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Colorblind and Red Dot Scopes

dude1951
Unfortunately I am red-green colorblind. Not a huge problem......unless I try to use a Red Dot scope. I can't see the dot....unless I'm in a dark room with the brightness level turned to the max. No hope at all of seeing it in the daylight. Tried green dot.......still with no success. I really like the concept....anyone else (colorblind) having any success.......Help!!
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11 comments

Date Votes
  • skyfish
    My oldest is colorblind real bad, he can use my red dot, just a different shade of gray to him. I do notice he turns up the brightness more than I do, I'll ask him when he(and I) get home. You may have to look at some of the fiber optic stuff with amber or yellow. That may help.
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  • Hawkshaw
    Hey dude1951---Meet another red-green blind hunter/shooter. I went throught the same issues 5/6 years ago, and basically gave up. The scope I was using was a Leupold/
    (I can't remember the other name). I talked to an engineer at Leupold at the time, and he said to get a crimson colored lens (sun glass) for my Rt. eye, which should make the dot more visible. I never did this unfortunately. I had mounted the scope on a Marlin .45-70 Guide gun in anticipation of a bear hunt in Alberta, Canada. Before the hunt happened I replaced the red dot with a standard optical scope. On a gray overcast day or in dim lighting, I can see the red dot. Outside on a bright day, it just dissapeares. Since I can see Blue very well, I was hopeful that someone would come out with a Blue-dot version. I haven't seen it yet though. Good luck HAWKSHAW
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  • armilite
    quote:Since I can see Blue very well, I was hopeful that someone would come out with a Blue-dot version. I haven't seen it yet though. Good luck HAWKSHAW


    I just seen some blue dot sights but they are available. I just don't remember who made them. I'll go back and try to figure out who it was.
    If I find out and this post gets locked I'll email you through GB.
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  • spec.4
    Try BSA Stealth seriers. They have one that is a blue/green/red dot. I was thinking of getting one for my AR
    http://www.bsaoptics.com/product.aspx?product=STSRGBD3X&productID=348
    Rob
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  • beantownshootah
    In theory, I think it should be relatively easy to simply swap out the red- LED from one of these scopes with a one of a different color, but similar physical size and power draw.

    In general LEDs are available in white, blue, yellow, and orange. You'd have to pick a color that you could both see well AND would offer contrast against whatever you wanted to shoot.

    In practice, doing this is going to depend on the construction of the particular scope in question.

    The LEDs themselves are pretty cheap; usually under a buck each, though it might be hard to find just one for sale. Given that you can buy a low-end reflex/dot sight for only $10 or so (EG for airguns at Walmart) trying this out as a "proof of concept" shouldn't cost too much.

    You'd think a blue LED would be the way to go, but one potentially serious drawback with blue LEDs is that because of their shorter wavelength, the eye tends to not focus blue light quite as sharply as red. For an ordinary person, the dot may look slightly out of focus, though I don't know if the problem might be slighly mitigated ins someone with colorblindness.

    Next issue is that blue light appears brighter than red of similar intensity. This can also contribute to eye fatigue in looking at it for any length of time.

    EDIT:
    Here is a source for LEDS:
    http://www.theledlight.com/5mmcoloredleds.html

    I notice that in typing this post, some others have responded that blue dot sights actually are available. Checking, apparently BSA makes multiple models with swappable red/green/blue dots:

    http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=111372

    http://www.opticsplanet.net/bsa-optics-huntsman-30mm-red-dot-w-illuminated-red-green-blue-dot-sight.html

    http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001Q895RY/ref=asc_df_B001Q895RY986933?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=googlecom09c9-20&linkCode=asn&creative=380341&creativeASIN=B001Q895RY
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  • dude1951
    Thanks for all your responces. I guess its nice to know I'm not the only one that can't see the dots. Can't remember now what model I bought , but it was one of the more expensive ones, STILL couldn't see the dots red or green. Sold it to a buddy for about half price. Blue and yellow I see very well and would love to have one in one of those colors. I've had the same problem with my Bow sight and had to change one of the red pins to yellow so I could see it.
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  • dfletcher
    Is the LED red or is the lens red? Does setting a blue colored filter help?
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  • buddyb
    I am color blind too.Bought a red dot sight for my crossbow and could not see the dot.Brand new red dot sight,still in the packaging hanging in my work shop.
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  • beantownshootah
    quote:Originally posted by buddyb
    I am color blind too.Bought a red dot sight for my crossbow and could not see the dot.Brand new red dot sight,still in the packaging hanging in my work shop.


    To be Devil's advocate here, are you sure the unit works AT ALL? [;)]

    My understanding (and someone correct me if I'm wrong) is that if you're red/green colorblind (the most common type), that doesn't mean the color red will be INVISIBLE, it just means that various shades of red and green will appear to be the same hue.

    So I'd imagine you should still be able to see "a" dot, especially against a dark background; it just may look faint, or be impossible to pick out against a green or yellow background.

    If you're wondering if you are or are not color blind (and some people go much of their lives without realizing it), you can test yourself very quickly and simply for the most common type here:

    http://www.toledo-bend.com/colorblind/Ishihara.asp

    Color5-2.jpg
    If you see the number "two" above. . .you may *NOT* be a "redneck" [;)]

    Also, for what its worth, color-blind individuals tend to become more adept at interpreting visual patterns, and they may have an easier time seeing through camouflage.

    For Dfletcher, every "red dot" sight I've ever seen uses a red LED.

    I don't know how the switchable red/green ones work. They probably use both a red and a green LED. The red/green/blue ones likely use three different LEDs, though I suppose its also possible to construct a design that uses a white LED, with various color filters interposed to change the output spectrum.

    FWIW, the color display dash on the new Mustang cars uses three different colored LEDs (or banks of LEDs) than can be individually adjusted to create a whole spectrum of colors. It should be possible to design a dot sight that does the same thing, getting a whole spectrum of colors (red, blue, purple, orange, green, etc) depending on how its adjusted. . .although the demand for such a device would be negligible.

    In terms of using external filters (eg colored eyeglasses), those may work to increase contrast against certain backgrounds.

    I don't think they're a good solution to the overall problem, since if you have trouble resolving the red dot to begin with, filtering out even MORE light doesn't seem to be a great idea. Changing the perceived color of the background may help you see the dot. . .but reducing the light coming from the target can't be good!

    I think the best solution is just to find a dot color that is easily visible, and hopefully has high contrast. If the contrast isn't so great, you might be able to increase the utility of the sight by going with a crosshair or other non-dot reticle pattern.
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  • armilite
    quote:beantownshootah Posted - 12/17/2009 : 9:36:31 PM

    quote:Originally posted by buddyb

    I am color blind too.Bought a red dot sight for my crossbow and could not see the dot.Brand new red dot sight,still in the packaging hanging in my work shop.



    To be Devil's advocate here, are you sure the unit works AT ALL?

    My understanding (and someone correct me if I'm wrong) is that if you're red/green colorblind (the most common type), that doesn't mean the color red will be INVISIBLE, it just means that various shades of red and green will appear to be the same hue.

    So I'd imagine you should still be able to see "a" dot, especially against a dark background; it just may look faint, or be impossible to pick out against a green or yellow background.

    If you're wondering if you are or are not color blind (and some people go much of their lives without realizing it), you can test yourself very quickly and simply for the most common type here:

    http://www.toledo-bend.com/colorblind/Ishihara.asp


    If you see the number "two" above. . .you may *NOT* be a "redneck"

    Also, for what its worth, color-blind individuals tend to become more adept at interpreting visual patterns, and they may have an easier time seeing through camouflage.

    For Dfletcher, every "red dot" sight I've ever seen uses a red LED.

    I don't know how the switchable red/green ones work. They probably use both a red and a green LED. The red/green/blue ones likely use three different LEDs, though I suppose its also possible to construct a design that uses a white LED, with various color filters interposed to change the output spectrum.

    FWIW, the color display dash on the new Mustang cars uses three different colored LEDs (or banks of LEDs) than can be individually adjusted to create a whole spectrum of colors. It should be possible to design a dot sight that does the same thing, getting a whole spectrum of colors (red, blue, purple, orange, green, etc) depending on how its adjusted. . .although the demand for such a device would be negligible.

    In terms of using external filters (eg colored eyeglasses), those may work to increase contrast against certain backgrounds.

    I don't think they're a good solution to the overall problem, since if you have trouble resolving the red dot to begin with, filtering out even MORE light doesn't seem to be a great idea. Changing the perceived color of the background may help you see the dot. . .but reducing the light coming from the target can't be good!

    I think the best solution is just to find a dot color that is easily visible, and hopefully has high contrast. If the contrast isn't so great, you might be able to increase the utility of the sight by going with a crosshair or other non-dot reticle pattern.
    buddyb Posted - 12/17/2009 : 8:25:10 PM



    Our state department of motor vehicles used to use this in our eye test for getting a drivers license. I never made it past the first test. I am able to see red/green with no problem and I have at least 4 of these red dot type of sights on my rifles.
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  • REC
    You might check out the Trijiconr Reflex 6.5-MOA Amber-Dot Sight at Cabela's. They claim it works well for color blind folks.
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