Is Running a Red Dot on a Pistol Worth It?
Over the past year, I’ve transitioned to running a red dot on my every day carry gun (an HK VP9) and students will often ask whether its worth it to run a red dot on a pistol. One of the reasons I made the transition to a red dot is that I found it to be superior to iron sights objectively as an aiming system and subjectively for my uses. As with most self defense related questions, only you can answer whether it is worth it for you, whether it fits your needs, and whether your threats would be better handled with a dot.
Below I’ll run through the objective ways I found running a red dot worth it.
Pistol Red Dots Provide a Better Sight Picture
One of the biggest benefits to running a dot on a pistol is that you have a much better sight picture in two ways: first, you have a better view of the entirety of your target and second you can focus on your target. With a red dot, the only obstruction of your view of what you are shooting is from the housing of the dot itself. From a practical standpoint, placing an opaque object like an iron sight over a target obscures your view of it. Typically, you are “cutting the target in half” with the sight, which gives you a sight picture that consists of that half and up. This means that you can’t see half your target when aiming and the further away you get from the target, the more of the target those irons cover up.
Likewise, when using a dot, you can easily focus on the target and your mind superimposes the red dot over the image. This gives you a clear view of the target and makes it much easier to see your impacts. When shooting irons, you traditionally focus on the front sight post, which leaves you with a blurry target, but a clear front sight. It can make seeing your shots impact difficult, and is often who struggle to move their focus back and forth between the target and their sights.
While it’s not perfect, the below images give you an idea of the difference in sight picture between irons and a dot. Note the pictures were taken from the same distance and getting the camera to focus on the front sight post is nearly impossible.
While the above pictures aren’t a perfect representation, you will notice a few things that are true to an actual sight picture: the red dot allows you to focus clearly on your target and the red dot obscures less of the target.
Pistol Red Dots are Inherently Faster
Let me get out of the way what I’m not saying. I’m not saying that putting a red dot on your gun will make you faster absent other factors like training. I’m also not saying that all red dot shooters are faster than all irons shooters. Both of those statements are absurd and it should be obvious why both are wrong. What I am saying is that as a sighting system, pistol red dots are inherently faster than iron sights, and that as a result, all other things being equal, will be faster. To put it another way, if you were to spend the same amount of time training on a red dot as you were iron sights, you will be faster on the dot than on irons.
Why are dots faster? They don’t require the the mental work of shifting focal planes. Put another way, you put a big red dot on the thing you want to shoot. Even with skilled shooters, the time spent picking up the front sight, lining it up with the rear notch, and breaking the shot is an inherently more complex and more time consuming. That we’ve gotten good at aligning iron sights is a testament to our ability to quickly process complex information and act on it.
Some shooters have moved to target focused shooting where they focus on the target clearly and keep the front sight to be blurry. While this may be more accurate to a defensive use of force encounter, it will only work at certain distances and you’ve effectively got a worse version of a red dot. Even a high vis front sight will not function as well as a red dot when it comes to target focused shooting.
Red Dots are Accurate
This might seem like a silly inclusion, but a question I get asked regularly: “Are red dots accurate?” That question really boils down to two distinct concerns: can dot’s accurately offer an indication of where a round will impact AND can it maintain that accurate zero? The answer to both is yes. Modern red dots offer a variety of reticle sizes and variations that can effectively indicate where a round will impact. Once a dot has been properly zeroed, it accurately indicates where a round will impact. Likewise, well constructed modern red dots will keep their zero, even after abuse. Using the proper screws, the correct torque, and some Loctite will help ensure your dot stays in place.
Adjustment of zero on a red dot is also much easier than with traditional iron sights. Irons are not always accurate out of the box from the manufacturer and drifting them with a punch, while not necessarily difficult, is not as easy as adjusting windage and elevation on a dot. I’ve had multiple students with sights that were off badly enough that past 20 yards, they would miss the target all together. With a pistol red dot, solving that bad zero is much easier.
Pistol Red Dots Offer a Finer Visual Focus
If we were to combine the two advantages above into a single item, we would find that dots offer a finer point of visual focus. Dots clear sight picture combined with the accuracy of a small MOA dot leads to a more precise aiming system. Since the gun isn’t blocking half the target and the dot is an accurate representation of where your shots will land at a given distance, making precise shots, even at long range, is easier. That precision means making up close shots more quickly and longer range shots more accurately.
While making longer range shots may not seem important for typical concealed carry / defensive gun use, there are enough instances, such as the Eli Dickens stopping a shooter at 40 yards that warrant being proficient with a red dot out to range. Making a hit at 40 yards on a human sized target is certainly doable with irons, but the speed and ease that is added with a red dot at range due to the finer visual focus makes it a natural choice for engaging from further away.
So, Is It Worth it to Run a Red Dot on a Pistol?
For me, running a red dot was absolutely worth it. The benefits I gain from having a better sight picture, having a faster sighting system, having an accurate sight, and a finer visual focus means that I perform better with a dot than I do with iron sights. As someone who grew up shooting iron sights and has much more time behind irons than I do an optic, I prize being able to shoot iron sights well and I would suggest that being able to shoot irons is a non-negotiable when it comes to being competent with a chosen firearm. Both of those things being the case, I think that for the practical application of self defense, a dot is hard to beat.
If you’ve decided to run a dot, just slapping one on your gun will not make you faster, more accurate, or more efficient with your draw. If you want to become proficient, it’s important to get some training and build up your skills with your gear.
Any gear mentioned in this post was purchased for my personal use. I have not been compensated or incentivized by any company for any product reviews, highlights, or opinions.
Upcoming Live Fire Classes
Defensive Pistol Fundamentals – 1
Saturday, January 27th – 9am to 1pm
This class is a live fire training opportunity to work on defensive pistol skills. This first class will focus on fundamentals, including grip, site picture, and draw.
Intermediate Defensive Pistol – 2
Saturday, February 24th – 9am to 1pm
This intermediate defensive pistol class will focus on taking the next step in your firearms proficiency with items like target transitions, reactive targets, and reload drills.
Next Level Defensive Pistol – 3
Saturday, March 30th – 9am to 1pm
This next level defensive pistol class is an advanced class for practicing shooting and moving, transitions, and reactive targets.
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