Learning To Use A Red Dot

In the previous article, we shared 5 benefits to switching to a pistol mounted optic (red dot).  We also looked at an ongoing study from Sage Dynamics that made a very good argument for switching to a red dot.  The study detailed how the use of a red dot, even for those new to the technology, has an improved aim and hit rate.  Whether on a target or in force on force the critical hit rate improved with use of a red dot.

There is a learning curve to using a red dot but they can easily be overcome with a short amount of training and consistent practice.  It is still recommended that fundamentals are learned with iron sights and many shooters feel that once adequate skill has been obtained on each system it is not hard to pick up a gun with either and use them accurately.

The two hurdles to learning to use a red dot are learning to remain target focused and consistently presenting with the red dot in alignment for their dominant eye to see.  Fortunately, both of these can be overcome simultaneously with some smart training which not only forces our eyes to work the way they should with a red dot but also gives immediate feedback to let us know when they aren’t.

Start Learning the Red Dot with Dry Fire

Dry fire is going to be the best place to start learning to use a red dot.  Understanding where the gun needs to be presented to for the red dot to appear is the first step.  Finding this while on target will give you an idea of where in relation to presenting iron sights you need to shift your extended position to.  Try to engrain this position in your body and note what direction did you need to shift, if at all, for the red dot to appear.  

Once you have some idea of where you need to mount the gun in your field of view to see the dot add in some movement.  Present from low, high, and compressed ready.  Ideally, your wrists will find the consistent angle needed for the red dot to appear from each position.  Add in your draw and begin to speed up as you feel more comfortable.

Ultimately, you will want to have the red dot appear and capture your attention as soon as possible, it does not need to settle and more than likely will not be completely still.  Adjusting the brightness to a middle setting where you can see it well, but it is not so bright you cannot see any of the target behind it is a good place to start.

Once you can begin to see the red dot consistently, it is time to go about your normal dry fire routine but with use of the red dot.  

Occlude the Red Dot

If you are having trouble staying threat focused and your eyes tend to look directly at the dot rather than passively seeing it superimposed over the target use this simple tool to correct that.

By putting a piece of painters tape over the lens of the red dot the window is occluded and the shooter cannot see directly through to the target.  However, due to our binocular vision if you look at the target the red dot will be shown on the target despite the occlusion. 

Having this tape on the lens is a quick way to force your eyes to focus on the target, and keep you accountable for when that is not happening with the visual feedback of seeing tape not the target.  With both eyes open and a target focused practice switching to a red dot can be done fairly easily.

Some shooters have opted to keep the tape on their lens permanently and shoot only with an occluded dot, others have applied this tape trick to their training tools and then use an non-occluded red dot on range.

Having a dedicated training gun like the TitanX with a dry fire only Pink Rhino Red Dot makes it convenient to consistently get quality practice in while transitioning to the new sighting system.  Personally, mine sits on my desk or coffee table in an easy on/off paddle holster and gets picked up multiple times a day to do some quick vision work drawing and transitioning between 1” pasters stuck up around the house.   It takes less than a minute each time, and I don’t even need to press the trigger but it ensures that when I go to the range I don’t spend any time fishing for my red dot.

Go Live

Fishing for the red dot to come into view during live fire is one of the most frustrating things that can happen in the early stages of learning to use it.  It puts a stop to any type of rhythm you may have and feels like going backwards a bit in skill.  

You can have a quick draw and smooth trigger press but stopping to find the red dot then starting back up just makes for what feels like a wasted repetition and round fired.  So getting the presentation to be automatic dry just makes sense.

What you can’t do dry though is learning to track the red dot through recoil and noticing if it returns back to the specific point of aim you have with your hard focus on the target.  Ideally, when recoil happens the dot travels up and then returns back exactly to where you are looking on the target.  While this does require all the other fundamentals to be dialed in it also gives a clue as to what may be lacking in those fundamentals.

Shooting two shots in a row is enough to show how the red dot travels and how you control the recoil, don’t watch the red dot simply notice it as you shoot.  Once you have an idea of what is happening and fix any issues in your grip or vision so the red dot consistently appears, and reappears when shooting, move on to some drills.

Drills to Help Understand Red Dots and Recoil

There are a couple drills that can help specifically with taking advantage of the benefits of red dots, but you should notice what the red dot is doing during any shooting. 

Hawnsik Kim has three drill videos to help understand the confirmation levels (definitions, recoil, and transitions) that explain the concepts well.  Learning to use the appropriate amount of information necessary for the target size, distance and shooter's skill level will start to take advantage of the red dots target focused method and understand when and how an increase in speed can be obtained.  Applying that as necessary can be learned using the “Can you confirm drill” explained by Rick Crawley. 

Another is using the doubles drill which helps you to track the red dot’s movement, shoot faster and exposes grip and vision issues that may be happening.  Paying attention to the process and using the hit placement on the target to expose trends in what your input into the gun is during the shooting process tests if you are getting sucked into looking at the red dot rather than the target and if you are actually able to track it or are just pressing the trigger as fast as you can without seeing the red dot on target.

Feel free to try these drills with and without the tape occluding the dot, using the tape may make it easier to accomplish the drill and work on returning to target after recoil.  As you learn how to track and use the red dot, start changing the distance, applying the confirmation levels and offset, and observing the consistency you have under different variables.

Red Dots are Worth the Effort

While it may feel like going back to the start with learning to aim again, the benefits of a red dot are worth the effort it takes to use them.  A short amount of dedicated practice goes a long way and your body will quickly adjust the presentation path needed to make the red dot appear.  As a bonus, many shooters feel that when they go back to irons their aim and vision has improved on the traditional sights as well.  

If you have been finding front sight focus hard on the eyes, are stuck in a plateau or on the fence about switching we highly recommend giving red dots the chance.  They can make it easier and more fun to shoot for longer, and help with gaining additional speed and accuracy.