What's all the Hype ?????

Strat688 said:

Hi Gang - You'll have to excuse my ignorance on this subject........but here goes...
You all have provided me with input regarding "RED DOTS" vs. SCOPES.
I understand that red dots are for short range and scopes are for long range.
I also understand that red dots help in "rapid target acquisition"

BUT, unless I'm killing zombies, clearing out a room, or hunting cheetahs, why would I need a red dot?
Paper targets aren't going anywhere, so I certainly wouldn't have to "target them rapidly."
Secondly, at 50 yards, a red dot would entirely cover a 2 inch bulls-eye. That wouldn't be too accurate, would it ?
Thirdly, if red dots are not magnified, I would assue you can do just as well with irons.
So..........I ask you.......what's the hype with red dots? What am I missing here ?
Please clear this up for my lost and tormented soul

Click to expand...

You've pretty much summed it up already...Like everything else, red dots sights are a tool designed for a specific purpose. You either need it, or you don't. Fork lifts work great, but I don't need one out back in the shed...If most/all of your shooting is done from a bench at distances of 50 yds +, then a red dot alone with no magnification won't help you much. However, at some point you might find yourself participating in timed tactical shooting competitions, where you're not trying to shoot quarter sized groups. In carbine matches, or 2 or 3 gun matches, the goals are different. You're engaging multiple targets at relatively close quarters, sometimes multiple times per target. In that case, the quick target acquisition that a red dot affords is quite useful.

On a side note, even if you don't think you have any interest in this type of shooting, I suggest you give it a try. It's a ton of fun, and it's the closest thing you're ever going to get to a geniune tactical shooting scenario. Yes, scores are being kept, but they are usually very low-pressure events...everyone's just there to have fun.

I like my EOTech XPS2 on whatever I keep as my house weapon. I currently have my son's HP995 set up with the XPS2. <-- funny, the optic is worth almost twice what the carbine cost. At 25 to 50 yards he can thread a needle with that setup. At the range it is fun for plinking at 25 to 100 yards. The holo, and red dots are usually the first grabbed off my tailgate by new shooters. I love to train as I would fight, and bench / sandbag shooting offers little fun for me. Standing, kneeling, sitting and moving with the holographic or laser pointer gives me a little more satisfaction. Unfortunately there are not too many live fire houses in NY.

You can always try the cowitness setup, and go iron through red dot, or through holo.

PS, as for the dot covering the whole bullseye at 50 ids.. a lot of the cheap red / green dot optics are 5 MOA in size... that'll blur out your target. A quality 1 MOA dot might make you grin. I have the circle reticle with 1 MOA dot.

YMMV.. i just love situational shooting... even when punching paper. speed double tap, 2 and 1 body armor drills.

great site here by the way.