5 Benefits to Pistol Mounted Optics

Over the years it has become more and more common to see pistols equipped with red dot sights in addition to the traditional iron ones.  We see them on every size and style of gun and used by a wide variety of people.  These electronic red dot sights are not just for professionals, they are very popular with the competition and range crowds as well as with citizen defenders on their everyday carry guns.  There are even dedicated dry fire training red dots like our new Pink Rhino Red Dot.  We will likely continue to see the rise and innovation of these sights as they are shifting to become the default with many manufacturers as well.

So what exactly are red dot sights?  First and foremost, they are a good idea and should not be considered “cheating” in any way.  Technology is constantly innovating and red dots are definitively helping people be better shooters.  Don’t knock it till you try it.

A red dot is a small electronic sight system that is mounted to the top of the slide and generates a little shape onto a piece of glass that serves as an aiming designator for the shooter.  This little shape, called a reticle, is typically a dot or a dot with a larger circle around it and comes in a variety of sizes.  Most often they are red, but can be green or even gold.  They can be open which means it has one piece of glass and the emitter is open to the elements, or closed in which case they have 2 pieces of glass and are boxier in shape closing the emitter off to the elements.

Red dot sights (RDS) go by many names, like Miniaturized Red Dot System (MRDS), Pistol Mounted Optics (PMO), reflex sight, micro red dots and dot.  For the purpose of this article we will refer to them as red dots in general and are not specifying any brands, reticle patterns, colors, or compatibility with guns.  Each of those specifications are up to the shooter to decide on based on their firearm and general use case.

It is important to note that while they are highly popular and most would agree are a better way to shoot, traditional iron sights should always be taught and understood first.  You will notice that the vast majority of guns with red dots on them still have iron sights mounted as well, they even get changed out to ensure you can see them in the window.  These are back up iron sights that will allow the gun to continue to be used in an accurate fashion even if the electronic red dot fails.  And they do fail, this is gear you will want to spend more on for improved reliability.

Another aspect worth pointing out is that a red dot is not a laser, while it has some similarities, the red dot is something that is only visible to the shooter when it is properly aligned in front of the shooter's view point.

For most shooters, once they grasp the concept of a red dot, they rarely go back to irons, but that knowledge isn’t lost nor is the skill, in fact many shooters feel learning the red dot improves their iron skills.  Let’s take a look at the advantages of red dots and why most shooters are making the switch.

5 Benefits of using a Red Dot

1) Target Focused

One of the biggest advantages of using a red dot is that your attention gets to stay fully target (or threat) focused.  Traditional iron sights have three focal planes, rear sight, front sight, and the target.  With a front sight focus methodology this means the target is blurry.  

There are a few problems with this, first being that it goes against how our eyes work in everyday life which makes it hard for people starting out to learn to focus on that second focal plane which leads to many people shooting with one eye closed.  

The second focal plane focus, and possibly one closed eye, means that our situational awareness is being limited.  Did this person pull out a phone or a gun, or is it a toy gun?  That can be hard to determine when blurry, but add in distance and even worse some panic, that can easily lead to mistakes.

Being target focused and having one focal plane simplifies the aiming process for our brains to understand and execute.

2) Easier on the Eyes

Due to having one focal plane red dots are easier on the eyes, they work naturally with our binocular vision.  This allows us to keep both eyes open, focus on the target and ultimately results in quicker visual processing and less eye strain.

Since the focal shift isn’t yo-yoing back and forth between the front sight and the target, the muscles in our eyes and our visual processing aren't working in overdrive for extended periods of time.  For many this leads to longer and more comfortable shooting sessions. Plus by cutting out an entire focal plane shift we are cutting out a step in transitioning from target to target, we simply look from one target to the next with hard focus and let the firearm follow.  The red dot should land at the spot you are aiming, specific and small aiming points will give your red dot an anchor point to transition to immediately.

As mentioned, our situational awareness stays high with not only target focus but use of both eyes and our peripheral vision.  One of the key pieces of processing we lose under stress is the use of near focus, making front sight focus a difficult task.  It also allows our eyes to work as normal in various lighting conditions with the red dot often being more eye-catching and easier to lock on to than night sights.

3) Faster Target Acquisition

This single focal plane leads to faster target acquisition when used properly and the red dot is consistently presented in the window.  The presentation and grip need to allow for the red dot to appear each time the gun is fully extended out, and to return to the shooter’s view after recoil. 

When done properly the red dot will enter into view from the same position during presentation and will track through recoil in a consistent manner leaving the shooter with a predictable sight picture.  Shooters can then look at a precise aimpoint on the target and know that the red dot will appear in the place they are focusing, this eliminates the focal shift and processing steps of using front sight focus.  Less steps and easier to process information results in everything in the shot process happening sooner, and sooner is faster.  

It is important to note that the red dot does not need to be positioned in the center of the housing and lens, it can be anywhere on the lens as long as it is in the correct spot on the target.  This reduces the need for perfect alignment like irons have and gives a much more generous aiming zone.  Dots allow for multiple levels of confirmation to happen extremely quickly, but they do need to be congruent with the target size and distance as well as the shooter's skill level.

4) Sight Tracking

This additional visual feedback, during live or dry fire, gives a clue as to how your shooting technique influences the gun as you move.  If your grip is changing, hand/body tension heightens, or trigger control is poor you will see the dot expose that during each presentation, shot, and transition.

5) Critical Hits Happen More Often

Switching to a Red Dot is Worth it