The Kurgan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Steel Town and The Peg
It would be going on a hunting rifle, and possibly trade duty on a shotgun.
Help me decide on a decent red dot for under $500
- Thread starter The Kurgan
- Start date
- Location
- Edmonton area, Alberta
For anything where distance might be a factor, I'd choose a red dot with bullet drop compensation in them. I own two Holosuns with the Primary Arms ACSS reticle and really like them. My friend went with one of the SIG dots with multiple dots so he can shoot at distance. My Holosun has lived on my AR and now WK for wacking steel plates at great distances, 3 gun competition and has zapped coyotes and has been flawless for me. These need to be paired with a magnifier to get the most out of them.
The Kurgan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Steel Town and The Peg
Too gimmicky with magnifiers and such. I want one red dot that can "do-it-all" at 100 yards or less.
I realize you said red dot but a small 1-4x24 scope with the illuminated g4 reticle set to 1x is nearly the same with the added magnification if needed. Thats the route i went with.
As for cheap red dots i have walther branded reddot thats been used on turkey guns slug guns. 300wm and pellet rifles as well as my jrc. It has been absolutely flawless. It came on a walther nighthawk air pistol
As for cheap red dots i have walther branded reddot thats been used on turkey guns slug guns. 300wm and pellet rifles as well as my jrc. It has been absolutely flawless. It came on a walther nighthawk air pistol
Phat Eagle
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Fraser Valley, BC
^^^this would be my recommendation too. There are a couple close to that price range on the EE now.
I have a number of Vortex SPARC-AR, and they've been good to go. That said, never used them on a shotgun.
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The Aimpoint Micro H2 is smaller and lighter than the Pro at roughly the same price.
The Pro has a great mount for an AR and it’s compatible with night vision, but does the OP need night vision? My vote would be for the Micro H2 if you’re going with Aimpoint.
The Pro has a great mount for an AR and it’s compatible with night vision, but does the OP need night vision? My vote would be for the Micro H2 if you’re going with Aimpoint.
Honestly I'd suggest a Holosun 503R if you can stomach the "made in China" sticker. Basically an EOTech style reticle (65 MOA ring with a 2 MOA dot in the middle) in the form factor of an Aimpoint Micro. Can switch between circle/dot and dot only. Good for a variety of firearms and a genuinely solid optic for the price.
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The Kurgan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Steel Town and The Peg
Tempting, though I wonder if it's durable? They are on eBay and Amazon for less, but those are US dollars, then there's shipping, etc.
I have both a 507 and 508 and there’s a lot to like about the Holosuns. That 32 MOA outer ring allows for fast acquisition (perfect for shotgun) and the 2MOA centre dot makes it accurate — best of both worlds.
The other features I really like are the shake-awake and auto off. Pick it up and the optic turns on — set it down and it turns off. That mode also triggers the auto-adjust, so the dot brightness changes with the ambient lighting. It works well and only gets tripped up if you’re shooting from shadow into a bright field. But I agree — Holosun has definitely raised the bar with their reticles and features.
I have an old Aimpoint T1 that cost me a small fortune many years ago and it still works fine and I would never part with it. I have become wiser in my older age and have purchased 4 Holosun red dots over the past few years. 2-503 series for my long guns and 2- 507 series for my pistols. They are amazing in my humble opinion and some of the site sponsor still have the holiday specials on them.
Romeo5 is durable. Great red dot from what I've seen on reviews.
Dont trust ebay; you may end up with an "inexpensive" airsoft knock off if you dont know how to tell the difference. Amazon.. I wouldnt buy optics off there either. If the deal is too good to be true from a non Firearms store, it likely is.
Also remember USD -> CAD + foreign exchange fees from your credit card.
I don't care much for red dots as I prefer a low magnification with a reticle so I never have to think about batteries. But, one of my buddies loves Aimpoint on his main hunting rifle. I believe the site he has been using has been on his rifle since the mid 1990s. Spend your money once and get something of quality and it will last. Avoid the cheap red dots on amazon or eBay.
Personally, I think this is a critical feature for serious hunting in transition forest. I can't be fooling with the brightness settings every time I walk through a clearing. Any other options with this feature?
I just picked nup this new Bushnell AR Optics Red dot. They are $200 and ruggedly built. Very nice for the price, but it may be more leaning to the MSR side of things....it has a quick and easily accessible fastener that lets you move the optic from one firearm to another in short order.
safehunter
Regular
- Location
- South Western Onterrible
I'm a fan of the burris Fastfire. Have a few, including one on a nasty kicking slug gun, and they have not failed.
Add a American Defence quick release mount and you can quickly and easily swap it between guns.
Then you'll get into scope ring adapters and start adding it as a backup on other guns. The fastfire is small enough for that.
Red dots. What a rabbit hole.
Add a American Defence quick release mount and you can quickly and easily swap it between guns.
Then you'll get into scope ring adapters and start adding it as a backup on other guns. The fastfire is small enough for that.
Red dots. What a rabbit hole.
