How to Set up a Pistol Red Dot? A Guide to Shoot Accurately

Red dot sights tremendously improve the accuracy of your shooting and performance. It is one big reason for their increased popularity, especially among competition shooters. However, finding and setting the right red dot is an issue many new shooters complain about. Well, the process isn’t as difficult as you think, provided you have the right instructions. This post will explain how to set up a pistol red dot stepwise in different ways and shoot with it properly.

What are Red Dot Sights?

The red dot is an optic attached to pistols and rifles. It aims to enhance target acquisition accuracy, especially in high-pressure situations. A red dot gives you a red-illuminated reticle through your field of view. Upon looking through the lens of a red dot, you’ll see a vivid red dot on your target.

You can then focus on the target and shoot. The less restricted field of view because of the red dot improves the point of your aim and the area underneath.

This is in contrast to the traditional iron sights in which you need to put all your focus on the front sight and envision a point of impact. With a red dot installed correctly, you get a visual point on a focal plane where your shot should go.

When your red dot is aligned on the target, the shot will simply follow the dot. This increases the accuracy of your initial and follow-up shots. If your shooting regularly takes place in dim or low-light conditions, knowing how to set up a red dot on the pistol is crucial for better target acquisition, speed, and accuracy.

Red Dot was developed by the Swedish optics company Aimpoint AB in 1975. It was designed by John Arne Ingemund Ekstrand, an engineer from Helsingborg. Over time, the design of this optic changed. The current red dot sights, which are very small emerged back in 2005.

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How to Find the Right Red Dot for Your Pistol?

Your firearm should be prepared to accommodate the red dot sight. Otherwise, you cannot set up the red dot on it. To find the right red dot for your pistol, considering the footprint of that optic is essential. Footprint refers to the holes that screw onto the slide of the pistol and pins the optic sits on.

The footprint is attached to the bottom of the optic for proper attachment to the handgun. Your pistol should have a cut on the slide so the red dot can connect easily. This cutout on the slide should correspond to the bottom of the red dot sight you choose. This makes up the footprint of the optic.

Some of the most popular footprints are Trijicon’s RMR, Trijicon SRO, Holosun 507C, Holosun 407X2., and Swampfox Kingslayer. Also, your chosen optic's footprint has a pattern for screws that mount the red dot to the pistol. Upon screwing the optic to the gun, the screws must line up with the holes in the pistol's slide for the red dot to work effectively.

Note that your red dot optic's size will influence the choice of your holster. It is best to contact holster manufacturers who tailor their holsters' construction according to your particular firearm and red dot.

Ways to Set Up Red Dot on Your Pistol

There are a few different ways to set up a red dot on your pistol. Learning about them will enable you to choose the right optic.

1. Mounting the Optic on the Pistol's Slide

You can use a factory plate to attach the optic to the slide or have it attached through the rear sight dovetail. The dovetail mount method is the most common, cost-effective, and easiest. You only require a mounting plate and screw it into the holes left by your sights.

After that, you can easily screw the red dot sight on your pistol. No machining is required, and you do not have to purchase a gun with a machined slide. If you are starting out with optics and want to learn how to set up a red dot on the pistol, this is the ideal method.

2. Mounting the Optic by Purchasing a Modified Slide

If you are a seasoned tactical shooter or have no budget constraints, setting up a red dot optic by buying a modified slide is the best option. This method keeps the sight low and contributes to your accuracy. You can invest in an aftermarket slide and set up red dot optic easily or mill your factory slide. To do so, take your pistol to a gunsmith.

After that, take away the two mounting screws holding the slide and slot in your red dot sight. Then replace the mounting screws, and your red dot is set up.

A great method to set up red dot optic in this way is to have your sight back and get the dovetailed milled in front of the sight. The advantage of this method is the protection of the optic by the mechanical iron sight. Also, this method makes the holster compatibility even easier.

The only downside is that you cannot change the type or version of the red dot you use on your pistol because of the variation in the footprint.

3. Consider Glock MOS (Modular Optic System)

If you don't want the hassle of getting an aftermarket slide or milling the dovetail, consider Glock MOS to set up the red dot. All Glock OEM pistols use MOS to make mounting Red Dot or any other popular optics easy.

The MOS has a machined area that uses various plates which are for different optics. The advantage of this is that you can switch between the optics. So, if you want to change from RMR to Delta red dot optics, it's possible with the different plates.

Here's how to set up the red dot on the pistol using the Glock MOS system:

• Remove the cover plate of the Glock.
• Choose the right MOS Adapter plate.
• Keep it in the appropriate position and orientation. F
• ix the adapter plate on your pistol by tightening the Torx screws.
• Check whether the screws have the optimal level of tightness according to your choice of ammunition and usage frequency.
• When the adapter plate is mounted on the pistol, install the optics.

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How Do You Shoot with a Red Dot on Pistol?

Now that you have set up the red dot on your pistol, learning how to fire correctly is the next step. The best red dot zeroing technique consists of a series of steps. You should follow all of them correctly for the most accurate shooting experience.

• Set up your target at around 25 meters. The distance depends on the kind of shooting you are doing.
• Next, find a comfortable rest for your gun.
• Now, shoot a few times using only the iron sights.
• If you have a consistent grouping, the iron sights are on target.
• Aim the red dot at the target.
• Next, adjust the red dot to correspond with the alignment of the iron sights. To do so, use the elevation and windage knobs or buttons in your red dot optics.
• Move the red dot upward, downward, left, or right according to the direction your shots are going.
• Now, fire after making the adjustments.
• Keep adjusting the red dot until you shoot accurately.

TIP: Keep practicing to get a consistent draw and presentation of the gun. The better you become at it, the more your red dot will be aligned with your eye after the drawstroke.

Conclusion

You don’t need to overcomplicate the process of setting up a pistol red dot. Just ensure that you find the right optic and choose a process to set it up from the ones explained above. Keep practicing shooting with the red dot if you struggle with accuracy. Also, do remember to invest in a comfortable, ergonomic Gun holster  that doesn’t meddle with your optics-ready gun. Get one custom-made by Wright Leather Works after you’ve mounted your optics.