I got no problem with the optic because even with the optic it's still a handgun. It's not like optics on a handgun are unheard of (I even have a couple). Jerry Miculek used a Vortex Razor when he made his 1000-yard shot on a 9" balloon. And that red dot was 3 MoA, which covered a spot ~32"-wide at the target's range, so it was a handicap as much as a help.

But you pretty much have to use some sort of optic because AFAIK nobody makes irons for handguns that will support that much super-elevation. Miculek's holdover on the balloon was in excess of 250 MoA. Otherwise you're not aiming at the target, you're shooting at some invisible point in space, Kentucky hold-over, which turns it into spray-and-pray.



Miculek hits it on the second shot but it's the bullet splattering against the steel that broke the balloon, not a direct hit. But he couldn't see the balloon when he pulled the trigger. He probably could see the edges of the steel (36"?) target, so I imagine he just centered the red dot against the steel. Plus he's shooting standing upright and off-hand.And if he hit the steel in two shots, and considering he is Jerry Miculek, I rather image he could have walked the point of impact to the target and hit the balloon directly, probably in no more than 2 or 3 more shots.