I’ve shot a G17 and a Sig 365XL this week with a red dot installed on each and I could barely hit paper at 7 yards! What’s the trick? I’m sure being rental guns they probably weren’t setup for me but it was so bad I’m not sure if ever have one on any pistol I would own.
How do you shoot a red dot?
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Tge73
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I’ve shot a G17 and a Sig 365XL this week with a red dot installed on each and I could barely hit paper at 7 yards! What’s the trick? I’m sure being rental guns they probably weren’t setup for me but it was so bad I’m not sure if ever have one on any pistol I would own.
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I suspect rental red dot pistols are “adjusted” by many folks who rent them. I guess the question would be, if you hit the paper anywhere were your groups good or not?
No doubt the red dot takes some practice, but like a laser, they also show some issues you may have with fundamentals. I think those are the two most common caues, but it may be something else all together; loose optic etc.
No doubt the red dot takes some practice, but like a laser, they also show some issues you may have with fundamentals. I think those are the two most common caues, but it may be something else all together; loose optic etc.
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You should be able to shoot a pretty tight group at 7 yards with no sights at all. So certainly you should be able to draw basic conclusions about how a particular sight system is printing.
Where was the dot located in relation to the hits? At 7 yards you can easily see the holes forming.
I guess the main difference between a dot and irons is that you may not be able to see the dot until later in the draw presentation, depending mostly on the mechanics of your draw.
And of course there's probably going to be more mechanical offset with the dot. But that should easily be evident by just watching where the hits go in relation to the dot.
Where was the dot located in relation to the hits? At 7 yards you can easily see the holes forming.
I guess the main difference between a dot and irons is that you may not be able to see the dot until later in the draw presentation, depending mostly on the mechanics of your draw.
And of course there's probably going to be more mechanical offset with the dot. But that should easily be evident by just watching where the hits go in relation to the dot.
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1. Focus on the target, only. Don't look at the iron sights. If you're focused on the target, the dot should "float" directly on top of your intended target. (This is assuming the dot has been properly zeroed).
2. Do not try to align the dot with the iron sights (they are not meant to work together).
3. Rental guns may or may not even be zeroed depending on how the employees or other renters use them. Other renters may be fiddling with the windage/elevation with good or bad intentions and it's possible the shop doesn't routinely check the gun out beyond basic cleaning. If the optic needs to be removed to change the battery, it needs to be rezeroed and who knows if the shop takes this step.
2. Do not try to align the dot with the iron sights (they are not meant to work together).
3. Rental guns may or may not even be zeroed depending on how the employees or other renters use them. Other renters may be fiddling with the windage/elevation with good or bad intentions and it's possible the shop doesn't routinely check the gun out beyond basic cleaning. If the optic needs to be removed to change the battery, it needs to be rezeroed and who knows if the shop takes this step.
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I have a dot on my Hellcat. At 7 yards, shots will be in one ragged hole.
My hits were all over the center of the target, like a 12 inch group with the 17, the 365 all were low left and not as bad of a group as the 17. With the 356 I shot some more and just used the iron sights and hit exactly where I was aiming. I wouldn’t mind having one but it’s pretty expensive to get and hate.
Stupid question... Have you shot a hand gun before? Its not uncommon for folks who've never shot handgun to flinch and such and induce misses.
If you've shot handgun and can hit, most likely at that range the optics were "adjusted". Rental guns get the crap beat out of them. Even with dot focus vs target focus at that range you should be doing much better. Points 1 and 2 from LivingUpNorth are the biggest hitters, with #2, IMO, being the biggest. The dot and irons are NOT one same plane. Trying to super impose them will be an issue, even if you're doing it subconsciously.
ETA: ignore first question, just saw your response above.
If you've shot handgun and can hit, most likely at that range the optics were "adjusted". Rental guns get the crap beat out of them. Even with dot focus vs target focus at that range you should be doing much better. Points 1 and 2 from LivingUpNorth are the biggest hitters, with #2, IMO, being the biggest. The dot and irons are NOT one same plane. Trying to super impose them will be an issue, even if you're doing it subconsciously.
ETA: ignore first question, just saw your response above.
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The trick is learning that aiming was never your problem. You can't hit the target with a red dot for the same reason you can't hit the target without a red dot. If you shot a better group when you switch back to iron sights it was most likely the effect of concentrating more because you are trying to see what's wrong - same mental effect that sometimes makes your gun temporarily more accurate with a new barrel or new sights.
Learn grip and trigger control and your red dot will start working.
Obviously, I am assuming you zeroed your sight.
Well, I won’t say I’m an expert but without the red dot I do pretty good.
It wasn’t my sight, it was on a rental gun. Like I said, I do pretty good shooting all my guns with open sights but while trying to shoot the red dot couldn’t hit anything where I was aiming. The 365 when I didn’t pay any attention to the dot and just lined up the sights I hit exactly where I was aiming.
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So the optic wasn’t zeroed or at least not zeroed at your distance.
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1. Target focus
2. punch gun out on target about 50 times put dot dead center squeeze trigger for surprise break dry firing.
3. do the same with ammo try and follow the dot dead center first shot then the dot on the hole with a good trigger break and no flinching you should shoot one ragged hole .
2. punch gun out on target about 50 times put dot dead center squeeze trigger for surprise break dry firing.
3. do the same with ammo try and follow the dot dead center first shot then the dot on the hole with a good trigger break and no flinching you should shoot one ragged hole .
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So to be clear: you didn’t seem to have a problem finding the dot as you punched out on target, correct? The problem was that optic was where you wanted on the target but the rounds wouldn’t go there? Is that correct?
That’s right
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Did you at any point try and zero the optic???
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Zeroed is irrelevant to the size of his groups. A mis-zeroed dot will still produce tight groups, just somewhere else.
And it's simple to check. If the dot is right at the top of your irons with a proper sight picture, you're not going to be off by too much.
Back to consistent trigger control and grip we go.
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When you bring up the weapon with finger off trigger. Finger is pointing at target. At this point you should be very close to bullseye .
Your going to see movement in the dot, that’s from you. Takes practice
Your going to see movement in the dot, that’s from you. Takes practice
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