School me on Red-dot sights!

Pond, James Pond · September 20, 2012, 01:26 AM

I don't mean the big tubular models, I mean the small "L" shaped, single lens models.

Firstly, they are small: why are they so expensive?!

Secondly, how do they fair in dark conditions?
I had once been told that FO sights are quite clearly visible in low light, but since fitting them to my MkIII 512, I can't say I agree.

Thirdly, do they need to be "zero'ed" as per a scope or could a red-dot be whipped off my MkIII and bolted on my Redhawk (rail permitting) should I be in the mood to shoot that?

Were I to get a red-dot, I would be tempted to put it on my Redhawk.
This is my woods gun. The original sights I have painted with glow-in-the-dark paint, but I still feel target acquisition is slow.

This is no doubt partly practice, but if a compact red-dot sight were to make that faster, that would be good.

My MkIII would be a candidate for it too, if swapping is feasible.

Pistolgripshotty · September 20, 2012, 04:20 AM

The small "L" shapes are small and expensive however they are worth it. I wouldn't depend on it in low light either

comn-cents · September 20, 2012, 06:54 AM

Why so expensive, all that technology in such a small package that can take a beating.
Yes you have to zero them just like a regular scope.

Before all these smaller red dots came out there were http://www.midwayusa.com/product/783...-polymer-matte
I have had a few for a few years and have beaten the crap out of them. I had one on my Mark2 and loved it.

kraigwy · September 20, 2012, 07:43 AM

I don't think they are expensive, I paid less then $100 for the one I put on my Ruger Mk III 22/45.

It works quite will. The do have to be adjusted, but its easy to do. They work well in low light conditions and work even in bright conditions.

Well worth the price and effort in my opinion.

aarondhgraham · September 20, 2012, 10:56 AM

I thought the tubular sights (like a scope) were Red Dots.

The L-shaped ones like on my Beretta NEOS,,,
Aren't these referred to as Reflex sights?

This one I purchased for $49.95 at Cabela's,,,
Later bought two more on sale for $39.95 apiece.

The only thing wrong with mine is,,,
I sometimes forget to keep spare batteries in the case.

These are great for .22 LR handguns,,,
Ones that would hold up under higher recoil are way more expensive.

Aarond

.

Pond, James Pond · September 20, 2012, 12:14 PM

OK, then perhaps I mean reflex sights. The Burris Fastfire sights are good examples of which style I'm looking at.

The cheapest I've found locally is a "Delta". It is small, it is metal and it needs a mount to it to fit a weaver rail.

€100 for the sight, and about €40-50 for the weaver adaptor! So not that cheap over here, yet again!!

On top of that the weaver rail attachment for my redhawk would be another $45 with $40 for shipping...

Quite an expense in total, so I want to be sure they are worth it. All this because the FO Ruger sights I ordered have failed to turn up this side of the Atlantic!

I may also look at te midway sites, but the German one already seems very steep on the supplies I've already looked at for other aspects of shooting (holsters and reloading)

I understand that if I wanted POA to be 15yds away, then I need to adjust it.
By zeroing, I mean to say tht if I remove it from the Redhawk and thn slide it onto the MkII, will it still give me an accurate POA, at 15 yds, or would I need to readjust again?

aarondhgraham · September 20, 2012, 12:21 PM

Quote:

or would I need to readjust again?

You will need to readjust it again.

That's been my experience.

Aarond

.

RamItOne · September 20, 2012, 01:16 PM

i like these two

http://www.amazon.com/Leupold-DeltaP.../dp/B003IBAIKA

http://www.amazon.com/Trijicon-RMR-S...d_sim_sbs_sg_9

I wound up going w/ the trijicon 42mm one, i just dont see these small ones being as durable...
http://www.trijicon.com/na_en/produc...p?pid=RX30A-51

comn-cents · September 20, 2012, 02:10 PM

The small ones are very durable that's one reason for the high price.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHrG2SQ2010

I've bought cheap ones before and they are not worth it, the least expensive I would go is the Cmore's

Steviewonder1 · September 20, 2012, 04:47 PM

J-Point Micro Electronic sight. It adjusts dot intensity based on lighting, the darker the light the less dot, sunlight and it is bright. You buy a base for the type of gun you have so it will go into your sight slot with no smithing needed. I have one on one of my Twin G-19's. You can change batteries without having to re-zero it. It is still on its first battery after more than a year. It comes with a hood to place over it if you are storing for a long time. It is rugged and zeroes with ease. The RMR Trijicon series is also another one that is popular and it is larger than the J-Point.

Yung.gunr · September 24, 2012, 09:54 AM

I think someone else pointed out the recoil factor in needing a better sight. My thinking would be to get a more midpriced reflex for your Redhawk because of the recoil. You can probably get away with a cheaper one for your Mark. This way you sight them in and don't have to worry about switching them.

Regarding the low light or dark situations, no the reflex sight itself would not really help that situation. Most reflex sights are only putting that reticle on the glass you are looking through, they are doing nothing for iluminating your target.

September 20, 2012, 01:26 AM	#1
Pond, James Pond Senior Member Join Date: July 12, 2011 Location: Top of the Baltic stack Posts: 6,079	School me on Red-dot sights! I don't mean the big tubular models, I mean the small "L" shaped, single lens models. Firstly, they are small: why are they so expensive?! Secondly, how do they fair in dark conditions? I had once been told that FO sights are quite clearly visible in low light, but since fitting them to my MkIII 512, I can't say I agree. Thirdly, do they need to be "zero'ed" as per a scope or could a red-dot be whipped off my MkIII and bolted on my Redhawk (rail permitting) should I be in the mood to shoot that? Were I to get a red-dot, I would be tempted to put it on my Redhawk. This is my woods gun. The original sights I have painted with glow-in-the-dark paint, but I still feel target acquisition is slow. This is no doubt partly practice, but if a compact red-dot sight were to make that faster, that would be good. My MkIII would be a candidate for it too, if swapping is feasible. __________________ When the right to effective self-defence is denied, that right to self-defence which remains is essentially symbolic. Freedom: Please enjoy responsibly.

September 20, 2012, 04:20 AM	#2
Pistolgripshotty Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2012 Location: Somewhere out there Posts: 184	The small "L" shapes are small and expensive however they are worth it. I wouldn't depend on it in low light either __________________ *12 Gauge Fury!*

September 20, 2012, 06:54 AM	#3
comn-cents Senior Member Join Date: June 18, 2008 Location: Pac.N.W. Posts: 1,804	Why so expensive, all that technology in such a small package that can take a beating. Yes you have to zero them just like a regular scope. Before all these smaller red dots came out there were http://www.midwayusa.com/product/783...-polymer-matte I have had a few for a few years and have beaten the crap out of them. I had one on my Mark2 and loved it. __________________ Be Smarter Than A Bore-Snake!

September 20, 2012, 07:43 AM	#4
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,061	I don't think they are expensive, I paid less then $100 for the one I put on my Ruger Mk III 22/45. It works quite will. The do have to be adjusted, but its easy to do. They work well in low light conditions and work even in bright conditions. Well worth the price and effort in my opinion. __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071

September 20, 2012, 10:56 AM	#5
aarondhgraham Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2009 Location: Stillwater, OKlahoma Posts: 8,638	Are we mixing terminology here?,,, I thought the tubular sights (like a scope) were Red Dots. The L-shaped ones like on my Beretta NEOS,,, Aren't these referred to as Reflex sights? This one I purchased for $49.95 at Cabela's,,, Later bought two more on sale for $39.95 apiece. The only thing wrong with mine is,,, I sometimes forget to keep spare batteries in the case. These are great for .22 LR handguns,,, Ones that would hold up under higher recoil are way more expensive. Aarond . __________________ Never ever give an enemy the advantage of a verbal threat. Caje: The coward dies a thousand times, the brave only once. Kirby: That's about all it takes, ain't it? Aarond is good,,, Aarond is wise,,, Always trust Aarond! (most of the time)

September 20, 2012, 12:14 PM	#6
Pond, James Pond Senior Member Join Date: July 12, 2011 Location: Top of the Baltic stack Posts: 6,079	OK, then perhaps I mean reflex sights. The Burris Fastfire sights are good examples of which style I'm looking at. The cheapest I've found locally is a "Delta". It is small, it is metal and it needs a mount to it to fit a weaver rail. €100 for the sight, and about €40-50 for the weaver adaptor! So not that cheap over here, yet again!! On top of that the weaver rail attachment for my redhawk would be another $45 with $40 for shipping... Quite an expense in total, so I want to be sure they are worth it. All this because the FO Ruger sights I ordered have failed to turn up this side of the Atlantic! I may also look at te midway sites, but the German one already seems very steep on the supplies I've already looked at for other aspects of shooting (holsters and reloading) I understand that if I wanted POA to be 15yds away, then I need to adjust it. By zeroing, I mean to say tht if I remove it from the Redhawk and thn slide it onto the MkII, will it still give me an accurate POA, at 15 yds, or would I need to readjust again? __________________ When the right to effective self-defence is denied, that right to self-defence which remains is essentially symbolic. Freedom: Please enjoy responsibly.

September 20, 2012, 01:16 PM	#8
RamItOne Senior Member Join Date: May 24, 2011 Posts: 990	i like these two http://www.amazon.com/Leupold-DeltaP.../dp/B003IBAIKA http://www.amazon.com/Trijicon-RMR-S...d_sim_sbs_sg_9 I wound up going w/ the trijicon 42mm one, i just dont see these small ones being as durable... http://www.trijicon.com/na_en/produc...p?pid=RX30A-51

September 20, 2012, 02:10 PM	#9
comn-cents Senior Member Join Date: June 18, 2008 Location: Pac.N.W. Posts: 1,804	The small ones are very durable that's one reason for the high price. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHrG2SQ2010 I've bought cheap ones before and they are not worth it, the least expensive I would go is the Cmore's __________________ Be Smarter Than A Bore-Snake!

September 20, 2012, 04:47 PM	#10
Steviewonder1 Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2009 Location: John's Creek, Georgia Posts: 328	J-Point Micro Electronic sight. It adjusts dot intensity based on lighting, the darker the light the less dot, sunlight and it is bright. You buy a base for the type of gun you have so it will go into your sight slot with no smithing needed. I have one on one of my Twin G-19's. You can change batteries without having to re-zero it. It is still on its first battery after more than a year. It comes with a hood to place over it if you are storing for a long time. It is rugged and zeroes with ease. The RMR Trijicon series is also another one that is popular and it is larger than the J-Point.

September 24, 2012, 09:54 AM	#11
Yung.gunr Senior Member Join Date: November 11, 2010 Location: Phoenix area Posts: 1,442	I think someone else pointed out the recoil factor in needing a better sight. My thinking would be to get a more midpriced reflex for your Redhawk because of the recoil. You can probably get away with a cheaper one for your Mark. This way you sight them in and don't have to worry about switching them. Regarding the low light or dark situations, no the reflex sight itself would not really help that situation. Most reflex sights are only putting that reticle on the glass you are looking through, they are doing nothing for iluminating your target.

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