It absolutely blows my mind the wealth of knowledge you have and are willing to share. I have never once skipped even a second of your videos. They are literally a goldmine
Aaron is an absolute gold mine of information. Anytime I’m going to make a purchase, I check and see if he has a review on whatever it is I’m buying. Love your content Aaron! Keep it up
All the more reason to be methodical in your zeroing process, as Aaron advocates. Tip: After zeroing for your carry ammo, get a good quality boresight laser cartridge, determine where the laser dot is with respect to your red dot optic at 25 yards, and make a note (usually they don’t exactly match up). Then, when you need to re-check zero (after an RMR battery change, for example) you can use the boresight to re-check the relative zero (relative to your actual red dot) and get closer with less ammo. In three years doing this sort of thing, I have yet to see any real zeroing change from mounting/dismounting RMR’s with well engineered mounting solutions and a calibrated torque wrench (using plates with precise RMR posts, mill jobs with precise RMR posts). Plates without posts, or direct-mill jobs without posts, or free-handing the bolts, will often require an actual re-zero. YMMV.
@@shinigami1925 why is the red dot zero different from what you co-witness with iron sights? (sorry for the dumb question) I'm guessing it is related to how you shoot vs where the sights point, but that would require your shooting to be very consistently away from where the sights line up, wouldn't it?
@@chtomlin Irons are regulated for 15 yards in my particular case. Some folks roll without irons at all (many gamers). So the bore laser solution is an independent means to solve the issue with less ammo.
The concise knowledge spoken so fluidly and understandably makes for a very helpful guide . He kinda reminds me of Matt Damon's character in 'Good Will Hunting.'
Thank you! Your technique, conservative adjustments steps, and detailed narrative are my now gold standard. Investing so much time for sharing knowledge vs. learning is greatly appreciated! Your videos in general are outstanding! Thanks again.
Another great explanation and I got the first video. Since I have and MRO on my AR15 that I full co witness, I just zeroed the RMR directly not relying on slaving. Didn’t see the need to. Your videos helped me adjust to it very quickly and I appreciate it. “Raise the back plate to your nose and you will pick up the red dot”. The best tip!! Thanks Aaron.
April, 2019: "Handgun ammunition isn't that expensive." October, 2020: "We are changing from five-shot strings to one-shot strings." ;) Thank you for this very informative video. I am pretty new to red dots and this helped me a lot.
Ammo is CRAZY. I just bought a Glock 19 and I didn't know about the ammo situation, while they were running me to buy the gun I was looking at ammo, i saw the G2 RIP ammo (60 bucks for 20) and i told the guy " man these bullets better kill my target without me aiming" and he looked at me like I was nuts, I then kept looking at the ammo seeing similar prices, I was like.... WTF???
In January 2020 you could buy a box 9mm fmj for less than $10.00 that same box today if you can find it is $60 to $70 Cheaper than dirt is robbing people blind best advise go to your store everyday a couple if you can
@@TheProdigalSon325 Please do no buy or carry that gimmicky RIP ammo. Get a good quality hollow point like Federal HST, Speer Gold Dot, Hornady Critical Defense or something similar.
in the military we changed from 5 to 3. becaue the thought behind it is, if you cant hit it with 3, wont hit it with 5. save the 2 rounds add 1 round and adjust the group
If I don’t have a sand bag on me I also use my zip lock bag filled with 9mm rounds in it for surprisingly good improvised stability. Great vid as always bro
Thanks for this video, I am getting ready to do a glock mos build with a trijicon rmr hrs. I will definitely be watching this again when I get finished with the build.
I24gr federal American Eagle is very close to 124 gr gold dot in my VP 9 Thank you for making these videos they have been invaluable to me and many other shooters. I appreciate you sharing your wealth of knowledge
This came out at the perfect time. I just bought my first RMR (RM06) and as soon as the sights get here (friday) it's going on the gun. Another chunk of information right when I needed it 🤙🏻
In my experience, if you carry Federal 147 gr HST standard pressure than you can use speer lawman 147 gr or American eagle 147 gr (I believe they are they same loading - just different brands from the same manufacturer) for the intial zero and then only need to make make minor adjustments with HST, saving a significant amount of premium carry ammo. In the long run it may be worth finding a range ammo that performs similarly to your carry ammo just for this purpose.
Good tip... Fyi, Speer and American Eagle are brands owned by Federal Ammunition, which of course makes Federal HST as well.... Federal does now offer a “train and protect” package which gives you training fmj and hst of the same weight and is supposedly the same trajectory/velocity etc.
thanks for the clarification. I actually commented on your last video when you said you should never slave your red dot to your iron sights and referenced an even earlier video when you said you should...now it makes sense. I really enjoy your videos. Your passion educating people really comes through. No ego or macho bullshit, I wold love to attend one of your training classes.
The illustrations are a great idea. I've had a few people ask to look through my RMR equipped G19 at some local matches. First thing they do is line up the irons and comment that the dot is below. I try to explain. Still amazes me that people who couldn't imagine shooting a carbine without a dot can't open up their minds to shooting a pistol with a dot. I don't even waste my breath anymore, and exclusively refer people to your videos, whether it's for techniques like this one or tests of various dots.
I know someone who at first thought he had to flip up ONLY the front sight on his carbine to shoot, thinking he was supposed to put the dot on the front sight post to aim. It only took one shot after I had him lower the irons to see they were irrelevant when using a dot, so at least he wasn’t stubborn whatsoever, but still, who told him that?????? My point is just that yup, there’s a ton of confusion about optics out there, even decades into red dots.
@@f308gtb1977 I have 3 long guns with front sight towers that have dots...haha .. I don't even notice them anymore, just like the RMR housing on the pistol. Target focus is key.
Very informative update video. Thanks for taking the time to make this. I’m going to go back through my zero on my CZ P10C with an RMR while using this video to make sure it’s right. This year I’m going to make sure I take a handgun training course. I would love to take a carbine course also but I don’t think the funds will allow both. That will give me something to look forward to for next year.
Ammo was MORE expensive in 2020. Even range ammo was nearly 70¢ a round...at least we are down to 34-40. Carry ammo is another story...might have to move away from HST until it settles.
Thank you for this video. Definitely cleared up the bit of confusion that was left about zeroing a red dot, at least for me. Looks like I've got some range time when I get home!
Thanks enjoyed I always have trouble zero n red dots I have noticed that slavering them to irons gets you close but not always right most people don’t realize that changing ammo brands change zero and wts affect too so thank you
So much knowledge I had to watch your video at least 8 times...I had a hard time wrapping my brain around the fact of you using iron sites to start off but then magically the red dot appears in the center of the glass. How can iron sights and the red dot both be accurate but yet so far away from each other?...After the first illustration showing you using iron sights you said specifically “shoot using the red dot and keep it in the center of the glass”. That’s where it all made sense. Of course on the eighth time watching your video. Sorry for the long comment but you have a new subscriber and I appreciate all the knowledge.
So i noticed in the picture where it says "Final Zero Dot position in Window"..is that where my dot is suppose to be the whole time while im zeroing my gun?....i gues my question is how does the dot end up there if id already slaved my dot to the irons?...does my question make sense?
Excellent method. Im old school and feel very at home w good iron sights. However a properly zeroed red dot is pretty damn incredible. Thank you for sharing. Used this w my optic cut. Thanks
Can someone explain what causes the dot to move up in the glass at 11:15 or so. He shows the final sight picture and now it’s centered in the glass and not slaved to the front sight post. I just don’t get what causes this to move up in the window. If I have my irons properly lined up my dot basically sits slaved on my front sight post. Is it simply the increased distance that when you’re zeroing the dot causes it to move up?
After he slaved it to the irons and benches it he says he “roughly centers the dot only, in the center to the glass without the use of irons” takes five shots then proceeds to zero
@@geraldbco1306 Its because red dot sights are roughly parallax free. You want to have the dot in the center of the glass because that area of the glass is where the sight truly is parallax free.
Cleared up a lot for me …. i was struggling hard .. took your advice and fundamentals and in few days of practice….laying in some nice groups at 25 yards… Thanks ..
Mind briefly summing it up for me? Im kinda lost on how his Dot teleported to the middle of the glass on the last visual image at the end compared to the previous images
Very well made video. Very helpful and informative. Getting ready to zero my new RMR HRS Type 2 onto a G17 Gen4. Thank you for this video. Wasn't sure if I needed to zero at 10 or 25. Also I am going to try the 10/25 yard target you showed, then move out to 25 yards using my carry ammo. I am brand new to running a red dot on a handgun. Wish me luck.
So I think I misunderstood when I went to zero my 507k on my hellcat. I slaved the dot to my front post and then kept lining up my iron sites when I shot and adjusting. If I understand it correctly now, I should slave the dot to the front post and then center the dot in the window the best that i can and forget about the iron sights and adjust from there. Correct
Im alittle lost here .... after the first 5 shots with the dot co-witnessing with the irons and point of impact being low you said your adjusting up of course but on the sight graft with the irons showed the dot getting lower n lower on the front sight post with each adjustment but then at the end with the gun sighted in the graft showed the dot well above the irons in the middle of the window.... im not understanding how it got there like that going by your grafts on the adjustments ...what am i missing here ?
You don't ever want your main zero to cowitness with the irons. That completely defeats the purpose of the optic in the first place. The only reason he started with an iron witness was because he didn't want to chase paper. It's just a simple starting point that's guaranteed to get you within the area you need to be. You want a single aim point when using the optic, the irons are simply for the EXTREMELY rare chance that your optic for some reason isn't working in that super rare scenario of a life or death situation, that's it, that's all.
The crimp jump is what I look for in carry ammo, GOLD DOT is very good as far as that is concerned. THANKS FOR SHARING.... Saving lives, money ,and time, one video at a time....
Thank you for you insight into this! I started the slave process but didnt think about swapping out to the actual carry ammo, the thought never came to mind! This is why i love your videos, you make me think and point out when i dont! Cant wait to see you review the up coming Aimpoint ACRO sight to see how it compares to the tried and true RMR's.
Can’t thank you enough for these videos. I would be so lost using my rmr without them, and now see how I’ve been using other red dots incorrectly as well. It’s easy to see why people just give up trying, but I’d say they didn’t find your channel!🤙
I got into pistol red RDS a year ago. I couldn't tell you how many people say that to co-witness the dot to the front sight is the correct way. I never did agree with that for all the reasons you stated. What I like best about RDS on different pistols I own is that the POA and POI is the same for every gun. With iron sights I have guns with a combat hold, center hold and my adjustable sights a 6 O'clock hold which I prefer. With a RDS I use the same hold on every firearm.
I put 1" orange stickies on a target. Walk up to 3yds and shoot a few rounds (don't bother cowitnessing). Make COARSE adjustments. Check with 1-2 rds. Make another correction if necessary. Back up to 5yds, recheck. Adjust if necessary. At this point I'll back up to 15 or 25 for my final zero. The final zero I do just like you, from a flat top using a bag, 5-10 rd groups. The biggest difference is dealing with the frustration of trying to sight in a red dot from 25 at the beginning. It's hard to even see the hits at 25 (binos are good to have). Anyway, I tell people just start at 3yds and work backward. I'm convinced its quicker and less frustrating.
In the screenshot of each position of the dot, it looks like the dot is moving lower on the front sight post, yet at the end of the video the dot is more or less centered on the target. Could you explain how that is?
Perfect timing, I’m going to set my new carry pistol this way. Another thing to mention. When ammo was more readily available, I would get a new firearm, I would get 6-8 different brands (same weight) of ammo to see what the pistol preferred. You can then see if that brand makes defense ammo (jhp). You would be surprised how many people run one ammo brand and assume the firearm is inaccurate.
Kinda confused about the vagueness of centering the dot in the window after slaving to irons. Doesn’t this slightly change presentation or are irons still aligned and dot is center of window and a different zero distance than the irons?
Slaving the dot to the irons is a starting point, but you need to know the point of impact for your iron sights. So, if I toss suppressor height sights on my pistol, and go to the range and test them out. I start at 3 yards and wind up at 15 yards and I'm dead center with irons, then I now know the point of impact is 15 yards for irons, so by slaving the red dot to my irons, I should be able to be dead center with my dot at 15 yards. However, I don't want to zero my dot at 15 yards and would rather be zeroed at 25. This is where the dot becomes completely independent from my irons. Since I am no longer at 15 yards, aiming with my irons will not let me hit the bullseye. I know I'm on paper at 25 yards because I was bullseye at 15, so I adjust my RDS accordingly until I am zeroed at 25 yards. Now my irons are set for 15 yards and my RDS set for 25 yards. They are independent from each other. Centering the dot in the window is for when you're shooting using the RDS. You do not align the iron sights when aiming with the RDS, only presenting the dot in the center of the window. Like mentioned above, it is independent from the irons, so as long as you can see the dot, put it on your target and pull the trigger, you should hit what you're aiming at. When you look down the irons, the dot could be anywhere. When I look down the irons on my gun, the dot is actually exactly right on top of the front sight dot. It is zeroed at 25 yards.
Thank you I feel like I have a platform to go off of when I'm zeroing my holosun 507c on my glock 19 mos but I did mill the screw holes so there a little deeper so it will not come loose or move at all I've shot 2,500 rounds and so far so good so thank you earen I really appreciate the time that you take to put out such informational vids man 🙌🏼
@@roba168 Rob, I have a Holosun 507c and 507c v2 and I love both of them. I think its ridiculous that it went up like $80 for v2 for the battery compartment to be on top. Aaron very good videos on the Holosuns.
I was good till the Final Zero Dot Position In Window. All the time you’re zeroing the dot, your below the front post, even when you say it’s zeroed, then you move it up at the end after you finished. I don’t understand this point. Will someone please help me with this.
BIG LOU I think he was just showing where you start when you slave the dot versus where you end up when you’re fine tuned. He was showing that there are some significant adjustments that are made even once the dot is slaved.
I feel you BIG LOU, I was lost after the last part having the rds in the middle window..i guess it just eliminates windage? And then it's a while new adjustment when the rds is brought in the middle window?
@@jackryanacuna1763, what happened was, after he zeros the red dot below the front post, he tilts the gun up till the dot is in the middle of the window. The picture he shows is wrong. The front site should be lower in his final picture with the dot in the middle of the window. By tilting the gun and making the dot in the middle of the window, it is still zeroed, now you are JUST focusing on the dot only. No matter where that dot is in the window, be it top,side, bottom or in the middle, it will still hit what that dot is covering because the gun is now zeroed to that dot. This is what makes the dot faster. Remember, his illustration was wrong on his final adjustment when the dot moved up. He didn't adjust the irons in the picture. Hope this helps. I tried to be as detailed as I could be. Ask anymore questions if you need any help.
BIG LOU so the fine tuned should look like "rear iron sights are lower than front post or maybe hitting right in the middle of it while red dot is in the middle window" if you're using rds..did I get it right? So the picture shouldn't have your dot in the middle window while the rear and front are all leveled, is that right? Thanks for helping out..I'm new to this and it's frustrating at the range😓
I recently purchased a new firearm with a red dot sight factory installed. The instructions with the sight said that it was zeroed from the factory. I set up a target at 25 yards and fired 3. Checked the target and found no holes. Got a larger paper target. The gun shot 12 inches left and 8 inches low. I called the gun company customer support line and discussed this, and was told I had to co-witness the dot and the iron sights.
@@MellowFellowOfYellow or maybe hee should respond to comments as questions are asked and if he tilted the firearm he should've shown that with the visually as well; Dumbfuck
Just found your channel. Eye opener! Recently picked up a S&W Victory 22 for use as a range gun because of ammo cost. Just mounted a Vortex Venom and really didn't know where to start. I'm thinking this is a less expensive way to learn red dots. I also have a S&W M&P 2.0 that has the slide cut and plates for red dot mounting. I'll be reviewing more of your videos for suggestions on what to get for it. Thanks for your time and no-nonsense info.
Thanks for posting this video and your video "Why you should never slave your red dot to the iron sights." Your videos were extremely helpful. By habit I had gotten it all wrong. I used the incorrect technique when I shot and placed the red dot on the front sight. On my next trip to the range, I will re-zero the red dot reflex sight and start with placing the red dot on the front sight and then when I bisect the dot I'll move on and continue the sight zeroing process by placing the red dot in the center of the lens window so that I will be able to shot by centering the red dot in the middle of in the window and place that red dot directly on the target.
I don't understand what he did in the end. He started with the lolly pop and then moved the dot down more twice raising the point of impact. After he got it zeroed, it shows the dot moving from that position to center. How did he raise the dot to the center of the screen? My red dot only has elevation and windage.
Unless I'm missing it, it appears you must be able to co-witness both front and rear iron sights through the red dot in order to slave the red dot to the iron sights. In my case, once the red dot is mounted, I cannot sight with the rear and front iron sights.
Great video! Thanks for taking the time! I'm about to purchase a Trijicon SRO, 5 MOA for a Glock 17, gen 5. This is strictly for competition shooting. I would choose the RMR for carry. This will be my first experience with Dots. Thanks for your help! Scott from Dallas, Tx.
I still don’t understand how you get your red dot in the middle of your sight? So you put your red dot on top of your iron sights. Then you shoot 5 rounds and adjust as need.oerfect dandy, your shooting right where your red dot is. But just like in this video your red dot is half way down your iron sights. How do you get your red dot in the middle of the window in your red dot? Thanks for the help in advance.
@@SageDynamics so you're saying when you are viewing the dot high up in the window, that your irons will essentially be positioned with your front sight post high in relation to your rear sights? So if your dot goes down then you have to adjust the gun back downwards in order to get an accurate iron sight picture?
So when you say you do not use the irons again once slaved for a start, and use relaxed window with centering red dot to glass…. Would that mean the iron sights no longer have proper sight alignment or would they still align?
I am a fan of your reviews and take your information to hart because of your extensive experience. I also feel your reviews are some of the most professional and informative I have seen anywhere on you tube and I have seen many. Your red dot info has been a huge help for me with my recent Wilson Combat order for a EDC X9 with a red dot system. I also sent in my WC 45cal in to have it machined for a red dot also. I'm older now, eyes are not as sharp as they use to be and love the targeting ease of the red dots. I went with the RMR type 2 for both and I'm anxiously waiting for their arrival. I originally ordered them with the Trijicon RSO, after I saw your review of the RSO, that completely let me know that was not going to work for me. I don't carry these for duty use but still want the most durable systems I can find. Again, love your work and thanks for sharing your expertise to a novice but working to improve that.
Aaron, thank you so much for this video. Lots of great info, answered every single question I was thinking of to zero my RMR equipped Glock 19 MOS. Thanks again, and keep up the great work.
Just returned from zeroing my 10mm, or at least attempting to zero it. It's close, but still needs work. I was getting tired and sloppy. Wish I had found your video before I left.
I’ve zeroed everything (point of impact ) but now my red dot is not right above my front iron sight but to the left, is that normal. Iron sights are lower 1/5 co witness but red dot is doing it’s own thing from off to the side 😮
Great video and informative. I just received my first red dot for my Sig firearm and looking forward to taking your advise here on sighting it in.. thanks and look forward to others that you can help us out along the way to good shooting
I may have missed it, but can you please explain why in your sight picture/views from making adjustments that the dot gets lower and lower on the front sight post and then in the final view picture, it’s significantly higher than the front sight?
I had to watch the video a few times to understand but he co witnesses with his red dot to his irons before he even shoots to basically get the windage and save ammo. On his first 5 rounds he doesn’t co witness he just uses the dot. The co witnessing or slaving he does as his first step isn’t fired like that. It’s just a preparation before zeroing to save time and ammo and get close to a zero.
I hope a lot of newer shooters Subscribe, Like, Share, this gentleman provides a TON of great information for the handgun community for free HE KNOWS HIS SHIT
Going from standard iron sights to suppressor height sights and a rds is a big change in zeroing.I find myself struggling to get it dead on i might be expecting too much of a precision shot and for one since the suppressor height sights i haven't declared where they're zeroed at might be my problem my setup isn't co-witness at all but it's as good as I can get it at the moment.
Thank you for this video!!! First step issue: p320 Xcarry withRomeo1 • salving the red dot to my front sight is not possible. I have no more clicks down and I am left with a gap between my front sights and red dot. My target hits are below at what am aiming. Been trying to solve this problems for months. Thank you for you time!
If you're Hitting low, your dot needs to brought up. Also know that factory irons can be sighted for far shorter distances than you're probably trying to achieve with your red dot. Try it at 7 yards maybe, then 15, then 25... see if your results improve or not at any particular distance. If they do it could just be an issue you'll have to deal with because of the design of your guns iron sights, if not maybe a red dot issue, slide milling issue etc. may be worth looking into. With some guns and some distances you'll have to decide if you're wanting to go by irons or dot. Even IF you get a "good co-witness" it's only true at the distance at which you set them to co-witness, anything too much closer you'll probably shoot high, and anything too much further, you'll probably shoot low. I hope that kind of helps, if not, ignore it. #GetMoneyFuckBitches
Brandon Lee Thank you for your reply and videos. I have been following and applying your techniques. I hit my red dot every time now at the range. Thank you a lot, it took me a while to learn red dot basic and I am completely confident carrying this XCarry with Romeo1 optic now thanks to your lessons.#GetMoneyFuckBitches #Merica🇺🇸
I'm new to red dots. Just got an rmr type 2 3.25. I'm confused by the pics you put up as you started zeroing. The dot was going down down down in relation to front sight and then all of a sudden it moved up like an inch, to the middle of the window at the final zero? What am I missing?
I had to check when this aired when he said " handgun ammo in the scheme of things doesn't cost that much" yeah the good ole days lol
Welcome to Life as we know it in the rest of the World...
I did the same exact thing
Invest in reloading equipment and you can make a 50 round box of 9mm for 6-8 bucks....
@@Mab7n if you can find primers
@@Mab7n With what? Primers are rarer than cartridges at this point.
It absolutely blows my mind the wealth of knowledge you have and are willing to share. I have never once skipped even a second of your videos. They are literally a goldmine
Absolute FACT.
Aaron is an absolute gold mine of information. Anytime I’m going to make a purchase, I check and see if he has a review on whatever it is I’m buying. Love your content Aaron! Keep it up
Fully agree
Yes, waiting for Aaron's review of the new Holosun V2 optics before I buy one!
@@MrKlein83 I just bought one and I love it!!
Top shelf testing, observations & reasoning. The best on the internet.
He talked me into a trijicon RMR
This channel is so freaking underrated. Easily should be a 1mil+ subscribed channel.
10:23 Yeah those were the days. August 2020 here.
All the more reason to be methodical in your zeroing process, as Aaron advocates. Tip: After zeroing for your carry ammo, get a good quality boresight laser cartridge, determine where the laser dot is with respect to your red dot optic at 25 yards, and make a note (usually they don’t exactly match up). Then, when you need to re-check zero (after an RMR battery change, for example) you can use the boresight to re-check the relative zero (relative to your actual red dot) and get closer with less ammo. In three years doing this sort of thing, I have yet to see any real zeroing change from mounting/dismounting RMR’s with well engineered mounting solutions and a calibrated torque wrench (using plates with precise RMR posts, mill jobs with precise RMR posts). Plates without posts, or direct-mill jobs without posts, or free-handing the bolts, will often require an actual re-zero. YMMV.
Shini Gami - great advice! Thanks for the input!
Didn't age well lol
@@shinigami1925 why is the red dot zero different from what you co-witness with iron sights? (sorry for the dumb question) I'm guessing it is related to how you shoot vs where the sights point, but that would require your shooting to be very consistently away from where the sights line up, wouldn't it?
@@chtomlin Irons are regulated for 15 yards in my particular case. Some folks roll without irons at all (many gamers). So the bore laser solution is an independent means to solve the issue with less ammo.
The concise knowledge spoken so fluidly and understandably makes for a very helpful guide . He kinda reminds me of Matt Damon's character in 'Good Will Hunting.'
Watching this later. I’m going to start using red dots soon. Your videos on red dots are all saved for later. Thanks so much for these.
Thank you! Your technique, conservative adjustments steps, and detailed narrative are my now gold standard. Investing so much time for sharing knowledge vs. learning is greatly appreciated! Your videos in general are outstanding! Thanks again.
Another great explanation and I got the first video. Since I have and MRO on my AR15 that I full co witness, I just zeroed the RMR directly not relying on slaving. Didn’t see the need to. Your videos helped me adjust to it very quickly and I appreciate it. “Raise the back plate to your nose and you will pick up the red dot”. The best tip!! Thanks Aaron.
April, 2019: "Handgun ammunition isn't that expensive."
October, 2020: "We are changing from five-shot strings to one-shot strings." ;)
Thank you for this very informative video. I am pretty new to red dots and this helped me a lot.
Ammo is CRAZY. I just bought a Glock 19 and I didn't know about the ammo situation, while they were running me to buy the gun I was looking at ammo, i saw the G2 RIP ammo (60 bucks for 20) and i told the guy " man these bullets better kill my target without me aiming" and he looked at me like I was nuts, I then kept looking at the ammo seeing similar prices, I was like.... WTF???
In January 2020 you could buy a box 9mm fmj for less than $10.00 that same box today if you can find it is $60 to $70 Cheaper than dirt is robbing people blind best advise go to your store everyday a couple if you can
@@TheProdigalSon325 Please do no buy or carry that gimmicky RIP ammo. Get a good quality hollow point like Federal HST, Speer Gold Dot, Hornady Critical Defense or something similar.
in the military we changed from 5 to 3. becaue the thought behind it is, if you cant hit it with 3, wont hit it with 5. save the 2 rounds add 1 round and adjust the group
Dude, you’re so clear. An outstanding teacher. Thank you.
If I don’t have a sand bag on me I also use my zip lock bag filled with 9mm rounds in it for surprisingly good improvised stability. Great vid as always bro
ziplock bag and rice
I would like to buy your Zip-loc of 9mm😅
This comment didn’t age well lol
Bro Aaron, you are becoming the YT king of weapon and ammunition eduction. Love your content, deliverey, and knowledge of all your work.
Thanks for this video, I am getting ready to do a glock mos build with a trijicon rmr hrs. I will definitely be watching this again when I get finished with the build.
I24gr federal American Eagle is very close to 124 gr gold dot in my VP 9 Thank you for making these videos they have been invaluable to me and many other shooters. I appreciate you sharing your wealth of knowledge
This came out at the perfect time. I just bought my first RMR (RM06) and as soon as the sights get here (friday) it's going on the gun. Another chunk of information right when I needed it 🤙🏻
I didn't see your first video but came across this one which helped me a lot made more sense than other vids I seen thanks!!!!
In my experience, if you carry Federal 147 gr HST standard pressure than you can use speer lawman 147 gr or American eagle 147 gr (I believe they are they same loading - just different brands from the same manufacturer) for the intial zero and then only need to make make minor adjustments with HST, saving a significant amount of premium carry ammo. In the long run it may be worth finding a range ammo that performs similarly to your carry ammo just for this purpose.
Good tip...
Fyi, Speer and American Eagle are brands owned by Federal Ammunition, which of course makes Federal HST as well.... Federal does now offer a “train and protect” package which gives you training fmj and hst of the same weight and is supposedly the same trajectory/velocity etc.
My POI is very different when using federal 147g flat nosed fmj vs 147g HST!!!
@@gamebred5xthen use speerlawman, it’s the closest for me. Even 124
New red dot guy. Hit the RUclips’s before I developed bad habits. This guys series on red dot issues is very helpful. Good job 👍.
thanks for the clarification. I actually commented on your last video when you said you should never slave your red dot to your iron sights and referenced an even earlier video when you said you should...now it makes sense. I really enjoy your videos. Your passion educating people really comes through. No ego or macho bullshit, I wold love to attend one of your training classes.
Thank you so much man. I love your videos. I’ve been practicing with a pistol optic and it’s much more tricky than I thought it’d be.
Yes it is at first even coming from a rifle red dot, but after you get used to it you get much better easier and realize there's no going back 😂
The illustrations are a great idea. I've had a few people ask to look through my RMR equipped G19 at some local matches. First thing they do is line up the irons and comment that the dot is below. I try to explain. Still amazes me that people who couldn't imagine shooting a carbine without a dot can't open up their minds to shooting a pistol with a dot. I don't even waste my breath anymore, and exclusively refer people to your videos, whether it's for techniques like this one or tests of various dots.
I know someone who at first thought he had to flip up ONLY the front sight on his carbine to shoot, thinking he was supposed to put the dot on the front sight post to aim. It only took one shot after I had him lower the irons to see they were irrelevant when using a dot, so at least he wasn’t stubborn whatsoever, but still, who told him that??????
My point is just that yup, there’s a ton of confusion about optics out there, even decades into red dots.
@@f308gtb1977 I have 3 long guns with front sight towers that have dots...haha .. I don't even notice them anymore, just like the RMR housing on the pistol. Target focus is key.
Thank you Aaron! I have a new Glock G45 with a 6.5 MOA RMR, taking it out tomorrow Gotta get it zeroed!! I appreciate the video more than you know.
Very informative update video. Thanks for taking the time to make this. I’m going to go back through my zero on my CZ P10C with an RMR while using this video to make sure it’s right. This year I’m going to make sure I take a handgun training course. I would love to take a carbine course also but I don’t think the funds will allow both. That will give me something to look forward to for next year.
Aaron in 2020: "Handgun ammunition in the grand scheme of things isn't all that expensive."
Me in 2021: "It just cost me $25 to zero my red dot."
2019*
Anmo started getting expensive beginning of 2020.
25 for the range and 30 for ammo...
Ammo was MORE expensive in 2020. Even range ammo was nearly 70¢ a round...at least we are down to 34-40. Carry ammo is another story...might have to move away from HST until it settles.
I found some hst for a little over a buck a round and I bought 3 boxes. And my 10mm is like 35 bucks for 50 rounds
If it costs you that much to zero, than you have bigger problems.
Thank you for this video. Definitely cleared up the bit of confusion that was left about zeroing a red dot, at least for me. Looks like I've got some range time when I get home!
Thanks enjoyed I always have trouble zero n red dots I have noticed that slavering them to irons gets you close but not always right most people don’t realize that changing ammo brands change zero and wts affect too so thank you
Great video, brother! I’m excited to up my RDS pistol game after years of shooting rifle and sub gun RDS’s. . . Don’t get old!
So much knowledge I had to watch your video at least 8 times...I had a hard time wrapping my brain around the fact of you using iron sites to start off but then magically the red dot appears in the center of the glass. How can iron sights and the red dot both be accurate but yet so far away from each other?...After the first illustration showing you using iron sights you said specifically “shoot using the red dot and keep it in the center of the glass”. That’s where it all made sense. Of course on the eighth time watching your video. Sorry for the long comment but you have a new subscriber and I appreciate all the knowledge.
So i noticed in the picture where it says "Final Zero Dot position in Window"..is that where my dot is suppose to be the whole time while im zeroing my gun?....i gues my question is how does the dot end up there if id already slaved my dot to the irons?...does my question make sense?
I’m wondering that too, I just got a new pistols and optic need to zeroing
Excellent method. Im old school and feel very at home w good iron sights. However a properly zeroed red dot is pretty damn incredible. Thank you for sharing. Used this w my optic cut. Thanks
Wow! This is the best video I have seen on zeroing the red dot. Thanks!
Great video that goes step by step on the zeroing of a handgun optic. Thank you foe the knowledge.
Can someone explain what causes the dot to move up in the glass at 11:15 or so. He shows the final sight picture and now it’s centered in the glass and not slaved to the front sight post.
I just don’t get what causes this to move up in the window. If I have my irons properly lined up my dot basically sits slaved on my front sight post. Is it simply the increased distance that when you’re zeroing the dot causes it to move up?
That’s because you shouldn’t zero your rds to your iron sights. That’s only where to start.
He made a video on my not to slave your rds to your iron sights.
After he slaved it to the irons and benches it he says he “roughly centers the dot only, in the center to the glass without the use of irons” takes five shots then proceeds to zero
@@geraldbco1306 Its because red dot sights are roughly parallax free. You want to have the dot in the center of the glass because that area of the glass is where the sight truly is parallax free.
Thank you for the info. I’m new to using RMR and this is very helpful.
Thanks Aaron for the knowledge an how to sight in my Red Dot on my handgun Sir.
Cleared up a lot for me …. i was struggling hard .. took your advice and fundamentals and in few days of practice….laying in some nice groups at 25 yards… Thanks ..
Mind briefly summing it up for me? Im kinda lost on how his Dot teleported to the middle of the glass on the last visual image at the end compared to the previous images
Your fckn great at what you do. LOVE your videos bro! Please don’t stop making them
Very well made video. Very helpful and informative. Getting ready to zero my new RMR HRS Type 2 onto a G17 Gen4. Thank you for this video. Wasn't sure if I needed to zero at 10 or 25. Also I am going to try the 10/25 yard target you showed, then move out to 25 yards using my carry ammo. I am brand new to running a red dot on a handgun. Wish me luck.
So how did it end up going for you?
I knew what you meant about slaving your dot to the irons as a starting point for your zero👍🏻 thank you for the videos
So I think I misunderstood when I went to zero my 507k on my hellcat. I slaved the dot to my front post and then kept lining up my iron sites when I shot and adjusting.
If I understand it correctly now, I should slave the dot to the front post and then center the dot in the window the best that i can and forget about the iron sights and adjust from there. Correct
I was wondering the same thing.... from what he says its what it seems you should do...
Yes
Thank you. I look forward to applying these amazing concepts!
Im alittle lost here .... after the first 5 shots with the dot co-witnessing with the irons and point of impact being low you said your adjusting up of course but on the sight graft with the irons showed the dot getting lower n lower on the front sight post with each adjustment but then at the end with the gun sighted in the graft showed the dot well above the irons in the middle of the window.... im not understanding how it got there like that going by your grafts on the adjustments ...what am i missing here ?
You don't ever want your main zero to cowitness with the irons. That completely defeats the purpose of the optic in the first place. The only reason he started with an iron witness was because he didn't want to chase paper. It's just a simple starting point that's guaranteed to get you within the area you need to be. You want a single aim point when using the optic, the irons are simply for the EXTREMELY rare chance that your optic for some reason isn't working in that super rare scenario of a life or death situation, that's it, that's all.
The crimp jump is what I look for in carry ammo, GOLD DOT is very good as far as that is concerned.
THANKS FOR SHARING....
Saving lives, money ,and time, one video at a time....
Thank you for the video! Very knowledgeable. I enjoy your content 🇺🇸
Great video on just what I needed when I needed it! I just subscribed! The knowledge you have is incredible. Thanks!
Thank you for you insight into this! I started the slave process but didnt think about swapping out to the actual carry ammo, the thought never came to mind! This is why i love your videos, you make me think and point out when i dont! Cant wait to see you review the up coming Aimpoint ACRO sight to see how it compares to the tried and true RMR's.
Can’t thank you enough for these videos. I would be so lost using my rmr without them, and now see how I’ve been using other red dots incorrectly as well. It’s easy to see why people just give up trying, but I’d say they didn’t find your channel!🤙
EXCELLENT AN EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE VIDEO!!!!!! Very helpful and needed.
I got into pistol red RDS a year ago. I couldn't tell you how many people say that to co-witness the dot to the front sight is the correct way. I never did agree with that for all the reasons you stated.
What I like best about RDS on different pistols I own is that the POA and POI is the same for every gun. With iron sights I have guns with a combat hold, center hold and my adjustable sights a 6 O'clock hold which I prefer. With a RDS I use the same hold on every firearm.
I just zeroed my my g19 mos at 25 yards. With 115 grain ammo. Then make impacts at 100 yards. I like that 25 yard zero
Thank you this will hopefully help ALOT i got frustrated and took my reflex off because i couldnt figure out sighting it in
I put 1" orange stickies on a target. Walk up to 3yds and shoot a few rounds (don't bother cowitnessing). Make COARSE adjustments. Check with 1-2 rds. Make another correction if necessary. Back up to 5yds, recheck. Adjust if necessary. At this point I'll back up to 15 or 25 for my final zero. The final zero I do just like you, from a flat top using a bag, 5-10 rd groups. The biggest difference is dealing with the frustration of trying to sight in a red dot from 25 at the beginning. It's hard to even see the hits at 25 (binos are good to have). Anyway, I tell people just start at 3yds and work backward. I'm convinced its quicker and less frustrating.
Jack Lapham, I do almost the same thing, and I agree about reducing frustration!
In the screenshot of each position of the dot, it looks like the dot is moving lower on the front sight post, yet at the end of the video the dot is more or less centered on the target. Could you explain how that is?
same here, I'm confused as to why the dot was moved way high up after the final zero
Just got my first red dot! Exactly what I needed to know
Perfect timing, I’m going to set my new carry pistol this way. Another thing to mention. When ammo was more readily available, I would get a new firearm, I would get 6-8 different brands (same weight) of ammo to see what the pistol preferred. You can then see if that brand makes defense ammo (jhp).
You would be surprised how many people run one ammo brand and assume the firearm is inaccurate.
Kinda confused about the vagueness of centering the dot in the window after slaving to irons. Doesn’t this slightly change presentation or are irons still aligned and dot is center of window and a different zero distance than the irons?
The age old question nobody answers!
Slaving the dot to the irons is a starting point, but you need to know the point of impact for your iron sights. So, if I toss suppressor height sights on my pistol, and go to the range and test them out. I start at 3 yards and wind up at 15 yards and I'm dead center with irons, then I now know the point of impact is 15 yards for irons, so by slaving the red dot to my irons, I should be able to be dead center with my dot at 15 yards. However, I don't want to zero my dot at 15 yards and would rather be zeroed at 25. This is where the dot becomes completely independent from my irons. Since I am no longer at 15 yards, aiming with my irons will not let me hit the bullseye. I know I'm on paper at 25 yards because I was bullseye at 15, so I adjust my RDS accordingly until I am zeroed at 25 yards. Now my irons are set for 15 yards and my RDS set for 25 yards. They are independent from each other.
Centering the dot in the window is for when you're shooting using the RDS. You do not align the iron sights when aiming with the RDS, only presenting the dot in the center of the window. Like mentioned above, it is independent from the irons, so as long as you can see the dot, put it on your target and pull the trigger, you should hit what you're aiming at. When you look down the irons, the dot could be anywhere. When I look down the irons on my gun, the dot is actually exactly right on top of the front sight dot. It is zeroed at 25 yards.
Thank you I feel like I have a platform to go off of when I'm zeroing my holosun 507c on my glock 19 mos but I did mill the screw holes so there a little deeper so it will not come loose or move at all I've shot 2,500 rounds and so far so good so thank you earen I really appreciate the time that you take to put out such informational vids man 🙌🏼
Charles hood how are you liking that optic I been thinking about getting it over the Trijicon
@@roba168 Rob, I have a Holosun 507c and 507c v2 and I love both of them. I think its ridiculous that it went up like $80 for v2 for the battery compartment to be on top. Aaron very good videos on the Holosuns.
Thanks for the info. Looking at getting my first pistol optic for ccw.
Aaron great video. Only request would be to have a few shots of your setup on the bench or standing technique for zeroing.
I was good till the Final Zero Dot Position In Window. All the time you’re zeroing the dot, your below the front post, even when you say it’s zeroed, then you move it up at the end after you finished. I don’t understand this point. Will someone please help me with this.
BIG LOU I think he was just showing where you start when you slave the dot versus where you end up when you’re fine tuned. He was showing that there are some significant adjustments that are made even once the dot is slaved.
I feel you BIG LOU, I was lost after the last part having the rds in the middle window..i guess it just eliminates windage? And then it's a while new adjustment when the rds is brought in the middle window?
@luke galindo so, Aaron is just basically centering the rds and finally when you bring it up to the middle window, it's a whole new adjustment?
@@jackryanacuna1763, what happened was, after he zeros the red dot below the front post, he tilts the gun up till the dot is in the middle of the window. The picture he shows is wrong. The front site should be lower in his final picture with the dot in the middle of the window. By tilting the gun and making the dot in the middle of the window, it is still zeroed, now you are JUST focusing on the dot only. No matter where that dot is in the window, be it top,side, bottom or in the middle, it will still hit what that dot is covering because the gun is now zeroed to that dot. This is what makes the dot faster. Remember, his illustration was wrong on his final adjustment when the dot moved up. He didn't adjust the irons in the picture. Hope this helps. I tried to be as detailed as I could be. Ask anymore questions if you need any help.
BIG LOU so the fine tuned should look like "rear iron sights are lower than front post or maybe hitting right in the middle of it while red dot is in the middle window" if you're using rds..did I get it right? So the picture shouldn't have your dot in the middle window while the rear and front are all leveled, is that right? Thanks for helping out..I'm new to this and it's frustrating at the range😓
Good info. I was confused the other day at the range on how to properly zero the Holosun 509t on my FN 509t.
Awesome video. Extremely informative and common sense!
Aaron you absolutely rock! Thanks for posting this as I am about to setup my first pistol with a dot and this will help tremendously.
Amazing, highly detailed video, thank you
I recently purchased a new firearm with a red dot sight factory installed. The instructions with the sight said that it was zeroed from the factory. I set up a target at 25 yards and fired 3. Checked the target and found no holes. Got a larger paper target. The gun shot 12 inches left and 8 inches low. I called the gun company customer support line and discussed this, and was told I had to co-witness the dot and the iron sights.
where is the adjustment part? where it is shown actually zero-in the red dot? I don't get it
Ya this video just leaves more questions then answers. I wish somebody would actually show each step by step on the actual red dot
Incredibly low brain power in these comments lol. You guys sure you should own guns?
@@MellowFellowOfYellow many gun owners are new to red dot.
@@MellowFellowOfYellow or maybe hee should respond to comments as questions are asked and if he tilted the firearm he should've shown that with the visually as well; Dumbfuck
Good info. Thanks for the reminder to check your carry ammo. 👍🏽
I'm definitely going to try your zero technique as soon as I get to the range with my new RDS. Thanks for the knowledge👍
Just found your channel. Eye opener! Recently picked up a S&W Victory 22 for use as a range gun because of ammo cost. Just mounted a Vortex Venom and really didn't know where to start. I'm thinking this is a less expensive way to learn red dots. I also have a S&W M&P 2.0 that has the slide cut and plates for red dot mounting. I'll be reviewing more of your videos for suggestions on what to get for it. Thanks for your time and no-nonsense info.
Thanks for posting this video and your video "Why you should never slave your red dot to the iron sights." Your videos were extremely helpful. By habit I had gotten it all wrong. I used the incorrect technique when I shot and placed the red dot on the front sight. On my next trip to the range, I will re-zero the red dot reflex sight and start with placing the red dot on the front sight and then when I bisect the dot I'll move on and continue the sight zeroing process by placing the red dot in the center of the lens window so that I will be able to shot by centering the red dot in the middle of in the window and place that red dot directly on the target.
Great video took me a little bit.. but i have her down now… Thanks for the video.. 1 1/2 inch groups 25 yards .
I don't understand what he did in the end. He started with the lolly pop and then moved the dot down more twice raising the point of impact. After he got it zeroed, it shows the dot moving from that position to center. How did he raise the dot to the center of the screen? My red dot only has elevation and windage.
Unless I'm missing it, it appears you must be able to co-witness both front and rear iron sights through the red dot in order to slave the red dot to the iron sights. In my case, once the red dot is mounted, I cannot sight with the rear and front iron sights.
You'll need to buy suppressor height sights to be able to co-witness with the red dot
Second time watching this video. It gets better every time I watch it.
Great video! Thanks for taking the time! I'm about to purchase a Trijicon SRO, 5 MOA for a Glock 17, gen 5. This is strictly for competition shooting. I would choose the RMR for carry. This will be my first experience with Dots. Thanks for your help! Scott from Dallas, Tx.
I still don’t understand how you get your red dot in the middle of your sight? So you put your red dot on top of your iron sights. Then you shoot 5 rounds and adjust as need.oerfect dandy, your shooting right where your red dot is. But just like in this video your red dot is half way down your iron sights. How do you get your red dot in the middle of the window in your red dot? Thanks for the help in advance.
Kyle Wheeler that’s where the dot is when I use it. The iron sights aren’t referenced at all.
I’m lost to you bisect the red dot shoot five rounds and adjust from there right
@@SageDynamics so you're saying when you are viewing the dot high up in the window, that your irons will essentially be positioned with your front sight post high in relation to your rear sights? So if your dot goes down then you have to adjust the gun back downwards in order to get an accurate iron sight picture?
MusicMan1eAnda more or less. It varies on gun/sight radius and chosen sights.
@@musicman1eanda I done get why he just won't answer the fucking question, did you ever figure it out?
Once again Sage Dynamics always puts great content. This Scholar really breaks down the Schematics and the Science ❤ it 🥳
So when you say you do not use the irons again once slaved for a start, and use relaxed window with centering red dot to glass…. Would that mean the iron sights no longer have proper sight alignment or would they still align?
Also asking because the final visual representation still shows the iron sights aligned when zeroed and show red dot centered.
I zeroed at 12 yds using a bore laser at bench rest, worked really well.
I am a fan of your reviews and take your information to hart because of your extensive experience. I also feel your reviews are some of the most professional and informative I have seen anywhere on you tube and I have seen many.
Your red dot info has been a huge help for me with my recent Wilson Combat order for a EDC X9 with a red dot system. I also sent in my WC 45cal in to have it machined for a red dot also.
I'm older now, eyes are not as sharp as they use to be and love the targeting ease of the red dots. I went with the RMR type 2 for both and I'm anxiously waiting for their arrival.
I originally ordered them with the Trijicon RSO, after I saw your review of the RSO, that completely let me know that was not going to work for me. I don't carry these for duty use but still want the most durable systems I can find.
Again, love your work and thanks for sharing your expertise to a novice but working to improve that.
Aaron, thank you so much for this video. Lots of great info, answered every single question I was thinking of to zero my RMR equipped Glock 19 MOS. Thanks again, and keep up the great work.
Watching these videos help again and again. Where are his recent vids?
Just returned from zeroing my 10mm, or at least attempting to zero it. It's close, but still needs work. I was getting tired and sloppy. Wish I had found your video before I left.
I’ve zeroed everything (point of impact ) but now my red dot is not right above my front iron sight but to the left, is that normal. Iron sights are lower 1/5 co witness but red dot is doing it’s own thing from off to the side 😮
Great info for me as I am getting my 1st RMR for. Glock very soon.
You will love it, Doug, I got 1 for my wife it's so amazing ill be getting 1 for myself.
Well said! Made tight - tighter!
Great video and informative. I just received my first red dot for my Sig firearm and looking forward to taking your advise here on sighting it in.. thanks and look forward to others that you can help us out along the way to good shooting
I may have missed it, but can you please explain why in your sight picture/views from making adjustments that the dot gets lower and lower on the front sight post and then in the final view picture, it’s significantly higher than the front sight?
I had to watch the video a few times to understand but he co witnesses with his red dot to his irons before he even shoots to basically get the windage and save ammo. On his first 5 rounds he doesn’t co witness he just uses the dot. The co witnessing or slaving he does as his first step isn’t fired like that. It’s just a preparation before zeroing to save time and ammo and get close to a zero.
“Handgun ammunition isn’t that expensive”
2021 enters the chat
Welcome to the future…2024 enters the chat😅
I hope a lot of newer shooters Subscribe, Like, Share, this gentleman provides a TON of great information for the handgun community for free HE KNOWS HIS SHIT
Going from standard iron sights to suppressor height sights and a rds is a big change in zeroing.I find myself struggling to get it dead on i might be expecting too much of a precision shot and for one since the suppressor height sights i haven't declared where they're zeroed at might be my problem my setup isn't co-witness at all but it's as good as I can get it at the moment.
thanks for the lesson. I'm new to shooting and this helped
Thank you for this video!!!
First step issue: p320 Xcarry withRomeo1
• salving the red dot to my front sight is not possible. I have no more clicks down and I am left with a gap between my front sights and red dot. My target hits are below at what am aiming. Been trying to solve this problems for months. Thank you for you time!
If you're Hitting low, your dot needs to brought up. Also know that factory irons can be sighted for far shorter distances than you're probably trying to achieve with your red dot. Try it at 7 yards maybe, then 15, then 25... see if your results improve or not at any particular distance. If they do it could just be an issue you'll have to deal with because of the design of your guns iron sights, if not maybe a red dot issue, slide milling issue etc. may be worth looking into. With some guns and some distances you'll have to decide if you're wanting to go by irons or dot. Even IF you get a "good co-witness" it's only true at the distance at which you set them to co-witness, anything too much closer you'll probably shoot high, and anything too much further, you'll probably shoot low. I hope that kind of helps, if not, ignore it.
#GetMoneyFuckBitches
Brandon Lee Thank you for your reply and videos. I have been following and applying your techniques. I hit my red dot every time now at the range. Thank you a lot, it took me a while to learn red dot basic and I am completely confident carrying this XCarry with Romeo1 optic now thanks to your lessons.#GetMoneyFuckBitches
#Merica🇺🇸
Nice video. Worked like a charm!
I zero my iron sights 1st then mount the red dot sight and zero it separately. If the red dot is broken I remove stand still have zeroed iron sights.
THIS is exactly what I needed...thanks so much.
Now I just need to find an optic specific handgun class near me.
Outstanding vid, Thank you👍
I'm new to red dots. Just got an rmr type 2 3.25. I'm confused by the pics you put up as you started zeroing. The dot was going down down down in relation to front sight and then all of a sudden it moved up like an inch, to the middle of the window at the final zero? What am I missing?
Matt T that’s what I’m trying to figure out also lol
Have you figured it out? I am confused as well
It's still confusing bc the dot moves based on your view but I think I'm zeroed with the dot in the middle of the window.
Best rmr zero video on RUclips!