red dot sights

[waterman]

looking to put a red dot on my Winchester sxp 20 gauge. don't want to break the bank, but also don't want junk. don't need a $300 sight on a $300 gun, lol. any input? never had a red dot before.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Burris Fastfire.

 

[TN Larry]

Got a Burris Fastfire 3 on my turkey gun and son's with no issues.

 

[Bgoodman30]

Holosun! Battery never dies I don't think I've ever turned mine off!

 

[Pic IN the Casa]

Another vote for a FF3.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I have a Burris FF3 on my turkey gun and love it. I got one for my dads as well for Christmas. His dot doesnt seem to move at all no matter how much I turn L or R or up/down. Anyone had this problem? May have to send it back

 

[knightrider]

I have a Burris FF3 on my turkey gun and love it. I got one for my dads as well for Christmas. His dot doesnt seem to move at all no matter how much I turn L or R or up/down. Anyone had this problem? May have to send it back

Run it all the way to both ends a few times then back to middle and try again

 

[CHRIS WILSON]

AT3 ARO. Lifetime warranty and a little less expensive than the Burris FF3

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Run it all the way to both ends a few times then back to middle and try again

Oh I looked at it for about an hour . It was right after he opened it, so I told myself I'd deal with it later.

 

[Jbbivens]

Holosun gets my vote. I've got a HE403 c greendot on my son's 20 gauge. It can also be solar powered. During the daylight I just turn the optic off and it runs strictly off solar. No issues at all.

 

[REN]

Lots of good options out there these days vs years ago.
I like Burris on my shotguns just due to past history with them and their reliability and warranty. I do run holosuns on all my pistols though and they are built like tanks and work great.
Swampfox makes some good ones that you can find for fairly cheap
Crimson trace also has one that's pretty affordable

#1 pick one that you don't have to take the sight off to change the battery
#2 change the battery one a year no matter what the life is on them. They cost Penny's so just change them each year
#3 find the screen size and MOA on the dot you prefer. Some like smaller screens like the holosun 507k or bigger ones like fast fire4. Some like 6MOA dots and others 3 (I prefer 3)
#4 do you want auto on (shake awake) or do you prefer to be able to manually turn it off and on

 

[JCDEERMAN]

#2 change the battery one a year no matter what the life is on them. They cost Penny's so just change them each year

Great tips REN. #2 is one I need to work on. I conserve in every way I can and struggle with trying to use the life of something until it's gone. I definitely don't want a gobbler strutting in and my red dot not come on

 

[TheLBLman]

Lots of good options.
I personally am a fan of the Burris options.
Great price points between price, value, durability.
Battery life is typically over a year, but I change batteries annually, never worry about it.

The "red dots" I don't like are the larger sized ones (many brands, models),
and most of them are cheaper than the ones most recommended thus far on this thread.

 

[TheLBLman]

That said, I actually overall prefer a traditional low-mag "shotgun" scope on my turkey guns.
My turkey hunting favorite is the (no longer made) Nikon Monarch 1.5-4.5x by 20mm.

I'm right now exchanging out the Burris Fastfire on my go-to 20 ga "run & gun" featherweight, to the Nikon Monarch. It will add a few ounces, but small objective low-power traditional scopes are generally light in weight compared to the scopes on most our deer rifles.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Also consider field of view as you compare. I'm probably the oddball but shoot with both eyes open…right side dominant eye picks up the target+dot and with left eye also open, everything else is in view. Tight pattern, close to mid range, dead bird every time with no collateral damage.

 

[waterman]

Gonna give the Burris ff3 a try. Any pointers on sighting in,etc would be greatly appreciated

 

[knightrider]

Gonna give the Burris ff3 a try. Any pointers on sighting in,etc would be greatly appreciated

Start dialing in with big piece cardboard with bird shot at 15 ft-20 ft, finsh up at thirty and fourty with shell your gonna hunt with

 

[REN]

Sight in is very easy. Just remember it's a shotgun and not a precision rifle otherwise you will just chase the shot all day.

Shoot at 15-20 with bird shot after eyeballing (bore sighting it)

Move the dot to the center of the shot fired. Move back to 35 and shoot the load you plan to hunt with. Move the dot again to the center of the shot mass. Shoot in more time at 40 and you should be done.

 

[scn]

That said, I actually overall prefer a traditional low-mag "shotgun" scope on my turkey guns.
My turkey hunting favorite is the (no longer made) Nikon Monarch 1.5-4.5x by 20mm.

I'm right now exchanging out the Burris Fastfire on my go-to 20 ga "run & gun" featherweight, to the Nikon Monarch. It will add a few ounces, but small objective low-power traditional scopes are generally light in weight compared to the scopes on most our deer rifles.

I made the move back to a true scope last year (after YEARS of using them) after letting a gobbler that had already beaten me three times walk at about 25 yds. It was several minutes past legal shooting time, but was still very dark down in that holler. I couldn't see him well enough to really pick out his head as he eased off through some pretty thick stuff. With one of my Leupolds or Nikons I am pretty sure that I could have closed the deal. I won't make that mistake again.

 

[Rebels20]

https://www.meadowcreekmounts.com/
with burris ff3 option. Better field of view as well.

 

[TheLBLman]

I couldn't see him well enough to really pick out his head as he eased off through some pretty thick stuff. With one of my Leupolds or Nikons I am pretty sure that I could have closed the deal. I won't make that mistake again.

Exactly.
Another advantage is being able to more clearly see everything right near and behind the bird you're trying to shoot.

This has prevented some collateral damage for me. Sometimes, you just don't see a hen in the background without clear & magnifying optics. It's actually amazing how much better one can "see" things with only a low 2x magnification.

 

[Gravey]

I've got a Burris FF3 on my 20ga but kept a traditional scope from a 12ga just in case I want to go back to it. Last year was the first year for the FF3 and liked it so we'll see if I ever go back.

 

[deerfever]

https://www.meadowcreekmounts.com/
with burris ff3 option. Better field of view as well.

I put that mount on a Weatherby Element last year but went with the Swampfox Kingslayer option. That mount is awesome!

 

[Bgoodman30]

Had the FF3 before the Holosun 507. Prefer the Holosun by a mile for several reasons. FF3 cost me a bird when the battery died mid hunt so I'm a little bitter. lol

 

[tonybart55]

https://www.meadowcreekmounts.com/
with burris ff3 option. Better field of view as well.

This, but I would change the dot sight to a SwampFox or Holosun. But any of the options so far would work.

 

[megalomaniac]

I went with the vortex venom, 3MOA 5 or 6 seasons ago and havent had a bit of trouble out of it. Love it due to its small field of view, as I'm in the crowd that keeps both eyes open while shooting and need to see what's in my periphery while still focused on that red head.

 

[TheLBLman]

Love it due to its small field of view, as I'm in the crowd that keeps both eyes open while shooting and need to see what's in my periphery while still focused on that red head.

Totally understand that.
However, with a small-footprint 1.5x traditional scope (assuming quality glass), the field of view is tremendous, you can still see around it enough, but the clarity of the target, background, and things nearby is also tremendously better than any red dot optic.

 

[Bgoodman30]

Totally understand that.
However, with a small-footprint 1.5x traditional scope (assuming quality glass), the field of view is tremendous, you can still see around it enough, but the clarity of the target, background, and things nearby is also tremendously better than any red dot optic.

I have considered this route because my eyes aren't as good as they used to be....