How many of you use optics on your shotgun for turkey hunting?
Has anyone tried them and gone back to the plain ol' shotgun bead?
Coming from a background of wing-shooting, optics have not been something I have really not considered until looking at the turkey forums and YouTube videos with the vast majority of hunters utilizing them... Most all of my turkey hunting friends are in the same situation as I am, and I can think of nobody that uses optics.
*Are they primarily being used to improve accuracy at close ranges or to extend accuracy at longer
distances?
*How difficult are they to sight in, and how accurate are they?
*Where is the aim point on the bird with optics (as opposed to where the feathers meet the neck
using a bead)?
*How quickly can you move mount & shoot with optics (I can do so almost instantly with a bead)?
*What do you like about them and what are the main advantages over a bead?
*What do you dislike about them and what are the main disadvantages over a bead?
I have only looked at them at a sporting goods store... Looked at some turkey decoys at some distance, and my first thought was that I personally would be tempted to shoot too far, or miscalculate shots...
I will likely stick with my shotgun bead, but maybe I am missing out??? I would love to hear the good, the bad, and the why's of using them...
I have fast fire reddots on all my turkey guns and couldn't imagine not using them.
I see zero disadvantages to using them. to me they are quicker, more accurate, obstruct the target less. For that they are easy to sight in and hold zero well season to season.
I put a Vortex Venom on my Turkey rig last season and will never go back.
As for your questions,
Aim point on the bird is the same. I think the red dot improves your accuracy at all ranges because the dot is parallax free. Wherever the dot is pointing is where your shot pattern is going, regardless of head placement. This is huge and the biggest advantage of the red dot.
You can mount, aim, and shoot just as quickly with the red dot as you can with a bead.
Mine was super easy to mount on my gun and a breeze to sight in.
I'd say the main disadvantage would be that you have to be aware of it and turn it on and off, which for me took no time at all to become a habit. Also it is battery powered but that's just a non issue in my mind.
Like I said, I'll never go back to anything other than the Venom red dot from Vortex.
I've had the FF3 on mine a few times but I always go back to the trusty bead. I just never cared for the red dot...
I have dabbled over the last handful of years with didfferent scopes,red dots and reflex sights on my turkey guns and always go back to fiber optic sights on them.I just prefer to have an open fiber optic like a truglo tru bead,beard buster or triviz fiber optic on my turkey shotguns.
I have killed birds with scopes,red dots,plain beads and fiber optics.I am 110% more confident and comfortable with a fiber optic sight on my guns.I took my scope off one gun this morning and a reflex off another and I am going with all fiber optics on my 7 different setups this spring.
I have used a scope and a Reddot in past seasons. To me they make the gun feel unbalanced. I am back to a fiber optic bead only and am much happier. Great patterns at 40. Killed one a bit further opening morning due to misjudging the yardage.
I think a bead is best as long as you maintain proper head position. I think the Reddots take that factor out.
I have killed turkeys with both and prefere the dot. It is mainly mental but I feel I am a bit more precise with it.
Ff3 on my Benelli super black eagle 12 and my Benelli m2 20ga and a simons pro diamond on my Winchester sx3. Will never use a bead again.
I went with a Burris ff3 this year on my benelli 20 gauge. Got the scope mount from Sumtoy chokes. I probably will not go back either. Nikon has a new scope out now that is basically the same as the burris ff3. You may want to check the reviews on it also. Might be hard to beat that Burris ff3 though. It was easy to sight in using regular shells at 15 yards then 30 then 40 using my turkey loads
I like a red dot. Never tried a scope tho, but the red dot is real good due to the odd positions you sometimes get into when turkey hunting.
I'm moving my Bushnell TRS25 off tho, it glows orange on the lens and I swear it caused me to get busted a couple times.
That's why I went with the truglo gobblestopper. I had one bust me because of the reflection once and won't use an exposed glass again.
I didn't like the sights on my Encore and missed two nice birds in one day a long time ago so instead of wrapping my gun around a tree or slapping myself I topped it with a Nikon Turkey Pro. I'll probably jinx myself,but I haven't missed a Turkey since. Nothing wrong with beads,but i put the crosshairs on him and lightly squeeze the trigger and its toes up. I dont have to worry about do i have my head down,beads lined up,etc. in the heat of the moment.
I almost always have it turned all the way down to 1.5,but if I need to I can turn it up.
If your shooting good with beads and it's not broke I probably wouldn't try to fix it imo. On that particular gun I didn't like the sights so I fixed it and would never go back..I grab this gun over several other turkey guns I own without optics whenever I turkey hunt.
Started with a bead, went to a Truglo red dot. Never looked back. Easy to install on a Remington with a saddle mount if that's what you're shooting, easy to sight in, good sight picture. No regrets.
Quote from: renegade19 on April 19, 2018, 06:36:32 PM
Started with a bead, went to a Truglo red dot. Never looked back. Easy to install on a Remington with a saddle mount if that's what you're shooting, easy to sight in, good sight picture. No regrets.
This... Used to just use bead sight but due to my diabetes and just aging, my eyes have changed and its much easier to see the dot vs. bead.
Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk
I've had a Simmons 1.5x5 power Pro Diamond on my 11-87 since day one. I wouldn't change a thing. Down they go with confidence. My belief is it keeps your cheek on the stock versus peeking over a sight on a ribbed barrel perhaps leading to misses. Each to there own of course. If your pattern is good and your confident when bearing down on a bird that's what count.
Quote from: Happy on April 19, 2018, 06:21:00 PM
That's why I went with the truglo gobblestopper. I had one bust me because of the reflection once and won't use an exposed glass again.
I went with the truglo gobblestopper also last year. First optic in, well, ever (35? yrs of spring seasons). Absolutely LOVE it. With the pistol grip and optic - the shotgun becomes an aimed shotgun vs. a pointed one. For me, that just made sense.
(http://i68.tinypic.com/34rupux.jpg)
I used a bead for 10years, a red dot for 4yrs. Last year I went to a scoped gun. This year I replace both my red dots with scopes. No battery's weather is minimal issues. And I put cross on waddles and pull the trigger. MoA and red dot reference gave me some issues I just felt more natural with a scope from years of deer hunting. It was tricky to dial one in because I used an odd ball scope that was in MiLs on a turkey rig and o far it's done great. Leupold Mark AR 1.25x4 not ideal but on a 20ga from testing patterning it hasn't even flinched after 30/40rds through it.
I have considered scoped guns but that added bulk and weight has keep me from doing it. I use a Truglo magnum gobble dot and love it. Never have to worry about rain and fog and not enough light to see. It is fully adjustable stream line and weighs nothing.
I went with Simmons Pro Diamond 20 plus yrs ago and havent looked back. :firefighter:
I have a Leupold Turkey Ranger on the 20 GA. Low power (2.5X), bright field and precise aim for the very center of the pattern. Helpful in estimating range too, in the heat of the moment. It weighs nothing, small and compact.
I'm a 30 yard or less turkey hunter. Don't use optics, just a long snap onto the rib fiber bead. Quit using 3 1/2 inch magnums. Don't even use my turkey choke because I found it patterns too tight at closer range.
Scopes are fine for some, just as are blinds and decoys. Keep it legal, keep it fun. Isn't that why we hunt?
I hunt with a Burris Fast Fire II on a Speed Bead mount on my SBE II because it does not affect the balance of the gun and it is incredibly accurate. I haven't missed a turkey since I added it to the gun. Even though I've never shot a gobbler beyond 36 yards, I know whatever I settle that bead on is going to catch the meat of the pattern every time. My eyes aren't getting any younger either. I can also still use the beads through the sight if it's not turned on or if the battery ever fails (which hasn't happened yet). Win/Win in my book.
Jim
I have a luepold 2-7 on my 870. I have had a scope for the bast 15 years on my shotgun and could not imagine not using one.
FF3 on my Benelli and I will not ever go back to a bead. I feel like I can aim quicker with the red dot than trying to line up 2 beads. Shooting thru an optic is second nature to me and I've never had an issue finding the target with the dot. Just put the dot on the neck and it is a dead bird
As I have aged my vision has changed,and not for the better. Since being put on a progressive lens I can no longer focus on the sights and the bird at the same time.Just as a experiment I took the red dot off my AR and mounted it on my 11-87,5 shots to adjust poi and I am a believer,I can now see the red dot/poi and the turkey clearly at the same time.Ive always felt I owed the turkey my best,although I have yet to shoot this setup at a turkey,this is the best I've given to ol Tom in several years.Very glad to have the Vortex Sparc AR on my turkey gun!
I have a scope on both of my turkey slaying weapons and have never looked back. I will not go back to a bead since I'm accustomed to the 'diamond of death' in my optics. Best of luck to you.
My eyes are getting worse and if I want to keep hunting them I am going to have to get optics in the next 5 years.
Tru Glo Red/Green dot for me and I really like it. I originally started using it because my poa and poi wasn't the same and when I went with a Shur Shot stock and put my cheek down it would rattle my teeth. The red dot allowed me to dial in my aim, as well as, pick my cheek up off the stock. My confidence soared with it and I've only missed one turkey out of the past several seasons with it (too close). The only disadvantage I see to using it is if you forget to turn it on and don't have the reverence dot to go off of when aiming. I regularly check to make sure it's on and also keep a spare battery in my vest in case it ever dims or goes out on me. (It never has)
Anything you can do to improve your confidence with a particular set up is a win win situation.
The 3 birds I killed in MS this year I used a single barrel with a fiber optic bead. The poi was good on it and the bead was plenty visible in low light. It all comes down to personal preference and confidence.
After years of the 3 dot fiber optics, I made the switch last season to a 1.5-4.5 scope. Love it :you_rock:
I've got a vortex venom on my Beretta. I like it overall and feel like the positives outweigh the negatives. I like it because I can see the entire bird when I shoot, because if the dot is on my target it is going to hit, and because target acquisition is easy. The negative on my gun is that it is mounted quite high (factory supplied mount) and my cheek weld feels wrong. If I could find a lower height mount in be 100% positive.
I've shot beads on my mossberg 500 and never had a problem except that the gun wouldn't shoot point of aim, I always had to compensate, sometimes I'd forget. My Thompson uses open sights but, like a previous poster said those sights were bad. With all the adjustment used up I still shoot 8" high at 40. The red dot is much more adjustable, I can finally point at the spot I want to shoot and it feels nice to do that.
I have two Bushnell Trophy 1.5x-4x shotgun scopes with Circle X reticle on both my Berettas. I started off with double beads then went to rifle sights then to a scope. I've had both of these scopes for 16 years with no problems. IMO a scope is the best sighting option there is especially as you get older.