Why are 3-dot sights so popular?

M

MLeake

New member
A lot of my pistols have 3-dot setups; most are night sights, a couple are white dots. It never bothered me before I started IDPA recently, but shooting for speed has shown me that 3-dots are about the slowest setup for quick sight alignment, at least for me.

I've highlighted the front blades on my K-frames, and those are fast to acquire. Same for my J-frame.

I was at a friend's place last night, and most of his guns have either fiber optic, tritium, or Hackathorn front sights, and plain black rears. Many of his rear sights are U notches. He has them set up that way for speed.

I'm thinking I may replace the rear sights on most of my autos with something similar.

Other options that I find a little faster are dot over bar, like the old SIG sights or the ones on my Kahr PM9 (or on some of the M9's I've shot at military courses); and possibly Heinie 8's.

Does anybody feel the 3-dot setup is faster? More accurate? What advantages to them am I missing? Seems the handgun industry jumped on the 3-dot wagon in a big way. Why was that?
 
Aarond's Law #1,,,

Seems the handgun industry jumped on the 3-dot wagon in a big way. Why was that?
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Any time you start any question with the word, why,,,
Stop right there and answer to yourself, money,,,
In the majority of cases, that's correct.

I would bet a shiny new .44 magnum cartridge,,,
That they jumped on 3-dot because they are cheaper.

Just my guess,,,

Aarond

P.S. I kind of like 3-dot sights,,,
 
I prefer the three dots over everything but a "red dot". Ive been shooting them so long now (since they first showed up), that I actually see the dots before I see a traditional sight picture. I actually have to shift focus to get one.

For most things within say 25 yards or so, I use the dots, especially since it seems the sights are regulated to the dots (not the top of the blade) on my guns with them anyway.

The biggest advantage I see to them over the other "styles" is, they offer instant horizontal and vertical alignment without thought. Three evenly spaced dots in a row, and the rounds go to the center dot. What could be easier and faster?

For me, the bar-dots, and dot over dot's, put my brain into an endless cycle of trying to decide if the "gap" is right. Realistically, at closer ranges, it really means nothing, but I find it slows me down compared to the three dots as my brain wants to "think" about it.
 
I personally have come to prefer a single fiber optic in the front with black in the rear for speed and ease of target acquisition.

Have some set up that way. Have some with the three dots, have some all black, have some night sights, have some fiber optic, have some matching the slide finish (hard chrome,blue/black). No longer have any red front ramp revolvers; now that also is a pretty fast set up.

YMMV
 
I had them removed from my Colt Combat Elite.

My SIG 220 has glow in the dark dots, otherwise I find three dot sights an annoyance.

I find these sights a real annoyance on the SIG. The pistol shoots low. According to SIG customer service “Combat shooting” is having the pistol shoot to where the front dot is located. According to these “experts” you are supposed to cover the target with the front sight. Since I can’t see what I am aiming at, this seems to be poor technique.

SigP220.jpg
 
I find these sights a real annoyance on the SIG. The pistol shoots low. According to SIG customer service “Combat shooting” is having the pistol shoot to where the front dot is located. According to these “experts” you are supposed to cover the target with the front sight. Since I can’t see what I am aiming at, this seems to be poor technique.
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The sights on the SIG are easily swapped out for something that works better for you if you dont like the three dots.

I think youre going to find its not just the SIG's that shoot low with the three dots either, all my Glocks and Colts wearing the same type sights also shoot/shot to the dots, as have most other guns Ive shot wearing them seem to do. Makes sense if you think about it. When you lose light and the normal sight picture, the bullet still goes to the dot.

Ive never had a problem putting the dot on the spot I want to shoot, even at farther than normal "combat" ranges, up close, I cant see that it matters, as the target is way bigger than the dot or front sight. I just put the center dot where I want the round to go, and thats where it goes, most of the time anyway.
 
I think 3-dot sights are about the worst set-up, of those I've used. There's no contrast at all, so the front sight is lost in the sea of dots and gaps. Removing the rear dots helps a lot.

I actually see the dots before I see a traditional sight picture. I actually have to shift focus to get one.
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Exactly; that's why I hate them! :)
 
Beats me why they are popular. I prefer just one dot... on the front sight.

Yes I have a few with three dots, and two (Hinies.)

But I prefer just one.

Deaf
 
Initially, I found them an incredible annoyance; used to black them out with a match in fact...until I attended Front Sight's Defensive Hand Gun course a month ago.

I rented a Glock out there and shot the 600 round course using its three dot sights. For all but the long head shots (15 yds and beyond), I found that I was using them with real accuracy and speed that allowed controlled pairs to the upper torso kill zone in less than 1.8 seconds from the holster. I won the steel challenge man to man with that Glock and shot distinguished with it as well...

The dots do allow faster target acquisition in my opinion in good daylight, and are indispensable for any usable sight picture long after standard black sights are invisible. I'm converted, at least for defensive use...my nightstand gun is now equipped with them. The target pic below was shot with Ruger's new SR1911 and its three dot sights...not fast as that Glock I rented as I'm still learning the gun and its trigger...but it's definitely got the accuracy.

Best Regards, Rodfac

P1020788.jpg
 
To me the three dots are there just to highlight the three portions of the sights that need to line up. That's all, just to make three specific points stand out.

I also think a natural tendency towards symmetry will help line the three dots up faster or rather, more naturally.

After that, training and practice will bring the speed and accuracy up.

That's my understanding of three dot sights. I've been using them for a while now, and find that it's pretty easy to line them up. Now keeping them where I want them to be, and getting them there quickly is what I'm working on.
 
Lining them up isn't the problem; doing it quickly, with the timer running, is the problem. I find them slower than other sight setups. So do some of the people I shoot with.
 
Most of my handguns use night sights so they are 3-dots. I don't really worry about what kind of sights a gun has... as long as I can hit my target.

I would say the invention of night sights pushed in 3-dot's favor.

Competition and target shooting the emphasis should be on the front sight, with a blurry background.

Combat / defense shooting they say the opposite holds better value. As in focus on the target, with blurry sights.

I practice both, along with point shooting, seeing as an extreme close quarters self defense situation.... chance are you wont be / wont have time to properly used the sights anyways. This is the main reason why I demand a gun fits my hands properly to be able to point shoot it.
 
A lot of my pistols have 3-dot setups; most are night sights, a couple are white dots. It never bothered me before I started IDPA recently, but shooting for speed has shown me that 3-dots are about the slowest setup for quick sight alignment, at least for me
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A good sized dot works pretty well---especially for us old geezers whose eyes aren't what they used to be. With tritium, the white outline of the dot needs be sufficient to stand out. That's why I like Sig Sauers' new Siglites--greatly improved, with the brightest tritium I've seen.

They were designed so they'd be easier to quickly superimpose on Bubba's chest if he were threatening your life.

They wouldn't be quicker for a precise picture, as you've discovered. A big dot and precise are an oxymoron.

But I'm not talking about competition. Just the type of practice that I hope I never need to apply for real.
 
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I like the three dot sights too.

I think the three dot set up is popular because it's the easiest setup to get tritium into.

Tritium night sights are what is predominately used in law enforcement.

The civilian guns sold tend to mirror what law enforcement and competition shooters use and want.
 
Lining them up isn't the problem; doing it quickly, with the timer running, is the problem.
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I suppose its all what and how you practice, and what you are used to and like. I dry fire constantly every day, and have my whole life, and I shoot once or twice weekly, sometimes more, so practice is constant too. Since they came out, three dots have been on any gun Ive carried, and most of the handguns I have, so they are what Im used to, and Im comfortable with them.

These were shot the other day at between 5-10 yards. Some from the holster, some from SUL, most of them double taps as well. Average was probably 1-2 seconds from start to finish with all of them, and I never saw anything but the "dots" when I shot them.

ry%3D400

ry%3D400


Hey, our brains arent all wired the same and the same thing doesnt work for all of us. Theres nothing wrong with that, as long as you choose what works best for "you". Ive tried many of the different types as they showed up, and havent found anything that works better for me than the old three dots. The only way to really know though, is to try as many different types as you can, spend a reasonable amount of time with them and and give them a good try, and then see how it goes.

I keep flirting with the red dots, and at some point, Ill probably go that route, especially as Im getting older now and my eyes aint what they used to be. I know how much better I shoot my long guns with them, and its just a matter of time now for the handguns. Price is the main problem right now, as I need multiples of anything I use and carry, and they arent cheap. I'll bet in the next few years, the price and size of the units, will come down a good bit. Even then though, there will still be a set of three dot night sights on the gun too.
 
Depends on what you use your gun for. For going to the range and playing shooting games there are probably better choices. If you are carrying your gun to save your butt, then the 3 dot sights work very well.
 
Just my opinion but I've never found that the dots are there for accuracy. Seems they are there as an aid to defensive shooting in low light conditions to help you see where the barrel is pointing. They are the most inexpensive way of doing that. 3 white dots painted on a gun by a fella with a shaky hand, that often don't line up, or more resemble mis-shaped drops of paint than dots can't be used to line up for accuracy.

I ignore them or paint over them if they are too intrusive.

Tritium night sights of the 3 dot variety where the front sight is a different color can be useful but again, in low light. I ignore them otherwise.

A white dot can be covered by dirt or debris. Trying to line them up takes too much time and longer than a quick flash sight picture.

tipoc
 
If you go to the XS "big dot" website here and read what they have to say it makes sense. A large white dot front with a white post in a V rear. I would like to get those on my carry guns but they recommend sending the slides in for installation and the sights are expensive by themselves.

For point shooting it seems to me they would be better and in an SD situation that is likely what we would be doing. I have 3 dot Novaks on most of my semi-autos but punching paper is the primary function so I'm not acquiring the target at speed and it ain't an issue. One of these days I'll break down and get the big dot on at least one if not both of my Kahrs.
 
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