Reddots and Shotguns

[kwe45919]

Well, to get my wife comfortable with the Mossberg 500, we went from a pistol grip to a 12"LOP stock. Now she says she can hold it pretty good but can't see/understand how to use the bead on the front. Alternative, reddot. She likes my Aimpoint on my AK but I think that or something similar would be too big. Some pics I have found seem to confirm this. Who on here has something similar on thier shotgun?? Would you mind posting pics for me to see??

My question to the TGO family is simple. Recomend a reddot, preferably small, that is decently inexpensive and will hold up attached to a shotgun. I'm really at a loss as some people tend to think what will hold up on a rifle won't hold on a shotgun. Myth or fact??

[Dolomite_supafly]

I have had quite a few red dots both large and small, cheap and expensive. When ever you are looking for one you are going to have to compromise a bit if cost is a consideration, it is a HUGE consideration for me too.

Everything considered I really like my Burris Fast Fire and I would think it would work great for your application. It has a red dot that adjusts to ambient light and is even bright enough to work outside on a sunny day. To me this is one of the most important features of any electronic sight, second only to durability.

When I do have to use a conventional red dot I can say that having to constantly adjust the dot brightness for changing conditions becomes a distraction. This is something in which you don't need during a critical situation. Going from inside to outside is a perfect example. I would adjust the dot then walk outside and lose the dot, this caused me to have to pause to make adjustments. Also, if you have it adjusted for the outside light then walk inside the dot on a conventiona red dot will wash out the entire screen but this doesn't happen with the Fast Fire.

Battery life is a few months if left on continuously but the Fast Fire has a power switch that is easy to get to on the side. This extends the battery life significantly. It uses standard CR2032 batteries wheich are common and CHEAP.

The Fast Fire is also quite small and lightweight which is a good thing when needing something for a small staure person like your wife.

The Fast Fire can be had for less than $200 new and significantly less if you are current military or LE. You can find them used in the $125 range. One thing you minght also get the picatinny protector, they are steel wings designed to protect the sight from a serious bump. I use mine ALOT so I got it to protect the sight. If you don't plan on beating the gun to death during training you probably won't need it.

The only thing I do not like about the Fast Fire is in really dark conditions the red dot pulses or flashes quickly. I believe this is part of the auto adjusting circuitry and can be distracting to some. I have gotten used to it but it does get some getting used to. My wife doesn't see it so maybe it is just me.

When I mentioned compromise, the only compromise you are making with the Fast Fire is battery life compared to other high end mini red dots like Docter. They have fixed that compromise by adding a on/off switch. Docter red dots have battery life in measured in years but the cost is at least twice that of the Fast Fire. To me I will use a switch to save the $200+ dollars.

Finally, a word of wisdom, if this is going to be a gun that you might have to rely upon to save a life do not sacrifice quality to safe a few dollars. After all how much is a life worth, definintely more than the difference in cost between a decent optic and a cheap Chinese knockoff.

Dolomite

[mikegideon]

An HD shotgun has 50+ ft/lbs of recoil with 3" buckshot loads, and will always have more recoil than an AR. Most of the defensive shotgun trainers recommend iron sights.

I bought one of these for my 870. Currently, it's not mounted. I will most likely buy a replacement barrel with iron sights sometime in the future. They have a rail mount equivalent

TruGlo

[Seaslug]

At one time or another, I have had the following red-dot/holographic sights mounted to my shotguns:

Remington 870: C-More, EOTech 512, Burris Fast Fire II

Saiga-12: C-More, Kobra, Burris Fast Fire II, EOTech 512, Aimpoint Micro H-1

I've never had any problems performance-wise with any of them, although size, weight, and height of dot have been a consideration in my decisions to add/remove them.

Also, despite the fact that the EOTech is the largest and heaviest optic I've owned (with the exception of the Kobra), I've found that I REALLY liked the dot-in-a-doughnut reticle on a scattergun. The new smaller, lighter, XPS series seems like it might be just about perfect for an application such as yours.

[Patrick Henry]

I have a Bushnell Trophy red dot on a 12 ga. slug gun. It has held up for a number of years. I don't know how well it will work for shooting clays. Also, it is worthless in low light; I can see better with my naked eye.

[kwe45919]

Good suggestions. Thanks.

I think for now (for trial only) I'll snag a Sightmark Mini Shot Reflex Sight or Ultra Shot, toss it on and see if the wife thinks she likes it. If so then I'll go with a Burris Fast Fire or something similar for the final product.......

Edited April 6, 2010 by kwe45919

[Guest Bonedaddy]

Just teach her to shoot the damn thing straight till she gets the hang of it. After that she won't need a red dot, an iron sight or even the bead. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

[kesava]

C-more keeps a zero my shotgun.