New to the carry optics game...

[gregkl]

Just curious to hear y’all’s opinion. I’m cross eye dominant and I’ve been considering trying out a pistol optic. Does an optic help or hurt the eye dominance issue?


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I'm cross dominant and I don't think it hurts at all. I find it much easier to keep both eyes open and focus on the dot (though I should be focusing on the target).

With irons, I see two images at times.

 

[gregkl]

I think your last paragraph is a big part of it. I would say trigger control is an issue for you (as it is for most people to some extent) and the 1911 is going to be a much more forgiving platform for that problem.

Another issue many people, including myself, have with a RDS is over confirming the dot. In actual practice we should be more target focused shooting a dot gun with the dot visible but not actually looking at it. Focusing on the dot and waiting for it to settle will definitely slow you down.

Thanks! I'm sure I spend too much time over confirming the dot. I should do a range session where I concentrate on focusing on the target and sending the round once it's visible.

Of course, then my mind won't be on proper grip and trigger pull, lol. I just can't seem to put it all together yet.

 

[TomO]

I'm cross dominant and I don't think it hurts at all. I find it much easier to keep both eyes open and focus on the dot (though I should be focusing on the target).

With irons, I see two images at times.

Great - thanks for the info!


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[bwframe]

My Holosun 509T arrived a week ago. (Price finally came down to my range.) I moved the Vortex viper to the G19 and put the 509T on the G45 right away, temporarily zeroing to the suppressor sights.

I've not been to the range, but after a week of carrying and a varying daily dry fire routine, I'm pretty happy so far. Since confirming a bigger/brighter dot was faster for my older eyes by shooting USPSA PCC, I was thinking the Holosun circle/dot reticle might be helpful for me. I like it a lot.

I initially set the sight to auto mode, which varies the reticle intensity according to ambient light. Initially, this seems to work pretty well while in and around my place most of the time. The true test will be how well the sight brightens at the range in the noon sun brightness, especially when coming from under a cover garment.

I switched the sight to manual mode today for the first time beyond initial turn on. More dryfire work is needed in the dark, but when I run the X300, with the sight in auto mode, the white light washes out the Holosun reticle to the point that it's slow to pick up in my white walled house interior. I was happy that the manual mode remembered the last setting where it was used.

We'll see if switching to manual mode will turn into a daily routine when the light goes on the gun at bedtime? I don't EDC the light on the gun, although I have gear and training to be effective doing it, should the need arise.

Maybe it's just the Vortex Viper RDS design, but it seems to be quite the dust magnet. I have learned to look through the dust, dirt, pollen, dead skin cells, but I'm sure a dirty lens bugs the crap out of some folks. If not cleaned every day, the Viper has a noticeable accumulation, when riding on my hip anyway.

The closed-emitter 509T SURE DOES solve the dust/dirt issue. I have cleaned the lenses only twice in a week. Compared to the accumulation on the Viper lens, it could be argued that there was no need for cleaning the lenses at all. The configuration of the 509T does make it simple for field cleaning. Blow off the lenses and wipe with your shirt.

 

[dudley0]

I switched my 507 to manual mode because when in a dark room looking out to a bright area it washed out on auto. I have it turned up pretty far as well, so when I am in the sun it doesn't disappear. In a dark room the circle/dot is pretty intense tho. Haven't been able to find that happy medium I guess.

Since I carry daily while I work I am noticing the dust accumulation more. Maybe I should look into a closed version as well.

Ugg, I just got set up and now already talking about an upgrade.

 

[bwframe]

I switched my 507 to manual mode because when in a dark room looking out to a bright area it washed out on auto. I have it turned up pretty far as well, so when I am in the sun it doesn't disappear. In a dark room the circle/dot is pretty intense tho. Haven't been able to find that happy medium I guess.

Since I carry daily while I work I am noticing the dust accumulation more. Maybe I should look into a closed version as well.

Ugg, I just got set up and now already talking about an upgrade.

I'm still up in air about the auto setting also. I think it's interesting to watch the intensity change when you cover the solar panel/sensor.

The auto setting works a lot of the time. I want to like it, but... Time will tell.

 

[MCgrease08]

I'm still up in air about the auto setting also. I think it's interesting to watch the intensity change when you cover the solar panel/sensor.

The auto setting works a lot of the time. I want to like it, but... Time will tell.

I don't mess around with the auto setting jazz. I may play around with brightness when practicing, but for carry I set on second or third brightest and lock it in. I don't ever want to pull the pistol in a defensive scenario and have a washed out dot.

 

[bwframe]

I notice that if I use the "rhino" head index with the handheld light that the sensor on the 509T picks up the momentary on/off pretty well. It changes the reticle intensity instantly.

No way to make this happen with the X300 WML though.

................................................

Just so I'm clear MCgrease08, you set your brightness to the highest setting, then back it down one or two levels of intensity? Then you switch into lockout mode, so the sight cannot be adjusted without switching back into manual mode?

 

[dudley0]

Just so I'm clear MCgrease08, you set your brightness to the highest setting, then back it down one or two levels of intensity? Then you switch into lockout mode, so the sight cannot be adjusted without switching back into manual mode?

Can't answer for him, but that is what I am doing. Yes it is a bit intense inside where it is darker, but I can still see it when I am outside and look for something bright like a gravel drive.

I also definitely lock it as well. Still remember checking clear, handing it to a guy to see what he thought and he couldn't find the dot at all. After explaining that it takes some getting used to I took the pistol back only to not have a dot. It was in manual mode and I guess he swept the - with his thumb enough to turn it almost all the way down.

 

[MCgrease08]

Just so I'm clear MCgrease08, you set your brightness to the highest setting, then back it down one or two levels of intensity? Then you switch into lockout mode, so the sight cannot be adjusted without switching back into manual mode?

I think I just keep it in manual mode, but on one of the brighter settings. I guess I haven't bothered to move it to lockout mode.

I am more concerned about the optic auto adjusting to make the reticle dimmer because it's under my shirt than I am about me accidentally hitting the button to make it dimmer myself.

 

[Dean C.]

I agree with MC on this one , I run all of my 507's at setting 7 as I find it is the best for indoors and out even when using a X300

 

[tv1217]

I wanna try a red dot on a pistol. It's not really an option for me on rifles because I have astigmatism and instead of a well defined dot, I get kind of a starburst. However a defensive range it wouldn't matter nearly as much.

 

[bwframe]

I still have yet to make it to the range. Moving around the house and dry firing, with an occasional venture outside, I am liking the auto setting on the Holosun 509T. I do switch modes (twice) to lock the buttons and intensity to 8 when I put the x300 on at night. Some might call the mode changing a PIA, but early in I actually appreciate getting a built-in familiarization of understanding of the sight's functions.

I am really really liking how clean the lenses stay on the closed emitter RDS. No more Qtip a day. I begin to notice a little buildup in 3-4 days, but certainly not enough to question shooting through. Even after a dusty garden or weed eating day, hardly any buildup compared to the dirt funnel the Vortex Viper was.

Downside of the 509T is that it's profile is tougher to conceal, if one doesn't carry appendix. The squared sight corners stick out a little more. I've bounced the sight off a few door frames and such. I'm afraid it might be rough on shirts?

 

[dudley0]

Cool that you can make the switch from auto and back. My problem is when I am in a darker area looking into a bright area on auto. I washes the sight out for my eyes.

I work in dirt and dust almost daily (unfortunately) and have noticed some build up from it. Haven't tried a q-tip but will right now, just to see.... can't seem to get the thing down into the emitter. I just use the cloth they provided to clean the glass. Maybe a can of air would help me?

I like the closed emitter idea except for the larger footprint. I can see me bashing the hell out of the thing. Not that it would hurt it, but it makes a noise that is hard to conceal.

I have had some sharp rear sights that ate up my tee so much that I hit the edges with a file.

Still liking the circle/dot combo. Last pistol range trip was good for me. Hitting 8 inch plates at 30 yards pretty consistently. Plan for the next trip to run dot torture just to bring me back to reality.

 

[SpaceManNR]

I'm cross dominant and I don't think it hurts at all. I find it much easier to keep both eyes open and focus on the dot (though I should be focusing on the target).

With irons, I see two images at times.

So you use your weak eye with both eyes open? That never worked well for me. If I use my weak eye, I need to close my dominant one.
Have you considered the head tilt? Gives you the advantages of using dominant hand, dominant eye, and both eyes open

 

[gregkl]

So you use your weak eye with both eyes open? That never worked well for me. If I use my weak eye, I need to close my dominant one.
Have you considered the head tilt? Gives you the advantages of using dominant hand, dominant eye, and both eyes open

I use my strong eye. I do the tilt. People laugh. But they know why.

The dot seems to make it not as important to use my dominant eye as it is with irons.

 

[bwframe]

I still have yet to make it to the range. Moving around the house and dry firing, with an occasional venture outside, I am liking the auto setting on the Holosun 509T. I do switch modes (twice) to lock the buttons and intensity to 8 when I put the x300 on at night. Some might call the mode changing a PIA, but early in I actually appreciate getting a built-in familiarization of understanding of the sight's functions.

I am really really liking how clean the lenses stay on the closed emitter RDS. No more Qtip a day. I begin to notice a little buildup in 3-4 days, but certainly not enough to question shooting through. Even after a dusty garden or weed eating day, hardly any buildup compared to the dirt funnel the Vortex Viper was.

Downside of the 509T is that it's profile is tougher to conceal, if one doesn't carry appendix. The squared sight corners stick out a little more. I've bounced the sight off a few door frames and such. I'm afraid it might be rough on shirts?

I reluctantly changed my holster position and cant after ogling myself in the mirror. It looked as if my holster was doing the opposite of pulling the back part of the gun into my body. The grip of my G45 was actually leaning out from the wilderness belt and consequently so was the 509T that keeps tearing up my shirts running into stuff.

I had been running with the cant further forward, not because I preferred it that way for the draw, but to keep the grip higher on my side vs making a bump on the back of my shirt. After the mirror study, I dropped the holster down a screw on the rear.

This seemed to pull the gun into me much better along with moving the holster slightly forward to 2:50-55. The forward movement removed the grip shirt bump and brought the 509T into some belly fat that I need to continue to work on.

The change feels slightly different as far as carry, but the draw is the same. I've got my 5 mile step count in the last couple days, (let alone 90 degrees,) so it looks like comfort and or pain won't be an issue. We'll see...

 

[DadSmith]

I agree with MC on this one , I run all of my 507's at setting 7 as I find it is the best for indoors and out even when using a X300

I have a 507 when locked out will it auto shut down when not in use and shake awake? Or does it stay on all the time at that setting?

 

[dudley0]

It will still shut off and shake awake unless you turn that portion off as well. Mine is set to shake awake and is locked into a specific brightness setting.

 

[bwframe]

It will still shut off and shake awake unless you turn that portion off as well. Mine is set to shake awake and is locked into a specific brightness setting.

Have you found simple way to test whether the shake awake is actually going dark, when the sight is at rest?