Best dot size

[dmshozer1]

What is the best dot size to use for rim fire steel challenge shooting?

[8shooter]

Everyone is different. I always liked a 4 -6 for speed and 2 for accuracy

[photoracer]

I like 2-4 MOA for accuracy. I used to use 6-8 MOA for speed until another shooter turned me on to using 12-16 MOA for speed and now that is all I use for steel shooting.

Edited September 6, 2016 by photoracer

[jkrispies]

I've tried 2, 4, and 8.  8 wins hands-down.  

[Tom E]

C-more with a 16 minute dot.

[jkrispies]

I think that you'll find competitors who are shooting speed events like Steel Challenge will gravitate towards the larger dots because they are faster to pick up than smaller ones.  I've never shot the Ruger series but I believe that there's more accuracy shots there so they may want a smaler dot.  Now if you're shooting a red dot on a 3 gun type rifle with 300+ yard shots, they will go down to 2moa otherwise they can't see the target under the dot.  It depends on the game and to a certain extent I'd imagine your eyesight.  Since this is the SC forum I'll assume that's your game, and I'd recommend starting with 8moa and going up from there if that's not big enough. 

[zzt]

I shoot all rimfire events with an 8MOA dot.  I shoot Open major with a 6MOA dot, and prefer it.  All my other action pistols wear 8MOA Burris FF3 sights. 3MOA, unless the dot is blazingly bright, is hard to pick up in bright sunlight, especially when the sun is behind you.

[stango424]

I'm using 6's right now for steel considering trying the 10's for next year. The 10 I tried out didn't get lost in the sun as much as the 6 both with new batteries.  I shoot steel league mostly in the evenings and the sun setting sometimes causes problems

[photoracer]

That is one reason why I listened to my buddy Mike S and went to the big dots he has been using for years. Robby Orent told me many years ago he just used 8 MOA and turned it up to max. I tried that and did not like the flared out dot it created. I prefer the dot has clean edges. For some events I turn the power down till the dot is just past bright and almost transparent. But for steel I turn it up high but not to the flaring point. For one thing if you have any astigmatism a larger dot will be much rounder than a smaller dot so getting off center is not as much of a problem due to seeing a misshapen dot using a smaller one. Also in stages like S&H where you often point shoot most of the plates the bigger dot is still visible in your brain as you pass over the plates so you know where it is in relation to where your barrel is pointing. Also a known optical eye phenomenon is a bigger dot looks to your brain like it is wiggling less than a small one.

[jdphotoguy]

photoracer, thanks, that's some useful information.

[dmshozer1]

14 hours ago, photoracer said:

That is one reason why I listened to my buddy Mike S and went to the big dots he has been using for years. Robby Orent told me many years ago he just used 8 MOA and turned it up to max. I tried that and did not like the flared out dot it created. I prefer the dot has clean edges. For some events I turn the power down till the dot is just past bright and almost transparent. But for steel I turn it up high but not to the flaring point. For one thing if you have any astigmatism a larger dot will be much rounder than a smaller dot so getting off center is not as much of a problem due to seeing a misshapen dot using a smaller one. Also in stages like S&H where you often point shoot most of the plates the bigger dot is still visible in your brain as you pass over the plates so you know where it is in relation to where your barrel is pointing. Also a known optical eye phenomenon is a bigger dot looks to your brain like it is wiggling less than a small one.

Good stuff,

Sounds like something bigger than a 8 moa dot is the way to go.

Thanks

 

[GOF]

I have a Burris FFIII 8 MOA on my S&W Victory RFPO gun. I shot it many times with the dot set at "auto setting" (first hit on the switch) It seemed to 'bloom' a bit on me outdoors, and especially on 10-12 inch plates at 20 yards, and I didn't feel 'solid' with the bloom. One practice stage (Pendulem) I turned the dot down to mid power (two clicks down)...What a difference! Still had 8 MOA dot, but now sharply defined on distant 10-12 inch plates.

It made a difference to me. I'm only a B Class shooter right now, but I have run 3.09 on Five To Go and 2.98 on Accelerator... and feel much more positive and flowing with that 8 MOA medium power setting. I expect that I might climb into A Class with it.

Big dots are easy to find... but if the dot overpowers the target you can get a miss, and add time to what should be a smooth run.

I have a 6.5 RMR, auto adjust dot only, on my SW CORE (B Class there in CO) and it seems to work well. It doesn't overpower the target.

I'm not certain that bigger is always better.

[rooster mcbee]

2 minutes ago, GOF said:

I have a Burris FFIII 8 MOA on my S&W Victory RFPO gun. I shot it many times with the dot set at "auto setting" (first hit on the switch) It seemed to 'bloom' a bit on me outdoors, and especially on 10-12 inch plates at 20 yards, and I didn't feel 'solid' with the bloom. One practice stage (Pendulem) I turned the dot down to mid power (two clicks down)...What a difference! Still had 8 MOA dot, but now sharply defined on distant 10-12 inch plates.

It made a difference to me. I'm only a B Class shooter right now, but I have run 3.09 on Five To Go and 2.98 on Accelerator... and feel much more positive and flowing with that 8 MOA medium power setting. I expect that I might climb into A Class with it.

Big dots are easy to find... but if the dot overpowers the target you can get a miss, and add time to what should be a smooth run.

I have a 6.5 RMR, auto adjust dot only, on my SW CORE (B Class there in CO) and it seems to work well. It doesn't overpower the target.

I'm not certain that bigger is always better.

I agree.  My 59 year old eyes don't see the tiny dots too well these days, but I can see 6-12 easily enough.  I usually shoot a 12 in my C-more, while my adult daughter prefers an 8.  I change to an 8 sometimes just to try it out again, and I always notice that even though the dot is smaller, it seems more precise, and just as bright as the 12 moa.  Smaller works better for me on Pendulum and Outer Limits.  

[photoracer]

I have an RMR on the G34 I got for 3-gun. It came used with a 3.25 illuminated dot which I did not like. After it malfunctioned I tried a 6.5 dot one. Then I looked thru a dual illuminated one on a friend's gun and while it was a little dimmer (no battery model) I liked the size so waited till I found a dealer with the one that had the dual illuminated 9 MOA green dot and bought that one. I shoot that setup in SC and USPSA all steel matches. Shot that when I did Max's class instead of my STI.

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[bigdawgbeav]

The good news is that if you don't like the dot size on a C-More, you can change it for $50

[photoracer]

I have every C-More dot size from 4-16 MOA.

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[Mully383]

I went from 3.5 to 6 and didn't notice much of a difference. Just got a new DPP and it seems easier to find the dot on this one even though it's a 2.5 moa. For me the brightness helps more then the size of the dot. 

[AzShooter]

I've settled on the 12 minute dot for my C-Mores.  Covers only 3 inches at 25 yards and is great for speed and shooting groups. I run the C-More at 7 power and find it bright enough for even the sunniest days here in the desert and there is no star burst affect to the dot.  The 12 minute is much faster to pick up on the target than the 3 minute dots.