Anyone Use A Red Dot On Their Contender???

[Dave1]

There has been much talk over the years about scope choices for Contenders and other hunting handguns and I have yet to find a traditional type crosshair scope that would work well for my style of deer hunting in Florida.  Ultra tiny field of view, critical/changing eye relief, extremely low light gathering capabilities, difficult or nearly impossible target aquisition (deer) at ultra close range, are the things I noticed when trying some popular brands of handgun scopes on guns belonging to friends.

Because my hunting could be deep in a shaded swamp or hammock area or out along a pasture or treeline where shots at deer could be at 30 or 130, or 200 yards with light varying from almost dark, to very dim, to brite light, I could not find a handgun scope that would work well in most or all of these situations.  Trying to find a good compromise proved very challenging.

A red dot was suggested and seemed to have merit for most of my typical hunting set ups.  I did some investigating and found that some of the national competition shooting teams use the UltraDot brand so I thought they would be worth a try.  A little over a year ago I bought one and set it up on my 7x30 Super 14 and have been pleasantly surprised.

Obviously the red dot can be seen in any low light hunting situation and has proved better at long range than I expected.  The model I use has a 30mm tube and 3 minute of angle dot which at long distance does cover up some of the target but as long as you concentrate on the center of the dot being your point of impact, it will and does work out fine.

On a recent outing at the range using standard 100 yard smallbore targets my red dot equiped 7x30 Contender using Federal factory loads was shooting 1 1/2" groups at 150 yards.  I thought that was a respectable group.

The red dot has a battery, switch, light source, and may or could be susceptable to jarring recoil, rough handling, etc. but so far this combination has worked out well for me.  I may buy and change to a regular crosshair type scope eventually if/when I find one that suits me and my eyes.  Until then I will keep working and trying to improve with the red dot.

I was just curious if anyone else has tried or is using one of the red dots.

Dave1
davisalf@aol.com

[jlk]

I am currently using a red dot scope on my Encore chambered in 50ae. I have had no problems with it so far. I have shot it out to a distance of 100 yards and have had no problems with accuracy, it is a fast handling scope that I can get on target quickly.

We hunt in some thick swamps that the palmetto's grow to about 6-8 feet tall. We have alot of wild hogs and this is what I mainly use my Encore for.

[wheelgun]

I have 4 red dot sights two bushnell two simmons.Now these are not high priced sights $45.00-$65.00 but the bushnells have held up good simmons not so good.I bought the bushnells from eabrown the simmons at local gun show.I have returned the simmons three times they just replace them but the turm around time is good.These sight are pretty good at close range but start covering up target at about 75 yards.This would not be a problem shooting at large game but at 100 yards the dot covers up a 9" paper plate.The sights are on my 45 win mag,30 herrett,44 mag,357-44 BD barels.

[wiley]

from Tasco, it lets me keep both eyes open and adjusts brightness, automatically. Let me get a doe at about 60 yds, with a 357Max; first one in several years of trying with iron sights, scopes, ect. Definitely an old fart's friend!

[handcanon]

I use a 30mm bsa red dot on my 7-30 waters and can keep the groups under 3" at 130 yards, off a bag.
you just have to make sure that you center the dot on the target.

[flintlock54]

I have a single dot Bushnell Holosight mounted on my 20" carbine bull barrel that I am about range test. Very refined dot and better sight window than any red dot I have tried. The dot seems to lay on the target which is the holosight affect. I had a extra set of scope mounting holes added to shift the eye relief out a notch and milled an extra slot on the weaver mount to center the sight on the mount. Fantastic setup with an amazing sight picture. The sight window has very little obstruction compared to a standard red dot.

[chicborturkram]

I have a few red dots and think that they work great if you install the right dot for the trask.  Many of the negative views expressed could have been positives had the dot size been correct for the task.  This is why they are offered in a multitude of sizes.

This may help:
 http://www.gilmoresports.com/moa.htm

and this as well:
http://cmore.com/diode.html
 
For hunting you may need to consider if a particular model makes noise while switching from either one dot/reticle pattern to another or while adjusting the intensity of the dot to changing lighting conditions.
Good luck

[Catahoula]

I just got a Leupold Gilmore 2 MOA red dot for my Super 16 30-30.  Haven't had a chance to try it yet.  The rings on my Leupold mount were too close together.  Had to order a Weaver base, waiting for it to get here.  I think it will be great for deer in the woods.

[flyfisher]

I use a Tasco PDP 3 on top of my .375 Win barrel.  I believe that the dot is a 3 MOA, which is perfect for my type of shooting...usually less than 100 yards.  Was worried early about the recoil and the durability of the dot, but after several hundred rounds, the scope remains intact...oh, and there's no muzzle break either.  I find that one tough little red dot, and am awfully happy with its functioning.

[Dave1]

"With a Leupold/Gilmore Red Dot Sight, what you see is what you get.  Hunting with a Leupold/Gilmore Red Dot Sight offers tangible advantages.  Particularly in situations where the shooting is close and fast. Because all you do is put the red dot on your target. Target acquisition just doesn’t get any easier than this, or any quicker.

The illuminated dot is crisp and bright, with 11 different brightness settings. The speed and quick target acquisition comes as a result of a bright, easy to pick up aiming point, and because there is unlimited eye relief. You simply keep both eyes open, place the dot, and fire.

Red dot sights are especially popular with competitive handgun shooters like Doug Koenig. However, a growing number of hunters are using red dot sights on muzzleloaders, shotguns, bows, and rifles. The red dot option is also a hit with people whose eyesight isn’t what it once was."

I guess I fall into this last category.

Although a red dot will never replace a crosshair for long distance precision shooting and will probably never satisfy the purist traditional scope user, it appears the red dot may have found a place in our hunting woods.  So far I am happy with mine as a good short to mid range deer hunting setup.

Click on the links posted above and check out the info on the Leupold/Gilmore red dots.  45' or 70' FOV and a 2MOA dot sounds like a better setup than what I have.  If the Leupold name is on it I am confident of its quality.  

Dave1

[Bug]

Nikon now has an adjustable red dot sight. It is a 30mm sight that has a red dot which is adjustable to 1, 4, 6, or 10 MOA. It has an integral Weaver mount, and comes in black or camo. They are kinda' pricey, compared to some of the others; but if precision is what you're after, the one moa dot should give you all you need.>>>>>>>>Bug.

[nase02]

I have an adco red dot on my 357 with 10" barrel wife loves it I hate to admit shoots it better than me .

[Possum]

I use a Sightron red dot on my 30-30 10" barrel.  It is suprisingly accurate at 100yds.  It is a setup that I carry in small brances of woods where shots are not more than 60yds.  It holds up to the recoil and target acquisition is quick.

[Dave1]

I get the impression the Red Dot type scopes are still considered by many to be "gadgets" and have never really caught on or have much appeal to very many handgun hunters.  Seems like most of the handgun hunters on this and other handgun hunting boards are mostly long range open country style shooters/hunters and they don't favor Red Dots because they are deffinitely at a disadvantage for that type of shooting/hunting.

I too like the traditional scope with crosshair but chose to experiment with a Red Dot on my 7x30 Contender because the handgun scopes have such a tiny FOV, very difficult close range target acquisition, and poor light gathering abilities.  These disadvantages would be a death sentence for my style of hunting.

I hunt in Florida swamps, hammocks, some open country,  frequently in low light conditions and have a little over one year's worth of hunting/shooting experience with the red dot set up.  So far it has worked well for me.  My 54 year old eyes can quickly pick up the red dot in ANY hunting or light condition.  If I can see the deer, I can put that tiny dot on him.  :-)

When hunting down in the woods and under the tree canopy of the swamps and hammocks where light is much less than out in the open, the red dot gives me the ability to shoot accurately approx 15+- minutes earlier in the morning and 15+- minutes later in the evening.  This alone is great help and advantage as that is when I frequently see the bucks moving.

Good luck to all this year.

Dave1
davisalf@aol.com

[chez48]

I just put a Millet red dot on a ten inch 30-30 barrel

Once I got it near the center of the target I managed to put three shots ina a row that touched left to right and were one inch center to center at fifty yards.  At 100 yards I shot a triangle 1.5 inches

The day was quite bright so I had to put the sight on the brightest setting and turned the dot diameter down to the smallest dot to shoot the 100 yard target.  I think it is going to work out better than the scope I had on the previous barrel. :grin:

[fast*eddie]

I had put a Tasco Aim Point on my 44 mag Hunter barrel a few years ago. After about 30 rounds ,the knob that adjusts the brightness was real loose. I put 2X6 Bushnells on my 223 and 7-30 waters barrels.