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RED DOT AND OR HALOSIGHT ??

32K views 33 replies 22 participants last post by  IvanKG 
#1 ·
Anybody there tried a red dot sight or a halo sight on a shotgun for waterfowl hunting or am I just too crazy ?
 
#2 ·
I've met a few folks who have spoken about having red dot sights on their slug guns for deer hunting. I haven't used one for either deer or waterfowl but the red dots make sense for deer particularly in heavy brush.

The holographic sights that have a ring surrounding the center dot sound like a good idea for waterfowl too, as long as the ring shows where the gun patterns best.

If you do try this please post your results here I'd like to know which sight you chose and how well it worked for you.
 
#3 ·
Here is a pic of Joe Kuhn and a Rem 870 he put together for trap shooting. I think he's had mixed success with the project, though he has shot some good scores with it.

 
#4 ·
I dont think its quite the idea I had of a hunting shotgun.If I showed up to hunt with something like that, I would be the only one in the group shooting, the other guys would probably be laughing too hard to be able to shoot.
 
#6 ·
I have a red dot sight mounted on my 870 pump shotgun. But, it is NOT mounted to the receiver. It is affixed to the barrel in kind of a "scout scope" position. I mounted it to the barrel using an Aimtech RibRider mount that clamps around the vent rib. These mounts are hard to find but they are very solid pieces. The red dot I have is a large diameter tube and has no magnification. It is truly a "both eyes open" sighting system. I use it for deer and coyote hunting and haven't tried it for wingshooting yet. But, I find it extremely fast on target - even on moving targets. It is absolutely catsass for hunting coyotes at night! For wingshooting I don't think it will point as quickly as a bead, but I think it will work. I'm anxious to give it a try on wingshooting.

Having said that, I am highly right eye dominant and I can easily look downrange at my target, bring the gun to my shoulder and instantly see the red dot sitting right on the target - just like I would a bead. I don't need to close one eye or readjust the focus of me eyes. Because I have both eyes open, there is never a time when the sight itself completely obscures the target from my vision. I don't even notice sight being there. I just raise the gun, put the dot on the target and fire, never changing my focus on the target. If you do not have the strong one eye dominance that I do, it might not work for you.

I don't think a red dot sight that had any magnification would work. I also don't think a red dot sight mounted on the receiver would work. Mounted on the receiver it would be too close to your eye.
 
#9 ·
To try it , I have to buy and install it. Before I spend the money for that, I sure would like the advice of people who actually tried it. I like to invest my money, not waste it ( except for guns, women and booze ).Out of the thousands of people who look at this site, somebody must have tried it somewhere, sometime ???
 
#10 ·
rene said:
Before I spend the money for that, I sure would like the advice of people who actually tried it. I like to invest my money, not waste it...
Me too. Which is why I'm trying to get you to try it first! :lol:

If we keep the topic near the top of the forum some guinea pig is bound to come along.

Of course, I've already got mine mounted and installed. I just have to get out with some clay pigeons some day.
 
#12 ·
I have used red dot sights, and they are great (on human, deer size targets), I imagine they would work fine on waterfowl. HOWEVER...........you must get one that is "paralax free". They are the higher end models like the aimpoint, $300.00 +. The $69.00 ones n the sporting goods stores are crap.
 
#14 ·
It sound like you're waiting for a reason not to use them........go for it, let us know how you make out. If it doesn't work out, you still have a nice red dot to install on another gun.
 
#16 ·
I wouldn't waste your time with a holosight or dot sight on a waterfowl gun. One more gizmo to cause grief on a good day. It requires batteries, has lenses to get soaked in rain, snow, & ice or covered in mud, mount to come loose....Ill pass on using one for waterfowl.

I've tried to use one on the trap range before on my turkey gun.....I shoot much better with the rib and beads. You end up aiming instead of pointing.
 
#18 ·
I used my red dot sight to shoot some crows last weekend. I'd say it worked great! 8) It's as simple as a bead for me. I just stay focused on the target, bring the gun into line and see the red dot, never changing my focus off the target.

I agree that it doesn't work as good in the rain or in wet snow. Would much rather have a bead for that. But, in low light or dark conditions it is cat'sass!

I popped a running coyote at 40 yards a few weeks ago. Snap shot - completely intuitive - natural as a bead. I dig this system! Wouldn't work mounted on the receiver, though.





8)
 
#20 ·
Kart29 said:
I have a red dot sight mounted on my 870 pump shotgun. But, it is NOT mounted to the receiver. It is affixed to the barrel in kind of a "scout scope" position. I mounted it to the barrel using an Aimtech RibRider mount that clamps around the vent rib. These mounts are hard to find but they are very solid pieces. The red dot I have is a large diameter tube and has no magnification. It is truly a "both eyes open" sighting system. I use it for deer and coyote hunting and haven't tried it for wingshooting yet. But, I find it extremely fast on target - even on moving targets. It is absolutely catsass for hunting coyotes at night! For wingshooting I don't think it will point as quickly as a bead, but I think it will work. I'm anxious to give it a try on wingshooting.

Having said that, I am highly right eye dominant and I can easily look downrange at my target, bring the gun to my shoulder and instantly see the red dot sitting right on the target - just like I would a bead. I don't need to close one eye or readjust the focus of me eyes. Because I have both eyes open, there is never a time when the sight itself completely obscures the target from my vision. I don't even notice sight being there. I just raise the gun, put the dot on the target and fire, never changing my focus on the target. If you do not have the strong one eye dominance that I do, it might not work for you.

I don't think a red dot sight that had any magnification would work. I also don't think a red dot sight mounted on the receiver would work. Mounted on the receiver it would be too close to your eye.
as far as hunting coyotes at night, i take it you use some type of illumination? in our state, that's a huge no-no (deer jacking) and i doubt i could convince the game warden i was after coyote and not a deer :lol:

i agree... magnification units would be a bear... however, as pictured, mounting same on the receiver works as well... red dots also come in non-tube styles like the sandbox veteran EoTech



and if you would consider a crow to be a fitting stand in for a duck, yes, the EoTech works just fine... on the wing or static in a tree...

i think i'm going to take mine to the club on clay night just for the heck of it 8)
 
#21 ·
I dont know about the red dot (I would not reccomend it I don't like them period many of them are cheap and poorly made) I had a Bushnell Eotech on my 20 Gauge it was good for skeet but never had the chance to take it hunting, before I sold it.
 
#23 ·
racked... in the cabelas catalog, i have actually seen a product bearing the bushnell name and the EoTech design... i never cared to get to the bottom of the branding confusion, but the one i purchased didn't say "bushnell" anywhere near it :wink:
 
#24 ·
I have used the old Weaver quick point, which is sort of a version
of the red dot. It mounts over the receiver and you look
through it like a scope or red dot. It has no magnifcation
but it places a red dot in the center of the scope.

Only the eye behind the scope can see the red dot.
I have shot clay targets with it and it works pretty well.
The only fault with it is that it is slightly slower than
a conventional sight, if you shoot low gun, which I do.
Shooting low gun, your brain cannot perceive the
sight until the gun is mounted and aligned with the
eye. There is a slight delay because of this. You
swing and mount gun on target, then finally your
brain sees the sight, as well as the target which you
have been tracking. It takes an extra fraction of
second for the brain to figure out where the gun is
pointed because of this. With a conventional sight
your brain knows where it is even during mounting
because your peripheral vision can see the sight/barrel
even while mounting the gun with your eye on the
target. This red dot in the weaver is not battery
powered but is powered by sunlight. It doesn't
give as bright a red dot as the red dot sights do,
and of course it doesn't work well in low light
conditions.

The only problem with this small delay in timing is
that you might be slightly late when shooting
station 8 at skeet, starting with gun low. All
other stations, the slight delay doesn't seem to
be significant. I never did try it with a premounted
gun, because I always shot international style
skeet.

I have used a cheap red dot sight on a rifle but
never on a shotgun. I think they are similar enough
that the red dot would work as well on a shotgun
as it does on a rifle.

One big advantage of this sight is that the shooter
can even be cross dominant and leave both eyes
open. In my opinion it would work just fine on duck.
It would be especially nice for someone shooting
cross dominant. It also has the advantage of
being able to change the zero, or point of impact
just by adjusting scope type knobs which move
your point of impact.
 
#25 ·
If it makes you happy there is nothing wrong with the idea. Try it and see.

I personally would never bother. A shot gun is pointed. It is not aimed, like a rifle. This is why fit is important. Once you get the fit right, or adjust to the gun, it shoots where you are thinking. Aiming has nothing to do with it. If I had to aim it I would be so slow as to miss a lot of shooting oppertunities.
 
#26 ·
For dove hutning my cousin had a weird sight on his shotgun. I didnt think anything of it. Anyways i was using a model 1300 win 20 ga. I couldnt hit crap(i really really really hated that gun). I was hey cous your about to limit out let me borrow that and ill let you borrow this. And he goes to shooting my gun and missing like i was. He told me to put the dove in the edge of the sight and pull the trigger. The sight was used for turkey hunting, you put it on the turkey breast at 40 yards and it was soposed to kill it. Anyways back to the dove story. I put the dove on the edge of the sight and BOOM they fall down. I think trying the sight would be a good idea.
 
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