Do Red Dot and Window Sizes Really Matter Much?

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With the explosion in popularity of red-dot sights, beginners and veterans alike are faced with a lot of decisions, not the least of which are how big a window and what size dot are going to suit them best—and how bright should the dot be?

Windows on red-dot sights run the gamut from the large Vortex Defender XL down to Leupold’s DeltaPoint Micro. And when it comes to dot size, some shooters believe the bigger the better, almost as if a hint of northern lights will always guide them to their dot—think Ruger’s 15 m.o.a. ReadyDot—while others prefer the tried-and-true three m.o.a. dot.

But when does size matter and why? Simply put, a larger window means a greater chance of finding the dot upon drawing even if a shooter’s grip isn’t perfect or if the pistol’s sights aren’t perfectly aligned with the shooter’s eye. A bigger dot, even if not centered, will present a blur—a hint of light—in the side or corner of the window, which makes it easier for a shooter to adjust grip in order to center the dot.

But there’s another factor some shoots may not consider. Travis Tomasie, an IPSC world champion and USPSA national champion as well as an instructor, encourages those he coaches to experiment with the brightness of their dot in different lighting conditions.

What A Larger Red Dot Permits

“A larger dot allows the shooter to use a lower brightness setting while still being easy and quick to visually acquire,” Tomasie said. “It should be noted that correctly adjusting the brightness of the dot is one of the most commonly overlooked aspects of using an optic. It can clearly be too dim, but it can also be too bright to achieve optimal performance.”

According to Tomasie, the ideal technique is to keep both eyes open while maintaining target focus.

“When the dot is set too bright it can distract from the target, making it difficult to precisely determine the gun’s position at the moment the gun fires,” he said. “Using a larger dot allows you to dial down the brightness until it appears semi-transparent, enabling better visibility of the target through the dot and improving overall target focus.”

Tomasie notes that despite the common belief that a smaller dot is more accurate, you can achieve the same level of practical accuracy with a bigger dot—but with it dialed down so it’s semi-transparent, as he noted above. “The dot becomes less intrusive and allows for a clearer view of the target, aiding precision without sacrificing speed,” he said. A larger dot also tends to maintain its circular quality better when turned down, and that can be especially important for shooters with astigmatism.

The Case for Smaller Dots

However, there’s a case to be made for smaller dots—and smaller windows as well. For example, Trijicon designed its Trijicon Rugged Miniature Reflex or RMR by prioritizing durable materials and construction over glass size so it can better withstand hard use.

Similarly, while Leupold’s DeltaPoint Pro is built larger overall—with a correspondingly bigger window—it has an outer steel sheath that protects against significant impacts. Other sight manufacturers take this approach, and if ruggedness matters to you, it’s something to consider.

Those who carry concealed may argue a smaller pistol optic is easier to conceal and less likely to snag when drawing from concealment. Conversely, a counter argument is that a concealed handgun’s first and primary purpose is to protect, not hide, and a sight’s primary duty is to help the shooter be confident in making hits.

Shooters who opt for smaller dots may state they prefer a more precise dot for making longer shots. An eight m.o.a. dot may cover the head A Zone of an IPSC target at 25 yards but will extend outside the head at 100 yards.

Common Ground

However, most shooters agree a 100-yard pistol shot is less than advisable. Still, when we are responsible for every bullet that leaves our gun, it’s important to remember Elisjsha Dicken stopped an active shooter from 40 yards within 15 seconds at an Indiana mall in July 2022. (Also worth noting, he was using irons.)

FBI stats claim the average shooting distance in a defense situation is at three yards and is over within three seconds. Some handgun instructors and experts will advise that someone who carries should be proficient up to seven yards. In the competition world, targets rarely exceed 25 yards, but the sizes of the targets can vary.

All to say: The decision of dot or window size is likely a product of whether a person plans for the most likely scenario or skews more toward Murphy’s Law, which states, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”

While there are arguments to be made for either side, technique and training are probably more critical than the size question—or even whether to go with the red dot or stick with irons. “I bet more people have been crushed by trying to find a red dot, trying to acquire a front sight, than just trusting in your foundation, the stance, the grip, the head positioning, the trigger prep and reset, and driving out and making it in one smooth pull,” said former Navy SEAL D.J. Shipley.

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