Today, we’re going to get into the age old debate in firearms. No, not the which-caliber-is-the-best question. The red dot versus iron sights question.
Now, some people absolutely swear by iron sights. After all, they’ve worked well for millions of shooters around the world for (literally) hundreds of years.
On the flip side, though, many people are just as vocally for red dot sights. They swear that people are just more accurate with red dots over iron sights, and they’ll argue that absolutely everyone (except, maybe, criminals) should have red dot sights installed on their guns.
And, to be fair, there are pros and cons on both sides of the debate.
You can watch a Patriot Training Center video going over information about these two sighting options below.
Now, to go over some of the pros and cons in this debate.
First, on the side arguing for iron sights there are the following:
- Tradition – For some people, tradition is a big deal. They feel a connection to the past and, maybe, a sense of security from doing things the way that they’ve always been done (assuming, of course, that they work).
- Cost – Iron sights come already installed on the vast majority of firearms that you buy, so, going with iron sights means that you aren’t spending any more of your hard-earned cash.
- No batteries to change – Sure, there are red dot sights coming out now that can charge from sunlight, but most red dot sights have batteries that have to be periodically changed which, in some cases, can be a hassle, and does cost a few dollars.
- Additional training time to switch to red dots if you’re already used to shooting using iron sights.
Now, on the flip side, are the pros for red dot sights:
- Quicker accurate shooting from the draw. Once proficient with a red dot, the general consensus is that you can get an accurate shot more quickly than with iron sights.
- Greater accuracy from a distance.
In short, the debate is mostly about greater accuracy and speed to target versus extra cost for the red dot and some extra training time until you get used to using a red dot.
And, of course, in many cases a red dot can be installed with cowitnessing with the iron sights so that you can get the best of both worlds.
Which should you get? That really depends on what are the most important factors for you around this decision.
Whichever you choose, though, you want to be as accurate as you can possibly be in your shooting, and the best way to get and retain those skills is with dryfire. That’s why we have a FREE 30 day dryfire program that only takes 10-minutes per day here for you: http://freedryfire.com/YT