Reflex Sights and Snow

sundog57

sundog57

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Nova Scotia
I have reflex sights on two of my bunny guns. (22s)
We shoot rabbits over beagles.
The addition reflex sights has not been a happy invention for the rabbits, so I don't really want to go back to iron sights.
However
When pushing through the spruces, the reflexes tend to catch a bunch of snow.
When it's wet, well...
Can anyone here give any advice on what a person might do - aside from putting a cover on the sight - had that before, got pulled off by a spruce bough and lost
Thx
 
I think you are only going to get relief with a cover. How about a fabric cover that can be flipped off? With a string tethering it to the rifle so it doesn't get lost.
 
If you can see the red dot and you shoot with both eyes open is it still an issue? I have a Trijicon reflex on a few different firearms and even with the sight covered with snow the dot is still visible.
 
I'd suggest a neoprene sock cover, made from scraps of diving suit material. Tether it to the action somewhere for when you want to yank it off and take a shot without worrying about losing the thing. Bit of elastic around the bottom so it stays on through brush.

The Aimpoint Acro C-1 is pricey, but seems to cope with this sort of problem by making the glass fairly flat in front and back so it's easier than with most RMR sights to take a quick wipe with a finger and thumb before taking a shot:
https://www.aimpoint.com/product/aimpoint-acro-c-1/
Here's a similar model, the P1, being looked at in-depth, the Aimpoint being talked about starting around 3:30:
 
Red_Mist said:
I think snow can accumulate in front and on a reflex hence obscuring your sight picture.
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More than that, the water on the lens causes refraction and makes it hard to be precise. I think a better option is to switch to a red dot with flip caps... the reflex sight design does not lend itself well to easy cap removal, whereas a red dot design such as the Vortex Sparc makes flipping the caps open a quick and easy process... this is my little bunny slayer;
 
Sorry, no help to your question.
Curious on which reflex sight your using? I use a trs 25 red dot but my son is wanting to try a reflex sight. Seen a cheap CP(crossman) at Canadian tire, just wondering if he should buy something pricier(better).
 
I think that if you are pushing bush and snap shooting moving targets any kind of a cover that has to be removed before you shoot , will be a good thing for the bunnies.
 
pounder said:
I think that if you are pushing bush and snap shooting moving targets any kind of a cover that has to be removed before you shoot , will be a good thing for the bunnies.
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It's a .22, if speed were the issue it would be a 20 gauge...

The other option is to carry the gun upside down and engulf the Reflex screen in your gloved hand.
 
pounder said:
Is snap shooting with a rifle not done anymore? This is where a red dot sight on a rifle would be well suited.
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Sure it's done, but in heavy bunny bush, it is unlikely you are going to fill the pot by hunting sprinting rabbits with a .22... that is 20 gauge territory. Mostly with a rimfire rifle, you are easing through the woods trying to spot and snipe them while sitting in their forms, usually atop a little mound or hummock. I have shot hundreds of hares in my life and snared thousands, when I was a kid, I spent most of my time running a snare line and hunting hares with various weapons, from slingshots and blow guns to pelletguns up to and including 12 gauge shotguns... but my favourite bunny gun was a Savage 24 .22 LR over .410... wish I still had that gun, but I suppose that can be rectified.
 
hoytcanon said:
Sure it's done, but in heavy bunny bush, it is unlikely you are going to fill the pot by hunting sprinting rabbits with a .22... that is 20 gauge territory. Mostly with a rimfire rifle, you are easing through the woods trying to spot and snipe them while sitting in their forms, usually atop a little mound or hummock. I have shot hundreds of hares in my life and snared thousands, when I was a kid, I spent most of my time running a snare line and hunting hares with various weapons, from slingshots and blow guns to pelletguns up to and including 12 gauge shotguns... but my favourite bunny gun was a Savage 24 .22 LR over .410... wish I still had that gun, but I suppose that can be rectified.
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I agree. Especailly over hounds. Of someone showed up with a rimfire over my dogs theyd be left behind.
For just walking and pushing bush then rimfires are fine. I doubt theres an easy solution for covering a sight. When squirrel hunting in blowing snow or drizzel i used a rubber cap over my lense. Took it off to shoot. It was a pain in the ass and si went back to a scope or irons

Maybe a ghost ring rear sight and front post is the best option. My eyes arent that great and i can still run ghost ring sights well
 
brybenn said:
I agree. Especailly over hounds. Of someone showed up with a rimfire over my dogs theyd be left behind.
For just walking and pushing bush then rimfires are fine. I doubt theres an easy solution for covering a sight. When squirrel hunting in blowing snow or drizzel i used a rubber cap over my lense. Took it off to shoot. It was a pain in the ass and si went back to a scope or irons

Maybe a ghost ring rear sight and front post is the best option. My eyes arent that great and i can still run ghost ring sights well
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We mostly hunt clear cuts with thickets, put the dog into the thicket and see what comes out - it's surprisingly effective.
I've had quite a few folks comment on shooting with 22s over beagles, certainly lots of folks in NS seem to recoil in horror, but we've been doing it for years and so far with no issues (unless you're a rabbit)
Maybe our dogs aren't fast ones? We typically find that the rabbits are anywhere between 30-100m and sometimes more in front of the dogs
 
sundog57 said:
We mostly hunt clear cuts with thickets, put the dog into the thicket and see what comes out - it's surprisingly effective.
I've had quite a few folks comment on shooting with 22s over beagles, certainly lots of folks in NS seem to recoil in horror, but we've been doing it for years and so far with no issues (unless you're a rabbit)
Maybe our dogs aren't fast ones? We typically find that the rabbits are anywhere between 30-100m and sometimes more in front of the dogs
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I hunted with beagles for many years, we had them when I was a kid and did a lot of hare tracking and running... you are mostly safe running a single dog while using rimfire rifles, assuming you are careful with your shooting lanes and partners... but I would not run two dogs while shooting rimfire... I can recall countless situations where the second dog was running laterally and ahead of the main tracker... sometimes on a different scent, but was inline with the target hare, I have pulled up on shots with .410's and 20 gauge's... a rimfire could end a great little friend... even worse if it is your partner's dog... just a thought... you be you.
 
Interesting to know - we primarily run one dog at a time with three or four shooters
Occasionally we run two
The dogs are belled of course and the shooters are disciplined
So far I haven't seen any running parallel or ahead (except one guy we had who liked to bail out and wait for the rabbit to circle and then flare it and then get cursed at - he wasn't very effective)
 
For me...1 guy (2 if it's my son), we will use 22s; 1 or 2 dogs, not really caring if we get any.Gives the rabbits much more of an advantage. With 3 or more guys, we use shotguns and have used as many as 6 dogs in the past. Numbers seem to be going down or maybe im not going at it hard enough anymore. I will say i dont like those live traps i run into, doesnt seem fair at all to bait rabbits.
 
hoytcanon said:
Who the heck uses live traps or bait for rabbits or hare???
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Live trapping rabbits here has caught on big time the last few years...totally legal they say
It's one thing to set acou0le and get a feed but some people have hundreds of traps, cleans up the rabbits in a hurry
 
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