How to choose the best color for fiber optic sights

How to choose the best fiber optic color for your pistol sights. Fiber optic sights are a popular choice for shooters because they enhance visibility and help with target acquisition in various lighting conditions. Choosing the rgiht fiber optic color is a personal preference and can significantly impact your accuracy and comfort while shooting. Here’s a guide to help you make an informed decision.

In the first place, I will analyze the pros and cons that will help to choose the best fiber optic sights color.

• Lighting Conditions:
  • Bright Light: Red and green are effective in bright light conditions as they stand out against most backgrounds.
  • Low Light or Indoor Settings: Green often performs better in dim environments due to its high visibility in low light.
• Eye Sensitivity:
  • Green: The human eye is most sensitive to green light, making it one of the easiest colors to see in a variety of conditions.
  • Red: While red is also a common choice, it may not be as easily distinguished in low light or against certain backgrounds.

Fiber optic sights are great for everyday carry or home defense handgun sights. It’s good when shooting in low light but will not glow at night.

Personally, I will recommend to go  for green or yellow fiber optic sights. Green and yellow fiber optic sights have advantages over red that go beyond preference. Red is the most popular fiber optic sights but first to switch off when there is not enough light. Eyes are the least sensitive to red.

Human eye has the highest sensitivity around 550 nm i.e. yellow-green light. Red is at the infrared end of the visible color spectrum.

The prismatic color separation is important in deciding how to choose the best fiber optic sights:

Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Violet

Note: Above all, the most visible colors are in the middle of the spectrum “yellow and green“.  That is why yellow or green is best suited to dusk. This is crucial information for how to choose the best fiber optic sights.

Color Frequency (THz) / Wavelength (nm)
Red 400-484 / 620-750
Orange 484-508 / 590-620
Yellow 508-526 / 570-590
Green 526-606 / 495-570
Blue 606-668 / 450-495
Violet 668-789 / 380-450.

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