Iron Sights vs. Red Dot – the debate rages on and has for decades. Shooters started experimenting with dots as far back as the 80’s, and they have only grown in prevalence since.
There are some often overlooked shortcomings red dots may bring to shooters, though. It’s a topic that deserves more than just one article. Maybe that’s why it’s one us shooters like to argue about. For today, we’ll stick to the basic pros and cons.
Pros and Cons of Red Dots
Pros
A good place to start is listing out some of my favorite “pros” or advantages of red dots. There are a lot of reasons to support using a red dot optic for handguns. There may be more, but these are some of my top picks.
- Gateway instruction
- Shooting at distance (25yd+)
- Training to target focus
- Tracking sights/shot calling
Gateway Instruction
Starting with gateway instruction, what do I mean by that? Gateway instruction is what I would consider first time shooters. At minimum, a newer shooter who hasn’t received professional instruction on how to handle or aim yet. Using a red dot makes this process much easier.
When you are brand new to shooting, there’s so much information coming at you. In order to help someone new, I suggest using an optic equipped handgun. This way the shooter can aim, without paying as much attention to alignment as they would with iron sights. When teaching someone brand new how to aim, it’s easier saying, “put the dot where you want a hole.”
Shooting at Distance
There are legitimate cases to be made about shooting at distance with red dots. These arguments are closely linked to what makes it easier to learn how to target focus.
With a red dot, you have a much larger window to look through with a precise aiming point. Used correctly or not, having a bright pin-point dot is much easier to aim at targets farther than 25 yards.
Target Focus
I mentioned the dot being, “used correctly.” To get the most out of the red dot, you need to lear how to target focus. This means looking past the window of the optic. Instead, fixate your vision on what you want to hit.
This can be challenging at first, but is easier with a red dot. The large window and a brightly colored dot are easy to for most eyes to catch.
Tracking Sights and Shot Calling
The last significant benefit I see with red dots is something called, “tracking sights” and “shot calling”
Tracking Sights
Sight tracking is when you are focused on your target, but are able to perceive your sights in recoil. Your periphery vision will be able to see the red dot moving to each time you fire a shot. It is tremendously valuable for skill building, and translates perfectly to real world deadly force encounters.
Tracking with iron sights is very achievable. But it requires a lot more effort and training to learn the habit. In my opinion that is…
Shot Calling
Learning the skill of shot calling is a bit different. Shot calling is tracking your sights while shooting, in combination with the felt impulses you put into the gun. Helping you to understand where your hits are landing, even if you cannot see them on target yet.
Shot calling helps you focus on your target, and pay more attention to where your sights are in your periphery. It also helps you remain conscious of how your grip is effecting your shooting.
Cons of the Red Dot
People don’t like to poo-poo red dots. I think this is because since we have seen how prevalent optics have become on rifles, we feel we need to make the same shift on handguns. While I agree that shift has come a long way, I think we have to be okay recognizing where the failure points are, so that we can fix them and get red dots where they need to be. Here are some of the cons to red dot technology.
- Mounting systems
- Upkeep/maintenance
- Finding the dot
- Conceal-ability
Mounting Systems
The mounting systems are the biggest and most critical flaw for red dots on handguns in my opinion. At least at present times. Currently, in order to mount a red dot to your pistol you have a few options: Mount into the dovetail of your rear iron sight, cut your slide for a specific optic or lastly, cut it for a general pattern and use an adapter plate as a transitional piece to mount your red dot to your gun.
Each of these solutions have some distinct advantages and disadvantages but thats for another article. What’s important to note for today is that either way you go, the mounting screws we have today are not great, unfortunately.
And with how much abuse these optics are subjected to under recoil, it is extremely important to mount them correctly, otherwise you will drastically increase the likelihood of losing it at the most inopportune time.
Upkeep and Maintenance
Learning to upkeep and maintain your optic really doesn’t have to be a con, but it is something to acknowledge it needs. First it requires a battery, and even the best red dots on the market won’t last forever, so you’re going to need to make sure to re-zero your optic each time you swap it out.
Next, with any lens you’ll need to regularly check to make sure you can see through your optic without any impairment. This usually will come by way of smudges or more commonly, lint from your shirt.
Sadly, there’s no real good ways I can think of to ensure that it is maintaining its zero other than just shooting…This is not convenient, but we do the same thing for rifles and no one complains about it. I would say it’s definitely important to confirm your zero is holding from time to time if it’s on the gun you expect to protect your life with.
Finding the Dot
Finding the dot is a quest in of itself. Iron sights are often still mounted on handguns with red dots. Some say its a “back-up”, but another large reason people have them is because it is incredibly difficult to find that red dot on presentation unless you train. Many people will often align their iron sights first, in order to find their dot as a work around.
Learning to find the dot and continue to track it while shooting is definitely something that takes time and training to overcome, but it is well worth it if you do. Cheating it by using your iron sights is not giving you the full advantages you bought the red dot for in the first place.
Conceal-ability
Being able to conceal is a principle mainly, but red dots can make the task more of a nuisance. With a block of metal on top of your slide, it creates more printing against your shirt. This will take extra care and work when learning how to conceal your firearm. Nothing you cannot overcome with some time and effort!
Pros of Iron Sights
Now let’s take a bit to talk about the pros of iron sights. A lot of people think irons are outdated and are inferior for many reasons, but I think you’ll see that in the context of an armed citizen, there are still a few reason you may choose to go with irons instead of a red dot.
- Gateway utilization
- Technology free
- Conceal-ability
- Easier to “find”
Gateway Utilization
I’ll bet I’m one of a few if not the only one that uses the term, “gateway utilization.” This is in essence, the ease with which an inexperienced person can quickly and effectively implement a system to their life.
Iron sights, though they require some education to learn how to use “properly,” can still be highly effective (at a surprising distance) by simply placing the front sight post on your target, with a rough alignment to your rear sights.
For an inexperienced shooter, or someone who doesn’t want to take the time to mount a red dot properly, iron sights can be a hassle free solution, that still provides the necessary reference of alignment to target for what statistically will only be at a very short distance.
Technology Free
There are plenty of people who might view the lack of technology as a con. However, for someone carrying a gun every day in a myriad of environments, having to keep up with batteries, cleaning a lens, or checking a zero from time to time is out of the question.
With iron sights, all you need to do is put a witness mark to confirm that they are in the proper place, each day. I also would recommend making sure no lint is stuck on your sights from your shirt.
Conceal-ability
As far as concealing a pistol goes, there is actually a good amount of effort that must be taken to effectively and truly conceal it from not only the trained eye, but even a casual onlooker. The human eye can quickly notice things that look uncanny, or “out of place.” Iron sights are slim and keep the overall profile of your gun down so you print less underneath your clothing.
Easier to “Find”
This last pro is a unique one. If you reference my section in the “Cons of the Red Dot”, I think you will see the contrast between the systems.
Iron sights are very intuitive to present towards a target. You can see the muzzle as you push the gun towards the target, and like I said earlier, even pointing the front sight onto your target like your finger will get you very effective hits on target to about 10 yards.
Cons of Iron Sights
Finding the cons of iron sights is really quite simple. If you have ever been taught how to use them, you’ll know intuitively what makes them a challenge.
- Steeper learning curve for target focus
- Smaller/limited sight window
- Challenging to track during shooting
Learning Curve for Target Focus
Iron sights can be used in a target focus manner, and this is how most competitive shooters would use them. But that doesn’t make it easy. With such a busy sight picture, and trying to keep your front sight aligned in your rear sight, target focus will take a lot of dedication and practice to achieve on demand.
Limited Sight Window
Just like the challenge of target focus, the limited sight window makes every small task that much bigger. This is most apparent when you are trying to hit something small at longer distances. With only a block front sight post, the ability to align it equally within the X & Y axis of the rear sight becomes much more difficult past 20 yards.
There are better iron sights than some, but even the best iron sights in the world don’t compare to the sight picture of a quality red dot.
Challenging to Track
Due to their rudimentary design, iron sights can be challenging to track while you shoot. The best thing to help with this is to have a brightly colored front sight. This is the closest you can get to a “red dot” without actually having one.
Some people prefer fiber optics, or night sights. There’s tons of options, so try a few out and see what your eyes pick up best.
Other Considerations
Here’s some extra considerations to think about when making the choice between red dots and iron sights:
Durability
Arguments on durability and price are definitely valid. What is available on the market today spans the spectrum of quality to temu grade. Quality and durability is somewhat subjective though, depending on the person and desired task at hand.
Both iron sights and red dots can most definitely fail. I have seen and experienced both myself.
Red dots can short out, glass can break, diodes come loose. Iron sights are no different. From shearing off completely, to walking or falling out of dovetails. They are not immune to breaking. Talk to any reputable instructor and they will tell you the same.
Both systems require you to use the correct mounting procedure and periodically check on them.
Cost Comparison
Similar to durability, the cost of both iron sights and red dots will vary greatly. Expensive or inexpensive is too subjective to lay all the options out there. What I recommend is to buy from a reputable brand, with a good track record. Regardless of if you choose irons, or a red dot.
Target Focused Shooting
Using multiple focal points for different distances is not optimal for performance shooting and can do some pretty funny things to your brain unless you practice it often. There’s a lot of data in the sports science realm to support this claim. From professional baseball, to fighter pilots or hockey. Our eyesight is a powerful tool and can be leveraged to help us or hinder us when it comes to performance shooting under stress.
I think it’s a good idea to have habits in place that will help you during the most difficult shooting problem you’re likely to encounter in your life. Learning to shoot target focused, with both systems is something I think that we all should be practicing and working towards.
Technology Advancements
Over the last 10 years there has been such a significant technology increase due to the exploration that the military and competitive shooters were doing over the last couple of decades and now, with law enforcement use being far more prevalent, we are seeing more and more people who are adopting carry optics as commonplace.
I definitely think we are well past the infancy of optic adoption on pistols, farther than it’s adolescence even, but there are still issues with carry optics that are pretty much resolved for rifles that we still haven’t figured out 100% for pistols. Mounting methods and battery life are at the top of the list, even though it’s the best today then ever before.
Disclaimers and Statements
- I’m not a carry optics instructor. I recommend checking out Erick Gelhaus, at Cougar Mountain Solutions for his professional courses.
- I shoot both sighting systems and enjoy them both and see advantages to each.
- What someone says on the internet should always be taken with careful consideration. Especially concerning your training and carry equipment.
Final Thoughts
While nothing is 100%, there are a plethora of options that have proven to be sufficiently reliable. Do your research! If you want, I’m happy to write some articles on some of those options.
Transitioning to a Red Dot
If you have decided to take the plunge and get a red dot, there’s a few things to keep in mind:
For a new shooter, the learning curve can be fairly quick, but if you are already an experienced iron sighted shooter, It’s possible you will encounter difficulties of focal selection when transitioning to a red dot. Don’t get discouraged, and don’t give up! Just remember to work in bite sized chunks.
I hope this has been helpful, and I’ll see you next time. Please check out our socials for more behind the scenes information.