Red dot confusion

[olp73]

I have a side mounted c-more on my Tanfoglio open (major9) gun. Everything works great even thou I think it looks like shit. The dot is really low and the ejection is flawless, nothing on top that might get in the way.

The only problem is………I can understand what is the benefit form a top mounted cmore, because I did try the classic way first, which gave me a load of ejection problems based on the fact that the brass where hitting under the mount at least 5 times for every 100 rounds, but I do not understand the benefits compared to for example a top mounted old fashion tube red dot, like an Aimpoint. Maybe the weight? People used to say that the Aimpoint blocks the view? (cmore because you see more). I don’t think this is true anymore. My c-more blocks just as much of my view as any Aimpoint. (not that it is a problem but I have heard the argument many times)

Other arguments for the side mount are: The dot is really low, but so is an Aimpoint. It helps ejection especially on 9mm major guns. True, but this has never been a problem with tube sights either.

And last but not least, and this is the solution that I am considering, what about top mounting a micro sight like the Leopold Delta Point? It seams to give a low dot in a small package and the sight can be mounted far enough forward so it never interferes with ejection.

What am I missing?

[Joe4d]

Tube sights didnt cause problems because they wernt on 9mm's, just like standard Cmore mounts dont cause problems with 38's. The side mounts do two things, help with 9mm ejection and get the dot closer to the bore for shooters that switch from iron sights to dots.

To date the Dr Optic, Burris, Optima 2000, type sights just dont hold up and arnt dependable. Maybe the Delta will change that. Alot of people tried the style, got burned and went back to the cmore. Alot of those people arent so quick to jump back on the bandwagon with the newest one to come out.

[Chris iliff]

For ease of explanation let's pretend the bullet path is completely straight. When your sighting device is above your bore a lot(traditional Cmore mount) you are aligning that axis with your bullet at your zero(10 yards or whatever).

Draw a straight line across a paper. This is your bullet path. Put a dot in middle. This dot is your ZERO. Now on one end, you decide, about an inch higher than the line, start drawing a straight line to that dot in the middle. This is your sighting plane. Continue the line through the dot. Should look like a tall skinny X that fell over.

Notice that your sighting plane gets lower as distance increases.

This is the problem that side mounted Cmores correct. They lower the sighting plane and help eliminate guessing about hold on longer shots.

It gets funky holding low on a plate at 40 yards, but depending on your ZERO, you might have to with a traditional Cmore mount.

[Flexmoney]

And last but not least, and this is the solution that I am considering, what about top mounting a micro sight like the Leopold Delta Point? It seams to give a low dot in a small package and the sight can be mounted far enough forward so it never interferes with ejection.

What am I missing?

I'm not a great fan of smaller window of the micro red dots. You end up..."seeing less".

[2alpha]

Don't look thru a window, look at the target and let the dot appear. The more junk in the way the more difficult it is. If you are pointing correctly the dot will be there, if not it may not make any difference how big your screen is.

The reason Cmores got popular is they are lighter and more reliable (in some ways) than the old Beer Can PDP4 and the like. Funny thing is a PDP 4 on a mount has the dot a little closer to the bore than a normal Cmore mounted.

[Foxbat]

For ease of explanation let's pretend the bullet path is completely straight. When your sighting device is above your bore a lot(traditional Cmore mount) you are aligning that axis with your bullet at your zero(10 yards or whatever).

Draw a straight line across a paper. This is your bullet path. Put a dot in middle. This dot is your ZERO. Now on one end, you decide, about an inch higher than the line, start drawing a straight line to that dot in the middle. This is your sighting plane. Continue the line through the dot. Should look like a tall skinny X that fell over.

Notice that your sighting plane gets lower as distance increases.

This is the problem that side mounted Cmores correct. They lower the sighting plane and help eliminate guessing about hold on longer shots.

It gets funky holding low on a plate at 40 yards, but depending on your ZERO, you might have to with a traditional Cmore mount.

Well, that is true in the theoretical sense. In reality, if you zero your sight at 25 meters, then you would need to hold it low by a couple of inches at 50 meters... (presuming a typical 115 gr bullet leaving the barrel at somewhat over 1400fps)

I dare say the spread of a typical gun in the hands of a typical shooter will be many times that number.

And yes, dropping the sight by roughly an inch (as the side mount would) WILL bring the sight point and impact point even closer together... but truly... is it of ANY practical importance?

[RH45]

A friend of mine made some mounts for Fastfires. They are ahead of the ejection port, so the scope is out of the way, and I believe it's as close to the bore as my sideways mount, but, the window is sooo small!

[Hi-Power Jack]

This is the problem that side mounted Cmores correct. They lower the sighting plane and help eliminate guessing about hold on longer shots.

It gets funky holding low on a plate at 40 yards, but depending on your ZERO, you might have to with a traditional Cmore mount.

Good explanation, but what I do is to set the sights for longer shots

(25 yards) and then the problem is for close head shots (they love them

on many COF's) I have to aim at the Top of the Head so the bullets drop

2" into the A zone. No problem at distant targets that way.

Jack

[Bansheex]

I had the same ejection issues with my XDM, carver mount, and C-More optic. I milled a spacer plate for the bottom of the sight and it cured the problem.

[olp73]

I finally found a mount that I like but it is made for a C-more STS and I want to use the DP. It has only two holes for mounting so if the mounting holes in the two sights are equally spaced It should work, but are they?

Edited May 5, 2011 by olp73