Red dot versus scopes

[castmiester]

Will a red dot be just as accurate as a scope POI ?

[cwtebay]

That's a nebulous question.
At what range? What size of red dot? Pistol? Rifle?
Red dot at close range vs. traditional optic? Close.
100 yards? 500 yards? Nope.
Target acquisition at close range? Red dot generally wins.

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[castmiester]

Pistol. Like to get close to 100. Wouldn’t know what size. Based on what?

[cwtebay]

Pistol. Like to get close to 100. Wouldn’t know what size. Based on what?Based on MOA of red dot proposed.

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[castmiester]

Looks like 3 moa for just under 100 yards. Closer higher MOA for quicker actuation, from what l read. You pointed me in the right direction to google it, thanks.

[imashooter2]

The dot is one size in an unmagnified red dot. If you get a 1 MOA dot it subtends approximately 1 inch of the target at 100 yards, but it is slow to pick up at speed on close range targets. An 8 MOA dot subtends approximately 8 inches at 100 yards which could hinder accuracy depending on the target. On the other hand the big dot is fast to acquire close range.

Another consideration is that folks with astigmatism won’t see a nice round dot. They will see something between an oval and a smear depending on how bad their vision is.

To my thinking, pure precision target work at distance would be best served with a low magnification scope.

[imashooter2]

Here is a graphic from Vortex showing some possible sight pictures for folks with astigmatism.

https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/61981544_10157245957220758_6943229510644924416_n.j pg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=9b3078&_nc_ohc=15Cpuv3Ys5cAX9OOX6A&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC7IqfSbHJVpDdKlBf68i0Tfb3lEEhAa-6AAn0tMOyxXQ&oe=65E296B7

[castmiester]

won’t see a nice round dot

Ok… when l used my sight mark bore sight laser it refracted like the pic you posted. The fifth dot kinda blurry like.


To my thinking, pure precision target work at distance would be best served with a low magnification scope.

Too bulky and cumbersome as a side arm ? I mean a Ruger Redhawk with a 7.5 inch barrel with a pistol scope.

[imashooter2]

What is the intended purpose? Most guys that hunt with something like that would carry in a chest holster. It wouldn’t be my first choice for IWB carry. :drinks:

[castmiester]

Hunting but at close range you can’t in holster it fast at close range unless you have it in hand while walking or sitting. I wouldn’t feel comfortable with a scope base held down by one screw.

[imashooter2]

You want fast and easy to carry along with precision at 100 yards. Your goals are mutually exclusive and only you can decide what compromise works best for you.

[castmiester]

Well l got a good deal too on this pistol and figured a red dot would be fine. A Ruger hunter even used are pricey coz they aren’t in demand. Ruger ain’t making as much of them. 1000 plus and scoped is easy 15 plus. A used Vortex red dot is more like it.

[dverna]

I am planning on installing a Sig Romeo 5 red dot on a 9mm carbine. It has a 2 MOA dot and I think it may be a tad small, but it was on sale and cheap.

Precision is not something I would be too concerned about on a pistol or carbine that is not going to get used much at more than 100 yards. It is not like we expect 2" groups at 100 yards...well I guess I should say...I don't except that kind of performance.

I have a red dot on a pistol and I would not use it for SD. I have trouble picking up the dot rapidly. On a rifle where the check weld puts you eye close to the right place, it should be OK.

[jdgabbard]

Generally speaking, a Scope is going to be more accurate than a Red Dot. That said, a Red Dot is going to be faster to acquire targets. If you're looking at handgun hunting out to a 100 yards, I'd say either should be sufficient. But if you have a hard time shooting accurately out to further distances you may be better served with a scope. If this is strictly for target shooting, scope. If you're looking at a defensive application, red dot. It all comes down to it's application....but that's not to say you can't make one or the other work for you.

[2TM101]

Will a red dot be just as accurate as a scope POI ?

I got a CVA Scout in 45-70 that came with a 4x scope on it. Eye relief on it was so short the way I had to hold it to sight it resulted in my actually breaking a collarbone that is still healing. I put a red dot sight on it, now its fine.

[schutzen-jager]

on outdoor channel the Wild Boar Fever series shows the red dot aimpoints being used successfully at various hunting ranges -

[NSB]

Red dots will work very well out past 100 yards for deer hunting purposes. If I were just trying to see how small a group I could shoot I’d use a scope. However, what you need for deer hunting isn’t necessarily the smallest group you can shoot. I’ve been shooting hunting handguns for around forty years now with red dots on them. I’ve shot a lot of deer with handguns and red dots and have had no problem with being able to put the bullet on target. I put a red dot on a 45-70 lever gun I have (Win 1886) just to see what I could do with it at a measured 114 yards (my deck to the target). It was a Burris FF3 with a three minute dot. Here’s a couple of pictures of two five shot groups. I probably couldn’t do much better with a scope and I have an astigmatism to boot. That doesn’t make much difference by the way.
322908322909

[imashooter2]

Red dots will work very well out past 100 yards for deer hunting purposes. If I were just trying to see how small a group I could shoot I’d use a scope. However, what you need for deer hunting isn’t necessarily the smallest group you can shoot. I’ve been shooting hunting handguns for around forty years now with red dots on them. I’ve shot a lot of deer with handguns and red dots and have had no problem with being able to put the bullet on target. I put a red dot on a 45-70 lever gun I have (Win 1886) just to see what I could do with it at a measured 114 yards (my deck to the target). It was a Burris FF3 with a three minute dot. Here’s a couple of pictures of two five shot groups. I probably couldn’t do much better with a scope and I have an astigmatism to boot. That doesn’t make much difference by the way.
322908322909

Everyone gets different results depending on their own vision. My astigmatism makes red dots look like an elongated and pixelated quarter moon.

[Garyshome]

No it won't be

[W.R.Buchanan]

Accuracy with a Red Dot Sight requires a little practice. I have Bushnell TRS25 Red Dots mounted on all my Carbines. (AR15, Mini 14, Kel-Tec SU16CA, Fight-Light SCR, Ruger PC .40, Ruger Scout Rifle.308, and in the past and soon again in the future a Burris Fast Fire on my Glock 35 .40 S&W.

I can hit a Man Sized target every single time off a Rest at 200 yards with any of the Rifles. I can do 8/10 at 300 with everything but the PC Carbine.

I shot a Short Range Silhouette Match with my G35 using a USA 1 Shot Pistol Brace.(see Pic below) First time out after sighting the gun in at 50 yards, shooting offhand with the gun in the brace.

10/10 on 50 Meter Chickens, 9/10 on 100M Pigs, only got 4 of the Turkeys at 150M, and then 6/10 on Rams at 200M! (took 4 shots to get the holdover down.) This was all with my standard .40 S&W handloads with 165 gr Plated Boolits, nothing special.

Any gun with a Red Dot is easily a 100 yard gun.

Randy

[crappie-hunter]

Having 82 year old eyes and astigmatism I have red dots on both my Rossi 92 carbines, it makes a more compact rig than a scope,the 44 mag wears a TRS25 bushnell and the 357 wears a Sig Romeo 5. I do believe target accuracy would improve with a scope, but the trade off for me is compact and weight. I much prefer the Sig to the TRS for the on off function. Red dots are not for shooting tiny little groups on paper, my guns are hunting rifles, not target rigs.

[NSB]

If you have an astigmatism, it doesn’t make a lot of difference in being able to shoot a red dot. My astigmatism looks like a “comma”. I just use the bigger part of it for the center/aiming point. It never changes shape. Yes, a scope will probably allow you to shoot smaller groups, but depending on the gun, caliber, and distance it might be closer than you think. Get one and try it out.

[barrabruce]

I put a 2 moa vortex on a small carbine clamped to the barrel to see if I could shoot with it.
Worked up a load and was shooting 1" at 50 yrds.
I had to learn to use both eyes open and look through the dot.
When I tried sighting like a scope it was worse.
Anyway I settled on a 2" square contrasting bit of tape to shoot at.
Easier for me to still see and aim at the bottom of it and not trying to make it into some sort seeing match with a small pasty dot or some such.
I get a fuzzy red dot or all those little group of dots.
If I turn it down to where the dot is clear, I can’t find it on the target or background.
Ha

One good thing about a small x scope is I can see better than I can in poor light than I can see with my std 1x eye balls.
Is that a tuft of grass or a rabbit.
But by then the cross hairs are getting blended in with the background

[Giblett]

I hunt with my pistols and have found out that i lose some shooting light with the red dot. Red dot is on the 41 mag but have a 2x Leupold on my 44. Plan on scoping the 41 before next deer season. Anything past 50 yards i want a scope.