Red dots and sixguns: just how far?

[Bill in Oregon]

I know the traditionalists will cringe, but there are some very nice, compact mounts and red dots for Rugers and other sixguns out there. I am tempted to try a 3 MOA dot if I keep having trouble with sights and my post-cataract-surgery eyes. Wondering just how far out these are useful when hunting larger game -- deer, hogs, elk.

[piller]

Probably just as good as the person on the trigger. Certainly worth a try.

[stretch]

In a previous post on this board, there was a link to Jerry Miculek busting
a balloon at 1,000 yards with a 44 Magnum sporting a red dot of some sort.

Your mileage may vary.......

-Stretch

[Blaine]

I know the traditionalists will cringe, but there are some very nice, compact mounts and red dots for Rugers and other sixguns out there. I am tempted to try a 3 MOA dot if I keep having trouble with sights and my post-cataract-surgery eyes. Wondering just how far out these are useful when hunting larger game -- deer, hogs, elk.

If you can shoot at 50 yards, then you well know that the 3 MOA dot only coveres about an inch and a half....I've got one on my 629PP and from a rest pop can accurate at 100 yards-ish.

[Bill in Oregon]

Good to know Blaine. I have a Ruger SBH .44 with the 10 1/2-inch barrel in my near future, and am thinking a red dot might make it sing here in our elk woods, where shots are usually less than 150 yards. Of course, i failed to draw a tag this year, but still ...

[2ndovc]

Everyone is different. I've had a couple, EOTech and a Vortex and both were fine in low light conditions and shorter range. I had the Vortex on my Sig MPX when I took it to FL. In that bright Florida sunshine I couldn't snot with either red or green on any brightness setting at only 50 yds. I yanked it off, flipped up the open sights and hit everything I was aiming at. I gave the EOTech to a friend and the Vortex went back in the box. Just my experience and like I said, everyone is different.

jb

[Bill in Oregon]

Thanks Jason. Glad to hear your first-hand experience in the field. I had that probelm with an early Bushnell scope-type red dot -- virtually worthless in bright light. I was hoping the new generation of micro holographic sights was better at this.

[marlinman93]

If you're considering one to hold dead on the dot, it wont be any different than the iron sights. And likely best to use them like iron sights as they're not easy to quickly change elevation. I've used both an old Aim Point, and a newer heads up display dot sight, and I simply hold over when I want to hoot it farther. It's easier to hold over with the dot or HUD than it is with iron sights.

[AJMD429]

Thanks Jason. Glad to hear your first-hand experience in the field. I had that probelm with an early Bushnell scope-type red dot -- virtually worthless in bright light. I was hoping the new generation of micro holographic sights was better at this.

I've used the Bushnell FastFire-II in bright sunlight (on a levergun), without problems, and it is not the 'newest' generation.

[Bill in Oregon]

Doc, I was thinking of a Fastfire. Good to hear.

[Lastmohecken]

Well, this kind of reminds me of a conversation I once had with a friend of mine, regarding a herd of horses he owned, about 20 or more, at least, and I knew he probably didn't have a single one that was broke to ride. so I asked him, can you ride any of them? And he came back with "You can ride any of them if you're good enough" I guess he had a point.

Same thing with that red dot sight. But I will also add, that back many years ago, we used them (Aimpoint's Actually) on pistols for competing in NRA Hunter Silhouette competition, Not as good as a scope, but good accurate shooting could be done with them at a 100yds and off hand position to boot.

[Bill in Oregon]

I get your drift, Lastmohecken.
Just re-read the NRA rules for hunter's pistol silhouette. Had forgotten about such numbers as .270 Ren, .357 Auto Mag and .41 Action Express.
Silhouette is just about extinct in these parts.

[Bullard4075]

Thanks for the info. (I've been afraid to ask).