Which night sights: Heinie or XS Big Dot?

[Loves2Shoot]

Originally Posted by K71BL

... (Q1) in a combat situation, this alignment becomes fairly mute, my brain finds it much easier to "dot the i".

So here's my question. (Q2)If stress-fire really slows us down and gives us tunnel vision, and people such as yourself and James Yeager can shoot and hit pepper poppers at 100 yds with Big Dots or just a slide profile, why do we even mess with putting $100 + worth of technology on the end of our pistols, (Q3) argue about which is best (guilty), (Q4)only to not use, or even see them when we need them most?

Q1 - If you are shooting fast, you want to use the tip of the sight, when the rear sight "completes the line" you break the shot. I'll add an illustration.

Q2 - A. Because I spend most of my shooting time trying to be fast and accurate, without sights, it it slower and less precise at distances past 5-7 yards. I regularly shoot 50 yards. Using your sights, you can know exactly where the shot went the instant it is fired by knowing the alignment of the sights, this is also know as "calling the shot."

Q3 - I think sharing the why is important. I've had these conversations with the best shooters in the world and they all agree, and since I don't have a dog in the fight to push any particular product, I think sharing knowledge is a good thing to do.

Q4 - I can not out shoot my sights, and even as fast as I can shot accurately (5-7 shots per second) I can see my sights on every shot. Training myself to use them will mean that if I'm in an emergency situation, my brain will recognize a good and bad sight picture, even if I can't remember it.



A. Standard sight picture, at close range anything with the front post inside the notch is a good shot.

B. Close range (shooting the notch)

C. XS sight picture

[KenW.]

The XS "Big Dot" sights are just that. Big Humungus front sight. It covers almost all the entire target if you shoot standard targets beyond 10-15 yards.

If someone is hiting steel targets at LONG range they must have an unlimited supply of training ammo.

[samuse]

I would vote Heinie slant pro with race cut at .140 maybe some tritium

[crushload]

holy thread resurrection! j/k
I have had my XS big dots on now for less than two months. So far my impressions are:

-super-quick target and sight acquisition at close range (sub 10 yards)!
-difficult to aim at far range (20 yds +) because of dot's size
-doesn't seem that bright in the dark
-vertical alignment much easier for me than mainstream 3-dot trijicon.
-Still trying to find out the answer to the question "Is the dot's point location REALLY where my bullet went?"

Loves2shoot: thanks for the explanations and illustrations! So are you saying that with the XS sights they are not as accurate or fast as a 3-dot setup b/c the tip of the front big dot cannot be seen/determined? I'm confused.

I regularly shoot between 5-10 yds, and max out at 15 yds. Also a lot of shooting on the move (LEO, non-competition). What is your recommendation for tried and true speed and accuracy under these conditions then?

[Loves2Shoot]

Originally Posted by crushload

Loves2shoot: thanks for the explanations and illustrations! So are you saying that with the XS sights they are not as accurate or fast as a 3-dot setup b/c the tip of the front big dot cannot be seen/determined? I'm confused.

They are fine up close, but I do not think they are faster. You don't look at the dots, they just get your attention, re-read what I wrote above (Q1-Q2). You look at the tip of the sight, not the dot. With the big dot you don't get the side to side feed back quickly.