I have a Red Dot Sight for a AR15, along with a flip up iron sight. At first, I considered co-witnessing the RDS with the iron sights, however I got to thinking and was wondering what your opinion is of attaching the RDS at a 45-degree angle, that way could leave the rubber covers on the RDS, instead of having to remove them if I was simply going to use the iron sights. I sort of see it as having the iron sights to use during daylight hours with the RDS more for dim light, nighttime use. I have a light mounted on the rifle, if that makes any sort of difference.

Red dots are superior to irons, even in the light.

Put the optic at 12 o'clock. Leave the backup iron sights flipped down. Then use the red dot 99.999% of the time.

I agree that that type of optical sight is better for almost any purpose, and should be mounted for proper employment of the rifle. If you want to train with the irons so that you’re proficient with them if something happens to the optic, then just turn the sight off. (That of course assumes that you can use the irons that way.)

If you might have to fight using the irons because the optic is totally blocked in a blizzard, after infiltrating through a swamp, or for some other reason and it’s not possible to see through it at all, then the sight should have a mount that allows it to be removed easily from the weapon.

And if total blockage were possible and I didn’t like the idea of removing the optic, the irons would be what were mounted at an angled offset, not the optic.

When I posted this query, there was a part of me that was thinking that I was overcomplicating things, sort of an answer to a question not needing to be asked. The RDS doesn't have flip up covers, it has the rubber slipon type, so that's what made me consider the possibility. I suppose I can simply leave the cover off the RDS.

I just attached the RDS as suggested and took a look through it, as it happens the dot aligns perfectly with the top of the front sight. I think that I'll just have the cover in place on the RDS when it's stored in the case and when I have it out one of the first things to do will be to uncover the RDS.

I just used a small zip tie around the base and then used another to the strap of the cover to keep from losing it.

I have an EOTech micro red dot at 45 degrees, but not as a primary optic. The 4X ACOG is the primary and is mounted on the receiver rail. The red dot is for quick, short range shots.

It works very well set up like that. I would NOT set something up like that for normal, low light use. It is not natural to hold your weapon at 45 degree the whole time.

quote:

Originally posted by clubleaf206:
I just attached the RDS as suggested and took a look through it, as it happens the dot aligns perfectly with the top of the front sight. I think that I'll just have the cover in place on the RDS when it's stored in the case and when I have it out one of the first things to do will be to uncover the RDS.

Just as a reminder when using the RDS, the position of the irons are immaterial.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:


Just as a reminder when using the RDS, the position of the irons are immaterial.

Yes, sir, understood, I just found it interesting that the dot and the tip of the front sight happen to coincide. I have read discussions of where people want the dot in conjunction to the front sight to appear, whether slightly above or whatever. I also read that the dot doesn't have to be perfectly centered in the objective to still work, if you're slightly off center, but still on the target, that is where the bullet will strike. Generally speaking, of course.

Thanks for the imput, everyone, it is appreciated.

You're referring to cowitness. Some folks are super into 100% cowitness where the dot and irons line up. I don't see any advantage to this. I was more into lower 1/3 cowitness, where the irons were in the lower 1/3 of the red dot window. That way, they didn't interfere with the dot, but you could still use them if your red dot sight died.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Red dots are superior to irons, even in the light.

Put the optic at 12 o'clock. Leave the backup iron sights flipped down. Then use the red dot 99.999% of the time.

This is exactly what I do. They are backup sights for a reason.

I am really into running FSB guns. I always have a front sight in the window. Optic goes down, I use the optic as a big ole ghost ring and it works pretty well within 25.

But, unless the dot goes down, I don’t pay any attention to the FSB.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
I am really into running FSB guns. I always have a front sight in the window. Optic goes down, I use the optic as a big ole ghost ring and it works pretty well within 25.

But, unless the dot goes down, I don’t pay any attention to the FSB.

That's interesting that you would say that, when I mounted the RDS and saw how the dot cowitnesses with the front sight the thought occured to me that, in a pinch, that could be done. I could see how inside a house that could work.

Another question; I plan on sighting the RDS for 50 yards, should I do that with the iron sights? I was considering sighting the iron sights to 100 yards.

I like to co witness by optics because it provide a very quick way to determine that the optic has been "bumped" off line. If it's a gotta have it right now situation and you find you did knock the optic off line when you dove into the dirt you then have the perfect fallback right there.

I will also note that I typically shoot with my irons, because I have found too much time spent using optics will result in becoming dependent on Optics.

I like the front post in front of the red dot also. It's a fixed known item I can play off of and shoot through the tube if the dot isn't there. Lower 1/3 gives me a consistent sight picture with the ears and post on my fixed front sight. The bottoms line up right.

I have folding rears and quick release mounts for the red dot so I can take it off if needed too.

The fixed rear sights get in my way in this scenario so I ditched em.

Not a fan of the 45 degree anything for the most part.