I am purchasing a Smith and Wesson M&P M2.0 10mm pistol. I will be using this as a bear defense pistol for the backcountry. Wondering what your recommendations are as far as optics go? Not sure what I want on it, but I do want an optic. I saw where earlier this year you could get a Viridian RFX-15 green dot reflex sight for a reduced price if you bought a S&W pistol. I was wondering if anyone got that and was it worth it or should I pay a little more and get something else?
I have never purchased a pistol optic, so I do not know what is good. I have just recently shot a pistol that had an optic on it, and I liked it, so I want one. (BTW, green dot b/c I am colorblind and it's easier to see.)
+1 for an enclosed optic for a field gun, hunting and exposed outdoors. Couple of key points:
1) Durability and reliability really are paramount with pistol optics, given the punishment they experience. Practically translated, that means you genuinely should plan on spending several hundred dollars - do not go cheap if it's not a range toy or something that would more or less live in your safe or night stand. Lens, laser, and electrical connections are big ones. Crush resistance is another big one on a field gun.
2) Before buying, do whatever you can to handle the one you're interested in on an actual gun - some companies' laser emitters and lenses are better for some people's eyes than others, and it can be a bit of a pain to assess an RDS by just holding it out arms-length with your fingers.
3) As a generality, don't rely on that gun with an optic on it if you haven't drawn from holster and dry-fired at least 500 times. Even better with live ammo x500, just to learn how to get the dot back on target and manage recoil/focus. It takes time to "build an index" to where the dot just comes up naturally. Focus on the target, not the dot, and if you have a hard time finding the dot at first just tip the nose of the gun down and then back up, it'll usually emerge from below. It needs to be second-nature for that dot to appear on the target you're focused on, otherwise it can lead to a panic in not finding the dot while under pressure. It's not difficult, it just takes time to build that index and target-focus of your vision and concentration.
That second one I learned the hard way a few months back, btw, with a green-dot Holosun EPS Carry. Holosun has a pretty solid reputation for durability, and it's a small, enclosed optic. On paper it was the perfect optic for my application...and in reality the bloom around the dot was so bad with my particular eyes that it was functionally useless. Just one great big fuzzy blob. With only a slight astigmatism, and possibly the green laser, it was a complete no-go,for me personally. I've been told that can happen a bit more with green lasers for some reason, with some people. But it was a big disappointment. So, try before you buy. A lot of bigger shops will have mounted optics on their guns, so it can usually be possible to find one to handle, especially if you call around a bit.
