Rclark. MANY handgun hunters use a single-action revolver for hunting,, (myself included,) and "short gun distances" are often a LOT further than you'd think. MANY handgunners shoot out to 100 yds (and further,) often. And aging eyes using a red dot helps hunt at greater distances, OR to actually see the target aiming point easier.
I took a special .45 Colt handgun to Colorado on an elk hunt in 2019. It was an "El Dorado" and I wanted to use it for my elk. My back-up was a Freedom Arms in 454 with a red dot. Followed by a "what the heck back-up, back-up Ruger Hunter in .41 mag with a scope. I was ready for anything out to around 200 yds.
I know many folks feel that 25 yds is the longest distance a handgun should be used. But remember,, silhouette shooters compete at 200 meters. Red dot's on a SA handgun do look a bit different,, but it also looks different on a DA handgun. But it works quite well, and especially if hunting,, a clean, one shot kill is desired. So adding an optic to help this is an ethical reason as well.
BTW; Come to my range & I'll take a Ruger SA handgun, open sights, 4-5/8" bbl, and shoot at 100 yds. Then I'll take a red dot topped one, and do the same. You will see a difference in group sizes.
In short, it's just another tool to be used to help a shooter. And different shooters have different needs.