Turkey hunting forum for turkey hunting tips

Do you change out your batteries before spring season each year? Also do you carry spare ones with while hunting or just keep couple extra ones in the truck or whatever? Also what about this scenario, you haven't change out your battery in your Burris FF3 in few years and your out turkey hunting and couple of miles or more from your truck and your red dot has no red dot. TURKEY IS GOBBLING ...You do have extra battery, but you don't have a screwdriver with you, what you going to do now, it's enough trouble to try and replace the battery at home in this red dot? So are you going to have some kind of leatherman tool on your side or carry a screwdriver ?

Yes, yes. Don't want a gobbler to walk from a blank screen in my optic. Good post Greg. Can't wait to hear the responses....

I also shot my Red Dots turned off at the range centering gobbler head in the Lense. Hits close enough to kill one at 25 yards....

Even though a battery would likely last me 10 years.........they're cheap.  I change mine before each season AND carry an extra in my belt pack.

Also............by changing the battery every spring, you eliminate the chance of having a bum battery leak and corrode the compartment and contacts.

There's enough things to go wrong on a turkey hunt that I can't control............... Battery failure doesn't need to be one of them.   

Quote from: Yoder409 on March 04, 2022, 11:00:29 AM
Even though a battery would likely last me 10 years.........they're cheap.  I change mine before each season AND carry an extra in my belt pack.

Also............by changing the battery every spring, you eliminate the chance of having a bum battery leak and corrode the compartment and contacts.

There's enough things to go wrong on a turkey hunt that I can't control............... Battery failure doesn't need to be one of them.

Nuff said right there, good advice!

Quote from: Yoder409 on March 04, 2022, 11:00:29 AM
Even though a battery would likely last me 10 years.........they're cheap.  I change mine before each season AND carry an extra in my belt pack.

Also............by changing the battery every spring, you eliminate the chance of having a bum battery leak and corrode the compartment and contacts.

There's enough things to go wrong on a turkey hunt that I can't control............... Battery failure doesn't need to be one of them.

Great point, I take them out for the same corrosion reason. They go in April first, come out and get recycled May 31st......

Quote from: Yoder409 on March 04, 2022, 11:00:29 AM
Even though a battery would likely last me 10 years.........they're cheap.  I change mine before each season AND carry an extra in my belt pack.

Also............by changing the battery every spring, you eliminate the chance of having a bum battery leak and corrode the compartment and contacts.

There's enough things to go wrong on a turkey hunt that I can't control............... Battery failure doesn't need to be one of them.

Me too!

I change them every year, and also take out during the off-season.  I carry a spare in my cheekpad, it has a zippered pouch for watts shells, calls etc.   With my Holosun sight sight I still carry a spare in my cheekpad but it really isn't necessary since it has a built in solar panel on top.   So it will work during the day even without a battery.   Mini screwdriver stays in the cheekpad.   If you don't use one of these cheekpads, I highly recommend them. 
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4768/38766972030_b7e46dce98.jpg)

I've added scenario to the post ..

Yes and yes. I likely don't need to change them even close to every year but I do. And try to keep one in the vest as well. I ordered a pack of 5-10 from Amazon dirt cheap and have them stored up in a cool dry place.

battery gets changed in each red dot prior the season that is if I didn't remove it at the end of last seaon.

1 or 2 spare batteries are always in my vest as well is a Leatherman multi tool. I have needed the multi tool for various other things while hunting but a gun hasn't been one so far.

Quote from: Greg Massey on March 04, 2022, 10:53:36 AM
Do you change out your batteries before spring season each year? Also do you carry spare ones with while hunting or just keep couple extra ones in the truck or whatever? Also what about this scenario, you haven't change out your battery in your Burris FF3 in few years and your out turkey hunting and couple of miles or more from your truck and your red dot has no red dot. TURKEY IS GOBBLING ...You do have extra battery, but you don't have a screwdriver with you, what you going to do now, it's enough trouble to try and replace the battery at home in this red dot? So are you going to have some kind of leatherman tool on your side or carry a screwdriver ?

Have a mini leather man tool. Takes caps off all my Optics. Battery changed...

No sense in screwing up a hunt by not pulling maintenance on your red dot...

Fresh battery at the range, when I check zero. It gets pulled till the night before the season starts.

I carry a 2 pack of fresh batteries with a dime taped to the back of the pack, just in case..

They are put in a water proof draw sting bag with fresh sand paper, chalk, & other assorted turkey related items...

End of season, the battery comes out & gets tossed...

I learned a valuable lesson about leaving batteries in flashlights.

Done hunting,  almost dark & a non working corroded mini mag...

Sent from my SM-A516U using Tapatalk

I change them each Spring.

And as for the scenario... I would have what I needed to change it and do it as quickly as I could or, if there's not time. Let him get as close as you can get him, as close as you feel comfortable doing this, center his noggin/waddles in the sight window and "BANG"

My mount lets me still use my iron sights too. So, that's what I'd do.

Quote from: guesswho on March 04, 2022, 11:13:46 AM
I change them every year, and also take out during the off-season.  I carry a spare in my cheekpad, it has a zippered pouch for watts shells, calls etc.   With my Holosun sight sight I still carry a spare in my cheekpad but it really isn't necessary since it has a built in solar panel on top.   So it will work during the day even without a battery.   Mini screwdriver stays in the cheekpad.   If you don't use one of these cheekpads, I highly recommend them. 
https://flic.kr/p/224GSau

It's good you provided the link...I was wondering which cheek pad you were referring to.

I have a Tinicon Reflex sight on my Encore. No batteries and no on/off. It's always on. Bought it used and had it for over 10 years. Still going but I think it is supposed to run out in the next year or 2. They say it fades gradually so I should have plenty of warning. That dot sight has spoiled me tho.

New battery every year. Take no chances.

Quote from: Greg Massey on March 04, 2022, 10:53:36 AM
Do you change out your batteries before spring season each year? Also do you carry spare ones with while hunting or just keep couple extra ones in the truck or whatever? Also what about this scenario, you haven't change out your battery in your Burris FF3 in few years and your out turkey hunting and couple of miles or more from your truck and your red dot has no red dot. TURKEY IS GOBBLING ...You do have extra battery, but you don't have a screwdriver with you, what you going to do now, it's enough trouble to try and replace the battery at home in this red dot? So are you going to have some kind of leatherman tool on your side or carry a screwdriver ?

It says in the Burris manual, "If the battery life falls below the limit of 4 hours, the light dot will begin to blink twice every 5 seconds".
I haven't tested this feature yet. Has anyone ever seen their dot blinking?

I put a new battery in each year before the season starts and carry an extra in my vest.

Quote from: Yoder409 on March 04, 2022, 11:00:29 AM
Even though a battery would likely last me 10 years.........they're cheap.  I change mine before each season AND carry an extra in my belt pack.

Also............by changing the battery every spring, you eliminate the chance of having a bum battery leak and corrode the compartment and contacts.

There's enough things to go wrong on a turkey hunt that I can't control............... Battery failure doesn't need to be one of them.

^^^^^
This

You don't have to rezero when you change them correct?

Bushnell states 50,000 hours at a setting of 5.  As for me, I take mine out at the end of the spring season and toss it and put a new one in just before the start of the next spring season.  My reasons are 1. I don't won't a battery corroding in my red dot during the off season and damaging it 2. Brand new CR 2032 battery to start a season is GOOD CHEAP insurance in my book.

New batteries every spring.

The M2 has a battery and a screw driver tip wrapped in a paper towel inside the buttstock. It's hollow between the recoil pad and stock, big enough to carry this anyway.

I change my battery before the season and I also change it out every couple weeks for good measure. Sometimes even once a week.

I also carry some extra batteries in the truck and 1 in the vest with a little screwdriver.

In the case that lets say you are 2 miles from the truck and within range of a gobbling bird that's interested.

It comes down to the person... you can choose to let it be and walk back to the truck.

Or.... You can wait for that bird to get to 20 yards, get a good cheek weld on that thing and hope it all works.

Or you can leave the front bead and take the sight off of you need to.

For the most part as they say, those batteries last a long time and as long as you change it out before the season... you should be alright.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote from: WV Flopper on March 04, 2022, 04:19:28 PM
New batteries every spring.

The M2 has a battery and a screw driver tip wrapped in a paper towel inside the buttstock. It's hollow between the recoil pad and stock, big enough to carry this anyway.

Thanks for sharing , good idea ...

Quote from: guesswho on March 04, 2022, 11:13:46 AM
I change them every year, and also take out during the off-season.  I carry a spare in my cheekpad, it has a zippered pouch for watts shells, calls etc.   With my Holosun sight sight I still carry a spare in my cheekpad but it really isn't necessary since it has a built in solar panel on top.   So it will work during the day even without a battery.   Mini screwdriver stays in the cheekpad.   If you don't use one of these cheekpads, I highly recommend them. 
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4768/38766972030_b7e46dce98.jpg)

I need one of those cheek pads ,where did you get it ?

Quote from: SM on March 04, 2022, 07:00:52 PM
I need one of those cheek pads ,where did you get it ?

And I went with the inside loops.

https://triadtactical.com/triad-stock-pack/

Yes change them out each season. I was working a bird last year and my battery went dead. I was able to swap it out with a battery in my key fob, that I luckily had in my pocket, right quick before he came in range. It's a cheap battery to avoid a costly situation.

Change every year and carry a extra have to try it turned off

Factory stock on the M2 will allow the same. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220305/fb6a059466de5229cc39d370c2864823.jpg)

Sent from my S41 using Tapatalk

My batteries stay installed in the sight all year long and I've had the same batteries in the FF2 on my 870 for at least 5 years.
One year I pulled my gun out of the cabinet to get ready for the season and noticed that I had left the FF2 on for an entire year in the cabinet. It was about 50% dim from what I remembered so I decided to change the battery. The fresh batteries were quite a bit brighter.
From that experience, I'm never worried about my batteries suddenly dying on me.

I put a new battery in every spring and remove after season.  I have a spare in my gun case but have shot without it turned on just in case. 

Quote from: guesswho on March 04, 2022, 07:20:42 PM

Quote from: SM on March 04, 2022, 07:00:52 PM
I need one of those cheek pads ,where did you get it ?

And I went with the inside loops.

https://triadtactical.com/triad-stock-pack/

Thanks !

I just started using a red dot last year. 

After reading this thread, I'm going to put a brand new battery in before the season starts.  I have practiced aligning two points on my sight and gun as a fail safe in case the sight didn't turn on for whatever reason and it worked pretty well, but I think it's a safer bet just to change out the battery anyway.

After reading all the posts , i have learned a couple of things , remove the batteries after season and replace with new ones. I only had one red dot for years and it was a Bushnell TRS25 and i bet the battery is at least 10 plus years old , lucky it had not leaked or caused a problem, the battery has been removed for now.. This pass few months i have bought 1 Burris FF3 red dot and 2 Swampfox green circle dot's .. after sighting in 2 of these last week, the Swampfox Kingslayer green circle dot is my favorite. But in all fairness i like my Nikon turkey pro and Simmons pro diamond low power scopes better than these red dot's ... IMO.. but we will see i'm going to give these red dot's a try this season.

Trijicon makes a "dual illumination" rmr (fiber optic/tritium) that doesn't require batteries. Not the cheapest option but you don't have to worry about batteries


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk