Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Red Dot Reflex - anyone hunt with them?

I just picked up a Sightron red dot reflex and stuck it on my .223 Ruger American Ranch - worked better than I ever would have expected. Curious if anyone is doing this with success.

Pints

Yes!
My daughter killed a 7 point in front of the dogs with my Dads Ruger 44 carbine a couple weeks ago. He has a Burris FF3 on it.

Back in the '80's I put one of the original (I think) Aimpoints on my Ruger .44 carbine (the original...it has a walnut stock and 4 digit serial number.) I proceeded to kill one of the 3 or 4 biggest WT bucks I gave ever killed that year with it. I took it off and put it on my Ithaca 37 slug gun and, hunting in the shotgun-only part of the state, killed a couple of deer with it. I then loaned that rig to a friend of mine and he killed 2 or 3 with it. When he brought it back to me he was laughing, "All you do is put that red dot on 'em and bang! down they go!" That was over 30 years ago and I haven't used one since. Today's dot sights are quite an improvement over that old Aimpoint and one of these days I'll get a couple to hunt with, at least on a couple of revolvers.

Yes…….On my handgun! memtb

I have a Bushnell on my 22-410
I have a Vortex coming for my Ruger Mark 2.

Me likey!





























ya!



GWB

Yep. I have an Ruger scout set up with regular scope that can be taken off and my backup is an Aimpoint 9000 and an Sig red dot on my Browning BLR.

1000’s of words couldn’t beat those great pics.

Sounds like I should hook it up to my Ruger American Grendel and see how it goes.

Camera Land has the Sightron SRS red dot on sale for $119.99.....what mount will work for this sight on a Stevens 301 20 gauge? Some say the floor plate of this sight is different than the Burris Fastfire III, which is what I have now on the Stevens 301. Will I have to buy a different floor plate to use this Sightron sight?

Thinking about putting one on my Marlin 1894 .44 magnum. My eyesight isn’t conducive to using open sights anymore.

Ron

They work great for fast shooting. I had an old Aimpoint on a 7x57 Model 70 and used it to kill a bunch of critters. Shot many a running rabbit and a few squirrels with that rifle. I have a few a Holosun RMR on on my 1911 and it is no problem to knock over 4" plates at 75 yards. I think they are a great option if you don't need any magnification.

Eye sight problems ( cataracts ), missed a coyote at 30 yds with my turkey gun. Put a vortex red dot on it about 8 years ago and never looked back. Good eyes now thanks to eye surgery in both eyes.

Am liking it on my .358.

A buddy has one on his Henry 327Fed which is nice for evening hunts in the forest.

My crossbow has one and the 617 Smith 22 does too.

I used a camp rifle with a Trijicon reflex sight on an elephant hunt. The rifle was a 416 made by Rigby. Worked great!

They work fine as long as there isnt any moisture on them. I've got them on my turkey shotguns where shots are close and I don't need any magnification. I have a Trijicon RMR on a Franchi and an Aimpoint H2 on a SBE3. I've found with the reflex sights you get what you pay for. I'll only use Trijicon, Aimpoint, or some other trusted brand going forward. I've had troubles with both a Vortex Venom and a Burris FF3 in the past.

Great pic!

I see you’re a Mainer - nice to see a few New Englanders here. What sorta range are you shooting? I’m considering the option for a tracking gun and think I’d only need accuracy to 80yds or so mostly much shorter as I’m sure you know.

Id shoot red dots to 100 fine especially if you had a smallish dot like 2MOA or something. I think for tracking there are much better options. Last thing I want to worry about tracking in snowy conditions is brushing up against a tree and having snow fall down on the sight. Or hunting on a snow day and having snow accumulate on the sight. For tracking rifles I stay strictly peep as I want something that is weather proof.

An enclosed sight would fix that problem. I have a 509 Holosun on my duty pistol. Flat back glass wipes right off in a pinch.
Patrick

I don’t know, I’m kinda sittin on the fence here as to whether or not I'm convinced. <grin>

Holosun on an 06. This year’s buck, 150 yards or so.

I also have older tasco red dots on my Marlin 357 and 44, and an aimpoint that is going to probably replace an eotech on an AR pistol. I love them.

I can see it in a woods rifle. Peeps are rugged too.
A large window dot sight on a wing gun for a shotgun seems a good idea. Like the old mirror/reflection sight Weaver offered in the "60's" ? I hade one, I forget the name though. Age dimmed them to the point of unusable.

bgg...what do you think is a reasonable range with your set up?....I am not in to long range and am thinking of going red dot on everything...what is the opinion on that?...pros and cons.....bob

On my exact setup as pictured I’d not hesitate to 200. It’s a very fine dot, allowing precise placement if you’ve the time and stability. I’m slinging 200 gr partitions out of a short barrel, so although the energy is there my ability to compensate for drop would necessitate a lot more rounds downrange and pretty solid range estimation to go much further. With my setup as is it’s just point and shoot, and for me way faster and more instinctual than even a very low power scope from 200 in. With a flatter shooting round and a longer maximum point blank range if your eyes are good enough without magnification I’d be comfortable to 300. But that’s with a small dot. The bigger dots are maybe a tad faster but make it a bit more of a challenge.

All of this is just my opinion based on my experience. I had a tasco in a scout setup on a 375 win bolt gun that after a couple kills in the field made me a believer.

Edit to add, one con is of course battery reliance. Another is not being able to judge the horns before you break the shot. For example this buck I saw with my binos, identified him as at least a small 4 pt (which met my criteria lol) and I had no idea what his rack actually was until I walked up on him. Before I get roasted, no I don’t glass with my rifle, I carry binos. But I also, if given the time, judge the animal in the scope before I drop the hammer. With the red dot, you need to have your mind made up beforehand