Laser or red dot for old eyes the need reading glasses

[loadedp3at]

I have a red dot on my carryout was just wondering about a laser for night time. My red dot actually does not have an On off switch so at night it sometimes will not come on.

[chances R]

What red dot do you have?  

[TNman207]

Lasers at night are great for telling the enemy exactly where you are. I suggest night sights or a new red dot sight. 

[BHunted]

Both if your gun can handle one. Green laser is more visible in daylight due to it's wave length. Spotting you by the bad guy is movie nonsense. Not that it can't happen, (highly unlikely), but neither you or the perp will be waiting to ambush from the bushes,. Also, you get to acquire faster and if you are on target, my guess is you are going to pull the trigger. My P365 setup is rigged with just a CT green laser activated by pressure button and also has an on/off button. Yes, getting old and having bad eyes suck. Especially when you have astigmatism.

 

[JustEd]

Am not speaking as an expert, however suspect the problem may be a auto brightness setting on you red dot.

Have two pistol mounted Sig Romeo 1 pro red dots and a lowly Crimson Trace (carbine).  All are manually adjusted for brightness and all work fine in complete darkness.  If your red dot has an auto brightness feature it may be turning the dot down too low in darkness for your eyes.  Check the user manual to see if you can adjust this or go to full manual brightness settings.  Have heard some red dots are auto only, hope that is not the case for yours.

Best of luck!

[loadedp3at]

It is the new scc y red dot which "goes to sleep" when you put a cover on it. This also means at night it does not have enough light on it (or something) to make it come on. Maybe it has a brightness level. I will have to check.

[bobsguns]

On 8/9/2021 at 3:18 AM, TNman207 said:

Lasers at night are great for telling the enemy exactly where you are. I suggest night sights or a new red dot sight. 

This.

A huge night sight on the front is the best option, IMO. No batteries to worry about nor fool with. It's always there, always "on".

A red dot is a mechanical device. Any mechanical device is both susceptible and prone to failure.  And sure as god made little green apples, it WILL happen at the worst possible time. My life is worth more than a $200 (or less) red dot sight. 

Not to mention a red dot getting knocked off of point-of-aim.

Not on my carry gun, no thank you. 

[bobsguns]

On 8/9/2021 at 7:44 AM, BHunted said:

Spotting you by the bad guy is movie nonsense. Not that it can't happen, (highly unlikely), but neither you or the perp will be waiting to ambush from the bushes.

Never cleared your own house, have you? Or investigated a noise from your pole barn? Or live waaaaaaaay out in the country, where there's no neighbor from a good bit?

A moving light (no matter how small) is easily seen by someone. Not my idea of concealment. Holding a flashlight in your weak hand, away from your body line is the method I've decided is the safest for me. Obviously everyone will pick which one they think works best. But why give a meth head a leg up over you?

[BHunted]

7 hours ago, bobsguns said:

Never cleared your own house, have you? Or investigated a noise from your pole barn? Or live waaaaaaaay out in the country, where there's no neighbor from a good bit?

A moving light (no matter how small) is easily seen by someone. Not my idea of concealment. Holding a flashlight in your weak hand, away from your body line is the method I've decided is the safest for me. Obviously everyone will pick which one they think works best. But why give a meth head a leg up over you?

To each their own.
Experience I've had with meth heads, druggies, etc, they would rather find the dot to chase it like a cat. For the most part, you're thinking to hard. It's not the norm. You also don't point out whether you'd leave the laser on or off. Also, you choose to carry a light in your weak hand. That's fine. But what happens if you need your weak hand to drag a family member or person to safety? Then what? Lose sight of the target? Lasers are not a bad thing. Especially if you are on your own turf. Even more so if you're getting older.
(Keep the flashlight away from your body or aside. I was taught that by my T.O. back in the early '80s. lol.... they don't do that any more). Do what works for you. 

BTW, don't think the person, namely me, has no experience in the field. Been around the block....

Cheers....

[billmeek]

8 hours ago, bobsguns said:

A huge night sight on the front is the best option, IMO.

I used to think the same way as you.  I didn't want to rely on any electronics... especially on a daily carry.  Just wait until you need reading glasses and your front site is nothing but a big blur (or multiple blurs).  You'll change your tune about dot sights. 

[bobsguns]

27 minutes ago, billmeek said:

Just wait until you need reading glasses and your front site is nothing but a big blur (or multiple blurs).  You'll change your tune about dot sights. 

I passed that point a loooooooooooooong time ago. LOL!

My thought is this on electronic optics on a self defense gun: how many times have you (or anyone) picked up a flashlight & the batteries were dead? Life being what it is, we too often get sidetracked from what we should be checking on regularly: air pressure in our tires, out BP, our blood sugar, etc. It's just too darn easy to let something slide past us while we're dealing with work, family, etc. I know I'm guilty as hell in not shooting my carry guns enough. Shame on me. I hope it doesn't bite me in the ass some day. BUT! None of my carry guns require batteries in any way, shape or form. I've modded their sights in such a way that all of them are completely usable by me in any condition.

But, as I've said, we all seek our own solutions in what we deem the best way. My solution just doesn't need batteries, so Mr. Murphy can keep on trucking.  

[bobsguns]

1 hour ago, BHunted said:

But what happens if you need your weak hand to drag a family member or person to safety? Then what? Lose sight of the target? Lasers are not a bad thing. Especially if you are on your own turf. Even more so if you're getting older.
BTW, don't think the person, namely me, has no experience in the field. Been around the block...

Well, I live by myself, so my odds of needing to drag someone is pretty slim, IMO. But were I ever in that sort of situation, the #1 goal is ALWAYS to remove the threat before saving someone else. Otherwise I well may be lying there with him/her, no?

Studies show people whom use lasers do multiple things over time: forget to use the front sight by depending on a laser, focus on the dot rather than maintaining situational awareness. Both of those can have fatal results to the good guy, IMO. 

Obviously I can't (or shouldn't) worry about what others do or don't do on their carry guns. We're all adults, we make our own choices and live with them. But as the wise man once said, "just because you can doesn't mean you should."  

[BHunted]

19 minutes ago, bobsguns said:

 

Obviously I can't (or shouldn't) worry about what others do or don't do on their carry guns. We're all adults, we make our own choices and live with them. But as the wise man once said, "just because you can doesn't mean you should."  

That works either way. But make sure Bin Laden knows lasers are bad. Opps... Can't! 

[Grunt67]

On 8/9/2021 at 2:18 AM, TNman207 said:

Lasers at night are great for telling the enemy exactly where you are. I suggest night sights or a new red dot sight. 

This. That's why I don't have a laser. I do, have a red dot tho.

[kwe45919]

I have a Swampfox red dot on a P80 build. It's taken a while to get used to it for sure...never could use a laser unless I was slow and methodical. Reddots are easier for me since I've used them on rifles but on a handgun I'm still slower and less accurate then my G26s' night sights I've carried for 20 years. It'll take time and practice for either a reddot or laser. 

My choice for a carry gun is simply the basic sights (tritium, fiberoptic, whatever), no frills and its what works. 

[John_Cea]

It's Depends in the red dot i guess you don't have the right one.