Red dots on handguns are here to stay. Even some of the smallest guns can now wear dots. If you had told me a decade ago that my subcompact 9mm handgun would be wearing a red dot, I would have “yeah righted” you so hard. Current me is happy that the old me was wrong. Red dots and handguns are quickly becoming as standard as Picatinny rails on handguns. It’s another accessory that adds to your weapon’s capabilities. That is, if you know how to use it.
The first step in learning to use the dot is learning how to zero a handgun red dot. It’s an optic, so having it properly set up is the key to its success. Zeroing a red dot on a rifle is typically pretty easy. Most of us look for a happy medium to give us consistent performance in both moderate and long ranges. The classic 50/200 zero for the AR comes to mind.
With handguns, we don’t quite have that easy standard of performance. There can be a little more to it than finding the right range and zeroing. We do need an appropriate range, but we also need a little more know-how to get things running right for the majority of shooters.
Lock-Down the Optic
Inside the box with your optic will be an assortment of papers stapled together. This may seem odd, and you may have never read one before, but that’s your instruction manual. It’s pretty handy. Inside it, you will find the correct mounting specifications for your red dot.
We want to torque the optic just right alongside the Loctite to ensure it never comes loose. When an optic comes loose, your zero shifts significantly, so proper installation is our first step in zeroing an optic.
What Not to Do
Before we hang up targets and load mags, let’s talk about what we aren’t going to do. We are not going to leave our dot to the iron sights. A lot of people have figured out it’s awfully easy to ‘zero’ their optic by just moving the dot to align with the iron sights! Simple, right?
These are two separate sighting systems and should be treated as separate sighting systems.
To the range. But what range?
There are lots of arguments about what range you should zero your red dot at. Handguns are different from rifles, and admittedly, most handgun ranges aren’t going to need you to account for ballistics and bullet drop. Lots of defensive encounters occur at seven yards or less, so one could argue a seven to ten-yard zero is good enough.
The 25-yard zero at extremely close ranges doesn’t take me too far off target. For practical purposes, it’s not going to take me out of the A-zone of an IPSC target. A 25-yard zero can even take me out to 75 yards with a little compensation. Finally, most handgun red dots use a 1 MOA measurement for adjustments, and at 25 yards, every four clicks is one inch. It’s just simpler than something like 9/20 of an MOA per click.
Finally, Let’s Starting Zeroing
Before we zero, let’s get a rest of some kind. I use a mini work table I can haul around easily and usually pair it with a backpack I use as a rest. This allows you to shoot with the most precision possible. A lot of shooters aren’t quite skilled enough to make a tight group at 25 yards, so a rest allows you to increase your precision. Without a tight group, you can’t make meaningful measurements.
We’ll talk about offhand shooting a bit more later.
After I know I’m on target, I mark my shots and then haul myself and my gear to the 25-yard line. I get a good, rested position and sight in. I take my time and practice that good, solid grip on the gun. Your grip means more than your trigger pull when it comes down to repeatable accuracy.
I do that until I’m hitting where I need to be hitting.
Post Zero Testing
Once we have our rested zero, it’s smart to test it from an offhand shooting position. At this point, I like a nice big target. I use an IPSC-sized A zone target, which is a 6×11-inch target, more or less. It’s big, and even at 25 yards, it’s pretty easy to hit. I set this up and shoot for confirmation. Can I land my shots inside the A-Zone?
I look for trends. If my group is entirely low in the offhand, I might need to diagnose my own shooting and make a fix. I also might just dial it up a bit to compensate for that problem until I figure out what I’m doing wrong and how to fix it. I know once I start shooting high consistently, I’ve fixed the problem.
Red dots are very valuable tools, and like most tools, they require training and practice to use. I’d always advise you to seek out a little red dot-oriented training from someone like Scott Jedlinski or Steve Fisher. These guys are very experienced and know the dots inside and out. The difference between a carpenter and a guy with a hammer is knowing how to use your tools.
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