Who is actually running optics (red dot) on their pistols?

krausb

krausb

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I know red dots have been fairly common on high end race guns for years now, but it is really just recently that manufacturers have started coming out with versions of their pistols already milled to accept reflex style red dot sights. Examples would be the S&W M&P CORE, the FNX series from FN and Glock's very recent offerings in their competition oriented pistols.

Now with all of these pistols out there (and they seem to be selling like hotcakes), I don;t see a lot of chatter on the forums about what optics people are actually running on them and I'm curious to hear form folks that are running red dots on their pistols; either for competition or just casual plinking.

What do you like about running a red dot sight (RDS), what don't you like? How reliable has it been (i.e. can they handle the constant battering of the slide slamming back and forth)? And I'm most curious about what brand of RDS others are running and what they like or don't like about it.

The main reason I'm asking is that I just bought a M&P CORE and should have it just after the weekend and I'm trying to decide what to put on it. I think I've narrowed it down to either a Trijicon RMR or the new Leupold DP Pro.

I'm a little torn about dot size... the bigger ones (6.5 MOA on the RMR and 7.5 MOA triangle on the DP) should obviously give a faster acquisition, but the smaller dots (3.25 MOA on the RMR and 2.5 MOA on the DP) may obscure a little less of the target. Any thoughts on dot size? I'm leaning towards bigger... Iron sights must be at least 10 MOA and no one seems to have trouble being accurate with them.

Anyway, I'd like to run my new rig in at a couple of courses this summer and maybe even dabble a bit in IPSC with it (yes I know I can't run in production with the RDS), so I would really appreciate any firsthand feedback from anyone running an RDS on their pistol.

Thanks guys!
 
I've got a Ruger 22/45 Lite with a Buriss FastFire III red dot. 3 MOA with adjustable light levels, even close up I dont find it obscuring the target.

Used the MaddMacs dovetail mount; h ttp://maddmacsprecisiontactical.com/burris-fastfire-iii.html , fitting was easy.

I had to blue glue the nut threads as they were shaking out prior.. works well, even newbies I've taken to the range tell me they feel like it's cheating vs iron sights (ie, on my 22 SP101).
 
I have the 7.5 DP on my Pro CORE 40. It is a good size. It is the equiv size to your front sight. Fast when you get used to it.
Stop by CDTSA on thursday for a steel challenge and you can test it out. (PM me if you want details)
 
Thanks guys!

JoKa: Thanks very much for the offer! That is awesome of you. Unfortunately I'm out of town all next week for work. But thanks a bunch! Quick question on the DP triangle: What part of the triangle do you sight off of? For example; do you place the tip of the triangle on (or below) the POI or do you cover the POI withe the whole triangle?
 
I have a burris fast fire 2 on my FNX 45 Tac. 2moa dot. Didn't think I would like the RDS on a pistol but I instantly loved it. It seems to make me a better shooter. I have about 850 rnds down the pipe and the FF is holding up perfectly. I'm considering switching to the leupold delta because I like the triangle sight. Not many guys at my club run pistols with RDS on them so it's always a conversation piece, have let's lots of guys shoot it and they all loved it, the FNX and the sight.
 
krausb said:
Thanks guys!

JoKa: Thanks very much for the offer! That is awesome of you. Unfortunately I'm out of town all next week for work. But thanks a bunch! Quick question on the DP triangle: What part of the triangle do you sight off of? For example; do you place the tip of the triangle on (or below) the POI or do you cover the POI withe the whole triangle?
Click to expand...

The shoot is every thursday till thanksgiving. So we can maker it work :)
Bring some plated .40Cal ammo. (CDN-BDX e/TMJ is easy to find) FMJ is NOT allowed
And Bring 10$ (Guest pass)
And give me warning so I bring that pistol

As for what I sighted it in for..... I guess you could say the centre of the triangle.... but to be honest any spread in the grouping will make fine tuning the sight to that degree extremely hard to do....So the triangle is in the middle of the group. Also, I have the first gen DP which is a pain in the arse to adjust and fine tune the dot. (Second gen is better)

PS, the "triangle" looks like a fuzzy blob to most people.
 
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Jerry Champagne said:
I have a burris fast fire 2 on my FNX 45 Tac. 2moa dot. Didn't think I would like the RDS on a pistol but I instantly loved it. It seems to make me a better shooter. I have about 850 rnds down the pipe and the FF is holding up perfectly. I'm considering switching to the leupold delta because I like the triangle sight. Not many guys at my club run pistols with RDS on them so it's always a conversation piece, have let's lots of guys shoot it and they all loved it, the FNX and the sight.
Click to expand...

Thanks JC! For me, I find that it takes me just that extra fraction of a second to "find" the 2 moa dot on my Aimpoint T-1. That's why I was leaning more toward the 7 moa or possibly even the DP's traingle. But maybe I need to playg around a little more with the smaller dot on a reflex-type sight first before committing.
 
JoKa said:
The shoot is every thursday till thanksgiving. So we can maker it work :)
Bring some plated .40Cal ammo. (CDN-BDX e/TMJ is easy to find) FMJ is NOT allowed
And Bring 10$ (Guest pass)
And give me warning so I bring that pistol

As for what I sighted it in for..... I guess you could say the centre of the triangle.... but to be honest any spread in the grouping will make fine tuning the sight to that degree extremely hard to do....So the triangle is in the middle of the group. Also, I have the first gen DP which is a pain in the arse to adjust and fine tune the dot. (Second gen is better)

PS, the "triangle" looks like a fuzzy blob to most people.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I will definitely take you up on the offer this summer. So the triangle isn't really a triangle in practice? just more of a blobby 7.5 moa dot? :d
 
Pretty much. Really it depends on how fast you are going. If your running it as fast as you can. You will not tell it is a triangle. If your shooting bullseye then you would be able to identify the top point.

Actually here is a picture of it when it was on my Benelli M4. (Sorry, some of the fuzz is from the phone)

IMG_20141204_222409_zps4ekkf9cr.jpg


IMG_20141204_222347_zps9dy2o2l6.jpg
 
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it's not cheating when u can't focus the front sight- give us old geezers a level playing field
 
Also, one more note to put things into perspective.
7.5 MOA dot = ~0.78 Inches at 10 yards.

So in order to "Sight" it in at the tip of the triangle, You pretty much need to be able to make only one hole with your groups for it to be worth while. Since that typically isnt the case for most of us..... just sight the triangle to the center of the group.
 
Yes, good point JoKa! I sometimes forget how small an MOA is at close distances. Now with that in mind, and as my mind wanders, I wonder why Leupold went with the triangle instead of a similar sized dot in the first place? :confused:
 
Then they couldn't call it a "Delta" point?

Marketing is my guess. The idea of a point appeals to many? (They got my money from it)
 
I put a Vortex Sparc 2 on my 15yr old daughters Ruger Blackhawk 357 and i have a Burris Fastfire 3 on my Girsan Regard 9mm both very accurate, more accurate than i can shoot with open sights lol. No change in zero on approx 500 rounds thru each. We always shoot at 25 yards at paper and one of those Do All Outdoors 6 disc metal stands than spring back and forth upon impact, she shoots from a pistol rest but doesnt miss very often lol, that is why i mounted the Burris.
 
i picked up the S&W M&P PRO CORE in 9mm when they first hit the market and i put the DP 7.5 on it.
like mentioned above i sighted it in so that the center of the triangle is where my bullets are going.
i had contemplated going for the point or the triangle but soon realized that the delta point is just a red blob once you start shooting.
i found it much easier to just put the red blob where i want the bullet.

i picked up this gun and system because i wanted to get into this red dot stuff and give it a try since everyone was talking about it and it was the new and best thing since sliced bread.
after having and running it for over a year now id say i still shoot my open sight pistols more then i shoot the red dot one but i do enjoy shooting it.
its just different is all, maybe im trying to get into it to late in life?
hard to teach a old dog new tricks maybe.

its fun, i like it but i cant commit to it 100% yet.

004_zpsiw96t4at.jpg


one thing i DO really like about the S&W with the Delta Point is being able to co-witness with the irons, thats what sold me on buying them both rather then other mix and match systems.

356ED1B9-4A6F-4276-A5AB-C126179C01EC-1021-000004B0479EE721_zps3dc494df.jpg
 
Thanks for the pics and info guys!

Wayupnorth: the cowitness is definitely nice. I wonder if the RMR cowitnesses or if the base is too tall...
 
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