Modern optics, with their bright dot reticles and adjustable features, make accurate aiming faster and more intuitive. By using an LED emitter to reflect the projected red dot, pistol aiming becomes as simple as looking through the lens and lining up the projected reticle with the target. Practical gun optics can improve your speed of target acquisition, accuracy, and precision on the range or in the field. Choosing the right reticle for your gun depends on personal preference and how you intend to use your firearm. However, developing your preference starts with understanding the available features of your reflex optic options.

Red Dot Sights: Modern and Practical

Red dot sights mount directly to optics-ready slides to provide a secure sight picture that uses a bright circle or dot reticle to give you a contrasting aiming point. Lining the dot up on your target is faster and often simpler than using traditional iron sights, and since you can line the shot up with your chosen reticle anywhere in the lens, it’s more forgiving. Our red dots have adjustable brightness so you can adjust the illumination to stand out on the target or in almost any ambient lighting condition, and windage and elevation are adjustable for easier zeroing. 

The external housing is made of 7075-T6 aircraft-grade aluminum for durability and resistance to the elements, and it’s engineered to be water—and shockproof under standard field conditions. We also stand behind our products with a replacement warranty that covers your optic if it stops working for any reason short of intentional damage. We take the guesswork out of picking a reliable optic so you can focus on choosing the reticle, mount pattern, and window size that’s right for your gun.

Choosing a Reticle: Circles, Dots, Chevrons, and More

The dot reticle on your “red dot” may not be a dot. It may not even be red. While purists can debate whether it’s right or wrong that red dots and reflex optics are interchangeable terms now, you need to know the options you have to find the most practical sight for your gun.

Dot Reticle Color

• Red – The most common LED color available on reflex optics. Red dot reticles are easier to see at night and don’t tend to wash out your night vision as much as some other colors. The red color wavelength is also shorter, requiring less battery power compared to other colors, so you’ll get a longer battery life as well.
• Green – The second most common option, green dot reticles, can be more visible in brighter lighting conditions, where red can be washed out by brighter natural or white artificial lighting.
• Yellow – This more recent entry into the reflex optic space is meant to bridge the gap between red and green dot reticles. With a wavelength positioned in the middle of the spectrum, it may be better in low light than red dots and better in bright light than green dots.

Reticle Type

• Dot – The simplest reticle, a bright aiming dot, is lined up with your aiming point on the target. The size of the reticle varies and is usually expressed in a numerical MOA measurement that represents what the size of the dot equates to in inches (based on a linear progression) when aligned on a target 100 yards away. A 3 MOA dot reticle covers a 3-inch circle on your 100-yard target and about ⅓ of an inch (since the ratio is linear) on a target 10 yards away.
• Circle – Circle reticles are built for fast target acquisition but may not offer the same accuracy as dot reticles. Like dots, a circle reticle will have an MOA measurement that lets you know how big of an area it encompasses. This is most useful for fast, short-range shots, such as in self-defense situations, as even a modest 28 MOA circle would allow for over two feet of variance at 100 yards. At 25 yards and under, however, it can easily put together groups covered by a hand.

• Multi – Why bother choosing a reticle when you can have the best of both worlds? Circle-dot multi-reticles combine a dot and a circle in one. The dot gives you the fine accuracy needed for precision shooting, while the large circle offers faster targeting and retargeting when you need to engage with volume.

• Chevron – Chevron and triangle reticles are an alternative to circle-dot reticles for close-range shooting. The point gives you a precise aiming aid for pinpoint accuracy, while the broader base offers faster target acquisition.

If you want to see the difference between dot reticles, circle-dot multi-reticles, and iron sights in practice, Mike covered a few of our options in this recent video. Our YouTube channel has reviews, demonstrations, and destructions of your favorite Gideon Optics products, so be sure to like and subscribe.

Other Useful Reticle-Related Terms

• BDC – Bullet Drop Compensation (BDC) reticles are found on optics meant for intermediate-to-long-range shooting. Underneath the reticle, a series of hash marks allow for quick range estimation and easier aiming to account for the bullet drop over those ranges.
• Cowitnessing – Cowitnessing involves installing your optic so the gun’s iron sights are also visible and usable when sighting through the pistol’s red dot lens. When the dot reticle lines up with your iron sights, it’s called absolute cowitness. When the iron sights are positioned so you can aim with them through the lower ⅓ of your lens, it’s lower-third cowitnessing. 

Which One is Right for You?

When you pick your optic, you’ll want to consider which options will work the best for the majority of your shooting. This can include choosing a color based on the time of day or night you will most often be active, picking a dot reticle that’s most appropriate for your expected engagement ranges, and finding an optic that fits your gun’s mounting pattern or an adapter plate.

Order Your Red and Green Dots Online

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