Are you thinking about mounting an optic to your carry pistol? This article will show you how to mount an optic on your carry pistol. Although mini red dots sights (MRDS), are not new, they have been adopted by many people in the last few years. It can be a great advantage if you know how to make the most of the dot. However, bad advice can quickly turn that advantage into an advantage. We won’t get into MRDS topics that have been beaten down to death. Instead, we will talk you through some of my favorite math. The pace at which new products are introduced in the gun industry is a constant struggle. Don’t let this discourage you. There are many lessons to be learned from making mistakes, provided you’re humble enough to learn from them. No matter your level of math ability, a deeper understanding is bound to lead to a better range…maybe.
In simplest terms, minute-of-angle or MOA is an angle measurement that equates with 1.047 inches/100 yards. Or, more precisely, one MOA (that’s 0.016666666666666 degrees) has a total 21,600 MOA within a 360 degree circle. The common misconception that MOA means “about one inch at 100 yards” is incorrect. It is an angular measurement that will change in value based on distance. It is important to remember that MOA, although it is a cone-shaped measurement is used often as a two dimensional measurement. This will be useful when discussing zeroing your pistol. The two-dimensional MOA can be compared to a pie. It is a thin slice of pie with the crust pointed away from you. Your 1 MOA slice equals 0.1571 inches of crust at 15 yards. At 25 yards, it equals 0.2618 inches of pie crust. Take these measurements and apply them on the open end of a birthday hat. The MOA birthday hat can also be used to measure the reticle size, target size, and bullet hole size. Nothing. Nothing.
We have now established that MOA can be described as an angular measurement. How does this affect the value of adjustment clicks at known distances? We know that almost every MRDS on market uses a 1 MOA click value. This translates to 1.047 inch of movement at 100 yards per Click. The 1 MOA click for moving the target to the 10-yard line is now worth 0.1047 inches. The truth is that everything’s MOA value will change with distance. If you shoot a 1-inch group at 10 meters, why is zeroing out that 1-inch ragged hole more useful than a 2.5 inch group at 25 yards. Each 9.5493 MOA group has the same number of clicks, so why would a 25-yard group have more clicks? Some, such as the Shield RMSw have a slow refresh rate, and require a silly, easy to lose tool for its clickless adjustment screws. This will help you identify where the true point of impact is, depending on how you pulled some shots. The 25-yard group has another advantage. The bullet hole’s diameter has less impact on the perceived size of your group. It is much easier to eyeball the distance to the intended point of aim when you have to guess at the nearest 0.2618 inches than it is to guess at the nearest 0.1047 inches. The cone of fire expands as you increase distance. This is because click values and accuracy are dependent on the angular deviation from the center of target when the shot goes bang.
There is no one right way to zero a CCW-red dot. But there are many wrong ways. Zeroing your dot without a bag or rest is the biggest mistake. I don’t use a rest unless the target is 25 yards away. After that, the rest is dependent upon the shooter’s skill. If you refuse to use the rest, you could end up zeroing to compensate for your shooting deficiencies, rather than getting the point where the impact is as close as possible. It’s not a good idea to make your shooting weaknesses look like a flinch. You don’t want to make your shooting weaknesses worse. Keep the red dot dimmed until it is barely visible. We’ll explain why shortly. Once you have shot your five-round string, return the target and use the click value table in this article and a measuring instrument to adjust the target. Send the target back to your yard marker, firing three to five rounds to confirm that you are on target. You’ll need to shoot five rounds, so you can either use your range bag, or find a rest that you can shoot from. To apply the correct amount clicks, you will need to retrieve the target. After marking your hits, send the target back downrange and confirm. Send a new target to the 25-yard mark or as far as you have range. Shoot a string (10 rounds, slow fire, breaks as necessary) to see how they impact. Your best judgement is required when making adjustments. Remember that your movements have an impact on where the bullets impact.
You might be curious as to why your red dot should be dimmed when zeroing. Diffraction is a process that causes a dot to expand or blow out of its original size. Starburst occurs when you see a light source that is brighter than the ambient. If the starburst were perfectly uniform, it would make the dot appear larger. (Dot images simulated).Unfortunately, the possibility of it appearing perfectly uniform is almost impossible thanks to very tiny imperfections in your cornea. As you increase brightness, the shape of the red dot will change. You’ll notice the one side growing more as you press down on the brightness button. This uneven blooming effect can affect your ability to take precise shots at distances, such as when zeroing the gun. If you want to speed things up, crank that dot up. No Blinky Dots
Although the refresh rate of a red spot isn’t directly related with today’s math lesson it will impact your ability place precise shots. The refresh rate is due to the way LEDs are dimmed for the eye. This is called pulse width modulation. It causes a dimming effect that happens much faster than you can see. You may be able see the gaps between pulses depending on how your red dots are made. This can affect your ability to call your shots during string, or even your ability to accurately place a shot because of the long pulse width. It will be difficult to figure out why two shots hit the target low to the left if you don’t have the ability to call your shots. You can see the red streak from a functioning MRDS and identify its origin. This will allow you to determine which shots you sent to Shanksville.
You can see the value in this pocket protector-level pistol-nerd stuff. Target grids and bullseye sizes can be downloaded in MOA. Get Free Targets
