Red dot or Iron?

[mikem623]

If you go with a red dot do not look past Swampfox. Well made, dependable, holds zero and good price. Better pricing if military, law enforcement or retired.

 

[Shore88]

HD, some plinking, inside 100 and fast target acquisition all point to red dot. Red dots allow you to look at the target and then just superimpose the dot on it, so you can be "threat focused". Irons force you to have to shift between the different visual planes. Holosun makes a solid red dot, so does sig(which is basically just a holosun).
https://www.amazon.com/Sig-Sauer-SOR52001-Romeo5-Compact/dp/B01C95I8N4
I have this one and it's pretty solid. It's motion activated, so any time I pick up my AR pistol, the dot is on. That olight is 1200 lumens, and the dot still shows up just fine, even off of an interior wall.
View attachment 305914

If you had plans of stretching it out further, then a 1-6 strike eagle or primary arms might be a solid choice. Anymore irons are just backup. There's better options for sighting systems out. I used to have some magpul backup sights on this, but they just kind've got in the way. Pistols don't have much rail space or sight radius. When they were up, it was pretty restricted through the red dot. I could use them, but meh. If I was going to, I'd probably set up a red-dot for 1/3 witness rather than true cowitness.

Great info. Thanks. I watched a video or two on the Sig and you’re the second one here to recommend it, plus it’s in my price range. I would love the Aimpoint Pro but for my current needs I think the Sig or equivalent will be sufficient. Good point about the shift in visual planes.

 

[JoeRinMD]

I have a Vortex Spitfire on my HD AR. The fact that the reticle is etched onto the prism means that it's always visible even if not turned on or the batteries are dead. However, the primary reason I picked this red-dot is that being a prismatic sight negates the effect of my very bad astigmatism.

JoeR

 

[Harrys]

If your eyes are good and consistently hit a 4 inch group at 100 yards Iron if it isn't broke don't fix it

 

[Alea Jacta Est]

I swear by these...batteries not required

Back to Blitzkreig

If you can’t pick this up (see tritium dot on top of blaze orange legs), then might want to move to a new sport.

 

[Doco Overboard]

If your eyes are good and consistently hit a 4 inch group at 100 yards Iron if it isn't broke don't fix it

Thats what I was thinking.

 

[outrider58]

Until recently, I could make 4" groups at 100yrds with irons offhand. No more. These days, a red dot helps keep the pleasure of shooting going.

If your eyes are good and consistently hit a 4 inch group at 100 yards Iron if it isn't broke don't fix it

Thats what I was thinking.

If I have this right, it is broken...

 

[Alan3413]

If I have this right, it is broken...

Yep. Prolly from staring at screens all my life.

And Mom was right. It does make you go blind.

 

[outrider58]

Yep. Prolly from staring at screens all my life.

And Mom was right. It does make you go blind.

Your mom or the nuns at school?

 

[Shore88]

Back to Blitzkreig

If you can’t pick this up (see tritium dot on top of blaze orange legs), then might want to move to a new sport.

Not a problem. With bifocals.

 

[Doco Overboard]

If I have this right, it is broken...

Easier to see when bolded thanks!........ my eyes are bad, should be using a frame hold by now but I'm too stubborn.

 

[Shore88]

If you go with a red dot do not look past Swampfox. Well made, dependable, holds zero and good price. Better pricing if military, law enforcement or retired.

Thanks for the tip. I might just try one.

 

[omegared24]

Really depends on what your using it for. If I could choose only one I'd take my rifle with iron sights. No batteries and I feel comfortable with it. My other preferred rifle has a Romeo 5 and it's great. Battery life is 50,000 hours with shake awake. I keep a spare battery in the grip wrapped in plastic wrap to keep moisture away. It's a durable and decent red dot for the money.

If you go irons make sure they are fixed. Daniel Defense and Troy make a nice set. So does Centurion but they are super pricey.

This is worth a look if your vision is sketchy.

https://www.seeallopensight.com/

 

[Sam Salvati]

Why not both lol

https://clearimage-solutions.com/product/revolution-m1776-ar-15-iron-sight-introductory-bundle/

 

[Magnumite]

Long guns are not my forte. If asked about home defense and recreational/competitive shooting I would say something with a 4-6” barrel and good irons or night sights, i.e., handgun. So my long gun learning in the action arena is still a work in progress.

I am 65 and my eyes like to play games with me so here goes. Shooting multigun, anything close the red dot wins. For distance with precision...or just longer distance I use irons. Good to 200 yards under time.

I have an old Tasco Pro Point (?) on my carbine. It has the nicest roundest 5 or 6 moa dot. 50 yard zero for dead on hold at 50 or way out, use the top of the dot under the target for 100 yard hits. But astigmatism still gives me a flare a good bit of the time now so its irons for longer range precision. Shooting through the rear peep helps to tame it some (absolute cowitness). I do like and prefer iron sights but will admit there are better mousetraps in some applications.

I acquired a 1-6 Strike Eagle for one carbine because at one match with irons or dot I couldn’t see the shot speckled black target against the dark green foliage in the background. Got the Vortex Spitfire prism for another carbine for reasons mentioned in a previous post. So when the other posters ask about application and eyes, there’s ample reason.

 

[gun_nut]

I vote for red dot. Makes things quick and simple for me. I have a couple on my shorter ARs. Where on the shore are you? You are welcome to check out my dots to see how they work for you.

 

[SkiPatrolDude]

Red dot. Even the cheap ones have become pretty dang reliable and durable. You’ll generally know you have a dud pretty quick, and a good warranty will swiftly replace it with a good unit.

My buddy just scooped a Primary Arms MD-25 and it’s surprisingly nice. I have astigmatism and the dot is crisp to my eyes. It also has a slightly wider tube which lends itself to a better FOV / sight picture.

 

[Magnumite]

Red dot. Even the cheap ones have become pretty dang reliable and durable. You’ll generally know you have a dud pretty quick, and a good warranty will swiftly replace it with a good unit.

My buddy just scooped a Primary Arms MD-25 and it’s surprisingly nice. I have astigmatism and the dot is crisp to my eyes. It also has a slightly wider tube which lends itself to a better FOV / sight picture.

I just looked that dot sight up. Looks promising. Thanks.

 

[alucard0822]

QUALITY electronic sight all day every day.

Most of the time if a rifle takes a hit hard enough to damage an Aimpoint or similar sight, the irons would probably be damaged, if not broken off. They can some may have dead batteries, or need to be turned on, but I wouldn't reccomend those for a "bump in the night" gun, Aimpoints, MROs or other LED based sights can stay on for years before a battery is needed, they should be checked and practiced with long before then, so IMO it's not an issue. The electronics are pretty rugged, so they rarely have an issue other than neglect or dead batteries. Worst case sighting through the tube itself is a decent minute of man sight at closer ranges. If you absolutely need the sight to work, then co-witnessed irons are nice to have, provided they stay out of the way. On a handgun, where it can be a little tougher to pick up the dot in a small window, and battery life tends to be shorter, co-witnessed irons are muck more useful. Only thing irons have going for them is cost and simplicity IMO. Of course cheap red-dots might be OK on a range toy, but don't belong on anything you need to work.

 

[454shooter]

You will not regret going quality red dot sight with aging eyes. Its almost like cheating...lol