Course Breakdown

Section 1: Foundation — Why Carry a Red Dot?

Set the stage: what a red dot is, how it evolved, and why it matters for defensive carry.

Section 2: Anatomy, Footprints & Mounting

A hands-on primer on optics parts, footprints, adapter plates, and correct mounting. 

Section 3: Know Your Optic — Designs, Features & Maintenance

Deep dive into popular models and the choices that matter: dot sizes, reticles, auto-brightness vs manual, open vs closed emitter, green vs red, battery access, concealment considerations.

Section 4: Setup & Zeroing — Ballistics, Procedure, and Verification  

Practical zeroing: choosing sight-in distance, understanding how point-of-impact shifts with distance, and step-by-step sight-in procedures. Includes rapid confirmation and “go-to” holds for extended ranges.

Section 5: Presentation, Dot Acquisition & Trigger Work  

Translate zeros and features into consistent hits: stance, grip, trigger mechanics, and the draw/presentation needed to find the dot fast. Includes the “Stoplight” gross vs fine sight picture analogy & practical presentation cues.

Section 5: Drills to Reprogram Recoil & Speed

Drill library to build dot-centric shooting instincts: recoil reprogramming, relaxed speed. Each drill includes the purpose, coaching points, and progressions.

Section 7: Problem Solving

Actionable fallback procedures when the optic’s window is occluded, the dot vanishes, or environmental factors interfere.

Section 8: Making It Instinctual

Final integrative work: one-handed techniques, dry-fire opportunity design, and high-stress/low-visibility training considerations so clearance, reacquisition, and transitions become reflexive.