this has been debunked over and over and over, "defense distance" people still aim, having a red dot makes aiming at those close distances FASTER. stop being an old geezer, tons of real life examples out there especially of police using their firearms, they have dots, you still aim..."defense distance" doesnt mean you dont fking aim, thats the dumbest shit ive heard because if thats how you are TRAINING then you are WRONG. also cost is NOT a factor, you can easily get extremely solid affordable dots for around 150-200 bucks for your carry gun, stop acting like dots cost just as much if not more than your pistol. i started out thinking red dots were a gimmick but as soon as i shot one and then trained on it it is 100% faster than irons. stop perpetuating this myth that just because a self defense situation happens at a close range it just means you dont fucking aim your weapon, that shit is stupid and not true. @@thedirtygot9570
Listen here, highspeed. I didn't survive 12 tours at the Golden Corral Endless Buffet for you to flag me with your barrel through the screen like that.
One of the best things I heard in an older video of yours about “finding the red dot” was comparing it to a mouse on a computer. You don’t look for the cursor on the screen then move it, you look on the screen where you want to click and move the cursor to that point.
Or when you throw a baseball, football, softball -- do you watch your throwing hand the entire time? Do you watch it at all? Then why do differently with pistol and RDS?
As someone that has shot irons forever, I recently decided to go with an optic. And yes, some of that reason is because of my aging eyes. But mostly I just wanted to see what it was about. I always said that I target focused with my irons. And I did, but I would also shift my focus during a string of fire occasionally to the sights for realignment. After many many hours of practice and hundreds of draws I decided to take my new optic on my pistol to class. I had no problem “finding my dot” at all upon presentation, but if I lost it during a string of fire I would shift my focus to the optic to “find the dot”. My instructor who is a really cool older retired Marine was watching me knowing it was my first class with the optic. As soon as I “looked for the dot”, he would run right up beside me and in his best Gunny Sergeant Hartman impression screamed right at the side of my face. “I can see your damn eyes shifting focus! Look at the damn target!? Why are you looking at your damn gun!? You’re holding your gun! You know where the hell it is, so stop looking at it! Look at the threat that’s trying to kill you! You’re not holding the enemy. He might move on you and you need to know where he is! So look at the damn target and not your damn gun!!” I yelled “Sir! Yes sir!” Then we had a good laugh. The thing is, you think you’re target focused. But you’d be surprised at how much you’re really not. Especially with a dot.
@@jason200912 Absolutely. Great point. I could instantly tell as soon as I pulled the trigger if I moved the muzzle. It made it a lot easier to “call my shots” after the shot and know where it went before even seeing point of impact. Which is awesome for fixing any problems with your fundamentals. I could kind of do that with irons, but nowhere near as good or accurately with the dot.
Aww good trainer! I don’t shoot firearms much as I only go when my friends invite me shooting, but I have enjoyed using irons and it gave me perspective on the terrible struggle I had with my red dot when I used to play airsoft. It was a confusing experience because I had been a fine shot at paintball, which has no sights at all, but then with a decent airsoft gun with red dot it was a nightmare. Yes, I had red dot focus. I now shoot bows instinctively and I prefer to learn muscle memory and practice consistency to hit my target. I think it translates to firearms because when my buddy had me shoot his 22lr revolver, once I had a feel for it I couldn’t miss the bullseye. Red dots seem fun but even at close range I think someone with great experience with iron sights will do better than someone who is misusing their red dot. Thanks for reading my rambling lol.
Great answer! I only do airsoft. In my experience, red dot is fine for assault-rifles at slightly larger ranges than what we do with pistols. I do not use any red dot on my airsoft pistols. Iron sights is just fine. In fact, it is all about muscle memory, after lots of training. The iron sights are there as a reference point, but not to actually peek through them that much. It takes too much time anyway. I only have scopes on my airsoft DMRs (SR25 and Steyr AUG 0.50) as it makes sense there. My airsoft assaults have their iron sights and occasionally, an ACOG, if I feel like it. The red dots that I own, remain mostly in the closet if I go to a skirm.
This is probably the single best lesson I learned from taking your class that really opened my eyes. My target transitions got so much faster that day by leading with my eyes to the next target and allowing the dot to follow. My biggest struggle today is not letting the dot over run where it's supposed to go on the target I'm transitioning to.
Consistency is hard. And I personally find it hard to treat every training and range session as 100% dialed in pew pew time. Sometimes I just want to pew for fun, give 75% of my output. A good goal is to make your 75% results your former 100% results.
I felt like I was nodding in agreement the whole video. Thank you for normalizing the struggle. I thought it was just me struggling not being 100% all the time. It’s good to know target focused is something that still has to be worked on/developed by high level shooters. It’s not a “place you arrive at”, it’s continuous development, or the progressive realization of the overall goal. Thanks Ben
Ben's comment on the referenced IG video/class, "occluding the dot doesn't force shit" hits like a hammer. Covering it can absolutely help, but eyes are still prone to 'focusing' at arms reach on the shiny thing. Definitely an ongoing awareness and accountability challenge, like all sorts of training disciplines.
Dude thank you so much for this. It’s like driving a car/riding a bike. Look in the direction you want to go and turn to that direction instead of looking at ground and following the lines on the road. Use the dot in your peripheral vision so to speak but focus on the target.
I'm 66yo and got my first red dot. Ive been told this by several trainers and have been working hard with my dry fire at home to look thru the dot and find the target. My attitude is "you never stop training" and "you never are to proud to take good advice". I'm inching forward and making progress. Thank you to Ben, Chad Farner from North Shore Sports IL., and my buddy Mark , "fellow retired CPD and trainer" for all the good advice. My red dot work is starting to come together.
This is awesome. Just got my first red dot for my 43x and never shot one before. Hopefully this helps me not pick up any bad habits with being dot focused. Thanks for the info
My slides are cut specifically for the RMR, which sits lower than if you’re using Glock MOS for example. My buddy was having trouble finding his dot with an RM01 on a G45 MOS, then shot my G19G5 Roland Special with an RM06 no problem. He ended up selling his G45. The fractions do make a difference if you’re having trouble. I have my red dot lollipopped on my Ameriglo GL429 suppressor height sights and never have a problem pressing out and the dot is right there where I want it. Happy shooting!
Ben, you hit the red dot on the Bullseye. I have been shooting a dot for about 18 months. I first was moving with the pistol and dot in focus. Then after some practice I started using the eyes to transition. Thanks for the great video.
@StarWarsSurvivalist the key word is superimpose, you want to superimpose the red dot on the target by focusing on the target only. Shooting with both eyes open helps this.
same here, that's how I learned how to shoot. I was completely lost for most of this video like "why don't you want to find the dot?" and then I was like oooo okay different kind of "finding" it
So funny, I was going to say shooting clays is the best way to become instinctive. That ends up translating to any kind of gun. I usually teach new clay shooters with a wood broom stick first to help them understand this concept.
Found your channel my accident a couple days back and have learned more in those couple days than I have in several years of trial and error and classes. Thank you for the great information and concise explanations!
The struggle for me is focusing on small spots on the target when transitioning between multiple targets quickly. I think its going to be my biggest focus for a little until it feels comfortable.
About a year ago I bought my 1st RED DOT. A Leopold Delta Pro II with a 2.5 m.o.a. I have it on a Taurus GS3 Tactical with a 9 pot muzzle comp and suppressor height sights. The red dot and sights coexist. It took a long time for me to find the dot right away and then once I could then to find and hit a target at all let alone consistently. I have over 1500 rounds through it now and I am doing great with it and LOVE it. You are exactly right about finding the target and looking passed the dot focus while maintaining the dot sight. It took me a long time and I still don't know if I've done it right but, it's effective for me. I see my target, grip and present. At that point I can see the dot, the front sight and, the target all at once. At 21 and 30 feet I can dump 10 rounds now in under 4 seconds ( I know, not the quickest) with a 2 inch grouping on target. I think the coexistence of the dot and iron sights helped me a lot to not only be accurate but also to not only focus on the dot itself and look through the glass not at it!
Some of us younger guys who started on dots are closer to being true target focused. I can definitely see why a lot of guys who started on irons are always struggling not to focus on the dot. Especially since many were taught TO focus on the front sight.
Im really new to Modern Sights so this is really helpful. I have only used Irons and a Fixed Scope before so I’m trying to learn as much as I can about modern sights for my AR
99% of self defense shootings are barely going to have enough chance to aim with any sights, no matter what you have on the weapon.. these are point and shoot situations with extremely close proximity targets. Most self defense shootings are not even gun fights. If you're a cop or something, it makes sense for a duty weapon, but the average person doesn't need a red dot on a carry gun.
So true. Iron sights all of the way for edc. Red dots are great for controlled range like environments. I never understood the logic of a red dot on an edc. If you had the time and were shooting at that distance it doesn't seem like it would be a justifiable self defensive distance. I suppose the one situation that comes to mind is a mass sh**ter at a distance that would be all. And if you were really great with irons you could probably be pretty helpfully effective.
@@ericlopez2971Dickens did it at 40y in the mall, and it's because red dots are superior in every single way and more than durable enough these days. If your not into it, cool but if your bashing them, your wrong
@@ericlopez2971 I get all that but per your original comment; why have sights at all? If 99% of self defense scenarios are point shooting, citizens don't need sights period 🤨 Everything you stated falls in line with the clowns that don't think you need a light on your EDC either
Well done. Thank you. I just bought one (tomorrow, retirement check comes tomorrow) and all the videos I watched did not explain MY part in the Red Dot shooting. They did help me choose one though. I would have followed the sight just like you said, and probably would have trained like that also. You helped a lot.
Whenever I start missing shots, especially during a competition, I still have to consciously tell myself to slow down and do fundamentals right. 10 poppers in a row and then miss the biggest one 4 times...*slow down dude, get your fundamentals right*
I feel that. Being able to maintain the mental focus and physical fundamentals consistently throughout a shot string or stage is what separates the top performers. They stay in a flow state.
If you want to be good. If you want to be very very good... fix what you are telling yourself. Never EVER tell yourself to slow down. You don't win a match slowing down. Tell yourself that it's like you to break the shot as soon as it's time, at the right time, every time. Tell yourself to take the first correct shot. Visualize yourself doing that before a stage. Do not let your mind wander into visualizing all the mistakes you are worried about. You know what you are doing when you do that? You are practicing doing it WRONG in your mind. So NEVER tell yourself to "SLOW DOWN AND..." What you speak to yourself in your internal voice is absurdly powerful just like your outside voice.
@@advil000 Have you read "With Winning in Mind"? In training, I do something different by simulating bullet time with time compression and environmental stress while going TGT-to-TGT and flowing through fundamentals. That way when I throttle up, I've already done it before mentally. Chasing performance with a musical instrument like guitar, drums, or piano gives an unfair advantage as well. Keeps that relationship between coordinated, actively-firing synapses and attenuated twitchy muscle fibers alive and thriving.
One of the main purposes of a RDS is to acquire a quick sight acquisition, while keeping both eyes open, allowing for greater peripheral vision. It goes without saying that greater vision creates for a safer shooting environment. RDS have also been proven to assist in aiding those who have astigmatism. Focus on the target, not the dot. As far as being able to find the red dot in a timely manner, you must train, train, and train some more, until it becomes muscle memory.
I'm considering a red dot, but I need to know if I understand the concept correctly. Is it correct that the goal is to focus on the target but for the brain to merge the red dot from the one eye looking through the optic onto the target, so it is almost as if you are looking at the target with a laser on the point where the shot will go?
Yes. Same as red dot use on a rifle. I shouldn't be surprised, but it seems like most people either haven't learned how to properly use a red dot on a rifle, or have never used one.
Great video! I was shooting really well the other day and it was all because I was focusing on the target instead of the dot. Other days I focus on the dot and I shoot like crap. I need to work on doing the former and stop doing the latter. Your videos are helping!
I watched till the end. Did I miss the part where he explains how to use it correctly? Asking honestly. I understand sometimes it’s easy to go off explaining how it’s done wrong, and how so many people get it wrong, that you forget what you came here to say.
Hi Ben, You are absolutely correct, actually being target focused is difficult and i will often score poorly when I shoot with an awareness to target focused shooting, and that doesn't provide the "fast food, instant gratification" that i want, so then i go back to dot focus, but then i'm slow. oh the struggle.....
I have used iron sights for over 45 years. I love them. I'm getting to where seeing them is a challenge. I have a Trijicon RMR on 1 pistol. I work with it often. You nailed it; NOT focusing on the dot is hard. I have a helluva time with it. I have to consciously and methodically remind myself. Additionally, despite nearly 5 decades of shooting, trigger control must always be on my mind. About the time I believe "It's just automatic anymore" the errant shots will begin! My dad was one of those 1 in 1 Million guys who could have castrated a gnat with a pistol combined with basic pointer finger alignment. It just "happened" with him. I'm not that guy. I have to practice. Great video!
I've been using one since around 2018. Started with a romeo pro/320 combo. Went back to a glock 19 rmr combo and a g34 w' holosun. I really wanna get my favorite carry gun (CZ-p01) milled for a rmr soon. Thank's for all the info......I'll admit openly it was a big transition from irons to a dot but I can go back and forth fairly well these days. Still learning and trying to target focus always and not slip....when you dot focus you miss at distance at least I do....when moving really bad. Good stuff.....thank you Sir.
I like your style of coaching, you got a good positive vibe. I train shotgun shooters, skeet mainly. The hardest thing for most of my students is to disconnect their eyes from the barrel and focus on the target. Your computer mouse analogy is fantastic, Im gonna use it. I like to find my “gamers” in class to help with the same mindset of disconnecting their eyes from barrel to target , just like red dot to target. Keep doing you man!
great thank you, new to handgun skill practice and my understanding from this video is: 1) target first 2) reddot on target VS. looking to line up reddot on target first
About 1998, I switched to OPEN for a season and struggled with the dot.....A friend mentioned putting a paster on the front of my C-More. It worked! Our local SWAT guys at the County now train all day long AND qualify with a the dot covered......Good stuff!
When you described looking at the target in the transition and allowing the pistol to come to where you were looking rather than tracking the dot all the way to the next target it seems like a similar if not the same concept as shooting moving targets with a shotgun. With shotgunning some guys stare at the bead or even close one eye and try to aim like the bead is an iron site, the result of which is consistently missing behind the target. Instead of aiming you keep both eyes open and look at what you want to hit. When you do that your brain makes the calculations almost subconsciously and things start happening how they should, especially with a gun that fits well. With a pistol your trigger control and index/mechanics would replace gun fit in the scenario but basically you are transitioning with your eyes/head and inserting the pistol into the line of sight after the fact exactly like you would when tracking a moving target with a shotgun.
I was taught my entire life to find the front sight post, and that's still what I do, and that's always what I will do. I don't have the time to, and frankly simply don't want to put in the effort to change up what I've been doing for 30 years. So yeah, irons for me forever.
A dot takes more steps A dot is more demanding of perfection. More steps is slower Mire demanding is slower. When people get faster with a dot after practice, they're still slower. They just feel faster
Been shooting for over a year now, started off the rip with a RDS. Did what you talked about, focusing on the dot on accident. Thru more dry fire I figured it out. I was laser focused on a small object and just presented… didn’t really notice the optic bezels… or the pew…. Or even my hands and the concept “clicked”. I still catch myself wanting to focus on the dot sometimes, however shooting occluded and doing small transitions while conscience about “eyes first THEN head and hands” helps.
Ben speaks the Truth. -> This weekend I had "moments" of target focus. Running into position, get a spot, gun catches up, shoot first target THEN move the dot I've "found" onto the next target in that array. So I'm maybe 50/50... working to get better. 🙂.
I try my best to target focus but like you said it’s tough sometimes, something I do for dry fire is have a target with writing it on it and making sure the letters on the target are in focus and try my best to practice looking past the optic
My transition to red dot's was easy for me, but I have great fundamentals. When I train with a timer I honestly don't remember even seeing the sights, but I still get the hits I want.
Front sight focus has been my go to for nearly 5 decades. Learning the dot is something new, but I wish these folks who tell me I am doing it wrong would offer a solution. It’s easy to criticize, much harder to provide answers.
All good advice. I'm transitioning to red dots on my pistols at the moment as my eyes age and using varifocal specs means I struggle to see irons effectively, or have to have my head in a weird position to do so. The advantages of red dots are manifold, the ability to be target focused while shooting with both eyes open but still have a good clear aiming reference being the primary. But yes, Ben is right, getting that initial presentation correct while maintaining that focus and transitioning from one target to the next to re-present the pistol is HARD and requires lots of practice.
I think I know why I like dots. I spent decades doing instinctive archery, which is all about muscle memory, and target focus, and trusting your subconscious to do "the math" for aiming. With a dot it feels very similar, just with the dot providing verification on the muscle memory.
Wow, Thanks for this video, really help me understand what i was doing, I'm ex military from a while ago and we didn't have optics! iron sites and you better be good out to 300. The eyes aren't what they used to be and i started shooting pistols a little more. Decided to get a nice Holosun, and I've been struggling! This makes a lot of sense. I'm gonna head down to the range asap and work on this, Don't know why I didn't figure it out before.
I watched this thinking this is me. I have been training to not be dot focused (dot covered), and be target focused. I agree, it is such a struggle to be target focused. I will get there. One day at a time. These type videos are a big help.
I always thought it was normal to look at the target and not the dot. Your peripheral vision overlays the dot onto whatever you're aiming at. You don't really want to look at or even actively through the glass. It makes shooting with both eyes open a whole lot easier in my experience.
Something should be said about back up iron sights while learning how to use a red dot: while they can be useful for experienced shooters to align their sights, I’ve noticed that new shooters benefit from having just the dot and nothing else. Like you said, people focus on the dot and the iron sights can definitely be a training crutch. I have half a dozen pistols with red dots, most with back up iron sights for serious work, but I kept a couple of them “red dot only” for training purposes: 1- a Walther PPQ Q5 Match with a 507 Comp (the rear sight comes off completely to install the optic plate). Since it’s a competition gun, I don’t need a back up iron sight in a life or death situation. 2- a IWI Masada with a 507 ACSS Vulcan, a reticle perfect for beginners. Since the factory iron sights are too low to co-witness, I can’t “cheat” using them, forcing me to target focus first and presenting the dot second.
Been working on this very thing lately. It's tough after shooting with Irons for so long. For me covering up the optic so I can't see through it has helped the most.
I spent 10 years doing this wrong, and I did it for a few years of nearly daily dry fire. When you popularized this technique a few years back, the first time I taped the dot I wanted to throw my guns in a swamp. Now after some years of occlusion, I still want to throw guns in swamp when I stare at a taped dot, doing this right is simple but not easy.
Thanks for explaining. Myself running a delta point pro I’ve learned to just keep the big window in front of the target without having to find the dot cause once it’s in the window I know I can get the hit
You just broke me. I drew my carry on my self in the mirror and then after adjusted on to another object in the mirror and I was chasing the dot on re-aquisition
I don't really like projection based sights when you're using something as small as a pistol, it almost feels detrimental. I prefer something with good stock irons, but I will use an optic on something bigger. Doesn't matter to me though I've always loved shotguns for bird and clay shooting so I'm just used to the beads and irons.
I have a 2.5MOA dot on my SRO and really i use my iron sights as a reference to instantly find my dot if i ever lose it. but 9/10 times ill never lose my dot even from draw and transitions. For newer red dot guys tho iron sights and where your thumbs are pointing will be your best friend
I actually learned this at a young age using scoped rifles. If you look through the scope and then try to find the target it is very difficult in the woods. If you pinpoint your target and bring the scope to your eye without breaking concentration the target will be where you are lazer focused with your sight.
Red dots on rifles shine because you have 3 points of contact and it’s very easy to get a repeatable precise sight picture. It would be very hard to not have you’re eye right behind the dot when using a rifle but on a pistol it’s kind of hard without a stock. It is doable with practice but I like the simplicity and repeatability of shooting irons target focused, with a big orange front sight it’s almost like having a dot that I can always see even without having proper eye-to-sight alignment. I do love red dots and I can’t wait for them to make them work better for pistols one day
Not to mention no more short sight radius issues on sub compacts. Irons are okay but dots are great. You have to train with them a lot, though. Dots are not a shortcut past training at all.
My dot is a tool to correct and train my perception of natural aim. My dot taught me how loose and inaccurate I was pointing and aiming using irons. Now I pick up a pistol with dot or iron sights and I’m dead on pointing where my eye wants to be without losing focus of my target. I don’t really need to look at iron sights except for reference because my dot trained me to grip better and consistently. Consistency is key. My dot is on a Glock but training with it and only looking at the target has made me better with my 1911. In my opinion, people who dislike dots are trying to sight through the tiny glass window and see the bullseye or target through glas and through a red light. You can use a red dot with the window blacked out with tape if you are using both eyes and focusing on the target. I also learned that depending on the type of grip I use, I am subconsciously bringing my pistol to aim on either my right eye or left. And that’s where I was originally loosing the dot until I trained differently and learned how to correctly use the dot as a tool to make my hands and eyes work more consistently every time
What I found helped me tons to acquire the dot quickly, was to stop thinking "look for the dot" and start thinking "put the dot in your field of vision" instead. So now my eyes are on the target, and my hands will stick the gun in front of my face, the dot will be there (most of the times anyway lol). I found out it works a lot better for me when I am working on it, but if I loose focus, bad habits creep in super quick.
I always said “I don’t need that shit” until I got into competitive shooting. After running some dots I saw the benefits. I now have a dot on everything I own. I’ve tested multiple budget friendly dots that were just as good as Holosun imo. Took me a long time to truly understand target focus. Occlusion definitely helped out. Some people just don’t want to learn a new way of shooting. If they truly understood the dot I don’t think anyone would still be running irons. And yeah in a defensive situation you might not get confirmation 2 before firing but you’d have the same thing with irons.
I see absolutely 0 advantage to a red dot for a defensive handgun when at most you're shooting like 25 yards. Vast majority of the time it's not even 7 yards.
@@jellyfrosh9102well if your close enough to shoot without aiming it doesn’t matter, but if you want to aim it’s better to not have to align front and rear sight posts
Coming from shooting stock flat sights on pistols for over 30 years,was a tough transition to a red dot optic. Goes completely opposite of how i was trained to shoot. Took a few times at the range but im more comfortable now. Hopefully i will get just as proficient as i shoot with flat sights
We understand them, we just don’t think it’s 400$ worth! Optics are for rifles
This is really interesting to me. You really think it’s cost that people don’t have optics on pistols? That maybe right I guess I’m really not sure.
Pin of shame.
Who is We?
@@BenStoeger187 cost is a huge factor for me! At self defense distances a dot is useless!
this has been debunked over and over and over, "defense distance" people still aim, having a red dot makes aiming at those close distances FASTER. stop being an old geezer, tons of real life examples out there especially of police using their firearms, they have dots, you still aim..."defense distance" doesnt mean you dont fking aim, thats the dumbest shit ive heard because if thats how you are TRAINING then you are WRONG. also cost is NOT a factor, you can easily get extremely solid affordable dots for around 150-200 bucks for your carry gun, stop acting like dots cost just as much if not more than your pistol. i started out thinking red dots were a gimmick but as soon as i shot one and then trained on it it is 100% faster than irons. stop perpetuating this myth that just because a self defense situation happens at a close range it just means you dont fucking aim your weapon, that shit is stupid and not true.
@@thedirtygot9570
Listen here, highspeed. I didn't survive 12 tours at the Golden Corral Endless Buffet for you to flag me with your barrel through the screen like that.
Golden Corral huh... Little Rock? iykyk
@@NethezbetWe lost a lot of good men that day.
@@masterofreality230 Their sacrifice won't be forgotten.
Thank you for your service
Dude I came to the comments to say the same thing hahaha
One of the best things I heard in an older video of yours about “finding the red dot” was comparing it to a mouse on a computer. You don’t look for the cursor on the screen then move it, you look on the screen where you want to click and move the cursor to that point.
Or when you throw a baseball, football, softball -- do you watch your throwing hand the entire time? Do you watch it at all?
Then why do differently with pistol and RDS?
That video came to mind for me too. Thought it was a great explanation.
amazing tip, i was having trouble on finding the dot on draw but now i can find it almost instantly
This is fucking legend advice!
This is some solid advice!
As someone that has shot irons forever, I recently decided to go with an optic. And yes, some of that reason is because of my aging eyes. But mostly I just wanted to see what it was about. I always said that I target focused with my irons. And I did, but I would also shift my focus during a string of fire occasionally to the sights for realignment. After many many hours of practice and hundreds of draws I decided to take my new optic on my pistol to class. I had no problem “finding my dot” at all upon presentation, but if I lost it during a string of fire I would shift my focus to the optic to “find the dot”. My instructor who is a really cool older retired Marine was watching me knowing it was my first class with the optic. As soon as I “looked for the dot”, he would run right up beside me and in his best Gunny Sergeant Hartman impression screamed right at the side of my face. “I can see your damn eyes shifting focus! Look at the damn target!? Why are you looking at your damn gun!? You’re holding your gun! You know where the hell it is, so stop looking at it! Look at the threat that’s trying to kill you! You’re not holding the enemy. He might move on you and you need to know where he is! So look at the damn target and not your damn gun!!” I yelled “Sir! Yes sir!” Then we had a good laugh. The thing is, you think you’re target focused. But you’d be surprised at how much you’re really not. Especially with a dot.
Red dots also show proof that you pulled the shot too since the dot will Twitch over and show you your point of impact as a result of bad trigger pull
@@jason200912 Absolutely. Great point. I could instantly tell as soon as I pulled the trigger if I moved the muzzle. It made it a lot easier to “call my shots” after the shot and know where it went before even seeing point of impact. Which is awesome for fixing any problems with your fundamentals. I could kind of do that with irons, but nowhere near as good or accurately with the dot.
Aww good trainer! I don’t shoot firearms much as I only go when my friends invite me shooting, but I have enjoyed using irons and it gave me perspective on the terrible struggle I had with my red dot when I used to play airsoft. It was a confusing experience because I had been a fine shot at paintball, which has no sights at all, but then with a decent airsoft gun with red dot it was a nightmare. Yes, I had red dot focus. I now shoot bows instinctively and I prefer to learn muscle memory and practice consistency to hit my target. I think it translates to firearms because when my buddy had me shoot his 22lr revolver, once I had a feel for it I couldn’t miss the bullseye. Red dots seem fun but even at close range I think someone with great experience with iron sights will do better than someone who is misusing their red dot. Thanks for reading my rambling lol.
That’s some good fun training my man!
Great answer! I only do airsoft. In my experience, red dot is fine for assault-rifles at slightly larger ranges than what we do with pistols. I do not use any red dot on my airsoft pistols. Iron sights is just fine. In fact, it is all about muscle memory, after lots of training. The iron sights are there as a reference point, but not to actually peek through them that much. It takes too much time anyway. I only have scopes on my airsoft DMRs (SR25 and Steyr AUG 0.50) as it makes sense there. My airsoft assaults have their iron sights and occasionally, an ACOG, if I feel like it. The red dots that I own, remain mostly in the closet if I go to a skirm.
We took a shot every time you said "The Vast Majority of People" and now the vast majority of us are drunk AF... LOL!
Given the context, I thought at first you were referring to the range, not alcohol.
When he said Vast, vast, vast majority did you have to triple chug?
Well, he has to keep saying that because keyboard jockeys will flood the comments with tears and flex 😁
This is probably the single best lesson I learned from taking your class that really opened my eyes. My target transitions got so much faster that day by leading with my eyes to the next target and allowing the dot to follow. My biggest struggle today is not letting the dot over run where it's supposed to go on the target I'm transitioning to.
Agreed - I see it all the time on other folks and sometimes see myself doing it when editing my reviews.
Some days I'm absolutely locked in and other days I wonder how I suck so bad while practicing so much.
Consistency is hard. And I personally find it hard to treat every training and range session as 100% dialed in pew pew time. Sometimes I just want to pew for fun, give 75% of my output. A good goal is to make your 75% results your former 100% results.
Take some classes
Me.
My problem is I train with too many platforms lol.
@Catgat37 why?
I felt like I was nodding in agreement the whole video.
Thank you for normalizing the struggle. I thought it was just me struggling not being 100% all the time. It’s good to know target focused is something that still has to be worked on/developed by high level shooters. It’s not a “place you arrive at”, it’s continuous development, or the progressive realization of the overall goal.
Thanks Ben
Good golfers know the swing, grip, stance always are works in progress, good shooters know the same on fundamentals.
Target focus is easy for me, it's focusing on one tiny spot on the target that's illusive.
Ben, you’re on a roll with these last several vids. Thank you, Sir! 🫡
Yeah, he should roll his ass to skeezerville!
Ben's comment on the referenced IG video/class, "occluding the dot doesn't force shit" hits like a hammer. Covering it can absolutely help, but eyes are still prone to 'focusing' at arms reach on the shiny thing. Definitely an ongoing awareness and accountability challenge, like all sorts of training disciplines.
Basically it has to "be in the way" between eye and target, without focusing on the dot itself, where it is, etc.
Dude thank you so much for this. It’s like driving a car/riding a bike. Look in the direction you want to go and turn to that direction instead of looking at ground and following the lines on the road. Use the dot in your peripheral vision so to speak but focus on the target.
I'm 66yo and got my first red dot. Ive been told this by several trainers and have been working hard with my dry fire at home to look thru the dot and find the target. My attitude is "you never stop training" and "you never are to proud to take good advice". I'm inching forward and making progress. Thank you to Ben, Chad Farner from North Shore Sports IL., and my buddy Mark , "fellow retired CPD and trainer" for all the good advice. My red dot work is starting to come together.
Look at target, draw, let dot appear on target
This is awesome. Just got my first red dot for my 43x and never shot one before. Hopefully this helps me not pick up any bad habits with being dot focused. Thanks for the info
Thanks for these tips. I just got my first dot yesterday (2/25/24). I got a class next Saturday to start understanding how to use a dot. 👍
My slides are cut specifically for the RMR, which sits lower than if you’re using Glock MOS for example. My buddy was having trouble finding his dot with an RM01 on a G45 MOS, then shot my G19G5 Roland Special with an RM06 no problem. He ended up selling his G45. The fractions do make a difference if you’re having trouble. I have my red dot lollipopped on my Ameriglo GL429 suppressor height sights and never have a problem pressing out and the dot is right there where I want it. Happy shooting!
Well I'll be!
I have been working on mastering the red dot with both eyes closed.
Now thats the real handgun mastery 🤣
🤣
“But with the blast shield down, I can’t even see!”
I cant see what you did there....
Ben’s last words “if you want to get good”, this is just as important if you want to stay good.
Ben, you hit the red dot on the Bullseye. I have been shooting a dot for about 18 months. I first was moving with the pistol and dot in focus. Then after some practice I started using the eyes to transition. Thanks for the great video.
Wow. This makes so much sense and thanks for putting in this way and so it will always be an ongoing process...
To make a long story short, focus on the target and not the dot...you're welcome
I hear you, but then what is the point of having a RDS on your pistol to begin with? That is what is confusing me?
@StarWarsSurvivalist the key word is superimpose, you want to superimpose the red dot on the target by focusing on the target only. Shooting with both eyes open helps this.
The hero we needed
Man should be giving a masterclass on rambling..
Nice 😂!
As a long time sporting clay shooter, I think that trains you to look at the target instead of the gun.
Agree 100%, moving targets require complete invisible gun technique
same here, that's how I learned how to shoot. I was completely lost for most of this video like "why don't you want to find the dot?" and then I was like oooo okay different kind of "finding" it
So funny, I was going to say shooting clays is the best way to become instinctive.
That ends up translating to any kind of gun. I usually teach new clay shooters with a wood broom stick first to help them understand this concept.
@@callin4_reign878 nice! if you really wanna teach someone to pick up a target, 5 stand will humble you quickly
TH-cam made me watch a foot deodorant commercial before it would let me watch this video. I’m glad the content of the video was worth it. 😂😂😂
Opera browser.
Turn on the Ad block.
Works like a charm.
Hope your toes are still there
Point Shooting skill cannot be overestimated. It helps with any kind of sight or shooting.
It can be a tough transition after using iron sights for so many years and being taught to focus on the front sight.
This is another reason why I advise people to NEVER "first learn irons, then move to a dot".
Excellent. After years of shooting irons, the dots certainly have a learning curve. Thanks.
Found your channel my accident a couple days back and have learned more in those couple days than I have in several years of trial and error and classes. Thank you for the great information and concise explanations!
Very similar to shooting a basketball, throwing a baseball or football. Acquire your target and your body will get whatever it is to it.
Needed to hear this today. And actually answered some questions I've been asking myself
The struggle for me is focusing on small spots on the target when transitioning between multiple targets quickly. I think its going to be my biggest focus for a little until it feels comfortable.
Same. Same. Especially on steel.
Ben is 100% correct. I'm a new shooter and caught myself doing this red dot focused. The game changer for me was taping up the front of the optic.
I’ve noticed after a good stage, that I didn’t even notice the dot. And the complete opposite after a bad run.
Then why have the dot? Perhaps the savings will afford you another pistol
Watched this video while my first red dot is on the way, thanks for the tip man I'm glad I can work to squash a bad habit before it forms
Never verifying clear. And then pointing it right at me with your finger on the trigger! Whoa buddy! Lol not in my house.
It’s ok to kill a camera.
About a year ago I bought my 1st RED DOT. A Leopold Delta Pro II with a 2.5 m.o.a. I have it on a Taurus GS3 Tactical with a 9 pot muzzle comp and suppressor height sights. The red dot and sights coexist.
It took a long time for me to find the dot right away and then once I could then to find and hit a target at all let alone consistently.
I have over 1500 rounds through it now and I am doing great with it and LOVE it.
You are exactly right about finding the target and looking passed the dot focus while maintaining the dot sight. It took me a long time and I still don't know if I've done it right but, it's effective for me. I see my target, grip and present. At that point I can see the dot, the front sight and, the target all at once.
At 21 and 30 feet I can dump 10 rounds now in under 4 seconds ( I know, not the quickest) with a 2 inch grouping on target.
I think the coexistence of the dot and iron sights helped me a lot to not only be accurate but also to not only focus on the dot itself and look through the glass not at it!
Some of us younger guys who started on dots are closer to being true target focused. I can definitely see why a lot of guys who started on irons are always struggling not to focus on the dot. Especially since many were taught TO focus on the front sight.
Im really new to Modern Sights so this is really helpful.
I have only used Irons and a Fixed Scope before so I’m trying to learn as much as I can about modern sights for my AR
Excellent video. Truth.
Scott from The Modern Samurai Project has some of the best advice I’ve seen on red dot pistol shooting.
99% of self defense shootings are barely going to have enough chance to aim with any sights, no matter what you have on the weapon.. these are point and shoot situations with extremely close proximity targets. Most self defense shootings are not even gun fights. If you're a cop or something, it makes sense for a duty weapon, but the average person doesn't need a red dot on a carry gun.
So true. Iron sights all of the way for edc. Red dots are great for controlled range like environments. I never understood the logic of a red dot on an edc. If you had the time and were shooting at that distance it doesn't seem like it would be a justifiable self defensive distance. I suppose the one situation that comes to mind is a mass sh**ter at a distance that would be all. And if you were really great with irons you could probably be pretty helpfully effective.
regardless, people can put what they want on their guns, most especially if they train and are efficient with it
@@ericlopez2971Dickens did it at 40y in the mall, and it's because red dots are superior in every single way and more than durable enough these days. If your not into it, cool but if your bashing them, your wrong
@@ericlopez2971 I get all that but per your original comment; why have sights at all? If 99% of self defense scenarios are point shooting, citizens don't need sights period 🤨 Everything you stated falls in line with the clowns that don't think you need a light on your EDC either
@@torranceparsons5216 That wasn't my comment it was Desktorp's.
Well done. Thank you. I just bought one (tomorrow, retirement check comes tomorrow) and all the videos I watched did not explain MY part in the Red Dot shooting. They did help me choose one though. I would have followed the sight just like you said, and probably would have trained like that also. You helped a lot.
All you needed to say is "Look past the dot at your target instead of looking at the dot."
There I saved you guys nearly 7 minutes.
3:10
Funny as shit just found this channel. Great informative video that can actually save someone’s life.
Whenever I start missing shots, especially during a competition, I still have to consciously tell myself to slow down and do fundamentals right. 10 poppers in a row and then miss the biggest one 4 times...*slow down dude, get your fundamentals right*
I feel that. Being able to maintain the mental focus and physical fundamentals consistently throughout a shot string or stage is what separates the top performers. They stay in a flow state.
If you want to be good. If you want to be very very good... fix what you are telling yourself. Never EVER tell yourself to slow down. You don't win a match slowing down. Tell yourself that it's like you to break the shot as soon as it's time, at the right time, every time. Tell yourself to take the first correct shot. Visualize yourself doing that before a stage. Do not let your mind wander into visualizing all the mistakes you are worried about. You know what you are doing when you do that? You are practicing doing it WRONG in your mind. So NEVER tell yourself to "SLOW DOWN AND..." What you speak to yourself in your internal voice is absurdly powerful just like your outside voice.
@@advil000 Have you read "With Winning in Mind"? In training, I do something different by simulating bullet time with time compression and environmental stress while going TGT-to-TGT and flowing through fundamentals. That way when I throttle up, I've already done it before mentally. Chasing performance with a musical instrument like guitar, drums, or piano gives an unfair advantage as well.
Keeps that relationship between coordinated, actively-firing synapses and attenuated twitchy muscle fibers alive and thriving.
One of the main purposes of a RDS is to acquire a quick sight acquisition, while keeping both eyes open, allowing for greater peripheral vision. It goes without saying that greater vision creates for a safer shooting environment. RDS have also been proven to assist in aiding those who have astigmatism. Focus on the target, not the dot. As far as being able to find the red dot in a timely manner, you must train, train, and train some more, until it becomes muscle memory.
I'm considering a red dot, but I need to know if I understand the concept correctly. Is it correct that the goal is to focus on the target but for the brain to merge the red dot from the one eye looking through the optic onto the target, so it is almost as if you are looking at the target with a laser on the point where the shot will go?
Yes. Same as red dot use on a rifle.
I shouldn't be surprised, but it seems like most people either haven't learned how to properly use a red dot on a rifle, or have never used one.
Great video! I was shooting really well the other day and it was all because I was focusing on the target instead of the dot. Other days I focus on the dot and I shoot like crap. I need to work on doing the former and stop doing the latter. Your videos are helping!
I watched till the end. Did I miss the part where he explains how to use it correctly? Asking honestly. I understand sometimes it’s easy to go off explaining how it’s done wrong, and how so many people get it wrong, that you forget what you came here to say.
Agreed.
He used the term "target-focused" many times. To me, that was self-explanatory...look at the TARGET, not the dot
I mean if you watched the video you would know..? He literally mentioned target focus instead of focusing on the dot like 30 times.
Bring the red dot to you don’t work for the red dot
This simply describes something I’ve been struggling to put into words for awhile.
It would be best if you kept your finger off the trigger when you present your firearm.
Prep on presentation. This guy is a world champion.
Hi Ben, You are absolutely correct, actually being target focused is difficult and i will often score poorly when I shoot with an awareness to target focused shooting, and that doesn't provide the "fast food, instant gratification" that i want, so then i go back to dot focus, but then i'm slow. oh the struggle.....
Nice dose of brutal honesty for us mere mortal shooters.
Thanks again for providing free quality content Ben!
I have used iron sights for over 45 years. I love them. I'm getting to where seeing them is a challenge. I have a Trijicon RMR on 1 pistol. I work with it often. You nailed it; NOT focusing on the dot is hard. I have a helluva time with it. I have to consciously and methodically remind myself. Additionally, despite nearly 5 decades of shooting, trigger control must always be on my mind. About the time I believe "It's just automatic anymore" the errant shots will begin! My dad was one of those 1 in 1 Million guys who could have castrated a gnat with a pistol combined with basic pointer finger alignment. It just "happened" with him. I'm not that guy. I have to practice. Great video!
So true - it takes a lot of practice to target focus and bring the dot in between eye and target.
A lot of practice !
I've been using one since around 2018. Started with a romeo pro/320 combo. Went back to a glock 19 rmr combo and a g34 w' holosun. I really wanna get my favorite carry gun (CZ-p01) milled for a rmr soon. Thank's for all the info......I'll admit openly it was a big transition from irons to a dot but I can go back and forth fairly well these days. Still learning and trying to target focus always and not slip....when you dot focus you miss at distance at least I do....when moving really bad. Good stuff.....thank you Sir.
I like your style of coaching, you got a good positive vibe. I train shotgun shooters, skeet mainly. The hardest thing for most of my students is to disconnect their eyes from the barrel and focus on the target. Your computer mouse analogy is fantastic, Im gonna use it. I like to find my “gamers” in class to help with the same mindset of disconnecting their eyes from barrel to target , just like red dot to target. Keep doing you man!
great thank you, new to handgun skill practice and my understanding from this video is: 1) target first 2) reddot on target VS. looking to line up reddot on target first
About 1998, I switched to OPEN for a season and struggled with the dot.....A friend mentioned putting a paster on the front of my C-More. It worked! Our local SWAT guys at the County now train all day long AND qualify with a the dot covered......Good stuff!
Thanks for the insight, am trying to improve, I'll be working on my focus the next range trip. Leaving a note in the range bag.
When you described looking at the target in the transition and allowing the pistol to come to where you were looking rather than tracking the dot all the way to the next target it seems like a similar if not the same concept as shooting moving targets with a shotgun. With shotgunning some guys stare at the bead or even close one eye and try to aim like the bead is an iron site, the result of which is consistently missing behind the target. Instead of aiming you keep both eyes open and look at what you want to hit. When you do that your brain makes the calculations almost subconsciously and things start happening how they should, especially with a gun that fits well. With a pistol your trigger control and index/mechanics would replace gun fit in the scenario but basically you are transitioning with your eyes/head and inserting the pistol into the line of sight after the fact exactly like you would when tracking a moving target with a shotgun.
I was taught my entire life to find the front sight post, and that's still what I do, and that's always what I will do. I don't have the time to, and frankly simply don't want to put in the effort to change up what I've been doing for 30 years. So yeah, irons for me forever.
A dot takes more steps
A dot is more demanding of perfection.
More steps is slower
Mire demanding is slower.
When people get faster with a dot after practice, they're still slower. They just feel faster
@@TimmysFriendSimulator this makes no fucking sense lmao post groups and splits
Been shooting for over a year now, started off the rip with a RDS. Did what you talked about, focusing on the dot on accident. Thru more dry fire I figured it out. I was laser focused on a small object and just presented… didn’t really notice the optic bezels… or the pew…. Or even my hands and the concept “clicked”. I still catch myself wanting to focus on the dot sometimes, however shooting occluded and doing small transitions while conscience about “eyes first THEN head and hands” helps.
Great video! I have to remind myself constantly to get off the dot and others I train with don’t understand why I’m trying not to stare at the dot
Ben speaks the Truth. -> This weekend I had "moments" of target focus. Running into position, get a spot, gun catches up, shoot first target THEN move the dot I've "found" onto the next target in that array. So I'm maybe 50/50... working to get better. 🙂.
I try my best to target focus but like you said it’s tough sometimes, something I do for dry fire is have a target with writing it on it and making sure the letters on the target are in focus and try my best to practice looking past the optic
Erik Gelhaus taught me how to use a PMO. I was not a fan until his class
Very, very informative. I had no idea I was doing this incorrectly. Thank you for posting this.
My transition to red dot's was easy for me, but I have great fundamentals. When I train with a timer I honestly don't remember even seeing the sights, but I still get the hits I want.
I started with a red dot and was definitely focusing on the red dot not on the target its been a tough thing to get good at
Great Info! I don’t use a red dot but this gives me the heads up when I do. Thanks for your knowledge!!
Front sight focus has been my go to for nearly 5 decades. Learning the dot is something new, but I wish these folks who tell me I am doing it wrong would offer a solution. It’s easy to criticize, much harder to provide answers.
All good advice. I'm transitioning to red dots on my pistols at the moment as my eyes age and using varifocal specs means I struggle to see irons effectively, or have to have my head in a weird position to do so. The advantages of red dots are manifold, the ability to be target focused while shooting with both eyes open but still have a good clear aiming reference being the primary. But yes, Ben is right, getting that initial presentation correct while maintaining that focus and transitioning from one target to the next to re-present the pistol is HARD and requires lots of practice.
I think I know why I like dots. I spent decades doing instinctive archery, which is all about muscle memory, and target focus, and trusting your subconscious to do "the math" for aiming. With a dot it feels very similar, just with the dot providing verification on the muscle memory.
You always want to focus on your target..
Fantastic info and truth speaking. It's a constant struggle and always will be.
Wow, Thanks for this video, really help me understand what i was doing, I'm ex military from a while ago and we didn't have optics! iron sites and you better be good out to 300. The eyes aren't what they used to be and i started shooting pistols a little more. Decided to get a nice Holosun, and I've been struggling! This makes a lot of sense. I'm gonna head down to the range asap and work on this, Don't know why I didn't figure it out before.
I watched this thinking this is me. I have been training to not be dot focused (dot covered), and be target focused. I agree, it is such a struggle to be target focused. I will get there. One day at a time. These type videos are a big help.
Great points made. Being the realist goes a long way.
What if you're blind in one eye, the right eye? Does anything change in technique?
I always thought it was normal to look at the target and not the dot. Your peripheral vision overlays the dot onto whatever you're aiming at. You don't really want to look at or even actively through the glass. It makes shooting with both eyes open a whole lot easier in my experience.
When I got my first RDS I did probably a thousand draws till I got used to finding the dot. There's definitely a transition.
Something should be said about back up iron sights while learning how to use a red dot: while they can be useful for experienced shooters to align their sights, I’ve noticed that new shooters benefit from having just the dot and nothing else. Like you said, people focus on the dot and the iron sights can definitely be a training crutch.
I have half a dozen pistols with red dots, most with back up iron sights for serious work, but I kept a couple of them “red dot only” for training purposes:
1- a Walther PPQ Q5 Match with a 507 Comp (the rear sight comes off completely to install the optic plate). Since it’s a competition gun, I don’t need a back up iron sight in a life or death situation.
2- a IWI Masada with a 507 ACSS Vulcan, a reticle perfect for beginners. Since the factory iron sights are too low to co-witness, I can’t “cheat” using them, forcing me to target focus first and presenting the dot second.
Been working on this very thing lately. It's tough after shooting with Irons for so long. For me covering up the optic so I can't see through it has helped the most.
So much for finger discipline
A good analogy would be, when steering your car around, you do not look at the steering wheel, you look at the road and your hands follow.
I spent 10 years doing this wrong, and I did it for a few years of nearly daily dry fire. When you popularized this technique a few years back, the first time I taped the dot I wanted to throw my guns in a swamp. Now after some years of occlusion, I still want to throw guns in swamp when I stare at a taped dot, doing this right is simple but not easy.
Well done! Truth born of experience.
Thanks for explaining. Myself running a delta point pro I’ve learned to just keep the big window in front of the target without having to find the dot cause once it’s in the window I know I can get the hit
You just broke me. I drew my carry on my self in the mirror and then after adjusted on to another object in the mirror and I was chasing the dot on re-aquisition
Blackout the front of the red dot with some tape and train that way until you consistently target focus
I don't really like projection based sights when you're using something as small as a pistol, it almost feels detrimental. I prefer something with good stock irons, but I will use an optic on something bigger. Doesn't matter to me though I've always loved shotguns for bird and clay shooting so I'm just used to the beads and irons.
Kinda silly on pistols especially for self defense. Point shooting skill is #1.
phenomenally helpful tips!! thank you
I have a 2.5MOA dot on my SRO and really i use my iron sights as a reference to instantly find my dot if i ever lose it. but 9/10 times ill never lose my dot even from draw and transitions. For newer red dot guys tho iron sights and where your thumbs are pointing will be your best friend
I actually learned this at a young age using scoped rifles. If you look through the scope and then try to find the target it is very difficult in the woods. If you pinpoint your target and bring the scope to your eye without breaking concentration the target will be where you are lazer focused with your sight.
Wow I did not know how to use a red dot! Glad I watched before buying one. Subscribed to your channel 👍
Red dots on rifles shine because you have 3 points of contact and it’s very easy to get a repeatable precise sight picture. It would be very hard to not have you’re eye right behind the dot when using a rifle but on a pistol it’s kind of hard without a stock. It is doable with practice but I like the simplicity and repeatability of shooting irons target focused, with a big orange front sight it’s almost like having a dot that I can always see even without having proper eye-to-sight alignment. I do love red dots and I can’t wait for them to make them work better for pistols one day
Not to mention no more short sight radius issues on sub compacts. Irons are okay but dots are great. You have to train with them a lot, though. Dots are not a shortcut past training at all.
My dot is a tool to correct and train my perception of natural aim. My dot taught me how loose and inaccurate I was pointing and aiming using irons. Now I pick up a pistol with dot or iron sights and I’m dead on pointing where my eye wants to be without losing focus of my target. I don’t really need to look at iron sights except for reference because my dot trained me to grip better and consistently. Consistency is key. My dot is on a Glock but training with it and only looking at the target has made me better with my 1911. In my opinion, people who dislike dots are trying to sight through the tiny glass window and see the bullseye or target through glas and through a red light. You can use a red dot with the window blacked out with tape if you are using both eyes and focusing on the target. I also learned that depending on the type of grip I use, I am subconsciously bringing my pistol to aim on either my right eye or left. And that’s where I was originally loosing the dot until I trained differently and learned how to correctly use the dot as a tool to make my hands and eyes work more consistently every time
What I found helped me tons to acquire the dot quickly, was to stop thinking "look for the dot" and start thinking "put the dot in your field of vision" instead. So now my eyes are on the target, and my hands will stick the gun in front of my face, the dot will be there (most of the times anyway lol). I found out it works a lot better for me when I am working on it, but if I loose focus, bad habits creep in super quick.
I always said “I don’t need that shit” until I got into competitive shooting. After running some dots I saw the benefits. I now have a dot on everything I own. I’ve tested multiple budget friendly dots that were just as good as Holosun imo. Took me a long time to truly understand target focus. Occlusion definitely helped out. Some people just don’t want to learn a new way of shooting. If they truly understood the dot I don’t think anyone would still be running irons. And yeah in a defensive situation you might not get confirmation 2 before firing but you’d have the same thing with irons.
I see absolutely 0 advantage to a red dot for a defensive handgun when at most you're shooting like 25 yards. Vast majority of the time it's not even 7 yards.
@@jellyfrosh9102well if your close enough to shoot without aiming it doesn’t matter, but if you want to aim it’s better to not have to align front and rear sight posts
Coming from shooting stock flat sights on pistols for over 30 years,was a tough transition to a red dot optic. Goes completely opposite of how i was trained to shoot. Took a few times at the range but im more comfortable now. Hopefully i will get just as proficient as i shoot with flat sights