Not every soldier used to be a master archer back in the day. Some of them were also used to be swordsmen. Now when guns have replaced traditional weapons. It is still expected of everyone to be good at aiming or shooting. Everyone has their unique talents and potential, and if you aren’t good at aiming, you can definitely improve by practice, but still, if you are facing any problems, it’s okay. With modern technologies, we have many devices and tools in hand that can be helpful.
Red dot sights are one of many tools with many benefits to make our work easier and maximize productivity.
Let’s discuss how the red dot sights can help us and why we need to mount them on our pistols.
The value a red dot can add to your pistol.
Here are a few of the many dimensions in which a red dot can help a shooter.
Visual attention
One of the reasons why red dot sights are getting very popular these days is they can provide incredible visual attention. As soon as you aim at your target, you will know where your bullet will land, thanks to modern technology. All you need to do is locate the dot. People with average eyesight or even those who use contact lenses can easily locate the dot. Following the dot is also very convenient, so if your target is in motion, you can still follow it quite easily.
A red dot in the dark
It becomes extremely difficult to shoot in low light situations using traditional aiming devices as it s difficult for the eyes to adapt and see clearly in the absence of light. But red dot can drastically improve your performance at night time. The red dot can perform much better at night than a day because when the light is low, the red dot will be more visible due to contrast. You will be able to find the dot more easily. The situation that can create difficulties without the red dot can become opportunities with the red dot mounted on your pistol.
Good for long-distance
When it comes to distance, the red dot is specially designed for long distances. If you are having some problems with the maintenance of the accuracy, using a red dot will make help you with this problem. At the long distance, the dot will tell you where you are aiming at, and adjusting the dot is super easy. This feature can enhance your accuracy and minimize your errors at a long distance.
Implication For short distance
At a very short distance, the effectiveness of the red dot on your pistol might not be noticeable because the closer the target, the fewer chances to miss it. Therefore having a red dot on your pistol for close distance might not produce a big difference, but if the size of your target is relatively small, you might not be as accurate even at a small distance. A red dot can be handy in a situation like this. With time your skills will improve, and you will also be able to shoot without red dots.
The red dot can make things easier.
When it comes to the shooter’s convenience, there is not a single product out there that is better than the red dot. All you need to know is how to shoot. Forget about extensive practice sessions, worrying about missing the bull’s eye, or wasting lots of bullets just to get that one right shot. All you need is to get yourself a red dot, fix it on your pistol, and boom. There you are, ready to do some action. It will make target transition easier and following the fast-moving target simpler.
That’s how our brain works!
Do you feel a bit lazy or frustrated while practicing with the help of iron sight? Well, I don’t blame you. We are not evolved to use iron sight, doing multiple mental operations simultaneously to get one right shot. Some people can become master shooters with iron sight, but not everyone can achieve that level.
On the other hand, using red dot can make almost everyone a good shooter with little practice. You just need to identify the red dot, place it on your target and pull the trigger. Our eyes are pretty good at doing these simple tasks. The red dot technology is specially designed to consider this point so everyone can be a good and safe shooter.
Eyesight problems
If you have weak eyesight, your doctor told you that you should minimize strain on your eyes or if your vision is getting weaker with age, a red dot will give you relief from these problems. The strain on your eyes will be decreased, and following the clear dot is relatively easier. The red dot is highly suggested for those who have eye problems.
Quick transition, quick training
This fast pace can be seen in multiple dimensions of shooting. First of all, the red dot is extremely fast when it comes to target transition. If you have to engage multiple targets in less time, it will be much easier with a red dot sight on your pistol.
Another dimension is that you will be trained more quickly with a red dot than training with other traditional alternatives. It will save you time and energy while maximizing your focus and skills.
Psychological implications
One of the most important factors that highly affect the shooting is the psychological state of the shooter. This factor does not get enough attention and weightage that it deserves. A shooter has to go through some really dangerous situation every once in a while. These situations can be life-threatening if not dealt with with the right state of mind. Under a lot of stress or anxiety, even a master trainer can create a mess. Therefore we should be prepared to tackle this problem as well. Choosing the right device should consider the psychological impact and other important criteria mentioned above.
The red dot ables the shooter to be accurate even in a stressful situation. A shooter is prone to make lots of miscalculations under stress, but if equipped with the red dot, they will know where they are aiming. This relaxes the nerves of shooters, and they can perform better.
What if you don’t have a red dot
To properly understand the importance of a red dot for your pistol, let’s understand the situation from a different angle. What are the alternatives, and what would we miss if we used our pistol without a red dot mounted on it?
The answer is obvious. We will have to deal with classical iron sights. This is the system that has been used for centuries. Unlike an electrical red dot, an iron sight is a mechanical device. If you are a new shooter, you must deal with angles, minor errors, minute calculations, and complicated stuff.
Following are a few things you have to deal with
- A ton of practice would be required.
- More concentration would be needed to engage the target.
- Difficult to transition the target in a small amount of time.
- Accuracy will be compromised.
- Iron sight won’t give you the precise target point.
- More mental work would be needed.
To conclude, if you are a professional with absolute trust in your skills, it doesn’t matter but if you are one of the average shooters, having a red dot is a much better option than going out in the field without a red dot.
Statistical analysis
It is evident that you will drastically improve your performance by using a red dot on your pistol. People who were underperforming even after a good deal of practice and shooting experience had the opportunity to maximize their performance. This was possible with a red dot mounted on your pistol.
We have statistical data from credible sources that prove our claim and highlight the importance of the red dot for maximum performance and optimization in the shooting.
Decrease in the number of shots missed
Initially, people using iron sights on their weapons were studied, and they were approximately missing the target with an average percentage of 41%.
This data drastically changed as they had a big improvement in their performance when they were given a red dot. With this red dot mounted on their pistol, the missing shots that were 41% initially became 27%. This big difference can be achieved just by replacing a device, proving our initial claims about precision and accuracy with a red dot.
Headshot Improvement
Another aspect of optimization of performance just by updating your weapon with the red dot is observed in a recent study. This time we are looking at the stats of headshots. A similar methodology and design were used in this study. People using iron sights were given red dot sights, and their performance was compared. The standard this time was the headshot, one of the favorite spots for any shooter to achieve.
The results showed similar improvement was noticed this time. People before using the red dot had approximately 28% headshots upon aiming at the head.
After they mounted a red dot on their weapon, those same people achieved the headshots 70% of the time. This change and improvement was just the result of using a red dot.
These two studies prove how the red dot technology is revolutionizing the shooting field. You know what to do if you want to be a successful shooter!
To sum up the comparison.
| A Pistol with red dot | A pistol without red dot |
| Good for people that have eyesight problems | With old age and declining eyesight, you have to say goodbye to shooting |
| Good for long-distance shooting as well as short-distance shooting | Work as good as Red Dot in short distance |
| Difficult to use during the day. | Good for daytime shooting |
| Visual attention and focus are sharpened | You have to work more to acquire a good focus |
| Relatively less practice required | More practice is needed |
| Good for new learners | Difficult to operate for a learner |
| Has more accuracy on headshot | Relatively less accuracy of headshot |
| More chances of hitting a target | More chances of missing the target |
| You as a shooter will feel your Confidence boosted | More self-doubt and difficulty in a stressful situation. |
| Minimum stress even in stressful situations | More mental and cognitive activity required |
| Designed to give good performance in darkness | Difficult to shoot accurately in the dark. |
What sort of problems do you have to face with a red dot?
Until now, we were just looking at the bright side of a red dot on your pistol. But definitely, there are some shortcomings. This is not something negative about the red dot. Every new technology has some gaps or shortcomings, and the technology evolves and improves upon these problems. The red dot, relatively new technology will,l be flourishing more in the future. But let’s see some of the problems it faces nowadays, and as a user, you might have to deal with them as well.
Red Dot might not be visible.
This is a common problem that is troubling many shooters that are recently shifted on the red dot. It becomes difficult to pick up the dot instantly after pointing it toward the target. Poor contrast of color can be one reason, and a bright and shiny day can be another. The problem is that the dot is relatively small; without practice, we don’t know where to look for it. Once the dot is lost, the shooter gets confused, and all their attention and energy is focused on finding the dot instead of shooting at the target.
You will easily locate the dot in low light situations with little concentration. The dot only becomes naturally less appellant during the day, but if you constantly face difficulties while spotting the red dot, do consider a routine eye checkup.
This problem can be tackled with practice. You just need to do a little hard work initially when you point your red dot. Finding its trajectory at the beginning can be a good way of doing it, and once you figure it out, it is not much difficult to follow your dot afterward.
This problem mostly occurs when you are a new user of the red dot. With little practice, you will overcome the problem.
How and where to mount the red dot on the pistol
This does not seem like a big problem destabilized sometimes, and it becomes difficult for those who have been using the classical iron sights since always to shift toward an electrical device. You have to take care of many buttons, slots, and batteries. Secondly, you have to be aware of the best location on your pistol to mount the red dot with respect to your problem, and lastly, it is also important to know the exact step-by-step procedure for mounting the red dot.
But you don’t need to worry about it. You can learn it quite easily from any gun shop or some expert in the community. Youtube and internet blogs are also very good sources of educating yourself on such matters, and that’s what you are doing right now!
Some new things you have to deal with
With every new technology, there come some new tools, some advancements that make things complicated for those who are used to the old struct.es. Similarly, when you advance your technology from iron sight, a mechanical system, to the red dot, an electrical system, you have to deal with some new processes. Here are a few of them.
Battery
The electrical system operates via battery. Your red dot will have a battery, which opens up many scenarios, like taking care of the battery, charging your battery, considering the charging of your battery before going in the field, and so on. With iron dot, all you have to do is to pick up your pistol and start shooting. Be ready for this problem.
Durability
With iron sights, be once, and you are free of worries as it stays for a long time, but when it comes to the red dot, they have a relatively little life span depending upon the product quality. This is because of all those complicated electrical processes where one thing gets broken, and the whole system destabilizes. Therefore a shooter must be aware of this factor before making a decision.
Pros and cons of red dot
pros
- Good for eyes
- Modern technology
- Easy to use
- Works in darkness
- Good to use in long-distance shooting
- Increases efficiency
Cons
- Limited battery life
- Difficult to find the dot
- Limited life span
- Not very useful for short-distance shooting
- It might be difficult to use during bright light
Conclusion
After reading all the features, pros, and cons, it should not be difficult to see that having a red dot mounted on your pistol is much more beneficial than not mounting one. It doesn’t matter much whether you are new to the field of shooting or an old player. The red dot has something to offer everyone. The implications are equally beneficial for law and enforcement agencies and self-defense. It’s always good to have a red dot mounted on your pistol.
FAQs
How long does it take to transition from iron sight to a red dot?
Certainly less time that you spent on getting comfortable with an iron sight. It is difficult to give an exact number. It depends on your skill and will. An average shooter already trained in shooting won’t take more than a few days to get comfortable with the red dot.
Can we use both red dot and iron sight at once?
Yes, you can use both systems at a time. That would be the best scenario. Everyone wins. You won’t have to worry about the battery shutting down. Just use the system most suitable for the situation, and the transition phase won’t be difficult.
Which is the most suitable place to mount a red dot on a pistol?
There are different schools of thought on this, and covering everything would require another mini-review. Just to put the crux out there, if you want to cover more area from the sight and look through the device, bring it close to your eyes, and if you want maximum peripheral vision, mount it away from the eyes.
