWAT trainer since Junior High. I gave him my Glock 19/26 as a proof of concept gun. They had tried non suppressor height sights and mounting plates before and discounted the concept. But a low mount and slightly higher sights are the key. Suarez figured this out in the late 90's. Trust us. It works. If you are ever down in Missouri, say for the Bianchi Cup in a couple weeks, post on the forum and I will gladly take you or anyone else on the Forum out to try it. The joys of retirement!