Are red dot scopes fun?

[Big Dave]

I guess I'm old school, not by choice...just getting older. All my handguns have iron sights.

I see a lot of handguns on the net sporting red dot scopes. I haven't given it much thought but now I'm wondering if I'm missing out? The type of shooting I do is at the range, plinking, etc. I don't have time to do anything competitive.

But, I wonder if a red do could add a new level of interest and fun on something for the range.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Thanks,
Dave

[TaurusMan]

Have three, but I am only using mine for 30m or less, so if you want a little magnification or just a closer look then not recommended. But as for fun, I guess, they look nice and function as needed.

[Hal]

Other than this nagging feeling that I'm somehow "cheating" by not using iron sights,,,yes.
Red dots are fun.

Like laser's though, they become somewhat useless after the first shot.
The dot doesn't display all that well on the hole in the target left by the first shot.
That's easy enough to get around by just selecting another spot on the target to aim at.

[Deutscher]

Hal, you're not cheating. If you didn't subscribe to technological advances, you'd still be throwing rocks at animal skins hanging from tree branches!!!

[Cheapshooter]

Thought about it, bu nah.... I enjoy my open sights. My only handgun that wears glass is a T/C Contender.

[KMAX]

Deutscher, You got a problem with rocks??? Or animal skins?? HAHA.

[berettaprofessor]

I don't know if Hal was joking about how accurate a red-dot can be, but the "dot" on a red-dot doesn't disappear into the hole in the target....

Yeah, they are a lot of fun. More importantly, buy the right one and you'll be more accurate and it helps train for trigger control.

But I suppose if accuracy becomes "boring", then they're not so much fun. Then you give them to the grandkids, who'll love them.

[KMAX]

Seriously, have thought about one myself, but would like to try someone elses first. I am a tightwad that doesn't like to buy stuff I don't like.

[FlyFish]

They're certainly more fun for old farts like me who have trouble focusing on iron sights now.

[Pahoo]

They are more fun than you can imagine. They are very effective and accurate. There is a learning curve to these, like learning how to trust what you are seeing. As long as you can see the dot, in the field and you can superimpose it onto the target, it's yours... .

I have mounted them onto most types of firearms and even a bow. ..

Remember to keep both eyes open and;
Be Safe !!!

[bossman]

Yeah, my eyes ain't what they use to be. The only problem is the guns I want to add a red dot are all fixed sights. I have an old GP 100 in 38 spl only I would love to put a red dot on but it has fixed sights too. So how do you mount the dang thangs.

[pendennis]

I own two, and both are on Rugers; a Mark II, and a Mark III. They surely do make things easier, especially with 65 year-old eyes.

[JonathanZ]

I bought a nice little red dot made by Lepers on Amazon for $30 with free shipping. Amazon is probably out of stock cause its for sale on Amazon Marketplace for more money, but this is the one I got.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ce-full-site=1

[Poodleshooter]

They're fun, but more important to me, they're useful.
I use one on a Buckmark .22. My (mid 60s) dad uses them on his Encore pistol barrels.
Pros:
-Very,very fast to get on target since you don't have to align sights before getting a sight picture.
-they work very well in the dark or very low light. There's no substitute for shooting possums,fox or raccoons around the chicken coop.
-easier to shoot if you have bad eyesight due to long, non-critical eye relief. My dad uses them for this reason. The critical eye relief on many pistol scopes is a pain for him.

Cons:
-higher over the boreline than irons, inferior for extreme close range shots
-requires batteries
-cheap ones can die easily due to recoil

[gbran]

My eyes are so bad, I struggle with irons for any distance and fine target work. Beyond that need, I also find them fun.

[IMG][/IMG]

[Ozzieman]

I don’t care for them on hand guns but on pistol carbines I will never one another one without one.
This is an Aimpoint.

[Ozzieman]

Sorry, missed the photo

[Big Dave]

Excellent. Looks like I will have to try it. How can I resist with so many positive opinions.

I have a novice question. Gbrans photo of the 4 handguns shows two different types of optics. Are the the smaller ones red dots too? If so, do they work as well as the longer tubed versions. Seems like the small ones would be better for lower weight and maybe and easier sight picture?

Thanks,
Dave

[SteelChickenShooter]

Red dots can be fun. Some combo's work quite well while others do not.
I won a shooting match hitting swinging golf balls with one.
Some rails on handguns have different geometry and may or may not fit the particular sight you have.
A good quality (pricey) Nikon dot model I have has a very precise tiny dot with good intensity for pinpoint target shooting. Others have larger dots that are irregular shaped and can block out a target.
One red dot I tried on moving targets with a 9mm didn't work worth a darn. I'd lose the dot after firing. By the time I acquired the dot again, the target was gone.
One low cost brand I have has selectable dots or cross-hairs. It works pretty well. Contrary to the same exact model on a different gun. You turn the knob and you can see how far off the zero shifts.
I like to tinker and I am a hardware guy. I've tried assorted models of dot sights, lasers, etc with mixed results on handguns and rifles.

[dgludwig]

Are red dot scopes fun?

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I guess I'm old school, not by choice...just getting older. All my handguns have iron sights.

I guess I'm "old school" too. All of my many handguns have iron sights and I don't foresee the day when this situation changes. Even at my age (68), and with less than stellar eyesight (which has been the case for me for many decades and likely only to worsen), I still use irons, even when shooting at Bullseye matches where most everybody else has "graduated" to red dots. Yes, my chances would be better at winning a match if I were to employ a red dot but I am stubborn enough to adhere to long held philosophy: handguns should be foremost handy. Any optical device attached to a handgun makes them more unwieldy, less well-balanced and, well, more unhandy. I accept the fact that I'm most likely in the minority with this opinion and that the argument for using a red dot can be persuasive and hard to dismiss-but I will always believe that scopes (or any other relatively bulky sighting device) belong on rifles, not handguns.

[hangglider]

I hate red dots. But I'm the only person I know that does.

[BigJimP]

I think they're worth trying ...like on a Buckmark .22 or something ...where the gun has a rail already on it.

You might also consider something like a fibre optic front sight or something else ....to help the eyes. I used to think this stuff was all stupid...but now, being over 60, and eyes are failing ...its worth a consideration.

[Cheapshooter]

The more I read this thread, the more I think about trying one. I don't have anything i would particularly like to try one though. What a great excuse to buy another gun! Thanks guys!!!
Maybe I'll put one on my Hi-Point C9 or Judge Public Defender Poly! LOL

[Stevie-Ray]

I love them, especially the 30 dollar cheapie Tasco I mounted on my GSG-5. That is a total blast.

[darkgael]

Fun?
I don't think of them as fun particularly but as a way of aiming that allows me to shoot better. I have dots on my Bullseye pistols. They are an aid to better scores, though I also practice with irons.
I don't follow that earlier comment about red dots not being useful after the first shot and needing to pick another spot on the target. That needs to be explained a bit more. Any red dot that I have ever seen works perfectly well shot after shot.
To the OP: there is a learning curve as mentioned. Reaquiring the dot after the shot in rapid fire takes some familiarization.
The biggie for many shooters is the movement of the dot itself. It is impossible to stand perfectly still and the dot reflects this much more than iron sights do. With irons, it is possible to have the sense that the sights have stopped moving. They haven't but may appear to be still. This does not happen with a dot; the arc of movement is always clearly visible. For a skilled shooter, it may be very small but it is there. Getting comfortable with that is a matter of practice.