Out of the many people on RU-vid I have watched that call themselves trainers. You sir have a very good art of explaing and teaching. America is better cause people like you are here. Tip of the hat to you sir
With all the fancy terminology you use, it always translates as clear as day easy to understand “Lightbulb going off” explanations. Thank you good sir!!!
Something to add- I've found the circle dot reticle on my Holosun to help significantly with fishing for the dot. It increases the forgiveness of presentation because you have a 32moa wide reticle to catch within the window. With no need to even visually process the optic body, if you see a sliver of the bottom of the ring your brain automatically adjusts the gun down, or if you see the left side my brain bumps the gun left. It has significantly increased the efficiency of my training to build muscle memory of proper presentation because the feedback is faster and more reliable than having a dot not appear in the window at all and fishing in all directions, because in many of those cases an edge of the ring is still visible providing an instant cue for the needed correction, all while maintaining target focus.
As a state trooper I was trained in the Pete Soulis system for close range (inside 7 yards) shooting. No sights needed. Instinctive point shooting. Pete has been in about 500% more actual gunfights than I have, and his system is based on that experience, and studies of gunfights. I found his system to be extremely fast, and accurate within those distances.
He studied why gangbangers were so successful in killing cops with very little training. The answer was that they were point shooting, which was simply faster. His point shooting mechanics are natural, and science based.
I put a red dot on my Glock 45 based on your advice. I picked The Holosun with circle dot. It works great for close up or far away. I don’t have any trouble picking up the reticle and shoot more accurately than with iron sights-a needed assist for my old eyes. Thanks all the great research and testing you have done on reflex sights for handguns!!
If you like the way Aaron shoots, shoot the way Aaron does! Great video for those of us who are transitioning to pistol red dots. Thank you for your knowledge and wisdom!
First and foremost, Thank you for taking your time in explaining verse what many of us pew experienced or professionals speak a million miles an hour just to simply explain to the beginner or to those that are feeling comfortable and confident in handling a firearm. Your instructions were clear and concise with every explanation of exercise while incorporating what dynamics were put into place. This is a very informative video for the medium (Challenging perhaps in understanding) to experienced (Easy in understanding).
Just now watching this video, but your illustration using light switches and pointing blew my MIND. I’m walking around ninja aiming at all my light switches out of the corner of my eye now.
Excellent explanation of how efficient and accurate you can be with a pistol optic (reflex sight) up close and how to actually use the optic as opposed to irons. One focal plane versus 3 or sometimes even 4 focal plane shifts. As far as “losing your iron sight ability” after adjusting to an optic goes. Maybe I’m in the minority, but I found that once I got proficient enough with an optic to carry it, it actually improved my iron sighted shooting. Because the dot gave me much more detailed information about any fundamentals I was weak in even after decades of iron sight shooting. Now I’m more accurate, at longer range and up close, with both. I just happened to be a bit faster with an optic now. Bottom line. Put in the work and don’t use “I’m not a 1 percenter” as a lazy excuse to not put in the work. You get out of something what you put into it. No matter the task.
Great Video Aaron! I also have an Agency G19 W/RMR as my EDC and I love it. It DID TAKE me a few thousand rounds before I felt comfortable carrying it everyday. Started on a M&P 9mm Core 1st & then worked from there to where I'm at now. I wouldn't go back for anything!!!
I find that the thumb on my support hand REALLY helps me with acquiring sight of the dot. When I focus on pointing that thumb toward the target, I'm using my body to naturally line up the barrel with the target, and so the dot shows up more consistently since the gun is fairly well aligned already. My support thumb is being used as a natural indexing point for aiming. I'm a little surprised that I haven't heard this tip before anywhere; I had to figure it out on my own. Trainers I've seen tend to just say "practice over and over" and refer to natural hand-eye coordination rather than something specifically helpful. Though maybe I'm missing something; I'm no expert.
I learned to focus on the threat with iron sights about 5 years ago. I learned what a well aligned sight picture looked like and found it works well when used for force on force.
Aaron I appreciate your dedication to give the people your best honest impression on the gear and guns many of us don’t get to play with and put rounds through to make sure it’s the best option for that individual before we purchase. I can’t thank you enough for that. When I am researching a piece of kit, the first thing I do is see if you’ve covered it in a video. Extremely underrated channel. Also I’m a jacked up, Paralyzed combat medic. Do you or would you allow individuals in wheelchairs to attend your classes? Since we are basically rolling around with a bullseye on our backs. Keep the motivation brother. “Be Ruthless.”
"Energy is always conserved" does not mean that we always find the path of least resistance/energetic cost. It means that the initial total energy present, in a system, is the total energy present at the end. I know what you were trying to get across though; just wanted to let you know of that minor detail. Nonetheless, it was a very informative video and I have watched all of your other videos concerning RMR's on handguns.
Very informative and excellent points. Since I have started watching your videos my fundamentals have improved without a doubt. Keep up the great work and thank you. I'd love to take a class of yours.
Wait until you get older and try to work with the three focal planes. My milled slide just came back from the shop and I will be putting in the time to use this as my carry gun. Thanks for all of your experience and advice. My sights are forward of the Red Dot (just makes sense) and I’ll be working on my presentation with this new sight system.
Again as expected, your delivery of this information makes it so easy to comprehend. Definitely going to be looking at your training schedule, would love to take a class from you.
Right on man, eventually someone will put in the time and prove something in theory so advantageous to actually be so, thanks man im sold, might be another year or more even before i get around to actually getting and running a an rmr setup but im sold.
Aaron, I really enjoy watching your videos. I think you do a great job explaining the why when it comes to your topic. I also love the fact that you are also a left handed shooter. I'm former military so I have that experience. I have been conceal carrying for just over a year now. I'm really trying to learn a much as I can through videos and I've taken a class or two. My goal is to become very proficient in shooting in all situations. I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate your videos and your style of instruction. I wish your classes were closer to Washington state. I need to take more defensive shooting classes.
It took me a month of training once a week before i saw the benefits with the learning curve. But now that im starting to get it down holy shit i am shooting much tighter groups. And yes i had the one i closed problem too.
like this video, i waa going back and forth with the idea of an opti. Now after seeing this and getting a better understanding of how it can help and not hurt, im going to make the move. Hope to also make it to a training session as well.
Interesting he talks about people looking at their REAR sight. Where I work we stress front sight and teach guys to drive the gun towards the target muzzle high and find the FRONT sight, level out the gun and press.
Conservation of energy means energy cannot be created or destroyed. It does not have anything to do with the path of least resistance. Great video. I'm curious about your opinion on the CHPWS aftermarket MOS plate. Any thoughts?
Love all of this man! I had a RMR on a FNX45T I had awhile back and loved it. I need to get my G19 carry gun to run a RMR. Great videos as always and keep it up man, you're killing it!
Dawg...they should call you the professor! You just got it. I think you could instruct anyone at anything you wanted to instruct on. Not sure if you travel, but I would take your classes in a second if you were in my area!!!
In my self training I pickup the front sight as I focus on the target. Training gives me the rear sight alignment on the pressout. Yes, my front sight is imparitive as I'm matching instinctively, through training, and the rear is like peering thru a window. It's the same as when I use my rifle circular optic front sight as my rear peep is providing the window. My "field of view" positions that rear window while my focus is on the front and target. Yes, it is a slower shot, but my rear sight is as instinctive as any window. This is called range time making that window deep into your subconscious. Whether a red dot with a fixed up front window or iron fixed, it is your subconscious that needs training.
My only problem with the hand-eye coordination concept you described to alleviate the "fishing" for the dot problem is that it doesn't seem to be as true when situations require moving. I'm pretty sure your arms and body are not going to be in the same position as they are when you are static. I understand if you are standing still and you practice your draw stroke with an rmr a thousand times, your body will naturally place the dot where you focus on because of muscle memory. When moving while shooting though, your body will not be in the same position and thus will increase the chance of having to find the dot. On top of that, you cant really practice and gain the muscle memory needed to find the rmr while moving since movement during a defensive encounter will always be different depending on the situation itself. That's why I feel irons sights would be better in situations that involve movement since you can always see the front sight and just quickly place it on the target which is faster than fishing for the dot and then placing it on the target. In a high stressed situation, muscle memory has its place, of course, but it is not reliable for actions as precise as finding a dot on an rmr especially while moving.
Michael Ngo actually no. First, "muscle memory" isn't a real thing. What you are probably referring to is "hebbian plasticity." The creation of neural pathways for motor functions and heuristics. Second, working a dot while moving doesn't create the catastrophic situation you imagine. It's a non issue with a solid technique foundation. If anything, the generic "stress" and stress of an SNS activation is going to make dot use more effective, not less so. Iron sights under SNS in a spontaneous threat reaction aren't likely to be useful at all due to eye accommodation. That's one of the reasons RDS are as popular as they are.
One of the main reasons why shooters have problems finding the red dot is because they focus on the front dot sight like you mentioned and thus are not in the exact firing position to be able to see the dot. Unlike a rifle that has four points of contact and a red dot that is much closer than that on a pistol, it is much more unforgiving compared to a handgun. That is why even when a shooter is just slightly off in their hand-eye position from focusing on the front site, they have to fish for the sight. Of course your method described here is a solid work around for that. But it doesn't involve movement. And you can't train for the body to be in the perfect position during movement because depending on the situation, all movement is going to slighty different leading to slighty different postions. There is no debate that when compared to the stance of a static shooter who is slightly off from focusing on the front dot, their stance and hand-eye position while moving will be much more off. This is off course until the dot is found and the red dot far exceeds the transition capabilities compared to irons even when moving. Everyone agrees that limiting to one focal plane is much easier in a stressful situation when focusing on a treat. BUT I have to find my dot first before any of this to occur. This first shot acquisition delay is what really made me not carry my rmr'd gun. No matter how much I trained while moving, I was always faster on my first shot with irons. If this was past 25 yards the edge would have gone to the rmr, but statistically any situation is averagely under 10 feet anyway. So I chose to focus on speed. I would really love a video sometime on first shot acquisition while moving with an rmr. Or maybe even a shot timer comparing the first shot between irons vs rmr in different situations. thanks for the reply
Michael Ngo okay. And my methodology isn't based on the premise of stationary shooting. This methodology is based on physiology and eye accommodation as well as General eye/hand coordination. I regularly have students work the dot just fine on movers and while moving in live Fire classes. I also have an RMR equipped sims gun for FOF, same results on moving role players. I can see where your line of thinking comes from, but it's not backed up be evidence.
At first I had no idea that he was talking about the Hebb rule, because he pronounces it Heeebian plasticity for some reason. Empirically, human brain tissue behaves more like a Delta-rule network than a Hebb-rule network. But for what he's talking about pretty much any rule will do.
I'm one of those guys on the fence here, I know some former unit guys that say that these sights are just not up to par yet and then there are guys like you who say they're awesome...as far as my job goes we use iron sights in the State Department so my question is...should I take the plunge and get one or keep using what I have that I use in my job?
The RMR risk of failure increases with round count; ive not had one make it beyond 8K rounds without needing repair (which is warranty covered) and many shooters will take years to reach that point. That said, opinions are going to vary based on time on the platform. ALG produced the six second mount in response to requests from unit types, but it lacks the concealability found with a milled reflex. Im able to carry one for LE, so for me its an easy choice. If your primary practice is duty gun focused, it may not be worth it for you.
Very good detailed video. I just began shooting GSSF competitions and I’m considering adding a RMR and jumping up a class. I use a red dot on my ARs, do I understand the concept but does bore axis play a part from 3 yards to 25 yards on a pistol. Thank you for all your info.
Thanks, Aaron. I'm new to RDS and will be sending my slide off for milling this week. My question is: what height suppressor sights? I'm going with Ameriglo black on black but have the option of .315/.394 (1/3 co-witness) or .407/.500 (aboslute). What would you recommend?
awesome instruction ! I'm new to an rmr i have a g19 mos, use it ? or should i just get a slide milled at agency arms with sight in front of rmr out of the gate? thanks
Excellent points and, as always, you make great informative videos. My issue with red dots on duty handguns is with snow/dust/debris getting in the optic window and obstructing the view leaving us with only point shooting. With a rifle if that happens we have a big ol barrel to sight down like a bead sighted shotgun and a handgun to transition to. With the duty handgun though, we are stuck without sighted fire or transitioning to a (usually far less capable) backup gun. Since you use this system for reserve duty and not just ccw like most of the advocates of RMR's. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this issue as well.
Here is another of Sage's videos that addresses optical failure, I think obstructed window was covered in it. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3XdyPQ3nCbc.html
Aaron my gunsmith buddy put the trigicon RMR 2 on my G,19X. I am working thru the low front sight that I should remove. What is the benefits to milling it in and having it on my rear dovetail. So I have no rear sight and a stock front sight which I ignore. Looking for your ideas. Tnx
Hello, I have a question. If I'm a beginner in the shooting. Should I shoot with irons first and then move to RDS or is it better to immediately mount RDS on a handgun?
This isn't the 320 RX, but it is the optic that come on it. Spoiler alert, he broke it. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-shdhVPc3Ivg.html
I have a question. Have you done any testing in the rain while utilizing the RMR at least under standard raining conditions (not a severe thunderstorm) and under the extent of a brief threat encounter? And if so how much did that weather or could the weather heavily affect your sight picture? I understand that for most of the duration you are exposed to the elements the firearm will e covered by our shirt/jacket.... until it is not. I am not arguing the concept, in fact I plan to conduct a personal test of this nature as soon as applicable on my personal range.
Hey man ive latley run across your youtube latley, not trying to kiss ass but honeslty you have the most informative solid information. Ive noticed you AIWB carry i do as well... heres my question i notice you always seem to have a x300 on your glock.. is it doable or somthing that takes awhile to get used to the "comfort"? Also have you tried the xc1 surefire? Anyways any input would be apprecitated
Hi. I'm starting to get into RMR's in some competition shooting. I'm naturally nearsighted and a bit farsighted until things are at about arm's length, so for shooting iron sights my natural 'sharp' plane of focus is right around the front sight when not wearing corrective lenses. Hence, I normally don't we are corrective lenses when shooting irons. Based on the red dot technique that you're describing, would I be better off getting protective eyewear with my normal corrective prescription, since I'll be looking to focus downrange? If so, my only concern with that is that in correcting for far way, it puts a lot of the stuff closer in a bit out of whack. Right now I have a 6MOA red dot, but if shooting with corrective lenses, I might have to go with a 3MOA so it's not quite as brown/fuzzed out.
What color front sight fiber optic insert do you recommend for use with an RDS? Yellow/green to not confuse with the red dot or red for consistency. Or just black since they are buis?
Is there any way you could possibly do a video discussing the process of zeroing a rds on a handgun? I.e., do a sort of "how-to" video for zeroing a rds for a handgun. I have searched you tube and while there are dozens of how to zero a rifle red dot, I have not found any pistol rds videos. Thanks in advance
R. Huffman it's just like zeroing a rifle RDS. The easiest way is to first co-witness your red dot with your front sight. Then shoot only using the red dot and see how much you're off. Probably not much. Then go from there. I sighted in my RMR with 10 rounds, 5 rounds for poi, and 5 rounds after zeroing to see if my adjustments were correct.
Hey AAron, I have wqtched a bunch of your great videos. Can you tell me if on a properly set up and zeroed red dot,does it matter if the dot is not centered. let's say you present and the dot is up at the top left corner but on the correct spot on target, will it go where the dot is if shot is broken properly
out of parameter for this video, but in your experience, do you think a person transitioning in between 9mm luger and 40 s&w will encounter any difficulty in adjusting in either direction?
I was testing a Storm Lake 9mm conversion barrel in my Glock 22 the other day. I switched from the 155-grain HST ammo to the 147-grain +P HST in 9mm, and it was like I was shooting duds. Right after shooting that 40 S&W, the nine just seemed like a .22.
I want to use an RMR on my EDC but I am having trouble getting a clear answer from anywhere about how it works. Basically I am trying to figure out how it stays on; if it is always on, or if it is activated with motion, like a holster draw, or if you have to turn it on before use (which defeats the purpose of having it on your EDC gun). I think it's the former, but I'm not sure and would like clarification. If it is the former, how long does the battery last on the RMR Type 2 if it's on 24/7?
Jeremy Cox if you’re carrying the gun your sight is on. Some need to be turned on before you leave the house, some shake awake some never turn off. If you need to turn your sight on, (Vortex Venom, Burris etc) you do so when you pick up the gun. If I’m using that gun as my night stand gun, I turn it on and put it in the night stand. Some never go off, Trijicon RM01, it’s there. Some shake awake (Holosun 507c) if it’s been perfectly still for 16 hours, it turns itself off. When you pick it up it turns on and stays on till you set it down and leave it for a loooong time. I change batteries on all my guns on my birthday. WORST case is about a year.
Is that Guncraft holster available - I don't see that on their website. Thanks! It sounds like it has solid retention especially for a light bearing gun.
Due to old ass eyes I can't see a front pistol sight clearly. It's a big fuzzy dot. I'm going from a Sig P320 compact with Trijicon HD sights to a Glock 19 MOS with a Shield RMS with their own mounting plate. Lower 1/3 co witness with regular sights.
