I do too. I think it depends on the handgun and how it is used. For a defensive handgun I totally agree with Hickok45 -I don't even like bigger adjustable target sights. Minimalist is the way to go on a concealed handgun. On a duty pistol I could see larger sights or even optical if that is what you want when it is carried on a duty belt OWB holster. That's just not my situation nor my mission. I carry AIWB and sometimes pocket carry and the most minimal sights like a notch along the top won't snag or be in the way. At up to 15 yards it is all point-shooting anyhow and the sights don't even come into play. If you can't hit a 6" target at 15 yards reliabily without the sights then you need to shoot and practice more. Using the sights just slows you down very measurably. That extra half second to use the sights might make the difference between surviving or not.
I’m like you I prefer iron/night sights over a red dot. 100% agree it makes gun bigger and yet everybody is all about the new micro 9 then put extended magazine in it and a red dot.
micro 9s are primarily designed for enhanced conceal-ability for carry. Shortening the width, grip and slide. Adding the red dot doesn’t really change that as you’re just adding an accessory on the lateral plane if, say, doing IWB or AIWB
I'm fine with iron sights. Besides, I carry a snubnosed revolver. Even if I could put an optic on it, I wouldn't because the increased height would make it unviable for my preferred carry method.
I think a lot of guys are going to them because they feel like it will make them shoot better without having to practice. Others do it for the "cool factor". I've seen too many cases where they fail. I only ever had scopes on two rifles, an Anschutz target rifle and a Barrett 82A1. I like the KISS principle......less things to go wrong.
Just from a financial standpoint I see no practical need for a red dot on a pistol. I have a optics ready S&W 2.0 with suppressor height sights, but I don't see the need to spend another $250 on a quality optic for it. I'm a very simplistic person so it's hard for me to justify things that I don't really need. By the way, that S&W 2.0 was a gift from my son, I would not have purchased it myself. He said he's trying to get me into the modern age...lol
Been shooting iron sights for 55+ years, but, for several years now I have had a Crimson Trace on my S&W Airweight that i primarily carry. It's ergonomically comparable to the stock handle and, in my mind at least, it would be an advantage to aid in target acquisition in dark or low light self defense situations should the need ever arise. Which i hope it never does. But, I feel it could be helpful in that self defense scenario.
I respect Hickock's opinion, of course. But what shoots the fastest? IPCS open shooters have been using optics since the 90's. Sure, they're using brakes, hot ammo, and stendos. But they are the fastest, most accurate, and highest performing shooters. They allow for a higher level of performance, and that's the truth. Red dots got smaller, and now the average Joe can put one on his carry piece without inconveniencing himself. It's not a crutch, and it's not a disadvantage.
I tried a JP Enterprises red dot when they first came out. Put it on a Government 1911. Waste of money and time. Acquiring the dot was nearly impossible for me. Probably too old to learn but I did try to get the hang of it for quite a while since I don't like spending several hundred dollars on something I toss in the drawer. Well, it is still somewhere in a drawer.
I can see a real use for a laser for situations where putting your head behind the gun might not be the best idea but a red dot on a handgun not so much. Now on certain rifles sure.
I have several CT laser’s however I agree laser’s have been replaced with ‘Dot Sight’ devices which I also owned. If I was purchasing I probably go with ‘Dot Sight’ devices. However for decades I shot iron sights. The ‘Dot Sights’ once you train with them the acquisition can be faster and once sighted in on the target, those ‘Dot Sights’ if on the target that is where the bullet is going which makes follow up shots faster. Just don’t have to line up the back sight to the front sight procedure. You are correct it does make the total pistol a larger footprint. Nice discussion on the topic!
I have zero desire for handgun optics except for my Ruger Super Redhawk which has a 4x scope for big game hunting. Lasers are fun though...for those of us with poor vision, lasers on a carry handgun can be a game changer. All my carry guns are laser equipped.
Optics were used for decades in open division before they got tiny and cheap, so it's not like they're new at the high end of shooting. The trends that went out of style seemed like they'd make shooting easier but the difference was non-existent or negative among the best shooters. At the same time Red dots are different from other trends in that, like you said the oldest shooters I see at my club, who are most accustomed to irons switch to red dots because of their eyesight.
Honestly i like them alot, people will call it a crutch but they require around the same of training to master, that's why i like to train with red dots and irons. it's advantageous because it makes target acquisition faster, other than that it's more of a preference at least from limited experience.
I tend to agree, I don't like my carry gun any bigger than it needs to be. My bedside gun has a dot on it, and I train with it regularly, and I enjoy shooting it, however I just like my EDC carry to be slick.
I agree with your opinion on the red dot sights. However, I have a few years on you and I have macular degeneration. My rear sight on any gun doesn't look even to me. Even a scope is a problem since to lines are wavy. I tried a red dot and was surprised at how much it helped. I can shoot again!!! I found help for me. I do believe that they may be trendy but at least they aren't like lights and lasers on a home defense weapon that give away your home field advantage. Keep talking and I'll keep listening.
As common senses as the the rule. Sidearms are generally for short distance. I fail to see the need for the red dot. Plus it makes the profile much larger in heigth and special rigs. Practice with iron and I am sure you will become proficient. As always Hickok straight forward advice.
I was always a very accurate person with a handgun. Red dots made me perfection with a handgun. Tried one on an M&P 2.0 at the range and I was a little pissed how much more accurate I was. Either way, practice practice practice.
I have a tiny oak tree, that I’ve been allowing to grow. My thoughts are, I’ll never get to see it get to the point, where it could be called a big tree.
Red dots on pistols are silly. Pistols are close range instinctual weapons. They are practical for competition but not for actual real world defensive pistol usage.
I could never understand the popularity of red dots for pistols. Especially silly are seeing these on compact pistols. Why get a CCW gun only to bolt a TV screen on top of it?
I think two eyes open transposing a dot at the target is better target focus than lining up rear and front sights. In addition, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of stretching out the range of your ccw. Who was it eli dickens who neutralized a threat at 40 yards in the mall food court during a shooting?
Irons only for pistols. I don't even like red dots on rifles maybe illuminated reticle scopes because the cross hairs still work if the electronics go out or battery dies.
I myself am somewhat on the red dot bandwagon. But I only have started to shoot pistols in the last 3 months or so and started out with a dot. The Glock bug has bit me and I just picked up a g17.5. I am going to leave it irons only for some time to try to get more proficient with the irons. Hickok, have you thought about doing a video on the Glock performance trigger? Being it’s an oem part and at a decent price point it seems intriguing to me. Have a great weekend!
As an old guy newbie shooter I sure do like optics. Without it there's a too much blurriness to be accurate (leaving aside recoil anticipation I haven't come close to overcoming). But that's target shooting with all the time in the world to line up the shot, not self defense and not concealed carry. For self defense I've thought it would be good to just have a high visibility line down the top, but I've never seen one like that.
I am using red dots on my wheel guns now. my number is getting so high that my eyes aren’t keeping up. I would love to hear from you about glasses and open sights. In fact I just this week got me a prescription for some glasses but can’t decide what to buy! I’m 67 and still don’t need much prescription per the doctor but I do have problems with the three pieces of aiming a revolver with iron sights! thanks
I have only had red dots on .22s, and even then, they just didn't seem to hold up well. I find it hard to believe that a red dot on a 9mm slide would last more than a few hundred rounds. Maybe I just wasn't spending enough. Can someone tell me how much one that would actually last 1000 rounds would last, and what model?
I like iron sights.
I do too. I think it depends on the handgun and how it is used. For a defensive handgun I totally agree with Hickok45 -I don't even like bigger adjustable target sights. Minimalist is the way to go on a concealed handgun. On a duty pistol I could see larger sights or even optical if that is what you want when it is carried on a duty belt OWB holster. That's just not my situation nor my mission. I carry AIWB and sometimes pocket carry and the most minimal sights like a notch along the top won't snag or be in the way. At up to 15 yards it is all point-shooting anyhow and the sights don't even come into play. If you can't hit a 6" target at 15 yards reliabily without the sights then you need to shoot and practice more. Using the sights just slows you down very measurably. That extra half second to use the sights might make the difference between surviving or not.
The more I shoot with my dot, the more I like irons
Iron sights never need a battery for one thing and you have to work really hard to make iron sights "lose zero" once sited in.
@@robbylock1741 no argument there, but they run in the 10's of thousands of hours, and holosun solar panels does work.
Use what works best for you. I like iron sights. It’s what I’m used to.
I’m like you I prefer iron/night sights over a red dot. 100% agree it makes gun bigger and yet everybody is all about the new micro 9 then put extended magazine in it and a red dot.
micro 9s are primarily designed for enhanced conceal-ability for carry. Shortening the width, grip and slide. Adding the red dot doesn’t really change that as you’re just adding an accessory on the lateral plane if, say, doing IWB or AIWB
Totally agree with you. Tried them and removed them. For me not CC Option for way too many reasons.
I'm fine with iron sights. Besides, I carry a snubnosed revolver. Even if I could put an optic on it, I wouldn't because the increased height would make it unviable for my preferred carry method.
I think a lot of guys are going to them because they feel like it will make them shoot better without having to practice. Others do it for the "cool factor". I've seen too many cases where they fail. I only ever had scopes on two rifles, an Anschutz target rifle and a Barrett 82A1. I like the KISS principle......less things to go wrong.
I love them. Shot irons for years, shot well with irons, but I've advanced fast with a red dot and I retain my irons as well.
Appreciate your perspective. I'm not surprised, as in the man who slapped the gong with slugs from the front porch without full sights.
Iron sights for me.
I use red dots on sightless rifles I don't need a scope for.
Just from a financial standpoint I see no practical need for a red dot on a pistol. I have a optics ready S&W 2.0 with suppressor height sights, but I don't see the need to spend another $250 on a quality optic for it. I'm a very simplistic person so it's hard for me to justify things that I don't really need. By the way, that S&W 2.0 was a gift from my son, I would not have purchased it myself. He said he's trying to get me into the modern age...lol
Red dots are easier to learn than iron. Like many pieces of technology it’s easier, but I still recommend beginners learn iron sights.
Regarding the tree, it is a volunteer. That is what we call it here in the west.
Been shooting iron sights for 55+ years, but, for several years now I have had a Crimson Trace on my S&W Airweight that i primarily carry. It's ergonomically comparable to the stock handle and, in my mind at least, it would be an advantage to aid in target acquisition in dark or low light self defense situations should the need ever arise. Which i hope it never does. But, I feel it could be helpful in that self defense scenario.
I respect Hickock's opinion, of course. But what shoots the fastest? IPCS open shooters have been using optics since the 90's. Sure, they're using brakes, hot ammo, and stendos. But they are the fastest, most accurate, and highest performing shooters. They allow for a higher level of performance, and that's the truth. Red dots got smaller, and now the average Joe can put one on his carry piece without inconveniencing himself. It's not a crutch, and it's not a disadvantage.
I tried a JP Enterprises red dot when they first came out. Put it on a Government 1911. Waste of money and time. Acquiring the dot was nearly impossible for me. Probably too old to learn but I did try to get the hang of it for quite a while since I don't like spending several hundred dollars on something I toss in the drawer. Well, it is still somewhere in a drawer.
Beautiful tree!
I can see a real use for a laser for situations where putting your head behind the gun might not be the best idea but a red dot on a handgun not so much. Now on certain rifles sure.
I have one pistol with a red. It's very accurate but it also shows me how my aim wanders all over the place
I have several CT laser’s however I agree laser’s have been replaced with ‘Dot Sight’ devices which I also owned. If I was purchasing I probably go with ‘Dot Sight’ devices. However for decades I shot iron sights. The ‘Dot Sights’ once you train with them the acquisition can be faster and once sighted in on the target, those ‘Dot Sights’ if on the target that is where the bullet is going which makes follow up shots faster. Just don’t have to line up the back sight to the front sight procedure. You are correct it does make the total pistol a larger footprint.
Nice discussion on the topic!
Despite the high cost of living it still remains poplar.
I have zero desire for handgun optics except for my Ruger Super Redhawk which has a 4x scope for big game hunting. Lasers are fun though...for those of us with poor vision, lasers on a carry handgun can be a game changer. All my carry guns are laser equipped.
I don't want an Optic on my carry gun, but I think they're fine otherwise.
I look forward every year for my tulip poplars to bloom, just like I look forward to you talks, have a great day.
Optics were used for decades in open division before they got tiny and cheap, so it's not like they're new at the high end of shooting. The trends that went out of style seemed like they'd make shooting easier but the difference was non-existent or negative among the best shooters.
At the same time Red dots are different from other trends in that, like you said the oldest shooters I see at my club, who are most accustomed to irons switch to red dots because of their eyesight.
Honestly i like them alot, people will call it a crutch but they require around the same of training to master, that's why i like to train with red dots and irons. it's advantageous because it makes target acquisition faster, other than that it's more of a preference at least from limited experience.
I tend to agree, I don't like my carry gun any bigger than it needs to be. My bedside gun has a dot on it, and I train with it regularly, and I enjoy shooting it, however I just like my EDC carry to be slick.
I agree with your opinion on the red dot sights. However, I have a few years on you and I have macular degeneration. My rear sight on any gun doesn't look even to me. Even a scope is a problem since to lines are wavy. I tried a red dot and was surprised at how much it helped. I can shoot again!!! I found help for me. I do believe that they may be trendy but at least they aren't like lights and lasers on a home defense weapon that give away your home field advantage. Keep talking and I'll keep listening.
Hickock didn’t plant the trees, he just allows them to grow.
As common senses as the the rule. Sidearms are generally for short distance. I fail to see the need for the red dot. Plus it makes the profile much larger in heigth and special rigs. Practice with iron and I am sure you will become proficient. As always Hickok straight forward advice.
I am a fully stock kinda guy
I was always a very accurate person with a handgun. Red dots made me perfection with a handgun. Tried one on an M&P 2.0 at the range and I was a little pissed how much more accurate I was. Either way, practice practice practice.
I have a tiny oak tree, that I’ve been allowing to grow. My thoughts are, I’ll never get to see it get to the point, where it could be called a big tree.
Red dots on pistols are silly.
Pistols are close range instinctual weapons.
They are practical for competition but not for actual real world defensive pistol usage.
Are they still short range instinctive weapons if you have to shoot them at 75yards?
@@hughlamont3696 Why would I engage a target that far away with a pistol?
More and more police officers are switching to red dots. Just an observation
@ruck27 they'll still miss 95% of their shots.
@@TheTrueNorth11 coyote attacking chickens and no rifle handy. That's my most recent experience
I could never understand the popularity of red dots for pistols. Especially silly are seeing these on compact pistols. Why get a CCW gun only to bolt a TV screen on top of it?
I think two eyes open transposing a dot at the target is better target focus than lining up rear and front sights. In addition, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of stretching out the range of your ccw. Who was it eli dickens who neutralized a threat at 40 yards in the mall food court during a shooting?
when you get old and have troubles seeing the sights a red dot puts me on the range still
Real Men don’t need red dots. 😂😂🇺🇸
that’s like saying real men don’t need automatic just use a bolt action rifle. technology that aids performance is good
Irons only for pistols. I don't even like red dots on rifles maybe illuminated reticle scopes because the cross hairs still work if the electronics go out or battery dies.
There a lot of money, to each there own. Right know I will stick red dot on the target paper.
It is not possible in this Hickok45 UA-cam channel video to money donations with thanks so please put that option back!
I myself am somewhat on the red dot bandwagon. But I only have started to shoot pistols in the last 3 months or so and started out with a dot. The Glock bug has bit me and I just picked up a g17.5. I am going to leave it irons only for some time to try to get more proficient with the irons.
Hickok, have you thought about doing a video on the Glock performance trigger? Being it’s an oem part and at a decent price point it seems intriguing to me.
Have a great weekend!
As an old guy newbie shooter I sure do like optics. Without it there's a too much blurriness to be accurate (leaving aside recoil anticipation I haven't come close to overcoming).
But that's target shooting with all the time in the world to line up the shot, not self defense and not concealed carry.
For self defense I've thought it would be good to just have a high visibility line down the top, but I've never seen one like that.
I have pistols with optics but I still shoot my p210 the best no optic I also love my 10-6 just a groove for rear sight.
I am using red dots on my wheel guns now. my number is getting so high that my eyes aren’t keeping up. I would love to hear from you about glasses and open sights. In fact I just this week got me a prescription for some glasses but can’t decide what to buy! I’m 67 and still don’t need much prescription per the doctor but I do have problems with the three pieces of aiming a revolver with iron sights! thanks
Not hard to conceal a red dot on a full size gun. Sounds like a lot of people here dont have good holsters of belts to conceal correctly
I have only had red dots on .22s, and even then, they just didn't seem to hold up well. I find it hard to believe that a red dot on a 9mm slide would last more than a few hundred rounds. Maybe I just wasn't spending enough. Can someone tell me how much one that would actually last 1000 rounds would last, and what model?
"You don't need that red dot sight on your weapon. Here, let me take that from you." --Random Fudd
You may not ever shoot a live tree, but you show no mercy to live two-liters. Democrats would probably call you a two-liter hater.
Please do a review of the CZ 75 SP-01!
Where is the challenge ... line up in the cross hairs and pull ?
.
Y E S
.
Short answer: NO
Yes: They are a joke.
XS Big Dots
FIRST
presbyopia
When you can't see Presbyterians. 😇