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Hellcat optics Yeah or Nay?

Rob Leatham

Rob Leatham

Operator
Founding Member
As I continue to shoot my Hellcats (plural, one slide with optic other iron sights only) I am beginning to develop a very strong opinion about which I like better. It is not what I expected. I figured early on (and correctly so) that I would be just as effective with irons as I would the optical sight for the guns intended use close range use. Thought that with my decades of success with the irons I would never even care about the optical sighted version. Turns out, and maybe it is just because the thing shoots so well, I can see a much broader effective range for it with the optical sight?

Still don't really care either way for the up close and personal, but I can hit an 8 inch circle with OSP version quickly at somewhat extended ranges quite easily. I can hit the same targets with irons but not as effortlessly. More focus and concentration required which for me is slower.

Anyone else out there feel the same? I am curious as I have been forever a proponent of iron sights.

Maybe we have a new category of gun? Precision pocket pistol?
 
Totally I’m deadly with a red dot and as we age our eyes flat out can’t see close and far at the same time as most of us wear progressive glasses or corrections for either near or far sighted. If you just go by the red dot at least I can see it clearly . So I can just focus on subject instead of some close up iron site there just cotton balls to me. Lol
something I think folks need to look at. I’m nailing the Hellcat with a red dot but my 911 with iron site at same distance I’m just not as good. Good but I’m missing some shots. Hellcat about 11 Out of 13 in a 3 inch Circle at 25 feet. I consider that damn good for a New shooter
 
Up until now, I was always an iron sights guy. I'm good out to about 15 yards. Beyond that is where "senior eyes" start to slow me down. Shot a friend's pistol with red dot and found it easier out to about 25 yards so I took the plunge for a Shield RMSc for my Hellcat which should arrive in the next day or two. Hopefully, it will help at the longer distances for speed of target acquisition as well as accuracy. I chose this red dot because I will still have a full view of the iron sights if the red dot fails.
 
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Have now spent a pretty good amount of time behind the Hellcat with Shield RMSc. My current thoughts are the optics are far more beneficial to my performance on the smaller guns than the full-size. With the shorter sight radius and attendant difficulty in seeing error in alignment I find I can shoot the Hellcat with the optical sight as well as a much larger and easier to aim full size guns with irons. Never expected that to be as big a deal as it is. I still don't need fancy optics or even much of a sight picture to hit full size targets at 5 yards. I can point shoot and use coarse sight pictures well enough for that purpose but, if I need precision due to distance or size of target decreasing the optical sight is a godsend.
 
As much as I have been shooting and being new to it but coming from a 40 plus year as a Pro Photographer which is solely based on my ability to see. I’m starting to have this mental debate which is better a laser or the red dot. I have a Sig 938 aka miniature 1911 with a TR-6 laser and light and my Hellcat with my Swampfox Sentinel which I really love both systems because both systems I can faithfully ( progressive glasses) see the target out in front of me than seeing cotton balls on a mechanical site. No way i can focus fast enough to see near and far. The laser/red dot take that away, thank God. I’m very accurate with both guns with these sights. One thing that I am realizing is in daylight I will be more mechanical site as the laser drops off but the red dot does not but at night obviously the laser is the better option.

here is the rub on the P938 is my everyday carry but the laser off the trigger really does not add length to conceal it’s still let’s say 4x6 inches on the P938 now the hell cat is only slightly bigger. Certainly wider but once you throw that red dot on top than that conceal ability gets worse. I’m only 5‘8” and 20 pounds over weight so I can’t conceal that great anyway. On the range these tools are seriously fantastic but I’m thinking of sticking a laser on the Hellcat to bring that size down to use as a carry at times.

im fairly new to this but a gear whore no doubt about it but I like to try things. I may add a laser on the Hellcat . Any advice on which one I’d love. Not sure I actually need a light though. I want small package
 
Guy Mancuso said:
As much as I have been shooting and being new to it but coming from a 40 plus year as a Pro Photographer which is solely based on my ability to see. I’m starting to have this mental debate which is better a laser or the red dot. I have a Sig 938 aka miniature 1911 with a TR-6 laser and light and my Hellcat with my Swampfox Sentinel which I really love both systems because both systems I can faithfully ( progressive glasses) see the target out in front of me than seeing cotton balls on a mechanical site. No way i can focus fast enough to see near and far. The laser/red dot take that away, thank God. I’m very accurate with both guns with these sights. One thing that I am realizing is in daylight I will be more mechanical site as the laser drops off but the red dot does not but at night obviously the laser is the better option.

here is the rub on the P938 is my everyday carry but the laser off the trigger really does not add length to conceal it’s still let’s say 4x6 inches on the P938 now the hell cat is only slightly bigger. Certainly wider but once you throw that red dot on top than that conceal ability gets worse. I’m only 5‘8” and 20 pounds over weight so I can’t conceal that great anyway. On the range these tools are seriously fantastic but I’m thinking of sticking a laser on the Hellcat to bring that size down to use as a carry at times.

im fairly new to this but a gear whore no doubt about it but I like to try things. I may add a laser on the Hellcat . Any advice on which one I’d love. Not sure I actually need a light though. I want small package
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I have experience with the Veridian on the XDs, quite a few variations of Crimson trace on almost everything and Surefire Light/Laser combo's on full-size guns. All worked well but I do prefer the optical sight as an all-rounder. I struggle to activate the lasers easily, especially the small ones and I like that the optical sight is just always on. I am not probably up to speed on all the laser options out there, but really preferred the models that had pressure pads on the grips for the 1911's and the remote pad for the rail mounted laser/light combos. I don't have think about activating them. Just draw and shoot with those types.
 
As indicated before, Nay.

The Hellcat tritium front dot is big enough for me that's it's just like a red dot if you focus on the front sight like you're supposed to.

IMO, a red dot on a micro pistol diminishes it's concealability too much for me, plus it could be damaged then you're just point & shoot.

My .02
 
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Annihilator said:
Ok, I don’t have a Hellcat yet, but I’m old school here, iron sights for me.
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I am totally good with the iron sights. I have made a career out of shooting them but with the optics I can hit just about anything I would ever need to and nearly as fast as I can with one of my competition iron sight guns. Also can do it without wearing my special iron sight shooting glasses. So because of my vision I now am in love with the optical pistol. 20 years ago probably not much to gain for me but now...
 
Talyn said:
As indicated before, Nay.

The Hellcat tritium front dot is big enough for me that's it's just like a red dot if you focus on the front sight like you're supposed to.

IMO, a red dot on a micro pistol diminishes it's concealability too much for me, plus it could be damaged then you're just point & shoot.

My .02
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Hmmm... I hardly ever focus on the front sight like I am supposed to ad never for long periods of time while shooting fast. Just for very short periods of time to limit my inability to see whatever else is happening. In my experience the optical sights durability regarding poor handling and abuse isn't much different than an iron sight. Meaning drop the gun on either and its gonna have issues. as far as the conceal-ability that may be a point. I just don't have any real issues with or without the optical sight as my holsters work with either.
 
without my glasses the iron sights are harder to use. With my daily wear glasses or none I gain massive capability with the optical sight. And the short sight radius of tiny guns becomes unimportant once an optic is mounted. I agree they are still not perfect and may never be but they are in many cases far superior. We had this same discussion a long time ago on carbines. Now I wouldn't even think of having one without an optical sight. I no longer even bother with the iron sight backups.. Just my views..
 
Rob Leatham said:
I am totally good with the iron sights. I have made a career out of shooting them but with the optics I can hit just about anything I would ever need to and nearly as fast as I can with one of my competition iron sight guns. Also can do it without wearing my special iron sight shooting glasses. So because of my vision I now am in love with the optical pistol. 20 years ago probably not much to gain for me but now...
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My brother had a S&W M&P C.O.R.E. pistol in .40cal, he had a red dot on it, I just couldn’t get used to it at all, I agree with eyesight issues as we get older, it does get more difficult at times.
 
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