3 dot sights look funny to me

Tongarirohiker

Tongarirohiker

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Admittedly, I don't have the best eyes. But, any time I've shot a pistol with 3 dot sights, I find that if the dots are lined up, the front post always looks a tad higher. This throws me off as I'm constantly fighting lining up the dots, or lining up the top of the sights in my sight picture. Has anybody else found this?
 
If you line up the dots then yes, your sight line is under the top edge alignment line by the distance that the dots sit below the top edge. But the holes you make in the target won't care. Technically aligning the three dots is the same as just using a set of evenly shorter sights. So the holes will be that 1/16'ish inch higher on the paper than if you use the top edges of the sights like normal. But the sights are far enough apart while being close enough to your eyes that the tops of them will look to be slightly out of alignment. Actually the SIGHTS are pointed at the target just fine. But your eye is sitting lower because you aimed using the dots instead of the top edges.

So much for the optics. But like many here have already said in this thread and in past threads I'm also not a fan of 3 dots. I find they produce too much clutter when raising the gun and taking a fast aimed first short in a "draw and shoot" event. For casual slow target work they don't bother or help since I try to ignore them.
 
I find the best combination to be black rear sights with a fiber optic front sight. All I want to see is my front sight. I also prefer my notch on the rear sight a little wider at 0.150". This photo makes it look wider than it actually is because the photo is taken closer than the gun would be extended in your hands but you get the idea.

IMG_3420.JPG
 
I agree.... Black rear sight with fo front post seems to work best for me.....less distracting, find it easier to focus on the target..
 
I had this exact question. As I have short arms, when I line up the top of the front sight post with the rear sights, I can see the top of the slide. If i line up the front sight post so I can't see the top of the slide then the front sight post is sitting a bit lower than the rears... I will hit the range tonight to experiment! I am thinking of blacking out my stock rear sights on the m&p
 
BCRider said:
If you line up the dots then yes, your sight line is under the top edge alignment line by the distance that the dots sit below the top edge. But the holes you make in the target won't care. Technically aligning the three dots is the same as just using a set of evenly shorter sights. So the holes will be that 1/16'ish inch higher on the paper than if you use the top edges of the sights like normal. But the sights are far enough apart while being close enough to your eyes that the tops of them will look to be slightly out of alignment. Actually the SIGHTS are pointed at the target just fine. But your eye is sitting lower because you aimed using the dots instead of the top edges.

So much for the optics. But like many here have already said in this thread and in past threads I'm also not a fan of 3 dots. I find they produce too much clutter when raising the gun and taking a fast aimed first short in a "draw and shoot" event. For casual slow target work they don't bother or help since I try to ignore them.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the explanation. This makes sense. I agree that lining one up over the other doesn't make a difference as far as point of impact. It's just irritatingly distracting when you line up and you see that something is just off.

Sharpie good enough to black out the rear sight or are there other ways I should consider?
 
I might like 3-dot sights better if the dots matched better. On my M&Ps, the front sight dot is much smaller than the rear dots, making the front dot float around in a large area in the rear sight notch. Actually, I find that I have to line up the front dot with a line between the top edges of the rear sight to make it shoot where I want to hit. I still haven't figured out whether I am doing something wrong, or the sights are simply set up with a point of aim considerably higher than the point of impact.

My Sig P226 in .40 cal has a dot-the-i sight setup I like a lot better....
 
kgb81 said:
I had this exact question. As I have short arms, when I line up the top of the front sight post with the rear sights, I can see the top of the slide. .....
Click to expand...

Are you referring to the wide appearance of the notch in Johnnymac's post? The shortness of your arms will make the notch appear a little wider. And I guess it's possible that you might be seeing a little of the slide in the slivers of light. If that's what you're saying then just ignore it. You still want to line up the top of the front blade with the top of the U notch of the rear sight.

I still find it odd that you'd see that at all. The sights on the M&P are not that short. On some guns with really short combat sights I could see this happening. But the M&P doesn't use that short a sight. And your arm length shouldn't be a factor. So if you can see the slide while the sights appear to be lined up but the gun doesn't seem to be shooting to your point of aim then I'd see if you can get a good shooter to coach you on your posture.

Tongarirohiker said:
.....Sharpie good enough to black out the rear sight or are there other ways I should consider?
Click to expand...

A sharpie is a great idea if you just want to try blacking out some or all of the dots. If you want the dots back it's a simple matter of some rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip to clean it away. Paint would require a lot more work to remove so you want to be a lot more sure.
 
I am split, my Shadow is great, my Kadet kit 3 dot seems to be harder for me to be more precise, but my groups are overall smaller. My GP 100 painted front sight shoots lights out. All seem quick to get on target, but I am no pistol expert.
 
I have bad blurry vision in my right eye due to an accident I had that damaged my eye, because of this I had to switch for my right eye being my dominant eye to my left. When I first started shooting I was shooting left eye right eye closed, and that would make 3 dot sights blurry and hard to see. I now shoot both eyes open and it now doesn't really matter, I can shoot stock glock sights, front dot with plain rear, or 3 dot all the same...They are all different but i dont really have a preference anymore, I just adjust to each gun that I have that has different sights on it
 
BCRider said:
Are you referring to the wide appearance of the notch in Johnnymac's post? The shortness of your arms will make the notch appear a little wider. And I guess it's possible that you might be seeing a little of the slide in the slivers of light. If that's what you're saying then just ignore it. You still want to line up the top of the front blade with the top of the U notch of the rear sight.

I still find it odd that you'd see that at all. The sights on the M&P are not that short. On some guns with really short combat sights I could see this happening. But the M&P doesn't use that short a sight. And your arm length shouldn't be a factor. So if you can see the slide while the sights appear to be lined up but the gun doesn't seem to be shooting to your point of aim then I'd see if you can get a good shooter to coach you on your posture.



A sharpie is a great idea if you just want to try blacking out some or all of the dots. If you want the dots back it's a simple matter of some rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip to clean it away. Paint would require a lot more work to remove so you want to be a lot more sure.
Click to expand...

I guess for me it looks weird as when I line up the top of the front sight post with the rear sight, the 3 white dots are not lined up. If I line up the 3 white dots, then the top of the front sight post is slightly below the rears. It is discussed at this link here:

http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-62517.html

MnP_sights.jpg
 
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