Quote:
Originally Posted by ChalkLine
Should Red Dot Sights and Holographic Sights, which I'm told* allow for rapid target acquisition, give an initiative bonus at short range?
(*I've never used on in real life)
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As a general rule, they make target acquisition only marginally faster. In both IPSC and 3-Gun, they are about 1/10th to 1/5th of a second faster than HiViz sights like the fiber optically enhanced ones (timed electronically too).
The REAL benefit of both Red Dot and Laser Sights is the INCREASED ACCURACY they give at the speed of a Snap Shot.
The Red Dot can (and should) be shot easily with both eyes open which allows for better "target acquisition" at those Snap-Shot speeds. I'd allow an AIMED SHOT at the speed of a SNAP SHOT. The DOT of a Red Dot is normally of a slightly larger size (usually listed in MOA or Minutes Of Angle) to allow for faster sight acquisition and this CAN block your view of targets through the sight at very long ranges (300 to 500 meters) as the target will be smaller than the dot (1st Focal Plane Scopes also have this issue).
Laser Sights can also be used to "hipfire" or literally shoot from the hip or aim at a target WITHOUT bringing the weapon up to your eyes to shoot. The Laser's DOT can "wash out" in bright light (requiring a Perception check to see it) and they have a finite range where the sights are actually zeroed to the weapon because the Laser Sight projects in a straight line BUT the rifle shoots in a parabolic trajectory. Lasers are best used in low-light environments and are pretty much mandatory if using night vision goggles as you won't be able to use a rifle's sights or optics while wearing full NVGs.
There is a more expansive discussion about these in another thread in this forum.