4 Key Tips For Shooting With Mini Red Dot Sights

Shooting Tips With The EOTECH EFLX Mini Red Dot Sight

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As with many things, technology can help improve performance. This is certainly the case with pistols and red-dot sights, also known as reflex sights. Many modern handguns now come cut to host a pistol red dot optic. In the early days, red dots and other optics mounted on handguns were more of curiosity than a reliable setup.

Red-Dot Sight Advancements

Technology in the optics world has evolved and pistol-mounted optics have become a viable and popular accessory. They offer distinct and clear advantages over standard iron sights. From speed on target to downrange awareness, the benefits are numerous. A company that has consistently been a leader in all things electronic optics is EOTECH. Their first offering in the pistol optics world is their EFLX Mini Red Dot sight.

The EOTECH EFLX Mini

This optic is primarily designed for pistol use and is configured to the Leupold Delta Point Pro footprint. Its durable, heavy-duty aluminum housing provides a large, square viewing window, that maintains the same aspect ratio as EOTECH’s HWS, to make the 3 or 6 MOA aiming dot easy and quick to find. A top load, single 2032 battery provides roughly 20,000 hours of run time. Ideal for professional use to get you on target fast—law enforcement, hunting, home defense, and more—the EFLX can be used on a variety of pistol platforms. In addition to being the ideal solution for a pistol red-dot sight, the EFLX can be used as a 1X solution on shotguns or rifles with magnified optics. In short, it is an exceptional optic.

Rocking The EFLX Mini On A Walther PDP

I had the opportunity to mount the EFLX onto a Walther PDP and take it for a spin. Several things stood out to me immediately. First was the large clear window that EOTECH has put on this optic. The frame surrounding the window is relatively thin. The sight is very easy to see through. Second was the clarity of the dot. There was no secondary halo or artifacts around the dot. This made for clear quick shooting. Lastly was the ease of use. From the top-loading battery to the easy to manipulate brightness controls it was a pleasure to work with. The only challenge we face when shooting with mini red dots is that they take a little specific practice to master. With that in mind, let’s look at four tips on shooting with mini red dot sights to help us master the red dot. 

Tip #1: See The Target

Tip number one deals with how the optic is best used. With iron sights, we have a blurry rear sight, a crystal-clear front sight, and a blurry target. That technique is centered around our focus being on the front sight. With red dots, however, we look at the target itself. As we do that, we lay the red dot in our optic onto the target, and we are ready to shoot. As I mentioned above, this gives us great vision downrange. This can be a challenge for many, as we are almost hard-wired to watch the front sight. Another thing to avoid is what I call “scope mind.” That is when you are hyper-focused on the red dot as opposed to just looking through the optic. It can be easy to find out if you are doing this because people almost inevitably end up closing one eye like they are looking through a scope. 

Tip #2: Squeeze The Grip To Find The Dot         

Tip number two deals with finding the red dot. Like most, I too had trouble finding the dot after I presented my pistol. I would then begin the gun wiggle and sway trying to find the dot. The technique I will share with you comes directly from Scott Jedlinski of Modern Samurai Project. His suggestion is to use the pinkie of your support side hand and squeeze the grip down slightly. When it is done correctly, the dot will magically appear in the window. Like anything connected to shooting, it takes practice but works very well. 

Tip #3: Don't Strive For “Perfect”         

Tip number three is to accept “good enough” regarding the dot placement inside the optic window. This is where brain cramps can begin as we are conditioned to center everything. If you present your pistol and the dot is a little low left in the window, but on the bullseye…send it. It is going to hit the bullseye. The same is true for dots being high right or wherever. As long as you have a clear vision of the dot and it is where you want the round to impact, then you are good to go. Do not waste precious time trying to get everything perfectly aligned. In time, you will naturally have significantly better alignment, but if it is off, you are still good. While some people will go into the deep weeds on parallax and accuracy, my experience is that parallax has only minute effects at defensive pistol ranges.

Tip #4: Lower Brightness

The last tip will be more of an administrative point. I encourage you to lower the brightness on the dot to the point where it can be seen, but not flaring. A dot that is too bright can obscure the target and make accuracy an issue. It can also be a distraction and cause hesitation at a moment that can be dangerous. While easier to see, a super bright dot can cause many issues. 

Modern pistol optics are revolutionary, and the EOTECH EFLX Mini is the perfect example of that. It is a professional-level optic that is available to the everyday shooter. If you are looking for a solid optic to make your jump into the red dot world, this is one to seriously consider. 

Specifications: EOTECH EFLX Mini

Size: 1.9" x 1.2" x 1"
Weight: 1.4 ounces
Mount: Leupold Delta Point Pro
Adjustments: 1MOA per click
Brightness: 8 daylight settings / 1 night vision setting
Power: 1 X CR2032 battery
Battery Life: Approx 25,000 hours (3MOA dot) at brightness level 5
Approx 20,000 hours (6MOA dot) at brightness level 5
MSRP: $389.00

Some Parting Expert Advice

The EOTECH EFLX Mini pairs well with a Glock 47 MOS. The EOTECH EFLX Mini pairs well with many pistols, but if I were to give readers one specific suggestion to run this sight with, it would be the Glock 47 MOS. The G47 MOS is essentially a higher-speed version of the classic Glock 17. The G47 MOS was developed for the United States Customs and Border Protection in 2019 and is now available to the commercial market. The G47 MOS offers the same reliability and performance as the G17 Gen5 MOS, with a shortened dust cover, and maintains parts compatibility with the G17 Gen5 MOS, G19 Gen5 MOS, and G45 MOS. It is a solid gun and would benefit from the installation of a great optic like the EOTECH ELFX Mini Red Dot sight.