Lasers Versus Point Shooting with Pistols (April Fools 2025)

Recently the firearms trainer world has been blowing up with drama (once again). This time the argument revolves around optics versus irons on pistols (again). Some people say that optics are the superior option, while others say that iron sights are better and optics are not trustworthy. It’s the same old same old, a topic that comes up at least once a year, with no progress being made one way or the other.

I’ve used optics for a few years now, and like most of us, I cut my teeth on irons and keep them on all of my guns to his date. That being said, I think both sides are falling short of what is really important. Who cares about pistol mounted optics or iron sights? Not this guy. For those of us who really know what we’re doing, we know what the real questions are around here. Today we’ll examine what is better: lasers, or point shooting? To help us on our journey, we have some faithful readers to give their opinions. Let’s take a look at what they have to say on the subject.

Point Shooting

While I wouldn’t call myself a point shooting advocate, it certainly has a place. Our resident point shooting expert is Elmer F. Udd. He’s been in the gun game longer than most of us have been alive, remembering the days before Colonel Cooper put an emphasis on sighted fire. Here’s what he has to say on this subject.

Lately I have been seeing more and more arguments happening on the internets. People yelling and carrying on about “What’s better, irons or red dot sights on your pistol?” Well let me tell you, both of these groups of fools are soon parted from their hard won cash. You don’t need fancy gadgets and gizmos atop your gat if you know what you’re doing! Anyone with half a brain knows that all self defense shootings follow the rules of 3: 3 rounds, 3 yards, 3 seconds. If you take your time to get your sights, or laser dot, lined up all nice, you’ll find yourself in a pile on the floor before getting a single shot off.

Smith & Wesson 632 Ultimate Carry

People knew this back in the days when real gunfighters ruled the roost. It’s like old Wyatt Earp used to say, “Fast is fine”. He knew a lot more about this than your internet experts do nowadays. It’s simple; rip your pistol out of its holster, get a hell of a grip, point it at the bad guy, and let her rip. At bad breath distance, a few rounds center mass will put him down quicker than you can think about looking down the sights. Save your money on the latest fad and get some practice in with something proven.

Visible Lasers

An often overlooked option in today’s world is the visible laser. For quite some time I’ve used Crimson Trace laser grips on my S&W 640 Pro, and have found them to be especially advantageous as distance increases. Today we’re joined by our laser sight Subject Matter Expert, Buzz L. Yeer. Let’s check out his opinions on this matter.

Iron sights are fine, but sometimes we just can’t get our gun up into our vision. Not only that, but sometimes our sights can’t quite cut it for small or distant targets, especially in subcompact pistols and snub revolvers. Besides, sometimes they fall out of dovetails, lose zero, and more. Now red dot optics are another matter. They’re hard to find the reticle with, plus the batteries and mounts introduce a variety of failure points that just aren’t up to snuff yet. With these problems in mind, we need a solution, and adding a redundant form of aiming is always good, especially for serious self defense guns.

S&W 640 Pro
“Dan, watching you run that revolver is making me turgid”
-Darryl Bolke

This is where the visible laser comes into play. Primarily we’re focused on laser grips, such as those from Crimson Trace of Viridian. These typically allow us to use our normal holster, and often times are more comfortable than normal stocks on some of these guns. The fine aiming point of the laser allows us to take shots are small targets that irons are just too coarse to handle effectively. Additionally, if we find ourselves wrestling with an attacker, we can use the laser to ensure sight alignment, even when we’re not directly behind the gun, staying accountable for our rounds. You don’t get that with iron sights or red dots.

Sure lasers have batteries and emitters, but they’re not riding a slide. This keeps them running for years, so long as you stay on top of your battery change. If you’re not using a laser, you’re probably wrong. Space Rangers and old men may be stuck with unproven optics or antiquated iron sights, but the cognoscenti are already setup with their lasers zeroed in on target. Don’t even get my started on the Point Shooting trolls.

Wrapping Up Lasers Versus Point Shooting with Pistols (April Fools 2025)

Well there you have it folks! The final word in the lasers versus point shooting debate that has been ravaging the internet for the past few weeks. Hopefully this helps you get your gear set up properly for your daily gun fight.

Happy April Fools Day from us here at Primer Peak! Don’t take this article too seriously, this is what some of us would call satire. We’ll be back to our regular content next week. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Support My Work

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! Writing isn’t my full-time profession, and nearly everything I do comes out of my own pocket. Between ammunition, tuition, range fees and more, expenses add up fast. If you like what I have to offer, consider making a donation to my Patreon.

Every bit helps bring more work like this to you, and contributes to shortened timelines or more in-depth work on my part. You’ll also have more direct access to me, offering suggestions for future projects, looking behind the scenes, and getting early access to some content. You can find my Patreon >>HERE<<

About Daniel Reedy 439 Articles
Daniel holds instructor certifications from Rangemaster, Agile Training & Consulting, and the NRA. He has received training from Craig Douglas, Tom Givens, and Steve Fisher among others. He also has experience competing in USPSA, CAS, 3 Gun, and Steel Challenge. In his free time Daniel enjoys petting puppies and reading the Constitution. His work is also published by Athlon Outdoors, AmmoLand, Recoil Concealment, Air Force Times, and other publications.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*