Scope versus Red Dot on a Rifle

[mchughcb]

I compared a variable scope on low power versus a red dot 3.5MoA on a rifle I have won competitions with and hunted with many times. The range is 50m. Both have positives and negatives.

 

[Erik Hamburger]

At 50 M during day-light hours: A red dot sight is far superior to a scope: Better FOV, quicker target acquisition.
At dawn/dusk, during bad light: Scope.
I have experience with both the Burris Fastfire 11 mini red dot, (On rifles and shotguns) and the Aimpoint Hunter S34 red dot (on rifles): Both perform excellent and hold their zero for years. The newer Burris Fastfire 111 has improved access to the battery compartment.
A 'best of both worlds' set up would be to mount a traditional scope on your rifle, fix a Picatinny rail on top of the scope to mount a min-red dot sight. (Burris, Vortex). Quite common in the States, less often seen in the UK.

 

[JTO]

How does the use of a red dot for taking deer, square with it not being legal to use artificial light for the purpose, not different from an illuminated reticle perhaps?

 

[mchughcb]

Well I guess it would be legal if you don't turn it on.

 

[Marcher]

Why not use a scope with an illuminated reticle ? The Swarovski ones can be turned up really bright if you want it.

 

[mchughcb]

The reason I posted was to see the difference in accuracy at 50m using both off a bench. If you do a lot of offhand hunting or want to cut down on weight then it shows the red dot is another option over scope but not having to worry about the three sighting planes with open sights.

 

[Jagare]

Red dot is just an illuminated dot so legal for shooting deer. I shoot both aimpoint and a 1-4x22 scope on my Mauser. Both work equally well at driven. game ranges. There was a rifle with a scope and red dot sight fitted at my LGS. I thought that you would have to have a double jointed neck to shoot the think any sense. Totaly impractical and also stupid looking.

 

[mchughcb]

I never really understood that from a hunting sense.

 

[Heym SR20]

I am not sure that is really a fair comparison. A much better comparison would be snap shooting at a random pop up target or a running boar with no indication of when its going to run. The whole point of wide angle scopes / red dot is to be able to put a bullet through the vitals at closish range in a shot period of time.

On many driven boar type shots, you have a window of perhaps two or three yards between two trees and you have to shoot as a boar passes. If you have to think then it's gone.

 

[kenbro]

I compared a variable scope on low power versus a red dot 3.5MoA on a rifle I have won competitions with and hunted with many times. The range is 50m. Both have positives and negatives.

Hi,What calibre is that rifle? I doesn’t look to have much, if any recoil.
Regards,Ken.

 

[mchughcb]

22lr.

 

[mchughcb]

Red dot with a bit of recoil.