Once you go dot, do you ever shoot irons again?

[YVK]

After a covid19 related shooting time deprivation, I am ready to shoot handguns without any sights at all.

Seriously though, I shoot everything. Primarily dots, but also irons, handguns and rifles. @SecondsCount is my witness, I shot freaking 45 degrees offset backup irons at 100 last months. No motivational problems with doing different stuff, there's a ton of stuff to learn with all of it.

[Wise_A]

I've not put in the effort/round count to transition to red dots properly. I expect that once OR models become the standard, 'dots will quickly become the standard for new shooters and all of us that still use irons will look like dinosaurs.

I also have some moderately-bad astigmatism. Not enough to be completely crippling, but I do need very precise brightness control for a 'dot, circle, or circle-and-dot to not be distracting. I've also not properly tried 6- or 8-MOA dots, or anything really nice like an RMR. I also don't know anyone that has one to try it out, so I'd have to hang my ass waaaaaay out there with a $400-$500 optic. Which I'm hesitant to do, because most of the time, a 3-4 MOA 'dot appears bigger than pictures and videos of an 8-MOA 'dot.

[GJM]

I've not put in the effort/round count to transition to red dots properly. I expect that once OR models become the standard, 'dots will quickly become the standard for new shooters and all of us that still use irons will look like dinosaurs.

I also have some moderately-bad astigmatism. Not enough to be completely crippling, but I do need very precise brightness control for a 'dot, circle, or circle-and-dot to not be distracting. I've also not properly tried 6- or 8-MOA dots, or anything really nice like an RMR. I also don't know anyone that has one to try it out, so I'd have to hang my ass waaaaaay out there with a $400-$500 optic. Which I'm hesitant to do, because most of the time, a 3-4 MOA 'dot appears bigger than pictures and videos of an 8-MOA 'dot.

Here is the thing — you aren’t trying to shoot groups at 100 yards from a rest. You should be looking at the target, and not the dot. Blob, circle or star burst is plenty of visual reference for the shooting we do with a defensive pistol out to 50 yards. Without glasses or contacts, the dot appears about 50 moa to my spy, and still this big blob allows me to hit what I am looking at. I like larger dots, in the 5 to 6.5 range, because they allow me to be looking at the target and still quickly know where the dot it.

[Wise_A]

Oh, I know it's 100% a software/training issue. I just need to stop being irrational, have faith in return policies, and buy a decent big-MOA 'dot. And then actually commit to shooting whatever gun I stick it on exclusively, until I'm no longer such a bitch about it (I also tend to gun-hop a lot). It's not even that I don't know how to shoot a 'dot well--I've only shot 'dots for the 15 years I've done bullseye, and I don't suck at that--it's mostly that I'm not confident. I know I'm really good with irons, and that I have ridiculously good eyesight aside from the astigmatism, so mentally it's just easier for me to keep "winning" by shooting irons, than it is to develop new skills where I'm on more of an even footing with other shooters.

[RevolverRob]

If you spend a significant amount of time outside in lousy weather, there simply is no current alternative to the Acro, other than an Aimpoint Micro.

No argument from me. In my opinion the Acro is the optic if you're carrying a gun with a PMO as a duty weapon, a hunting sidearm, or if your job requires significant outdoor activity. If you're a loser like me who goes for "hikes" on trails that are better than most Chicago streets and works from home or in an office, then the open-emitter dot will generally be fine.

[TCinVA]

I suppose the answer to this might depend on what kind of shooter you are. If you're more a collector or you just like making brass, then you probably shoot a variety just to keep things interesting, but from a pure performance shooting perspective, once you've gone to a dot, are there situations where you still shoot irons?

I shoot handguns because that's what I'm most likely to have to fight with.

About 1/2 my practice is with the dot turned off simulating a dead battery or failing to have the optic set to a visible level. The performance difference between the two is negligible at anything except shooting 25 yard bullseye. Even then it's a minor difference at best.

[ASH556]

I shoot handguns because that's what I'm most likely to have to fight with.

About 1/2 my practice is with the dot turned off simulating a dead battery or failing to have the optic set to a visible level. The performance difference between the two is negligible at anything except shooting 25 yard bullseye. Even then it's a minor difference at best.

Thanks for that! Splitting hairs here, but what do you consider "neglible" on a 25yd bull? Say high 90's with dot down to low 90's with irons?

[TCinVA]

Thanks for that! Splitting hairs here, but what do you consider "neglible" on a 25yd bull? Say high 90's with dot down to low 90's with irons?

Exactly. Usually less than a 10 point difference because shooting good bullseye scores has a lot less to do with the sights than people think.

[ASH556]

Exactly. Usually less than a 10 point difference because shooting good bullseye scores has a lot less to do with the sights than people think.

Tru dat.

[45dotACP]

Exactly. Usually less than a 10 point difference because shooting good bullseye scores has a lot less to do with the sights than people think.

This bears repeating.

I actually shoot a dot worse than I do a gun with irons. For now.

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