What is the proper way to use a red dot sight?  Are you supposed to line the red dot up with the front iron sight? (I don't have a rear iron sight)   It seems like when I don't align dot perfectly with front sight, I'm off a little.  Does that make sense?

Also, Is it better to mount the sight towards the front of the rail or the rear? which is better?

Middle to rear of the rail, and you use the dot ONLY the iron sights are not involved. Keep both eyes open.

Buy a BUIS (back up iron sight - the rear sight). Should have been purchased before buying a red dot. What are you going to do when the batteries die or the sight fails for some unknown reason, try to shoot it like an old west six-shooter and guess where the bullets are going?

Both eyes open, not worrying about the iron sights. Until you switch it off or the batteries die, then you go back to the irons. Oh wait, you can't.

easy old boy!

Yes, you should procure a BUIS, but I have no idea what you plan on doing with your rifle,
so I'm not gonna make that judgement.

A dot optic is a single-point aiming concept.
If you decide to get one, it will become instantly apparent how to use it.

Quoted: easy old boy! Yes, you should procure a BUIS, but I have no idea what you plan on doing with your rifle, so I'm not gonna make that judgement.

Yeah, I've been full of piss and vinegar all night for some reason. I guess he can take a pick on what he wants, the piss or the vinegar.

Just seems like a lot of people trying to tech-up a weapon before knowing how to use it lately. You gotta have, and know how to use irons before an optical sight can be implimented.

Optical sights do not require use of the iron sights while you are shooting with them. When shooters talk about co-witness through an optical sight, they are referring to the ability to see the irons through a red dot in the even that the red dot is not working. You only use one or the other, red dot or irons, not both at once.

Sorry if I seem harsh, but that's what you're getting tonight.

Quoted: Yeah, I've been full of piss and vinegar all night for some reason. I guess he can take a pick on what he wants, the piss or the vinegar.

been there!

That is the inherent problem/benefit to dot optics...
They do in fact make shooting much easier than traditional irons.

I'll admit I shoot with the Aimpont way more than with the traditional sights,
but I do make a point every few range trips to purposely leave it at home
to force me to practice "batteries not included"

Quoted: easy old boy! Yes, you should procure a BUIS, but I have no idea what you plan on doing with your rifle, so I'm not gonna make that judgement. A dot optic is a single-point aiming concept. If you decide to get one, it will become instantly apparent how to use it.

Yeah, but's only common sense to get a set of iron sights before you put glass on the rifle. Then again, life has taught me that common sense is not that common.

Lots of people going thru PMS lately!

Thanks for the input everyone.  I'm using this rifle as a range gun for fun.  

I think for backup my xd-40 will be suffice.  It has both front and rear sights. (comes that way)   I have no intention of having a gun battle out in my back yard with having backup irons as a necessity for my AR.  I live in the city.

If my batteries die, I will change them.(I bought 2 extra that I am going to carry with me)  If the red dot scope apparatus thingy is broken,  then I throw it in the trash and leave the range sobbing uncontrollably, wishing I had enough common sense and forethought to have purchased a backup rear iron.  Guess I will have to miss out on world war III.

...and DON'T FOCUS ON THE DOT!!!

Don't focus on the dot as you do the front site? What do you focus on...the target itself? Also, is it best to mount toward the middle or out near the end where it will hang over the handguards a little?

I plan to mount directly to the flat top upper and I have a Samson so no problems hanging it off the end. Thoughts?

Keep both eyes open.

Does that make it harder to use say, an EOTech at 100 yds.? Seems like things could get blurry, but I have no optics experience.

Quoted: Does that make it harder to use say, and EOTech at 100 yds.?

No,  but you also have to remember EOTechs should be used with both eyes open and you're focousing on the target as well.

Quoted: Don't focus on the dot as you do the front site? What do you focus on...the target itself? Also, is it best to mount toward the middle or out near the end where it will hang over the handguards a little? You say middle or near the end. Does end mean the end towards stock? I plan to mount directly to the flat top upper and I have a Samson so no problems hanging it off the end. Thoughts?

So here's my condensed version of mounting an EOTech and using it.

- I have my 512 mounted as far forward on the upper receiver rail as possible. This gives easy access to the buttons with the use of a BUIS. I prefer as "big" a window as possible so I don't mount it 10" away on a forearm rail like some people do. Mine is basically center of balance, and as close as I can get it.
- It's mounted straight to the rail.
- Using the Troy flip-up rear BUIS and fixed FSB it co-witnesses (or pretty damn close at least).
- Zeroed at 50 yards to an "improved battlesight zero". Basically, anything within 2" out to 250yards gets hit.
- Keep both eyes open and focus on the target. If you try to focus on the reticule, it goes fuzzy. Think of it as the Terminator heads up display. That's basically what it's doing. Regardless of where your head is, the dot = impact.

So where you mount it and where you zero it are your preferences.

To add to the previous post, the closer the optic is to your eye, the smaller the reticule will appear in the glass. Conversely, the further away the optic is from your, the larger the optic will appear in the glass. The size of reticle never changes but it's relative size to the glass does. In other words, the reticle is always the same size.

The further away the optic is, the better your FOV will be but you will have less useable glass in which to see the reticle. Most folks mount their EO Tech either at the very end of the receiver or at the start (receiver end) of their FF rail system. Just look at some pics around here (there are an endless supply of them so need to ask for them to be posted ) and you'll get an idea of where other people mount theirs. Even then, you'll need to try it for yourself and see what works best for you. You can experiment with placement before you even zero the sight.