WHY DID THE RED DOT FADE OUT?

[Golddollar]

This year I decided to really concentrate on bullseye shooting using .22 target pistols with optical sights. At our regular club matches in the evening I had no problem using the optical sight at less than full power. Our range is sort of down in a bowl.

Yesterday I was at the big regional match at Harrisburg with the range being part of a large flat area and the sun was very bright. Even though the firing points are covered, I discovered that the red dot practically disappeared when viewing the target, even with a new battery in the sight and the brightness level cranked up all the way. As a result, in timed and rapid fire I had a very hard time recovering the red dot and ended up trying to center the target in the tube and firing the rest of the string. Needless to say, my scores were pretty abysmal.

Can anyone give me a clue as to what happened? Or next year do I take one gun with iron sights for bright days and one gun with optical sights for cloudy days?

 

[VaTom]

I have a Vortex Strike Fire II that has both red and green dots. I find the green dot easier to see in bright sun. Use it on a 15-22 rifle.

 

[Krogen]

You might try a second new battery. Could be the one you installed was bad. Happened to me with a smoke alarm. Woke me up one night with its "I need a battery" beep. Got up and put a new one in it and it did the same thing a few hours later. A second new battery fixed it.

You might also try cleaning the contacts in the sight. Might be a poor connection due to oxidization.

What kind of sight is it? Was it ever bright enough outside? I can see my Ultradots just fine in bright sunlight, although I do need to turn up the brightness.

 

[CB3]

What RDS? Had you ever used it in bright daylight successfully? What size dot? Do you have co-witnessed iron sights?

 

[H Richard]

I have a Burris Fastfire, and don't seem to have that problem. Has 4 or 5 levels of brightness.

 

[Golddollar]

What RDS? Had you ever used it in bright daylight successfully? What size dot? Do you have co-witnessed iron sights?

It works for me OK at the home range where the event starts at 6 PM. The match at Harrisburg was a lot brighter. The dot is 3 MOA.

 

[Golddollar]

You might try a second new battery. Could be the one you installed was bad. Happened to me with a smoke alarm. Woke me up one night with its "I need a battery" beep. Got up and put a new one in it and it did the same thing a few hours later. A second new battery fixed it.

You might also try cleaning the contacts in the sight. Might be a poor connection due to oxidization.

What do you recommend for cleaning the contacts, alcohol?

 

[Wise_A]

What model red dot?

If it's a reputable tube-style 'dot, I would say yes--sounds like battery trubs. About the only time my Ultra Dot ever washed out was on a ridiculously low battery.

Barring that, some 'dots are available with tube extensions and sunshades.

I have a Burris Fastfire, and don't seem to have that problem. Has 4 or 5 levels of brightness.

The FF3's problem is when the target and the background are under different illumination. There really aren't enough manual settings to deal with the situation.

 

[Gunhacker]

What do you recommend for cleaning the contacts, alcohol?

My son-in-law turned me on to using the sharpened point of an ink eraser pencil to clean contacts. He was in the military (Sgt. 1st Cav Div.) and said that it was a trick used a lot in the field on their equipment, it takes oxidation off quickly, and no dripping of cleaner into the works that might attack plastics.

 

[BB57]

..../

/... Or next year do I take one gun with iron sights for bright days and one gun with optical sights for cloudy days?

I suspect it was a battery problem. But there's nothing wrong with having two guns....

 

[Kiwi cop]

I have the problem fixed.

My .22 rimfire steel pistol is a Browning Buckmark 5.5. I sighted it in with the iron sights then removed the sight base (it comes off for field stripping) and mounted a replacement rail designed for the gun.

Installed a Chinese holographic sight (red and green dots) and sighted that in with the same ammo.

If I ever need to swap between the two I just undo two hex head screws and mount the iron sights, which are still dialled in.

 

[amazingflapjack]

Mine has a sun shade that is some help.

 

[Golddollar]

I suspect it was a battery problem. But there's nothing wrong with having two guns....

[/QUOTE

Nice pair of Victors.

 

[Golddollar]

I tried a variation of Gunhacker's solution. I had a pencil with one of those add on erasers and rubbed it on the battery and the contact area of the battery well. When I looked at the ceiling light through the tube it looked like there was an improvement in the strength of the red dot.

 

[JayFramer]

I've never an eye-rins (irons) Sights fade out...

Just sayin!

 

[Golddollar]

My son-in-law turned me on to using the sharpened point of an ink eraser pencil to clean contacts. He was in the military (Sgt. 1st Cav Div.) and said that it was a trick used a lot in the field on their equipment, it takes oxidation off quickly, and no dripping of cleaner into the works that might attack plastics.

I think my variation of this worked. At the match tonight at my home range I was able to turn down the brightness level of the optical sight quite a bit.