Video: Tips for Using a Red Dot Sight for New Shooters

Transcript for Finding the Dot

Sereena Thompson, Nature's Paint: If you are new to using a red dot sight, you may be experiencing a common issue: having trouble acquiring the actual dot in a timely manner. As you complete the final step of your draw stroke, you might notice your red dot isn't where you're expecting it or it doesn't appear at all.

Let's talk about a few ways we can correct that. The first step I like to focus on is consistency in your grip and how you present the pistol.

Sereena points to the top piece of the pistol she is holding.

This here is called the eye box. To hit the eye box correctly over and over again depends solely on your consistent form. Any wrong angle up, down, left, or right can impede your ability in finding the dot.

Another part of your form to watch is thumb position.

Sereena shows the left side of her grip to display her thumb on the side of the pistol.

When your thumb is parallel to the barrel's axis while presenting your firearm, you know you're pointing it straight with the sight window square and the dot in view.

If you're having trouble finding the dot, one of the easier tricks after completing your draw stroke is to look for your front sight.

Find the front sight, and you should find the dot.

Method two is finding your RDS as you draw down on the target.

Start with a slightly higher muzzle, and find your dot as you level your firearm, acquiring the target. This one is usually quick to learn, especially if you already present the handgun in this manner.

A few other popular techniques are to focus on the RDS when it's close to you and follow the dot as you present your pistol straight out.

Or if your pistol has iron sights, line up your sight, then find the dot. While these can work for some shooters, they tend to be inefficient and tedious for most.

Sereena loads the pistol and fires a shot at the target.

The final goal, it just appears. You look at the target, present the pistol, and the dot just shows up on target. That, of course, comes with trigger time. A lot of these methods can be dry fire drills practiced over and over without discharging a round.

Sereena fires another shot at the target.

Use live-fire sessions to run through coming in and out of the eye box. Focus on proper and consistent grip, and acquire your sight and target after each shot.

The camera zooms in to look through the pistol's sight, using a red dot.

Keep in mind when aiming with a red dot that shooters tend to stare at the dot like they do with the front side of a pistol. You should focus on the target and superimpose the dot where you want the bullet to go.

Hope these techniques help you with your new red dot sight.