red dot sight worth it?

[45-or-gtfo]

I'm thinking about putting a red dot sight on my fnp .45 tactical but i'm curious if any of you guys use them and how you like them. you can usually co-witness with them but does it get confusing when you're past a certain range for the red dot and are using iron sights? since this is going on a handgun and not a rifle, i probably won't have to worry about long-range shooting with it. just curious about people's luck with them in general. i'd go with either a burris fastfire ii or a trijicon rmr (probably the burris due to it being half the price of the trijicon)

[wagon]

If your eyesight is no longer as good as it was (as such mine), you'll fall in love with RDS - such as myself. With a RDS mounted, I can see BOTH the dot AND the target clear and sharp thru my prescription glasses (I'm bifocal), without RDS I have to aim above the rim to keep the front post clear and sharp but the target is just a BIG HUGE blurry mass... way more blurry that it should be to younger eyes.

RDS are usually parallax free up to 50 yd, they are very fast on target, just pull the trigger when the dot is on the target. I have an Ultradot (tube type) on one of the Ruger MkIII, a Burris FFII on MkIII 22/45, and a Vortex StrikeFire on the AR. I find that the reflex type (FFII) has a better sight picture than tube type, but tube are typically more sturdy/stronger in construction. The StrikeFire can let me hit the 8x12 target out 100yd (no grouping though), so they are not only perfect for <50 yd, they can also manage longer distant too.

The trick is warranty.. FFII is 1 yr, but I know TruGlo has an equivalent to FFII , made in Japan - Cabela's have them in stock (not the cheapo $100, it goes for ~$200) which comes with lifetime warranty.. shame that it has a tiny installed base so I decided to go with FFII. Also look into German made Docter (CDNN have them for ~$220, mount extra.. some said that it can use Burris mount), should be better than Chinese made but warranty is in Germany -- unless you may way more to buy it from Docter's authorized dealer in the U.S.

Vortex has no-question ask warranty bit they do not have reflex type. Ultradot is lifetime warranty to original owner.. they used to have a reflect type "LT", made in Japan.. not sure of they still offer it.

Insight has a mini RDS too.. supposed to be VERY good.. but quite spendy though: http://www.insighttechgear.com/products-mrds.htm

Happy shopping.

[wagon]

On co-witness part, I only C-W with the AR, the ring height that I have allows lower 1/3 C-W, it is not a real issue coz the red dot would be off anyway... but truth be told, sight picture is reduced when co-witness, especiually teh StrikeFire that I have a tube type.. I suspect c-w with refelc/holo type RDS should allow for better sight picture.

My pistols are not set up for co-witness, so I dunno.

[45-or-gtfo]

excellent info, thanks wagon. yeah, i have horrible vision plus astigmatism but i wear contacts for correction. after only a few shots, my front sight can get blurry so thats why i think the rds will be great in my case

i was looking at a docter setup but someone mentioned it doesnt take the abuse as well as the trijicon or burris. now that you recommend one, i'll definitely take another look. thanks again

[Sig-aholic]

One thing to remember on shooting a pistol with a RDS, your point of aim will seem very low compared to shooting with iron sights. It will take ALOT of practice to overcome the feeling of shooting the ground if you are trying to shoot fast.
I know quite a few guys that shoot RDS's on their pistols and they have all taken up different shooting stances to compensate for the feeling of shooting low. Just a heads up.

[Coug91]

Have you considered the Leupold Deltapoint? Leupold quality, lifetime warranty. Costs more than the Burris FF, but less than the Trijicon.

MY Glock 35 has the deltapoint and my MKIII has the FF.

[Sig-aholic]

Have you considered the Leupold Deltapoint? Leupold quality, lifetime warranty. Costs more than the Burris FF, but less than the Trijicon.

MY Glock 35 has the deltapoint and my MKIII has the FF.

You gonna make it to the EBMMM in Smelterville on the 30th. I'd like to check out your Deltapoint

[Coug91]

Have you considered the Leupold Deltapoint? Leupold quality, lifetime warranty. Costs more than the Burris FF, but less than the Trijicon.

MY Glock 35 has the deltapoint and my MKIII has the FF.

You gonna make it to the EBMMM in Smelterville on the 30th. I'd like to check out your Deltapoint

It's possible, but not likely. I'd like to, but it's a saturday, and saturday is daddy day care day. That and I'm getting sucked into the abyss again and am planning some family time later that day. Hard to put together a BBQ when I'm out having fun. I used to shoot the EBMMM (BIll puts on a hella-good match) then started getting deployed and was away from home, now it looks like I'm gonna miss this one and next years, too.

[Sig-aholic]

Have you considered the Leupold Deltapoint? Leupold quality, lifetime warranty. Costs more than the Burris FF, but less than the Trijicon.

MY Glock 35 has the deltapoint and my MKIII has the FF.

You gonna make it to the EBMMM in Smelterville on the 30th. I'd like to check out your Deltapoint

It's possible, but not likely. I'd like to, but it's a saturday, and saturday is daddy day care day. That and I'm getting sucked into the abyss again and am planning some family time later that day. Hard to put together a BBQ when I'm out having fun. I used to shoot the EBMMM (BIll puts on a hella-good match) then started getting deployed and was away from home, now it looks like I'm gonna miss this one and next years, too.

Aw bummer. This will be my first all steel match. I'm excited for it. I love shooting steel and hearing the "report". Gonna miss ya that weekend.

[Coug91]

Steel is fun... instant feedback on whether you hit the target or not. I think it's only a 1-day event this year, without the man on man speed competition. That has been my favorite part if the weekend.

[Sig-aholic]

Steel is fun... instant feedback on whether you hit the target or not. I think it's only a 1-day event this year, without the man on man speed competition. That has been my favorite part if the weekend.

Yeah, it's just a one day event this year. I don't mind missing a man on man speed event. I'm still slow.

[jarhead79]

i would hold off for just a tad longer, there is a new excluisive pistol RDS coming out soon that will CHANGE the current market ....dont invest just yet!

[Coug91]

i would hold off for just a tad longer, there is a new excluisive pistol RDS coming out soon that will CHANGE the current market ....dont invest just yet!

Details?

[45-or-gtfo]

i would hold off for just a tad longer, there is a new excluisive pistol RDS coming out soon that will CHANGE the current market ....dont invest just yet!

hold off for how much longer? i was about to buy a burris fastfire ii today but will probably do it tomorrow or the next day

[jc.knight]

Don't know about pistols... but I have a Burris FF2 on my AR. Zeroed Magpul MBUIS' at 25yds, with a 2" group... cowitness'd the FF2, and fired consitent .5 inch groups, im talking holes touching, from prone, kneeling, and offhand. the group only opened to 1 inch firing at "competition" speeds.