Red Dot for Small game hunting

[brstevns]

Do you guys hunt small game ( Squirrels etc) with a Red Dot? What MOA Dot size seems to work best?
Would say 75 yards to be a long shot.

[rking22]

5 grains in a 30WCF works well Oh, the optic, well I used one on my SA22 for a short time. For my uses it was no better than the open sights and it went back in the drawer. I need some magnification to be able to sort the squirrel head from the leaves and other visual clutter. Now at 30 yards and under, leaves off the trees, it would do. But no better, for ME, than the open sights on rifles like Winchester M67 and Rem M33s. I like a 4 or 6x scope on my squirrel rifles.

[ShooterAZ]

The Burris Fastfire 3 works great on my Marvel 22LR 1911 conversion. It's lightweight and pretty rugged. I use the CCI SV for head shots on squirrels with it.

[Larry Gibson]

As mentioned the Burris Fastfire III works very well as it has different setting which effect the dot size. I've also shot numerous ground squirrels with my M16A1 upper with 12" twist using 22LR in a M261 device with the Eotech on it. It's 1 moa dot works fine on small game.

[brstevns]

That is the information I am looking for. Is 1 MOA size dot the best for small game? How many MOA does it cover at 25 and 50 yards?

[bobthenailer]

I have aimpoint micros that have a 2moa dot I don't think would be small enough for a head shot@75 yards on tree rats @50 yards maybe? with a RDS you area aim not like a pinpointing scope .
I have been using red dot sights since they came out and have over 20 on mostly hand guns and a few rifles. the dot size is usually larger than advertised

[cwlongshot]

Its just like a group. 1 moa is 1” @ 100 yards so 1/2” @ 50 & 2” @ 200.
(Corrected)

A 1MOA dot isnt common and usually only on hi dollar dots. Many can be found with a 2moa or larger. Two isnt bad. Its a squirrels head at your ranges.

Get the smallest you can find/afford.

I like to search used Aimpoint dots. But ultra dot are food as well. Aimpoint is lifetime warranted so no worries buying used. A Aimpoint 3000 & 5000 are good optics that should be found lil over 100-150 used.

[RU shooter]

If a 1 moa dot covers an inch at 100 wouldn't it only cover 1/2" at 50 ? Another option for the OP is a chevron type reticle found on some of the knockoff stuff that's sold on Amazon

[brstevns]

If a 1 moa dot covers an inch at 100 wouldn't it only cover 1/2" at 50 ? Another option for the OP is a chevron type reticle found on some of the knockoff stuff that's sold on Amazon

If this is so, then a 2 moa dot would be 1 moa at 50 yards? I would think that would work for squirrels.

[cwlongshot]

If a 1 moa dot covers an inch at 100 wouldn't it only cover 1/2" at 50 ? Another option for the OP is a chevron type reticle found on some of the knockoff stuff that's sold on Amazon

YES!!

My bad doing two things at once. Apologies.

Of coarse it would be smaller closer and larger farther.

CW

[BK7saum]

If this is so, then a 2 moa dot would be 1 moa at 50 yards? I would think that would work for squirrels.

2 MOA is always 2 MOA. 2" at 100 yards, 1" at 50 yards, 1/2" at 25 yards. MOA is like a cone, i.e. it is an angle. As distance increase the area inside the angle becomes greater. it is still the same MOA, but the size if the cone is larger the further you go out. at 1000yards, 1 MOA is 10.47", but most people equate MOA to be the same thing as inch per 100 yards, Technically it is slightly larger.

[ShooterAZ]

Most of my squirrel hunting is well within 50 yards, less than 25 even. Around here they are usually up in a Ponderosa Pine tree leaping from branch to branch, and tree to tree. The real challenge is keeping up with them. The Fastfire 3 dot is plenty adequate for head shots with a pistol, if they'll hold still long enough! They are nervous little buggers, and don't like to cooperate

[brstevns]

Must admit that most of the shots I get on squirrels is 25 yards or less. Once in a great while maybe 50 if I catch one feeding on the ground. The 75 yard shot I have yet to take, but on occasion there is such a shot on a groundhog or some othe varmint.

[georgerkahn]

Do you guys hunt small game ( Squirrels etc) with a Red Dot? What MOA Dot size seems to work best?
Would say 75 yards to be a long shot.

I hunt squirrels with both .22 rimfire and .22 air rifles at distances pretty much exactly as yours... As much as I use red dots on target handgun range shooting/competition, I've found plain-Jane telescopic scopes -- generally 2x - 7x range, OR 4x for fixed magnification -- to be my "cup of tea"in woods/field. My challenge is Mr. (or Ms.) Squirrel is rarely in a "here I am shoot, shoot me" pose. Along tree bark, branches, leaves, and the like -- I've on too many occasions have had the target disappear from the red dot's presence -- too much contrast from dot, even at its lowest brightness, and adjacent ground. No doubt exacerbated by my red-green colour blindness, but in low-light conditions, my too favourites are the Leupold 2x-7x VX rimfire; and, the Weaver Classic 3x-9x rimfire scopes. As a note, too, the red-dots I have are neither el cheapo's nor bottom line products -- including Leupolds.
For me -- the red dots are great at the target line; BUT, in the field -- my clear choice is for the traditional scope.
My two pennies on the subject...
geo

[Eddie Southgate]

Bought a brand new Burris several years ago to go on my Winchester m63 I coon hunt with . Thought it would be the thing for shooting after dark when crosshairs and open sights can be tough for 60+ eyes to see . Did not like it so it never got used and has been sitting in the box since . A tad over $200.00 wasted for my use . A fixed dot type sight might have worked but the holographic type did not for me .

[McFred]

The Burris Fastfire 3 works great...

I use the Burris FFIII too; specifically the 3MOA dot, not the 8MOA. I've got one on a pistol caliber carbine I typically shoot offhand on steel within 100 yards but I've also got one on a semiauto .22LR rifle. I can easily keep impacts on a pop can inside 75 yards. An variable power optic would probably work too, but then I'd pick up nearly another pound on some svelte rifles I don't want an extra pound on.

Here's a mount I fabbed for mounting a FFIII onto a Rem Model 81: It works pretty well when you can't use the factory irons.



Larry Gibson's correct too that at the brightest settings the dot appears larger than if you lower the intensity to the minimum necessary to acquire the target.

[brstevns]

I have never tired a Red Dot before but think I must give it a try. At least once.

[W.R.Buchanan]

My Red Dot choice is and has been the Bushnell TRS-25. I have 7 now as I just bought one to replace the one that finally went stupid last week. It kept turning on and off., so it will go back to Bushnell and they'll probably give me a new one as an exchange.

These have a 3 MOA dot.

I have them on all my Carbines as well as my 10/22, and I even have one I use on my Ruger RGS from time to time. All have been perfect except the one from above. First problem in over 15 years of using them.

I got my new one from Bass Pro in Vegas for $79.95 just last week.

On a .22 if you sight in dead on at 75 yards, you will be 1" high at 50 and 3" low at 100 which pretty much covers the .22 Long Rifles useful range.

These sights weigh 3 oz so they don't alter the handling of the gun in any way.

Randy

[brstevns]

Neat !!!

[Ramson222]

Take a look at this iluminated vortex optic, https://www.cabelas.com/catalog/prod...ref=prd1783484

Its currently my favorite small game optic. I have used it on a 22lr, 300bk ar15 and a 45acp carbine.