FAQ – Questions & AnswersCategory: Red Dot FAQHow to co-witness a red dot?
Gorgeous asked 2 years ago
Can you co-witness a red dot?

5 Answers
Olson answered 2 years ago
There is no one definitive answer to this question, as everyone’s setup and preferences will be different. However, there are a few general tips that can help you get started.
First, it is important to make sure that your red dot sight is properly mounted and aligned. This will ensure that the dot is placed where you expect it to be when looking through the sight.
Once your red dot sight is mounted, you will need to zero it in. This means adjusting the windage and elevation screws until the dot falls on the point of impact at your desired distance. Once you have done this, you are ready to begin co-witnessing.
To co-witness, you will need to look through your red dot sight and align the dot with your iron sights. Once the dot is in line with your iron sights, you are ready to shoot. Keep in mind that you may need to make further adjustments to the windage and elevation screws as you shoot at different distances.

Cruz answered 2 years ago
There are a few different ways that you can co-witness a red dot sight:

One of the way is to use an offset mount, which will place the red dot slightly below and to the side of your primary optic. This allows you to see the red dot without having to take your eye off of your primary sight picture.
Another method is to use a riser mount, which will raise the red dot up so that it is in line with your primary optic. This can be beneficial if you have trouble acquiring the red dot sight picture using an offset mount.
Finally, you can simply use the iron sights on your firearm in conjunction with the red dot sight. This is typically done by zeroing the red dot sight at a specific distance and then using the iron sights to make any adjustments.
No matter which method you choose, it is important that you practice with your red dot sight so that you are familiar with how it works and can use it effectively in a variety of situations.

Jordan answered 2 years ago

The best way to cowitness a red dot is to first mount the red dot to your firearm. Then, adjust the red dot so that it is on the same plane as your front sight. Once the red dot is mounted and positioned correctly, you should be able to see the red dot lens through your rear sight. If done correctly, you will see the red dot superimposed over your front sight post. This will allow you to acquire targets quickly and efficiently with both eyes open.

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Ivan answered 2 years ago
I will tell you about this using the AR-15 as an example.
There are a couple of different ways to effectively co-witness a red dot sight on an AR-15. The lower 1/3 co-witness method is the preferred way to do it as it provides the quickest and most accurate target acquisition. The upper 1/3 co-witness is generally used for backup iron sights.
The first step is to install a set of backup iron sights on your AR-15. These should be elevation and windage adjustable so that you can zero them in alongside your red dot sight. Once they are installed, you will want to zero them in at 25 yards using a rifle shooting rest or sandbags.
Once your backup iron sights are zeroed, you can then install your red dot sight. Ideally, you want to use a sight that is “co-witness ready” which means it comes with an adapter plate that will allow you to mount it in the correct position on your AR-15 upper receiver.
With the red dot sight mounted, you will then need to zero it in. This can be done by shooting at a target placed 25 yards away and making adjustments to the elevation and windage screws until the dot is centered on the target.
Once both the backup iron sights and red dot sight are zeroed, you will have a properly co-witnessed setup that will allow you to quickly and accurately acquire targets.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us. We are always happy to help!

Lewis answered 2 years ago

The most important thing to remember when co-witnessing a red dot is to make sure that the dot is always lined up with the target. This can be done by keeping the rifle in the same position relative to your body and moving your head until the dot is superimposed over the target. Once you have the dot on the target, simply align your sights and squeeze the trigger.
There are a few things to keep in mind when doing this:

  1. You want to make sure that your red dot is properly mounted and secured so that it doesn’t move when you move your head or rifle.
  2. You’ll want to practice getting into position and lining up the dot with targets of various sizes at different distances so that you can do it quickly and accurately when it counts.