Learning to shoot red dot on handguns is a steep learning curve (we have a class for that), but after pushing past the initial fight, it is an invaluable tool. We must first break down the idea about handguns, and their role, to set the foundation.
Handguns are secondary tools; there is a reason it is called a side-arm. Whether its your primary “tool” or not does not change this fact. Almost any rifle or shotgun with the appropriate ammunition would be a better option for home defense specifically due to barrel length and sight radius. Meaning, rifles and shotguns are inherently more accurate. Accuracy is the machine; precision is the shooter. It is totally possible to ‘out-shoot the gun,’ within context. Handguns are not made for this sort of accuracy.
Do not misunderstand me; shooters have been known to make 500-800 yd shots with handguns, but handguns simply aren’t made for this sort of accuracy demand; any incredible, long distance shots made with them are testaments to the precision of the shooter. To those unfamiliar, a standard rifle’s barrel is somewhere between 16 to 26 inches long with the rear sight being as far back as possible and vice versa for the front sight post; by contrast, standard pistol barrels are generally 3 to 7.5 inches or so, in length. Therefore, we simply cannot demand the same level of performance out of these platforms.
With all of this said, the addition of red dot to your pistol, helps bridge the gap of accuracy and precision to a particularly useful degree. You are effectively making the machine itself more accurate which gives you the ability to be more precise. A red dot will not make you a better shooter, nothing outside of proper training will, but it will enhance your shooting if you have trained properly in the fundamentals.