This may be a dumb question, but hear me out?

[Steel+Killer]

So, a friend of mine and I was at the range, and I let him shoot one of my pistols with a RDS on it and he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with it.

I zeroed it to hit POA POI at exactly 25yds and that is exactly what it was doing for me.

He kept asking me where should the bullet go? I kept telling him where you put the red dot should be the POI.

Anyway, I was like man I don't know what the fuck you are doing, but for me its hitting exactly where the red dot is.

My question is even though it was zeroed for me with my eyes could it not have been zeroed for him the way his eyes look through the sight?

Now this got me thinking with rifle scopes if I zero my scope for me and if someone else looks through it (other than the diopter needing to be adjusted for the reticle) shouldn't it be zeroed for them as well?

I got a friend that wants me to mount and zero a new scope for him and it got me thinking "when he looks through it will it be zeroed for him as well?"

 

[Wade]

The difference is in the trigger pull/follow through, not the optics/vision.

 

[WB300]

If the optic is sighted in and working properly, then 1 of you (or maybe both) are messing up one or more of the fundamentals if not hitting in the same POI.

Where were his rounds going? Low?? This may give us insight as to what he's doing wrong or different than you.

Most common with a RDS on a pistol is anticipation (grip and trigger issue) or vision issue (looking at the wrong thing).

 

[MadDuner]

With my astigmatism - all I see on a pistol red dot is a linear laser smear of light running corner to corner at a 45* angle.

 

[simonp]

With my astigmatism - all I see on a pistol red dot is a linear laser smear of light running corner to corner at a 45* angle.

use a green dot, it will help with your astigmatism greatly

 

[Steel+Killer]

I don't think it's me as I was hitting the targets every time, but he wasn't even coming close.

We were shooting 8" steel target plates at 25ish yds.

 

[MO Fugga]

Sounds like he's flinching.

 

[clcustom1911]

Sounds like he's a shitty pistol shooter who lacks fundamentals and a a few hundred rounds of experience.

I've seen people having trouble finding the dot, but once they find it, they hit.

 

[ShootnFool8]

Barrel length matters, and fundamentals. My son can't hit 7 yds with a vp9sk red dot. Give him my zev with a longer barrel, and does better. Fundamentals matter

 

[tomme boy]

Seen this very thing. It was not the optic. It was the idiot behind it. He was still using the front sight to aim. Once I showed him how to find the dot he was hitting everything he put it on.

Don't take their word as to they know what they are doing. Walk them through how to use it. And how to find the dot. People are funny sometimes when it comes to things like this. They don't want to look like an idiot so will not either ask ?'s or ask for help.

 

[Terry Cross]

So, a friend of mine and I was at the range, and I let him shoot one of my pistols with a RDS on it and he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with it.

I zeroed it to hit POA POI at exactly 25yds and that is exactly what it was doing for me.

He kept asking me where should the bullet go? I kept telling him where you put the red dot should be the POI.

Anyway, I was like man I don't know what the fuck you are doing, but for me its hitting exactly where the red dot is.

My question is even though it was zeroed for me with my eyes could it not have been zeroed for him the way his eyes look through the sight?

Now this got me thinking with rifle scopes if I zero my scope for me and if someone else looks through it (other than the diopter needing to be adjusted for the reticle) shouldn't it be zeroed for them as well?

I got a friend that wants me to mount and zero a new scope for him and it got me thinking "when he looks through it will it be zeroed for him as well?"

I would like all feedback, but I really want to hear what @koshkin has to say about it!

Def not an issue with the RDS working for you and not him.
He is not seeing what you are telling him he should see or else he is anticipating and dumping the gun during his trigger yank.

Take him back out and work him through the basics. Dry fire. Ball and dummy live fire and then live fire. Watch his trigger finger and make him verbalize what he is seeing and trying to make happen.

If you are thinking his trigger manipulation is good, place a piece of non-transparent tape over the front of your RDS and give it back to him.
Have him shoot it with both eyes open.

This works like an occluded gun sight. His brain will merge the dot over what he is seeing with his other eye. This will force him to look at the dot and not the iron sights or ghost glare.

5 minutes on the range again and you will be able to figure it out for him.