How accurate are fiber optic dot sights

[bushmaster1313]

I just replaced the iron sights of a carbine pump action rifle with fiber optic sights, front and rear

Compared to real iron sights, which can be quite accurate if your eyes can focus that close, how accurate can guns be shot lining up the three dots:

The dots look something like this:

 

[ken158]

The better you can see your sights, the better you can shoot. Be sure sight height is correct for your gun. Of course, your shooting skill also applies...

 

[tg4360]

The sights are no more or less accurate than any other sights.

The dots are only an aid to gross alignment unless the dots are the only thing you can see such as in a low light situation.

All other times you should ignore them once gross alignment has happened and you then use the notch and post as normal.

 

[bushmaster1313]

I was wondering how accurate if only relying on the dots

 

[BAM-BAM]

It's more about the shooter than the sights....... no sight is going to make someone a better shooter.

That said FO sights in my opinion are for field and self defense guns...... not for fine target shooting.

 

[Wee Hooker]

I think it depends on what sights you took off and how they compare. It also depends on how good you are (or wiling to train yourself to be) on alligning those 3 dots and the target precisely with each shot. In the target pistol world, squared off black sights are considered to be the most accurate as their sharp definition allow more precise alignment. Additionally, front sights are often made the exact width of the bull of the target. Fiber optics, (being round )tend to get you close and faster at the loss of some precission. ( You don't see a bulls eye or olympic "match gun" with FO sights.).

That said, I'm installing FO ( at least front and sometimes a whole set) on more and more of my pistols and rifles as I get older and struggle to see black sights in some light conditions. We all like what we like!

 

[murphydog]

With some fiber optic (and other colored) sights the dots do not line up squarely, meaning they do not align in an exact horizontal row with a normal sight picture. At close distances it may not matter but for more deliberate, precise aiming it might. Good luck in your decisions.

 

[diyj98]

I like them on o.k. on self defense guns, but not for precise target shooting. I often find them a bit distracting for target work.

 

[Jebus35745]

I like them on my handguns, the red fiber optic. Put the dot in the center of the bullseye/ target rather then trying put the normal square front sight balanced under a bullseye. Shot bullseye for years with a red dot on the S&W 41 and so the above seems natural to me. Larry

 

[stu1ritter]

Considering the optic goal of accurate pistol shooting is total concentration on the front sight, I would find the dots on the rear sight to be annoying, but I'm just a paper-puncher.

Stu

 

[Protocall_Design]

I was wondering how accurate if only relying on the dots

I have front and rear fiber optic sights on most of my revolvers. I have found that lining up just the dots is OK to about 10 yards, after that you need to be using the black iron part as normal if you want to place your shots. You could probably be OK further out on a rifle, but you will never get the accuracy with the dots that you will with the iron.

What I use the fibers for is a way to find and keep track of where the front and rear sights are in relation to each other from the draw and during recoil between shots. When actually firing the gun, I am sighting with the black iron notch and post, the same as without fibers. In poor lighting conditions, which include things like a dark or black target or background, indoor range, being in the shade of a tree, overcast skies, dawn or dusk, etc. the fibers really help to confirm where the other parts are for sure, quickly and without any guesswork.

Some people can see black sights just fine. I would rather be able to just use all black, but I have always had a hard time with black sights in any conditions other than bright sunlight, so the front and rear fiber optics really help me a lot. I use orange on the front (kind of like a red dot) and green on the rear. The 2 different colors tell which is which. These are the 2 brightest colors, red is pretty dim when compared side by side.

 

[gwpercle]

If you can't see the plain black iron sights then your accuracy is going to be dismal . If you can see the fiber optics then your accuracy will improve.
Exactly how much is going to depend on your shooting skills .

If you have good vision and can see iron sights and are a decent shot , installing fiber optics may not improve your accuracy at all.
It may help in speed shooting by being faster to pick up but shooting fast isn't the same as pure accuracy / precision shooting .
Usually mounting a scope improves on accuracy.
Bottom line is accurate shooters practice long and hard to get that way... no magic sight is going to make you a good shot .
Gary

 

[Revolver Man]

If your eyes are anything like mine, they have more trouble picking up the front sight as I get older. I have found that the addition of a fiber optic front sight makes sight acquisition faster and my groups smaller. To test this I took two Glock 43's, one with a fiber optic front sight and the other with a factory and shot the same course of fire with both. Fiber optic front sight had a much smaller group. I have SDM fiber optic fronts on both of my S&W Model 66's. Your eye is just drawn to it.

 

[double-dipper]

I have a very hard time seeing dark targets with black iron sights. So I have put fiber optics, lasers, red dots, red ramp and or scopes on almost rifle, handgun, black powder or shotgun I own. I find it much easer to get and stay on target with them. Only a few guns I own still have black iron sight and are rarely shot.

 

[bigggbbruce]

I hate 3 dot sights because it's easier to line up square metal edges than dots..