Thread: Red dots pros and cons

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

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

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.

Originally Posted by Chazzwazzer

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.

what about the one you got from me ??

Originally Posted by gonetropo

what about the one you got from me ??

That's on my little badger

https://vortexoptics.com/riflescopes..._reticle=18079

This is what I would like for my next rifle build best of both worlds a red dot x1 power for close stalking and x10 power top end in MIL FFP. The only thing I don't like is low battery life as I like to leave it on all the time in red dot mode and it hasn't got parallax adjustment.
It's hard to find a optic that covers everything.

Pros:
Fast, light, parralax free.

Cons:
Lack of precision, no magnification, can give trouble with even mild astigmatism. Light transmission is an issue on cheaper ones

I liked it on my ar and think they make sense in a wee bush cannon but personally I think a small fixed 2.5 or a 1-4 is more versatile. I run a 1.75 - 6 on my bush gun now and find that perfect. The mag really helps determine which piece of the deer you are looking at.

Would own one on a bail gun or whatever again for sure

I own two Aimpoint Micros a T1 and an H2. Have used them a lot. A lot! I also have a Bushnell TRS25 on a kids gun. Best sight for kids starting out. Currently have the H2 on a x39 and the T1 on a 10/22. Have shot a lot deer and pigs out to 150m with x39 with one on. 2MOA the only way to go. Have used them heaps pig hunting. Best bail sight ever. Rabbits out to 80m pretty straight forward with one too. Trick is to only have just enough illumination. I am like Tikka. I use a small scope with QD mounts on my x39 and swap with the micro. I couldnt get hold of the QD mount and actually found just screwing the standard Micro base side screw on and off returned it to zero every time and really consistently. Just do it up tight to sight in initially and do same when putting it back on. In short I love red dots but only good quality and compact ones. They are the best thing for snap shooting and adequate for standard shooting. Biggest issue is low light at distance or where background makes target fuzzy. You need to be very careful as you should anyway. No target ID as with scope. They are the best fun little sight you will ever play around with. I got a Vortex Strike eagle 1-8 to play around with. Strange reticle but works and can be illuminated or not. Red dot is quicker. Vortex is very heavy. Prefer red dot. Anyone want a Strike eagle?

Having extensively used red dots in bush hunting, I appreciate their quick target acquisition and lightweight design, ideal for close-quarters situations. They excel in low light, allowing both eyes to stay open for better awareness. However, their effective range is limited to 150-200 yards, and precision on smaller targets can be challenging. Dependence on batteries is a drawback, but adaptability across various rifle platforms adds versatility. While I still use scopes for longer-range and precision shots, I find Vortex red dots invaluable for fast-paced bush hunting, embracing the strengths of both for a well-rounded hunting experience.