Upgrade to a red dot

[GunRunner]

The dots used by the Serious competitors are mostly Ultrdot, with a small percentage using the aim-point micro dot.High accuracy , low parallax With a lifetime warranty and relative low cost, nothing really gets close to a ultradot, i own 6 of them. I would like to try a micro dot, but the 550.00 price tag is just not in my budget.

[tuj]

I practice at a fairly standard U.S. commercial indoor range where the focus is on self-defense and the mindset is completely different. The average patron isn't 100% able to stay on a 21"x24" target paper at much beyond 10 yards. They look at me like I'm insane for actually holding down the target carrier switch until the target is 25 yards away. For them, 5 rounds fired in 2 seconds that stay inside an 8-inch circle on a target 3 yards away is highly skilled shooting. Staying in the black at 25 is just wasting ammo at a distance where I should be using a rifle.

:-) Haha, Ben, you put a smile on my face with this one. My local range only goes out to 20 yards so I use the B2/3 targets at 50' and I still end up finding stray 9mm holes in my target when I'm shooting .22. It really is sad the state of marksmanship and the average public possesses and yet feels confident enough to use a gun in a crisis situation. I wish those people the best, I really do, but I do wish they would practice more.

As for dots, its the Ultradot for me, I've got five of them now.

[GOVTMODEL]

I have a real love-hate relationship with red dots.

I've tried a couple of Ultra Dots and bought one for myself. I found that the dots were not clear. They appeared to be a bunch of little dots surrounded by lens flare or radiating streaks. Turning down the brightness helped eliminate the streaks but I never saw a dot. I saw a bunch of dots when I looked at the dot.

For most folks, if you're not seeing a dot, a likely cause is uncorrected astigmatism.

Try rotating the tube and see if the dot rotates with it.

[BenEnglishTX]

Try rotating the tube and see if the dot rotates with it.

I have done as you suggest. The misshapen lump that I see instead of a dot remains fixed in place and does not move as I rotate the unit.

I take it this is simply a further confirmation of my previous theory that the problem is my eyes and not the equipment.

Is that correct? Or have I now learned something new?

[matchguy]

I always noticed my dot wasn't nice and round but fuzzy and never paid much mind about it, thought that was how they all looked. The owners sheet doesn't even mention dot size as I guess then that wasn't a selling point. Put on a 2nd cheapie red dot I bought long ago and it was actually really sharp and clear but here's what I noticed. Depending where thru my glasses I see the dot it either gets clear, fuzzy or elongated. I also noticed the extra dots at times, though very faint.
I have astigmatism and use those panaramic type lenses.

Since one of my dots is fuzzy no matter what I do and the cheapie is clear and round depending how I look at it, there's hope a nice Ultradot may be very acceptable for me at least.

[Rover]

I started using (new) glasses with my Ultradot and it cleaned up the dot enough to cause me three clicks of elevation change, but it still wasn't great.

Until I looked at a perfectly round dot with a friend's rig, I thought the problem was still my eyesight.

[GOVTMODEL]

Try rotating the tube and see if the dot rotates with it.

I have done as you suggest. The misshapen lump that I see instead of a dot remains fixed in place and does not move as I rotate the unit.

I take it this is simply a further confirmation of my previous theory that the problem is my eyes and not the equipment.

Is that correct? Or have I now learned something new?

You are correct: this is most likely an eye problem and not a red dot problem. See your optometrist, and make sure you take Norman Wong's pamphlet for optometrists with you.