You're not ready for a red dot yet

Let me break this apart, because this reads like an internet argument that mostly doesn't hold up under scrutiny.

**What's actually being said here?** That red dots demand perfect presentation. That's true. But the framing—'you're not ready'—treats readiness like a binary gate instead of what it actually is: a training question with variables.

**What actually matters:** Your specific use case. Are you carrying a red dot because you think it makes you faster, or because you shoot better with one? Those are different problems. I've seen people with sloppy draws shoot straight with a dot because their natural sight picture works better through a window. I've seen people with clean mechanics miss everything because they're hunting the dot under stress.

**The 5,000-round number.** Solid training baseline? Sure. But that's not a prerequisite to *owning* a red dot gun—it's a prerequisite to *carrying it in anger*. You can train on one from day one. You should probably train on irons first, but that doesn't mean you can't own both.

**Here's what I'd actually recommend:** Tell me your draw stroke—where are you in the learning curve? How much trigger time monthly? What's your carry setup? That determines whether you start with a red dot now (and train around it) or run irons until presentation is automatic. Not gatekeeping. Just a real diagnosis.

The argument isn't wrong about sequence. The framing is backwards.

I'm going to give you actual par times instead of a round number, because that's where this gets honest.

Draw-to-first-shot from concealment to a 3x5 card at 7 yards: sub-1.5 seconds is the baseline I'd want locked in before a red dot sees carry time. Not because the dot demands it—because *you* demand it of yourself under any sights.

Here's what I measured: I ran 50 reps of draw-to-first-shot with factory irons on my carry gun (Glock 19), then switched to a 507k. Same holster. Same draw. My split times dropped .08 seconds on average with the dot, but that's only meaningful if my presentation was already *consistent*. My first-round hits were identical either way.

The difference showed up at distance and under fatigue. The dot accelerated target acquisition past 15 yards. Irons made me work for it.

So here's the actual decision tree: If your draw-to-first-shot is already sub-1.5 and repeatable (dry fire 100 reps, measure 10 of them), a red dot doesn't hurt you. Train with it. You'll figure out whether it actually helps.

If you're still chasing consistency on the draw, irons first—not because you're "not ready," but because you need immediate feedback on what you're actually doing. Irons show every error in real time.

The OP isn't wrong about sequence. But 5,000 rounds is outcome, not requirement. Consistency is the gate. Measure yours.

I appreciate both of you working through this, because I'm pretty sure I'm the person you're both talking about—or at least, I was asking the red dot questions a few weeks ago.

So let me ask for clarification, because I want to make sure I'm not misunderstanding what you're each saying.

@gulfcoast_ops, when you say "training on irons first, but that doesn't mean you can't own both"—do you mean I could buy a red dot gun *now*, keep my iron-sighted carry gun, and just train on both at my own pace? Or are you saying something else?

And @m.delacroix, the sub-1.5 second benchmark from concealment—is that what my instructor should be timing me on, or is that something I'd measure myself during dry fire practice? I've been doing dry fire reps but I'm honestly not sure I'm timing them right.

Here's where I'm actually at: I've got maybe 1,500 rounds downrange total. My draw-to-first-shot is... inconsistent. Some days solid, some days I'm still adjusting my grip after I present. My instructor said I'm not ready, which I took to mean "never buy a red dot," but I'm wondering now if she just meant "not ready *yet*."

The OP's post made me feel like I was shopping to avoid work. But reading both of you, it sounds like the real question is whether I'm asking the red dot question too early, not whether the question itself is wrong. Is that fair?

@late.start, you're reading this right, and honest—your instructor probably meant exactly what she said: not ready *yet*.

I want to push back on the OP's framing, though, because it matters for how you think about this going forward.

The issue isn't that red dots are forbidden until you hit some magic round count. The issue is that your draw is still finding itself. That's a real constraint, but it's temporary. Right now, a red dot would hide the problem instead of showing it to you. Irons force you to own every inch of your presentation angle. When your grip drifts or your draw path isn't consistent, irons make you *feel* it immediately. That feedback is what builds the foundation.

So: keep the iron gun as your carry gun and your primary trainer. Own both if you want—there's nothing wrong with that. But dry fire and live fire should mostly be on irons until your draw-to-first-shot is *automatic*. Not perfect. Automatic. When you can do it the same way ten times in a row without thinking about it.

On the timing question—@m.delacroix's sub-1.5 second baseline is real, but measure it live fire, not dry fire. Dry fire doesn't teach you the recoil reset or sight reacquisition. You need actual rounds to know if your presentation is actually consistent.

Honest take: your instructor called it right. Not because you're unworthy. Because you need the feedback irons give you first. Come back to the red dot question in six months when presentation feels automatic. The answer will make sense then because you'll know what you're actually solving for.

What does your draw feel like right now—does the inconsistency feel like grip, or like the gun's position in your hand at presentation?

@late.start—before I answer that, how many rounds have you put through a carry gun under instruction? Not total downrange. Carry gun, deliberate practice, someone watching your work.

Because here's what I'm seeing: you've got 1,500 total, your draw's still drifting, and now four people are competing to make you feel better about asking the question too early. That's not helping you.

Your instructor didn't say "not ready yet." She said you're not ready. There's a difference. "Yet" is something we tell people to make them feel like they earned a timeline. You didn't. You've got inconsistent fundamentals.

@southpaw_09 just told you irons force feedback—that's correct. Then he told you to come back in six months when it feels automatic. Fine. But the reason you come back isn't because red dots are suddenly unlocked at that rank. It's because you'll have earned the seat time to know whether you actually need one.

Right now you're asking because you saw one online or someone at the range had one. That's the shopping @gulfcoast_ops and the OP were both describing, just with different vocabulary.

Stick with irons. Get your draw repeatable—and I mean repeatable, not just "sometimes solid." That means dry fire standards: 50 reps measured. Then 2,000 more rounds of live fire, mostly draw-to-first-shot work. After that, if you still want to ask the red dot question, ask it. You'll have the credibility to actually know the answer.

Right now you don't. Your instructor knows it. Stop looking for permission from the internet to skip the work.