Can anyone reccomend a reasonably priced red dot sight for a light weight semi auto 12gauge. Picatinny rail mount. I bought a cheap one for $30 and after the first shot the dot jumped way upper right and could not be adjusted after that....JUNK! Looking for a sight that will with stand me putting 50 slugs down range atleast once a week.
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- Thread starter Jeff2131
- Start date
mxsailor803
New member
I use a Burris FastFire II on my turkey. Been on there for a couple seasons without any issue.
I personally have never been a fan of red dots or any optics for that matter on a shotgun I think they have little to no value in that role.with that said you have to pay for quality and a red dot on a shotgun is going to take a lot of abuse so you will need a good one..I'd say get either a aimpoint or a eotech..I know these May be more than you want to spend but honestly if you don't want to spend at least 400 on the optic you might as we'll not bother getting it..tasco Burris center point and all those other cheap walmart sites will get torn up on a 12 gauge and are a waste of money,they are made to be used on a .22 rifle or airgun and I'd stay far away from them IMHO
hopeinvalor
Inactive
What is you reasoning for mounting a red dot? Have you also considered a bright neon bead? Something like a hi viz?
What is it for?
I never saw a need for a red dot on a shotgun .... (or much of anything else, for that matter....)
Hunting turkeys? If you can't point a shotgun with a bead and put a 8-12" pattern on a bird's head/neck @40 yards, your problem is not one of hardware: It's a software interface problem. You need to spend more on trigger time than gadgets.
Gadgets will not only fail you at the most inopportune time, their success is not your success, but someone else's ....sure, you bought it, but anyone with a job could do that ...... Skills are earned, owned, and absolutely priceless.
I never saw a need for a red dot on a shotgun .... (or much of anything else, for that matter....)
Hunting turkeys? If you can't point a shotgun with a bead and put a 8-12" pattern on a bird's head/neck @40 yards, your problem is not one of hardware: It's a software interface problem. You need to spend more on trigger time than gadgets.
Gadgets will not only fail you at the most inopportune time, their success is not your success, but someone else's ....sure, you bought it, but anyone with a job could do that ...... Skills are earned, owned, and absolutely priceless.
Its for a BR-99...aka an "AR12". Its a semi auto 12g using an AR platform. I have a great shotgun for trap shooting and picked this one up simply to have fun with. My only plans with this gun is to hurl 6 oz's of lead down range in 2-3 seconds. I want the red dot for quick target acquisition.
hopeinvalor
Inactive
A used EO Tech? Very quick target acquisition and extremely durable. I would suggest a AA battery for convenience.
Zeroing might be a little frustrating. I'm not familiar with your shot gun, but I'm assuming it's not rifle accuracy. At 50 yards, all slugs should be within the circle. But the center dot will be tough.
Zeroing might be a little frustrating. I'm not familiar with your shot gun, but I'm assuming it's not rifle accuracy. At 50 yards, all slugs should be within the circle. But the center dot will be tough.
I haven't used them myself, but I've also heard decent things about tasco red dots on the lower end of the price spectrum. I have a Primary Arms Microdot sight that I've used on a couple guns. I like it, but I don't know if it would hold up to 12 ga. recoil. I'll also recommend going to MidwayUSA.com and browsing through their selection. Look at the ratings and read the comments. People will often mention which guns they're mounting their optics on.
I'm not sure why people are opposed to red dots on shotguns. If I planned to shoot a lot of slugs, I would definitely consider putting a red dot or low-powered scope on my shotgun. I'd agree that a high-powered scope might be frivolous, since shotguns don't generally have great range or pinpoint accuracy, but a red dot seems practical to me. Relying simply on a bead is about as crude a sighting system as you can get.
I wouldn't use one for wingshooting, of course, but anything that involves deliberate aiming (instead of instinctual pointing) will be easier and more precise with a red dot than a shotgun bead.
I'm not sure why people are opposed to red dots on shotguns. If I planned to shoot a lot of slugs, I would definitely consider putting a red dot or low-powered scope on my shotgun. I'd agree that a high-powered scope might be frivolous, since shotguns don't generally have great range or pinpoint accuracy, but a red dot seems practical to me. Relying simply on a bead is about as crude a sighting system as you can get.
I wouldn't use one for wingshooting, of course, but anything that involves deliberate aiming (instead of instinctual pointing) will be easier and more precise with a red dot than a shotgun bead.
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I've been using a Burris SpeedBead for a couple of years off and on. All I do is wingshooting. I had excellent success with a Weaver Qwik-Point years ago, but it was bulky and heavy and fogged in a heartbeat, and I had endless mount issues, so I put it away. The SpeedBead solves all those issues. I don't "need" it, I just like to fool around with stuff. I love it when the uninitiated say "don't look at the sights, look at the target." With an optical sight you do see the target and the dot both clearly because they are both "out there" in the same focal plane. So instead of using your peripheral vision to properly position the gun relative to the target all you have to do is put the dot in the right relative position. I have shot straights in skeet with it, as well as ducks and doves. It's very easy. Heck, I even shot a straight in skeet with an occluded sight and surprised myself.
Any sight that is good for a handgun or high powered rifle will be fine on a shotgun.
If you don't like them; fine, but don't say they don't work. I am not wild about the aesthetics myself, and I like the fact that the Speedbead doesn't make any lasting impressions on the gun.
Any sight that is good for a handgun or high powered rifle will be fine on a shotgun.
If you don't like them; fine, but don't say they don't work. I am not wild about the aesthetics myself, and I like the fact that the Speedbead doesn't make any lasting impressions on the gun.