As a follow up to my articles on fundamentals, I like to discuss a few other topics.

RED DOT SCOPES

Most participants in matches use the red dot scope. Not that there is anything wrong with using iron sights, it is just that the dot scopes are easier. As our eyes weaken with age, the dot scope allows us to continue to compete at a level comparable with those of sharp vision.

With iron sights, three elements must be aligned to form a sight picture...the target, front sight blade and the rear sight notch. Since our eyes can only focus sharply on one thing at a time, our focus is thus on the front sight blade to ensure perfect alignment.

Red dots, however, are on the same focal plane as the target (infinity) and thus the "eye" has only to look at two things...the target and the dot and they are both in focus when you aim. That is quite an advantage! It allows for faster target acquisition and alignment and because the brain easily aligns concentric circles (the scope lens, the dot and the bullseye), you can concentrate more on trigger squeeze and let the aiming process become more automatic.

Low light levels (relative to the outdoors) at indoor ranges can be a problem with iron sights, but not with dots. Most dots have several brightness intensities to take care of the dimmest indoor ranges to the brightest outdoor sun.

Some things to remember when using scopes: Parallax is a factor even with the best dots (my choice is the Ultradot) so it matters that the dot is centered in the scope when aiming especially when shooting at 50 yds. You can check the amount of parallax your scope has by keeping it rested on the bench and held stationary with the dot centered on the bull. Now moving only your head slightly side to side and up and down, you can see how much the dot moves on the target when it is in different positions in the lens. The smaller the movement= the lesser the parallax= the better the scope. Keeping the dot centered in the lens avoids misaiming.

Always carry a spare battery. Dots will weaken gradually with silver oxide batteries and will fail very quickly with lithium batteries. The batteries last a long time if you can remember to turn off the scope when finished.

Ultradots (and some other brands) offers different dot and lens sizes. The choice is just a matter of personal preference and the style of shooting that you are doing.

The scope and mount will add 6oz. or more to the gun and if you are slide mounting, you may need to increase your powder charge slightly or change your recoil spring to give you reliable functioning.

I'll go out on a limb and say that dot scopes will probably add 10% to your iron sight scores especially if you have older eyes. They take some getting use it, as all changes do, and your scores may initially drop somewhat, but eventually you will be glad you switched. There are those who believe that all shooters should start out with iron sights when learning the fundamentals before transitioning to dots, I never really understood this, except of course if becoming Distinguished is important to you.

Well, that's it for now. When I think of another topic that may be of interest to new shooters, I'll post again.

Ron Steinbrecher