Red-Dot Sights

[Halo]

How many of you are using unmagnified red dot electronic sights instead of traditional iron sights on any of your guns?  

I've shot through an Eotech on a rental M16 at a range and thought it was pretty good.  I like the idea of both eyes open for maximum situational awareness.

My Springfield XD .45 ACP has a Glock GL22 laser/light that easily doubles or maybe even triples its effectiveness for home defense.  And it's fun target shooting too.

Some guns' iron sights are just too classic perfect to replace, e.g., the M1 .30 Carbine's easily adjustable ghost ring and front blade.  

I like the Bushnell 3-9x telescopic sight on my Marlin 60 .22 LR rifle, but am thinking about putting a red dot sight like an UltraDot or Aimpoint Micro on my Savage I-G single shot bolt action .22 LR.

Granted, these aren't centerfires, but they seem to shoot as accurately as many within 100 yards and the ammo is affordable.  Although it might be overkill to put on a sight that's more expensive than the gun, maybe that's a good move anyway?  

I'm thinking a red dot also might be fun on an older Browning Buck Mark .22 LR.  

Supposedly many shooters, particularly as they get older, are going to red dot optical sights instead of iron sights.  Are you?  If so, which red dot sights do you use on which guns?

[TalonX]

Took some getting used to - fear of parallax to be honest...seems like the red dot in the scope moves a bit when I move my head.

I really dig the laser sight on my Glock 45 cal, though (I know, not the same thing).  Took it to the range the other day again - love that you can hold it any way you want, as long as the red laser beam hits the target, you score a hit.

[rpm]

My Ruger P-90 had a laser sight the previous owner kept. I've always wanted to put one back on.

[SaburoS]

I really like my Eotech on my L1a1. I also use it on my airsoft rifle although I put a front lexan 'cover' to protect the glass.

I swear by my Eotech halosight or a good red dot sight (I used to have one on a paintball gun I used to own) as it allows one to keep both eyes on target in perfect focus while the reticle or the red dot is passively superimposed over the target.
It offers the fastest sight acquisition as well as the most  intuitive.

Following Murphy's Law though, don't give up your iron sights (nor the practice of using your iron sights) just to have a halosight or red dot sight.

Laser sights are a waste of time in the tactical sense as one tends to focus on the laser dot which one loses sight acquisition time especially when shooting at multiple targets far and near. It also gives one's position away. The laser sight however can be a great training tool when seeing what's going on at the moment of the shot while target practicing.

The laser sight is most used in Hollywood by those that don't really know tactics and weapons.

BTW the red dot or halosight is doing its job if it is moving around the 'glass' while you move your head/eyes in relation. The aiming dot or reticle should stay on target as long as the weapon is.

[SaburoS]

BTW, all things considered, using proper firing techniques, your accuracy is only as good as your aim, so spend the big bucks on the best sight you can get if iron sights are tough to use for you.

By far the best firing aids one could have are:

1) Learning to shoot properly from the beginning.
2) Practice, practice, and some more practice.
3) Start with a decent .22 as the lack of recoil won't result in developing bad habits esp. flinching (the anticipating of the recoil where one tries to counteract it by pushing the gun forward as well as the barrel pointing downward at the moment of shooting).
3a) By using the very cheap .22 ammo, it allows for No.2 above.

[indy007]

I used one on a paintball gun. I forgot the name of the style, but you didn't look through it. It was perfect, because the feed neck blocked any type of scope anyways. This one you just mounted to your rail, and looked past your gun with both eyes open. The dot floated out there nicely. Turned out to be moderately useful for shots you had time to line up, like a small corner of somebody's heel hanging out of a bunker.

[Hornet33]

I have an EoTech on my AR-15/M-4A3. I love the thing. Even with a short barreled rifle I can get tight groups at 200 yards all day long with it. Took me a little while to get used to shooting with both eyes open but now it seems natural to do it that way.

[SoulTakr]

Used to use an M68 CCO on my M4 when in the Army, after awhile switched to an ACOG 4x. When it came to  MOUT Tactics I loved that M68.  When it came to Qualifying, the ACOG was more appropiate.  True, the ACOG had a Tritium sight on top for MOUT but, the M68 will always remain my favorite.

[DREDIOCK]

Man I thought this was gonna be a thread about India

[SoulTakr]

Originally posted by DREDIOCK
Man I thought this was gonna be a thread about India

OMG....

You wearin' a Diaper on your head?  What the hell is that Crayola?

[Halo]

http://www.hindunet.org/srh_home/1996_9/msg00176.html

This is too cruel: participating in the hijacking of my own thread.  

On topic, a key word seems to be holographic.  I'm gravitating toward the smallest and lightest and most affordable, e.g., maybe a Bushnell Holosight Model 51-0021 or an Aimshot New Holographic Red Dot Variable Sized Dot (3,5,8, 12 MOA) with integrated Weaver-style mount matte, $139.

Some pricer red-dot holographic sights sound fine too but I'd really like to keep the cost of the sight less than the price of my firearm.

[acfireguy26]

This is what I use on my M4. http://www.trijicon.com/user/parts/parts_new.cfm?categoryID=8



Sorry only pic I have of it on my photobucket account.

[FX1]

Well i have two ruger mkIII hunters set up for target/fun gun.  I put a OKO red dot on one and a Burris fast fire on the other. The fast fire is really cool. It is set up like a Doctor red dot but it only cost 1/2 the price. It also take common batteries that you can purchased at any grocery store.

We have about 10k rounds down both guns and i do love that little Burris..

http://www.burrisoptics.com/fastfire.html

If that set up is more than you wish to spend then i would go Red field or tasco red dot. It can be fund at walmart for $29. Good little red dot for the price. Burris is brighter and has a clear edge on the circle.

[Halo]

Thanks, FX1.  That Burris FastFire looks promising.  Will add it to my Go-See-Try list.