Do you need binocular vision for most red dot type sights? I know there were some that required two good eyes but that was years ago.

My left eye has had a partial retina detachment and just recently, cataract surgery. The remaining vision is not very good, like looking thru a piece of rippled glass.
Right eye has good corrected vision (20/20ish) though.

Obviously I've never had a chance to try out a red dot sight or I'd know the answer to this already.

I just want a sight for informal plinking. I'm 62 and my HSLD days are long past. Something from Primary Arms is what I had in mind.

Don in Ohio

While you can use a RDS using only one eye, they're designed for shooting with both eyes open, allowing you to focus on the target rather than the sight.  You loose the advantage of quicker target acquisition when using only one eye but there's nothing in the rules that say you have to keep both eyes open.  The older ones that required both eyes open were the ones like the Armson OEG.  That sight isn't a see-through tube.  It puts the dot in front of one eye while you look at the target with the other one.  You have to use both eyes on something like that one.

Maybe try looking through a piece of glass with a dot on it, covering only your right eye with the glass. See how your eyes focus and it may give you an indication.

Make sure you do not have astigmatism if you are going for a red dot.  If you have that problem, the dot will be smeared and you will have a problem with tight shots.  If that is you, go for a 1-4x scope with diopler adjustment.

I have 20/50 vision in my left eye and 20/15 in my right, so my vision isn't binocular. It's been this way since birth, so I don't see 3D at all. That said, the most accurate I've ever been is with a red dot: there's no concept of parallax, and once the dot is zeroed properly, where it illuminates is where the shot goes. I'm good out to 100+ yards unmagnified as long as I can see the dot superimposed over the bullseye.

In my experience, using one eye with a dot doesn't degrade accuracy over other optics options.

I became a left handed shooter after being a righty for forty years.  I developed a blood clot in my right eye where the retina joins the optic nerve (complications from diabetes) leaving a big dead zone in the center of my right eye, right where all my sights and reticles are supposed to be.



Throwing a rifle up to your right shoulder for 40 years is a hard habit to break, and it slows me considerably.



That being said, I use my EOTech 512, EXPS2-2 and Vortex Sparc with my left eye to great success, once I get the rifle up to the correct shoulder.  I agree that one of the major benefits of a non-magnified optic is that yu can kkeep both eyes open and retain your peripheral vision and depth perception, bt they can certainly be used with a single eye.



Try to borrow one, or look through a few at your local gun shop, and see what you think.



Mark H.