Why an optic is a must-have on your new gun purchase
Don’t be dissuaded from mounting a red dot sight (RDS) pistol optic on your first handgun. Given the advantages of a red dot, it’s all upside. The idea that you have to learn to use iron sights first just isn’t true.
And this is a personal red flag for me. If a sales associate in a gun shop tries to sell you a gun without an optic but tells you that you need to learn irons first and to add a laser, find another gun shop. Always know that the sales associate in the gun shop has no responsibility to sell you the gun that’s best for you. Their responsibility is to move whatever they have in stock or whatever earns them the most points. Do your homework before you go into a gun shop.
That said, if the price of adding a dot is not in your budget right off the start, be forward thinking and get an optic ready pistol.
This technology offers advantages that are considerable and make the choice to add a dot very clear:
One focal plane vs. three. Using a red dot pistol optic allows for more natural and more intuitive aiming. With a red dot you only have to look at the target and overlay the dot onto the target to gain your sight picture — one focal plane. With iron sights you must line up your front sight, rear sight and target to gain your sight picture — three focal planes.
Easier and quicker target acquisition. You’re simply placing dot on target. You leave both eyes open, giving you a wider field of view.
Target focus aiming technique. A target focus allows you to keep your eyes on the threat which is what we do naturally.
Tired arguments against red dots continue to be trotted out. Some still insist iron sights are more reliable. But, in fact, they can and do fail. Iron sights break, come loose and shift, and sometimes fall off. Some will say the battery on an optic can die. That’s true, but a non-issue. I proactively change the battery on my optics every six months. Some say optics break. Yes, cheap optics break.
But if you’re using this pistol for self-defense, why would you go cheap with the gun or the optic? Your life depends on everything working reliably when the time comes to defend yourself. It’s important to buy quality, reliable guns and gear.
I shoot a few hundred rounds every week, year in, year out. I reconfirm zero regularly and my Holosuns have never lost zero, the batteries have never died, and they’ve never broken. I depend on my gun and gear to run reliably — I carry and I compete. Reliability is critical.
There is one big disadvantage to irons. if you train the traditional aiming technique of front sight focus with iron sights, you may find the transition to an optic and a new aiming technique a little more challenging as you learn to shoot target focused. I train my students to use a target focus technique with irons, but it can be challenging to duplicate the same speed and accuracy you get with the dot.
When you make the decision to add a dot, I highly recommend that you learn how to zero it yourself. What does this mean? Zeroing a pistol optic is making adjustments to windage and elevation to ensure that point of aim is point of impact — at the distance you are zeroing. Remember, a gun and new optic do not come out of the box ready to go. You must zero first. Otherwise you cannot reliably ensure accuracy. You must be confident that rounds go where you intend them to go — as precisely as possible.
And it’s a skill you should own because you’ll want to re-confirm fairly regularly. Don’t rely on bore sighting. And, please, regardless of what you may hear or read, you must shoot the pistol to test and confirm zero.
Here’s a summary of what you need to know to zero your red dot. But I recommend that the first time you zero, work with someone you trust to guide and confirm with you.
Set up B8 target at the distance you choose to zero. I zero at 15 yards. This gives me a precise zero at 15 — point of aim is point of impact — with the least amount of variance or deviation in where my impacts land from 3 to 25 yards.
Dim your dot until it’s barely visible so that it doesn’t interfere with your accuracy by taking up too much of the target.
Bench rest your pistol for stability. You want to eliminate as much human input as possible so that you can be very precise.
Get a good, solid grip, maintain target focus and place your dot on the X. Press your trigger smoothly, straight back making sure your dot doesn’t move.
Shoot 3-5 rounds into the X. One round is not enough to check or confirm anything. Now check your target.
Make adjustments to windage and elevation as needed to get closer to the X.
Test again by shooting another 3-5 rounds. Make adjustments to windage and elevation as needed to continue getting closer to the X.
Repeat until you are consistently hitting on or as close to the X as possible.
Shoot 5 rounds to confirm. This is your true zero.
Do a practical zero, shooting at this same distance, freestyle. Test holds and offset with practical zero at different distances.
One caveat. The distance you choose for zero is a matter of personal preference, your skill level, and what you intend to use the gun for. For pistol, that can be 7, 10, 12, 15 or 25 yards. What is constant, however, is that whatever aiming technology you choose, your zero must be tested, adjusted as necessary and confirmed by actually shooting it. Add this skill to your tool box.