Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Red Dot sight on a Carry gun

Been thinking about this and I know there are pro's and con's to it. I took a Red Dot class the other day and at the end of it, I am wondering if I really want to go down that road.
I will say that if I did go down that road, it would take a lot more work on my part to get where I would feel good about carrying with one, and I understand that.

My questions is what do y'all think about it and how many use a red dot on EDC?

I have a Holosun on my P365XL and absolutely love it.

I recently purchased a P365XL with the Sig Romeo Zero optic in it. With my aging eyes it's a real help. Thinking about replacing the Romeo Zero with a Holosun 507K.

Ron

My nephew is a cop, and he switched to one on his service gun a couple of years ago. He says he'd never go back. Personally, I cannot see it. I don't want to learn to become dependent on technology that requires a charged battery.

I have run red dots for years on other guns and love them. That being said, I have had a bunch of them fail. Yes the very first one was a cheap red dot but after that I learned and never bought cheap again, but have had at least 4 or 5 crap the bed. I will say a shotgun with a heavy turkey load is ruff on them.

That said, I can defiantly shoot tighter groups at longer distance with the red dot on my pistols but at 7 yards and in, not much difference. That is why I am wondering about them. I know we never know when or at what distance we may have to use our EDC but for 7 and in I see irons working just fine. at 10 I am a little tighter with the red dot but still ok with irons. It is at about 15 and longer that the real difference shows up.

And only a tiny percentage of defensive shootings by civilians take place at 15 yards and further distances.

They don't make sense. While I love my RDS on my AR, trying to extend the range of a puny handgun is a waste of time.

I get it that man-boys want to feel better about their limp little 9mms, but at some point millennial and genZ gamers need to understand that a handgun is really a short range defensive weapon.

But hey, people buy the Judge & Governor too.

I'd bet against me adding a RDS to a carry gun, but if I did it wouldn't to improve distance accuracy - it would be to improve precision at any distance. Getting a shot past a hostage, between a door and frame, or a 100 other short range scenarios that are more likely than a 50-yarder, especially in low light.

I get it that man-boys want to feel better about their limp little 9mms, but at some point millennial and genZ gamers need to understand that a handgun is really a short range defensive weapon.


As said in above post.. i agree If said bad guy is more than 15 yards i probably will try and get out of dodge. I'm pretty good at 15 yards and closer but beyond that, not so good.

It reminds me of the whole "I shot iron sights on my M16" stuff back in the day.

I came kicking and screaming into modern day AR optics, but I came nonetheless.

Same will happen with handguns. I don't have an optic on my carry gun, but I have a few guns with them, and it's faster and more accurate. Presentation on the draw takes some work, but that translates well to iron sighted pistols, so it's time we'll spent on your fundamentals

I bought an X slide (optics cut) for my P365 so I could try it and see if I liked it better than the iron sights.
There is a transitional learning curve to acquiring the dot quickly. Lots of dry practice helped and I'm liking it.

I put an RMR on my 1911 for a range toy and yes, I can shoot it more accurately than with the factory irons. That said, an edc piece would be a defensive draw from concealment and a red dot sticking up just gives me one more thing to snag on the way out. When I do carry it is a pocket carry J-frame .38 Special or CZ 9mm and I've been happier with a set of Dawson fiber optic after market sights on the CZ as my first choice.

Once an individual gets past the learning curve he’s absolutely correct.
You’re not dependent on technology, assuming you set your gun up correctly. Suppressor sights with the dot and one has the best of both worlds. If the dot goes down, you shoot the same way you have for decades.

George

I don't use one for any of my CCW pistols. I have no thoughts on what others might want, or not want, or why, either way

IMO they would be more valuable to police officers who may need to shoot out to 50 yards or even more. I don't see the typical civilian having the need to shoot that far and still be able to consider it self defense. Not that it couldn't happen, but I expect it would be quite rare.

I train w/ a group that contains a couple of guys that deal w/ bad guys for a living. They all have RDS on their work and off duty guns. If I were not so old and lazy I would put in the work. All the reasons not to use one are excuses. Kind of like defending your snubby by proclaiming your enhanced situational awareness skills.

Read NH K9's and Goalie's posts... several times.

If you think you are good enough you are wrong.



mike r

Mike,
Funny you'd reference the snubby........I had to be dragged away from my J-frame for EDC (it'll still go for the ride from time to time), and from there had to be shown the light on the optic for my 320. I'm making it my goal to have them on all our duty guns before I pull the pin

George

Not likely to happen but IF a bad guy was shooting at you from 50 yards, wouldn't you shoot back? And wouldn't that be considered self defense all things equal? Parking lots, malls, Walmart, churches, schools, about anywhere in rural areas around farms, campsites, boat ramps and the like has 50+ yard possibilities. I see and hear of guys that never practice with their defensive handgun past 7-10 yards and wonder what they are thinking. Hell even my snubby S&W 642 rings steel at 50 yards and further about every range trip.

I put the 507K on my P365 and I like it a lot.
It was my first handgun RDS so I have no comparison.
I read the reviews and went with the Holosun.

Your 642 may ring steel at 50 yeards, but not too many can do that. Personally if someone was even pointing a gun at me from 50 yards I would seek cover. Usually there are a fair number of vehicles in parking lots. I'm pretty sure I could hit someone from 50 yards, but unless a bullet went zinging by me, it's hard to know if it's me they are shooting at or someone I haven't seen. I'm not looking for an opportunity to shoot someone. I would vastly prefer avoiding that situation.