How to Shoot with a Red Dot Sight [Complete Guide]

Today, I am going to tell you how to shoot with a red dot sight. In this guide, you will get all the necessary information that you need to know for the proper use of red dot sight. Well, before jumping into the guide, I would like to make a few things clear about the red dot sight

First of all, A dot sight is not the same as a laser. The laser projects light onto the target like a flashlight that’s visible to everyone. But in the case of a dot sight, the shooter is the only one who can see the dot because everything is contained inside the optical package on top of the gun.

A dot sight is similar to telescopic sights but it offers different advantages. Unlike telescopic sights, most dot sights do not magnify the target. The advantage of dot sight is that your target can be acquired much quicker and since the dot is illuminated, it’s easily distinguishable from your target.

Moreover, dots come in several different colors and some sights can switch from one color to another to help the shooter in different lighting conditions. The red dot is the oldest kind, so sometimes they are called red dot sight even though they can also be green and blue. The shooters need to select the dot color that contrasts best with the target.

It is important to understand that dot sights are electrical and run on batteries. There are older optical sights from the first half of the twenty century that show a dot on the target without any artificial illumination. Those sights use optics to create the dot which is much larger than today’s sights.

They were first used by the military in world war II. Today’s dot sights have a tiny lamp inside the sight that illuminates the dot electrically. Many dot sights have rheostats or switches to adjust the brightness of the dot. It’s important to make the dot just bright enough to see against the target because the brighter becomes the wider dot covering up more and more of the target.

Mounting the Red Dot on the weapon

Unlike the traditional riflescopes, red dot sights come with unlimited eye relief, so there is no right or wrong place to mount your optic. You can mount it anywhere along the rail. So, mount your red dot on your favorite firearm. If you want to know the exact process of mounting the red dot sight in 3 easy steps then read this article.

Turn the Power On and Make Brightness adjustments

If you are using your red dot for the first time then turn it on to make sure that it is working properly. Adjust the brightness of the dot using the rheostat or switches according to the light conditions. Use the ideal brightness intensity for the greatest precision.

Usually, the highest brightness setting for indoor shooting results in a fuzzy reticle. Moreover, if you are shooting outdoors on a sunny day and you have the lowest brightness setting then your reticle will disappear.

Be ready to shoot with a red dot sight

Using a dot sight is very easy. Imagine that the dot is at the center of the scope reticle where the crosshairs intersect. When you adjust the sight then the dot moves. The adjustments for a dot sight are identical to those used for the crosshair reticle of the telescopic sight.

You can move the dot vertically and horizontally by using elevation and windage adjustments respectively. Now, look at your target by keeping your both eyes open.

You can see the red dot reticle onto your target. Fire when the red dot meets the exact point that you want to hit. If the point of impact is away from the bullseye then zero your red dot for accurate shooting.

Few Final Words about How to Shoot with a Red Dot Sight

Hope, this article about “how to shoot with a red dot sight“ will help you in your shooting with a red dot sight. We tried our best to give the answer to one of the most frequently asked questions about dot sights “How to shoot with a red dot sight.” If you have any questions about red dot shooting then please don’t hesitate to ask.