Sighting In A Red Dot

[hardluk1]

On a pistol if the stock sights that shoot good left to right I will adjust a dot optic to center on the stock sights then depending on how your pistol aims compared to bullet impact I adjust elevation . I my sit the dot on the stock sights or cover the front sight . Then from a bench and a good rest fir 2 to 3 shots with the dot centered on the lens . adjust as needed for your optic zero . Might take me only 3 shots then adjust , 3 more to check then I run a few hundred rounds thru it. If zero is good by then , so am I . Remember after your zeroed with the dot optic the stock sights are there only as back up if your dot die's !! No Co-witnessing the dot and the sights for normal use. Your dot optic can float on the lens but still be on your aim pointwhen fired .

 

[LVSteve]

Sounds to me like the irons and the mount the OP is using result in a co-witnessed setup. In that case the irons and the dot will be in view simultaneously.

 

[hardluk1]

Sounds to me like the irons and the mount the OP is suing result in a co-witnessed setup. In that case the irons and the dot will be in view simultaneously.

NOOOO there not used simultaneously . You can use the stock sights to help you find center and give you base to start with and the stock sights are there to use if the dot optic kicks the bucket !!.

 

[SoCalDep]

One other tip. If your pistol already shoots to the irons, then when you have the dot zeroed, if you line up the irons, the dot will be there. This provides a couple of benefits.

When you are first training, turn OFF the dot and shoot to the irons. The intent here is to train away the distraction of the dot housing.

Then turn the dot on, but still practice shooting to the irons. The point here is, as you line up the irons (which you are used to doing) the dot will naturally come in to view. This keeps you from “hunting for the dot.” Keep doing this and you will learn to “hand off to the dot” seamlessly.

As noted, there is no need to line up the dot and sights to make a hit. If zeroed, where the dot is, is where the bullet goes. But you are used to irons, so use them as training wheels to get used to the dot.

Last, the irons and dot alignment allows for a quick check of dot condition as you gun up in the morning. Check mag, press check chamber, present gun in a safe direction and align your irons. Dot there? (Battery/source good). Aligned with irons? (No zero shift.). Holster up, go to work.

I need to try to figure out how to say this right… because this post is very good, and I agree with most of it, but I’l clarify just a bit.

Iron sights can be on and the dot can be on, and they can be at different spots. Usually it’s not a big deviation, but it may not be perfect. One example is that a lot of M&Ps have iron sights that were pressed on slightly right or left. They will (maybe) hit dead on for iron shooters but appear off to the side just a bit if co-witnessing a dot.

I agree with a lot of the previous posts… we’d co-witness dot’s with irons off the bat to get a good close impact to work from… and that’s a great technique… but then it’s important to actually zero the dot. Once that’s done, and as others have said, one can check to see where the dot sits in relation to the iron sights. It might be dead on, or it might be on the right or left upper/whatever corner. At this point, if you’ve zeroed irons, and now you zeroed your dot, you know what “right” looks like, and you can check your pistol/optic/irons prior to carry or duty.

As for picking up the dot on the presentation or draw, I trained a bit differently and from the beginning ignored the irons. Dot acquisition is kinesthetic… it’s hand and arm movements to bring the pistol to the eye. If one is “searching” for the dot or relying on eyesight to “pick up” the dot… they’re very much doing it wrong.

The arms and hands bring the pistol to the position where the eyes see the dot. That is the key.

This is trained by having the dot on target… center of window… irons are irrelevant. What does it feel like in the arms and hands?.. Holster or go to a ready position… then replicate the “feel”, If the dot’s there… rad. If not, put it there and try to remember what it feels like… then return and repeat. This can be done dry and it’s probably the most important dot drill… Learning the “feel” of the pistol in the proper place… because we don’t have the crutch of irons to guide us in. That’s where a bunch of prior iron shooters say the dot is slow. They still depend on irons then try to find the dot.

When one masters finding the dot, then it’s important to understand what the dot should look like.

If shooting fast it won’t be a dot. It will be a streak of red or green or whatever light on the target. That’s what’s fast. That’s what makes a dot faster than irons.

I suppose that’s for later.

 

[PhilT]

excellent..thank you SoCal

 

[Imissedagain]

We've been using a Laserlyte MBS-1 for many years, in all our firearms, as long as the barrel is long enough.
Red dots, glass and irons.
Check it out.
I get it close at 30', in the house, with the target they provide, and then to the range.
Will post pics later of the Laserlyte in some short arms.

Found this:
Mine is red and is about 15 years old, who remembers.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDIL4y6UbCU[/ame]