Thread: Red dots pros and cons

Originally Posted by Bol Tackshin

Occluded Eye Gunsights (OEG) work well on any firearm but require both eyes open. They don't suffer parallax issues. https://www.armsonusa.com/armsonoeg.html

If you are left eye dominant me they are a doddle.
No batteries, but also no lenses to assist in the dark.
Used it on a 22. Pulled off a couple of silly shots with it
Got it on the rossi 357 la. Forgot what a pita theybare to sight in on a rifle lol.
Had it factory returned with a tritium insert 3 years back

Yep, tritium helps in the dark. Still no batteries, but they glow enough... for the first 6 or 7 years, at least!

Originally Posted by Russian 22.

They're pretty useless on anything other than a semi.

You get parallax issues on the traditional style stocks you normally use on a hunting rifle.

Which rifle and sight have you used to form this opinion?


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I always found if you could see the target you could see the dot.
I did the most shooting with it on a shotgun for rabbits with a miners cap lamp clamped on the top of that as a poor man's big lazer. The dot got around sometimes very poor gun fit spotlighting and if the rabbit was in the the middle of the light you could squeeze off a shot and do pretty well.
Did some good shots duck shooting also BUT I still found it worked best of you shot fast as it was designed for. If you started to aim, it wasnt as good.
On a shotgun you shouldn't really need it but as posted it helped massively with poor gun fit

Originally Posted by Bill999

tried them and I want/need more magnification
very happy with VXRs

Can you still get VXRs? Had a quick look on Leupold site and couldn't find any info.

Originally Posted by tikka

I’ve been using a Aimpoint for over a decade its got the best battery life and can handle hard abuse. Really good for stalking fast runners in the bush and in big thick dark native forest where a standard non illuminated reticle would be near impossible to use in dawn and dusk with rain or mountain mist. A 2MOA is good for anything under 150m-200m depending on calibre. Only used them on bolt action 223,308 and a 300 blackout. Depending on the type of hunting I’m doing for a trip and the weather I’ll swap the Aimpoint for a longer range scope with quick release mounts.

I do the same,and have open sight set up for really wet weather.

Originally Posted by Bobba

Can you still get VXRs? Had a quick look on Leupold site and couldn't find any info.

@Bobba they are discontinued but there are still a few for sale. I actually asked Leupold about two weeks ago about this and they said some new Leupold scopes are coming out that "may" replace them but they wouldn't elaborate.

I suspect there is a new line coming out possibly that replaces what the VX-R was.

Originally Posted by tikka

I’ve been using a Aimpoint for over a decade its got the best battery life and can handle hard abuse. Really good for stalking fast runners in the bush and in big thick dark native forest where a standard non illuminated reticle would be near impossible to use in dawn and dusk with rain or mountain mist. A 2MOA is good for anything under 150m-200m depending on calibre. Only used them on bolt action 223,308 and a 300 blackout. Depending on the type of hunting I’m doing for a trip and the weather I’ll swap the Aimpoint for a longer range scope with quick release mounts.

Hi Tikka, thanks for your input and experience. I may try this. What's your sighting in set up between your dot and your scope?

If anyone reading this has a set of weaver 1 inch detachable rings to move on I'd be keen to hear from you.

Originally Posted by Bobba

Can you still get VXRs? Had a quick look on Leupold site and couldn't find any info.

I can't see why not, I buy all mine second hand tho

Im using a vortex reddot on my 4570, looks like a teardrop on the piss with my astigmatism but does the trick on fast shooting in tight bush

I’ve two memorable experiences using red dot scopes.

One was a el cheapo Tasco that I got off a mate. Took ages to set up on my .22. Finally when sorted I went out for a spotlight. Lined up on the first rabbit.,,all I could see was the dot n no rabbit.

Second one was when I was a member of the pistol section of the Waitomo Small Arms Society a few years ago. On a Sunday we set up some plates to run a three gun shoot.
At the time I was using club guns and borrowing rifles/shotguns. I had bought along some pkts of 7.62X39 along.

One of the members was using a SKK with a red dot on it and 30 shot banana magazine. Asked if I could use it and use my own ammo This was pre Aromonana so perfectly legal.

Load up mag, rifle at ready(this was a timed match)( targets were 2 A3 sized plates of steel at 75 metres) get the command to commence fire..so I do.

Approximately 8 minutes 34.74 seconds and 56 rounds later I finish put my five rounds on target....( yes I had to stop and reload the magazine).

The owner of the SKK comes over as he couldn’t figure out why my hit/miss ratio was so shit..... “oh you didn’t turn it on.....”

Haven’t used one since....


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I've used a sig red dot on my 303 for a couple of years. its been inconsistent. Ive found it great on rabbits out to about 70m, but struggled on goats at longer ranges.

I find them fun but the key part is not to over think it

Originally Posted by MSL

Which rifle and sight have you used to form this opinion?


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Just a 22 and a bushnell trs 25 at the range. Haven't tried with a lever or bolt action yet.

@GSP HUNTER , At the moment I’m using a 300 blackout mostly using subsonics with a 60m zero for both Aimpoint red dot and the dial up scope for precision longer range shots.
When I had a 308 I’d taken deer out to 200m with the red dot.

I’ve only just up graded to the smaller Micro from a Comp M4. The quick release levers are the way to go and return to zero every time.


I used this rifle and the Comp M4 for the this roar before the lockdown.
https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....wn-roar-59305/

I have an Aimpoint Micro H2 and used it on a .308 scout rifle where it performed brilliantly for the ranges that I was shooting at due to the scrub (max 100m) Now I've got it on a takedown 10/22 and that makes for a really compact setup.

I would suggest getting one that has a 2 MOA dot, rather then the 3 - 4 sized ones out there, with the brightness cranked up a 2 MOA dot can be pretty big.

I'd say i'm happy with my purchase, but the obvious limitations do annoy me.