Does anyone else hate white 3-dot sights?

[Will B. Droopy]

I just got a new pistol with a 3-dot sight, and after taking it to the range a few times I found that I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with it.

I was about to trade the gun in for another pistol, 'cause I thought this particular 3-dot sighted gun had severe accuracy problems, but then I noticed that every time I shot one of my much older guns -- made before 3-dot sights even existed -- I could not only hit targets much more accurately, but the iron sights were much more clear to my aging eyes (less blurry).

I discovered that during the day the white dots would blend in with each other and with the target, causing a blurring of my sight picture. So I blacked out the white dots with a black Sharpie, and voila; the pistol shot as it should!

Anyone else have this problem? Or does everyone love white 3-dot sights?

-Bill

[Team Amish 1]

I personally prefer either black front and rear or FO front and black rear.

The white dots distract me and the size of the paint glob is usually freakishly large - compared to my .04" FO on my Production gun. Skinny frontsight in plain black rocks, too.

So, I feel your pain. Don't care for white.

[lugnut]

Yep. Black on black is all I use.

[Corey]

i had white dots front and rear on my SS gun. 15 seconds and a black Sharpie later I can get a much better sight picture without any loss of speed.

[Sam]

White 3 dot sights are one of the great evils of our age. In my opinion they rank right in there with canned biscuits. And I use the appellation "biscuit" very loosely.

I've always been a top edge of the front sight shooter. I can deal with a fiber optic rod, if the back sight is black.

But white dots?? no way. I'd rather eat a canned biscuit covered in margarine.

[islandtime]

I hate white dot sights like the Novak that comes on the M&P. Not only do you have the white dots to deal with, the rear sight has a cupped shape that help direct glare from the sun to further throw you off.

[edison]

It's not a 3-dot, but i think the glock sights are in the same category. I shoot indoors with bad lighting, plus the targets are usually less then 10 yards away. So I actually love the big white dot, not blurry at all.

[Walküre]

I don't care for the 3-dot system. It can be acceptable for night sights, but there I prefer a two-dot system like the Heinie straight-eight. Unfortunately sights like that aren't available for all makes and models, so sometimes 3-dots are a compromise for readily-available night sights.

For purely competition use, I will not accept anything other than a plain-black, serrated rear. I am leaning towards black serrated fronts as well, but still like the occasional FO front (such as the Brazos MicroDot on my SStk gun).

[Del]

I find three dot sights to much stuff for my eyes

I prefer plain black or front night sight only

[JimmyZip]

I dont ever pay attention to the dots when I use that type of sight anyway. But I have a set of the tritiums on my 10mm housegun. Sure is cool to have those bright three dots right out there when it is dark.

In the light though, I go back to using the top of the sight.

Oh well.

[G-ManBart]

I don't have a problem with them, but they're not my favorite. All of my carry guns have Trijicon sights and that means they sorta have white circles (the glue around the tritium vial is white). R,

[Pezco]

I only use 3 dots for my carry guns with the front dot being a different color. 3 dots is too distracting for me in competition.

[Fishin6061]

A sharpie will do the trick

[scap99]

White 3 dot sights are one of the great evils of our age. In my opinion they rank right in there with canned biscuits. And I use the appellation "biscuit" very loosely.

I've always been a top edge of the front sight shooter. I can deal with a fiber optic rod, if the back sight is black.

But white dots?? no way. I'd rather eat a canned biscuit covered in margarine.

You just had to ruin that biscuit with margarine, didn't you!

although, I do have to agree, I was shooting my XDM and STI side by side today and the 3-dot was very annoying.

[AWLAZS]

I black out the white lines and dots on Glock sights on a regular basis. Many shooters try to line that stuff up to aim and they get discouraged because they miss.

[calishootr]

more often than not i have foundthat if you line up the white dots togetherthen look at the top of the sight picture, its off, have seem morethan once dots that were painted on that came from the factory that werent even centered ontheir respective sights...dont get me started on Glock sights, dont get me wrong, i have several, and host a GSSF match out here, they just droppedthe ball with regard to sights, they arethe firstthings to go on any new Glock i get, last 2 are now equipped with hienie slant pro's black on black

[GrumpyOne]

I just got a new pistol with a 3-dot sight, and after taking it to the range a few times I found that I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with it.

I was about to trade the gun in for another pistol, 'cause I thought this particular 3-dot sighted gun had severe accuracy problems, but then I noticed that every time I shot one of my much older guns -- made before 3-dot sights even existed -- I could not only hit targets much more accurately, but the iron sights were much more clear to my aging eyes (less blurry).

I discovered that during the day the white dots would blend in with each other and with the target, causing a blurring of my sight picture. So I blacked out the white dots with a black Sharpie, and voila; the pistol shot as it should!

Anyone else have this problem? Or does everyone love white 3-dot sights?

-Bill

Start dropping your mags and you won't notice the sights!

(They are distracting, yes!)

[Will B. Droopy]

Start dropping your mags and you won't notice the sights!

GrumpyOne, I'm afraid I may still be mentally incapable of dropping my mags in the dirt and sand and grit, but I promise to work on it!

-Bill

[Avezorak]

I dont like the 3 dot thing. I prefer black on black or maybe a red FO front. I shot a buddys Glock with red FO front and green FO rear and felt like I was being attacked by a Christmas tree...

[policetested]

I prefer to black out the rear be it on stock or night sights. Leaving the white outline on the front sight draws the eye to it.

[Phil G]

I like the black rear sight and a fiber optic or white dot on the front. The Fiber optic or the white dot on the front sight seems to give my "old eyes" a more "distinct" front sight to focus on.

Phil G

[Team Amish 1]

3 white dots and "ball-in-basket" sight (you know I am am talking about YOU, Mr. G.) are plain AWFUL!

There, I said it. I feel a little better now.

[West Texas Granny]

I had an older gentleman at the range the other day suggest that I open my rear sights a bit with a file. He said the open space was important to accurately sight in on the target. Any response.

[JimmyZip]

I had an older gentleman at the range the other day suggest that I open my rear sights a bit with a file. He said the open space was important to accurately sight in on the target. Any response.

If you like your sights as they are right now, leave them be. I shot for years with a large front blade, and small light on either side, and have tried the thinner front more recently. On the up close, the wide notch is great. You can shoot your sights for score really fast. I though, miss that wide front sight sometimes on the long shots. I get more feedback on the longer shots with a wider front. Either way, shooting for groups at various distances will tell you what your sight picture should be, and where your gun is hitting. (Where you need to adjust, the sights or you.)

After my initial response to this thread, I realized that as of late I have painted all my all black sights with a distress yellow across the tops of all three. Kinda like what several shooters were doing in front sight with tape, only I use nail laquer, and mask them so that the lines are all the same when I hold my pistol on target. These sights really pop, but are not white, and for some reason my evye just likes this particular color.

So I guess I do like something like three dots. More like three bars.

[BLUTO]

3 dot sight flat SUCK.

Of course I like FO's quite a bit and I guess that qualifies as 3 dots, just colored

The only thing worse it tritium 3 dot. Picked up a Kimber and of amazingly the dot front and bar rear seems to be workable.