Are you new to slide-mounted red dots? After shooting iron sights for longer than you can remember, there is an adjustment period. It can take some time to get used to the fact that your new sighting system is a lot bigger and more complicated than traditional iron sights.
Your first shots with a red dot mounted to your optics-ready pistol might feel downright weird. With iron sights, ultimately you should become aware of how your front sight tracks during recoil. Shooting with the optic, you may lose the red dot in the window during recoil. The window is so much larger and taller than your irons. This and the fact that your aiming focus, the dot, is now closer to your face compared to the front sight, may make you notice recoil more. For many shooters, a dozen or so rounds on target are all it takes to get used to it, others may need to give it a little time to fully adjust.
Many think they need to co-witness their red dot with their irons, meaning they use the red dot to act as a front sight and line it up with the rear sight notch. It's important to understand that this is not the most efficient way to use your optic. Instead of co-witnessing, zeroing your optic to the same point of aim and impact as your irons, means you’ll no longer need to line anything up. This is why red dots can be so much faster than iron sights. Assuming you're sighted in properly, learn to trust that, when applying proper shooting techniques, where the red dot is on the target is where you'll hit it.
The two greatest challenges in learning how to shoot red dots quickly and accurately are acquiring the dot and finding it after you lose it. It can be frustrating when you struggle to find the dot after drawing your pistol. You might find it a challenge recovering the dot during recoil, especially with one-handed shooting. To address these issues, start with dry fire training. Dry fire means going through the motions of shooting without ammunition. Practicing acquiring the dot in dry fire will help you be more proficient in live fire.
If you lose the dot, it can be tempting to move the pistol around in your hands as you try to find it. Such drastic movements often make finding the red dot even harder. Instead, simply look for the front sight through the window. If the red dot is functional, it should appear in the window quickly. No front sight? Look at the tip of your muzzle instead.
Finally, if the brightness on your red dot is adjustable, make sure you adjust it to suit your vision. Too bright a dot can look like a starburst and make it more difficult for precise shots. Too low and you may have a hard time seeing it at all. I like to adjust the red dot so that it appears like a red ball with defined edges.
Once you’ve learned how to set up your optic and take the time to train with it, you’ll appreciate it as a tool to not only help you shoot faster, but more accurately too.
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