Gun trends that make no sense to me

[Alan]

Everyone's putting red dots on everything now. Pistols, rifles, shotguns. I'm still using iron sights on most of my stuff and doing fine. Am I behind the times or is this red dot thing overhyped? Honest opinions wanted.

 

[BKLooney]

I've got a couple but rarely use them, although one does stay on a SA Saint pistol I keep in a closet for no other reason other than I bought it and might as well have it mounted on something. Some people swear by them on handguns, just looks like extra bulk and carry issues to me...but to each his own, I wouldn't try to sway someone towards or away from them.

 

[Clint Osborn]

I retired from the military in 2016. For the vast majority of my 31 years everything we had wore black iron sights (exceptions of DMR's & sniper rifles). We had adopted the ACOG & I personally love that thing - it's an absolute hammer. I'm sure the SOF guys had all sorts of cool stuff but I have no clue. As far as I was concerned, Red dots were "toys" for civilians.
After retirement I did a few firearm courses & saw Red dots sprinkled in. I still thought they were toys - but dang the guys that shot them were way FASTER than me. I'm not a shooting Ninja but I consider myself decent.
Fast forward a few years. I've bought a couple Red dots and beat the heck out of them to prove they were toys (macho idiocy still turned up to 11).
After action report - you get what you pay for (duh). Burris Fast Fire - put up a good fight but ultimately broke. Leupold Delta Point - GTG. Sig Romeo for AR - GTG. Sig Compact Romeo for pistol - GTG.
Verdict - I still have an ACOG on my DD AR as my go-to and I still rely on open sights for EDC. I don't think I'll ever shift to Red dots for those but I will admit the Red dots I have on a few of my other weapons have proven reliable, accurate & help me shoot faster. Before you spend your money on one I would recommend that you shoot a buddy's before you buy. Get some trigger time before jumping in. Looking forward to when my eyesight gets worse I do think I'll be using Red dots more - again they are dead nuts accurate.

 

[HighRanks]

I used iron sights for years and thought red dots were just a trend. But after trying one on a pistol, I could find targets faster at a distance. I still practice with iron sights, though.

 

[fullagofast]

Behind the times... but you do you.
Red dots give a simpler sight picture, faster first and follow up shots, and are more forgiving of poor form. As long as we have a functioning society with logistics, red dots are better.

A case could be made for iron sights in some apocalypse scenario, but a lot of red dots are getting 5 years of battery life. Most folks would have long turned into a loot drop before 5 years.

 

[Wadlow Palerider]

Finally got to where I could afford a Henry lever action, but my old eyes were having a hard time with the iron sights. I changed to a peep sight and this helped tremendously. but far from placing bullets in the center ring - shot after shot. Saw some folks were putting red dots on the lever actions. It looks funny but WOW ! It was a game changer for me. Ive since added a red dot to my 9mm and my 10 mm. I got similar results with the 9mm. Much easier for me to acquire a target and hit what I'm aiming at. I have not shot the 10mm since adding the red dot but that will happen soon, As BKLooney pointed out above - it does add bulk so I'm adjusting my carry cases and my holsters. I'm not adding the bulk to my EDC as I want it to remain a smaller print and I want to be able to retrieve the pistol quickly without the bulk hanging on my clothing or my belt or whatever.
IMHO - The red dot is a useful tool especially for someone with weak eyes. Do I recommend them? I think you try them first and form your own opinion. If your near Blount county and want to try one of mine, give me a shout and Ill meet ya at the range. I'm retired and I enjoy meeting folks, exchanging ideas and slinging some lead.