Red dot and other “scopes” on turkey guns.

[Tom007]

If I felt like I didn't need one then I wouldn't bother with one.  But for me my eyes aren't quite as good as the used to be.  They're plenty good shooting birds on the fly with an improved cylinder.  But with the super tight patterns on my turkey guns combined with an increased breathing and heart rate during the final few seconds of a turkey hunt, a red/green dot is a good idea for me.

This pretty much sums it up for me. When I first started turkey hunting in 1982, my eyes were perfect. Open sites/beads were perfect. Now, the failing eyes need the optics. Changed the game for me. I use red dots and scopes. Be safe...

[Jrkimbrough]

Tighter patterns!  Put the red dot on his neck and boom!  There is a reason so many use them!
I also use my red dot as a rangefinder of sorts, if the red dot is bigger than his head he's out of range.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mcw3734]

Some might consider me an 'old school' turkey hunter as well. I hunt with a 10 gauge, army surplus woodland camo and I liked having the top of my gun smooth. But, after a disappointing incident where a cripple got away, I gave the red-dot a try the next spring. In short, I love it and I'll never go back.

To each their own, but my reasoning is this: It doesn't bring them in any closer, it doesn't change my range, it's not a technological gadget to fool them... it just increases your likelihood of an on-target shot resulting in a quick, humane kill. Which, I believe, is something we all should be striving for.

[TauntoHawk]

I couldn't imagine not using a reddot for turkey again, I'd as soon remove the choke from my shotgun.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[WTNUT]

Wow

[WV Flopper]

 I put together a M2 20gauge for my son. It is tricked out. Changed the light "click" recoil spring, added a steady grip stock, drilled and tapped and mounted a FF3. I liked the the FF3, that steady grip also.

So, I bought myself a Tristar 410, just because. First thing I did was to put a FF3 on top of it. I took it for a walk in Turkey season and had success with it. I pack it around jump shooting rabbits also. I like the FF3.

This weekend I took my turkey gun to get Drilled and tapped. I have a FF3 setting here waiting for the big girl to get home so I can mount it up.

The little red dot makes picking up the target so much faster/easier. I shoot left handed, but have killed many turkeys right handed. I have not done so with a red dot, but I definitely can see where that would be a benefit to an off handed shooter.

My eyes started to give me trouble about 10 years ago. I noticed them at work, working off of some of the drawings that we use. You guys have all seen the dudes that hold the paper out away from them to try and read it!  Over the years I had to start wearing the cheater glasses. These little red dots help the focusing problem with that bead or site setting back there on the barrel.

Someone else made a previous comment about the scope not bringing a turkey in closer. I second that.

[GobbleNut]

I'm with you on this one, WTNUT.  I have shot "beads" most of my entire life, have been consistently competent with them, and will stick with them until "the end" at this point.  I say "most of my entire life" because, having turkey hunted now for well over half a century, I have run the gambit on using the various sighting methods.  I have found that I am just more comfortable and confident shooting beads than any of the others and have kept returning to them.

In previous posts on this very topic over the years, I have related some of the incidents I have had in trying other sighting methods.  Suffice it to say, those incidents have not been "pretty" in terms of the end results,...at least from this hunter's perspective.  However, the gobblers that have escaped probably have liked those results just dandy. 

Having said that, I recognize that there are valid reasons for choosing other sighting methods, as well as having a preference for them.  My general thought for all is, shoot what you like and are most comfortable, confident, and competent with.  In my own case, after thoroughly demonstrating my ineptitude with pretty much all other sighting methods, I have finally concluded I just need to stick with my old reliable open sights/beads on my shotguns. 

[hoythunter]

I still can see well enough to use a bead sight but choose to use a red dot. It gives me more confidence.
  Knowing my shot is going to hit where the dot is aimed

[paboxcall]

I couldn't imagine not using a reddot for turkey again, I'd as soon remove the choke from my shotgun.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

Exactly. With today's choke and turkey load technology, aim small, miss small.

Unless the universe aligns with the particular gun, choke, and load, bottom line is there is no adjustability outside of floating two beads, or using Kentucky windage on the fixed bead, to get a a gun to shoot POA / POI with a super tight pattern at closer ranges.

Years ago I had a Mossberg 500 that shot center pattern about 4 inches low and 3-4 inches left at 40 yards. Nothing I could do with those two beads to correct it. Even installing aftermarket fiber optic sights on the rib I had to max the adjustability to get the center of POI close to the POA.

Red dot solves that issue. So does trading that gun, which I did.

[ol bob]

At 50 I wouldn't have though about a red dot at 70 I couldn't hunt without one.

[bigriverbum]

With this spring being my 30th year turkey hunting and for the 25 of those years I have had a scope on my turkey gun, here's my read on this.

Originally I had an 870 12ga I owned that I used, after a few years and some "misses" (just had  a bead to aim with) I decided to build a dedicated turkey gun. I found a used Rem 1187 SP 12ga, I had a gunsmith team at the time and did a bunch of work to build this gun for me. One thing I told them is that I wanted a scope on the gun seeing that I am aiming at a point instead of at the bird like "wing shooting"

Things that a scope did for me

I was able to sight/adjust the gun for POA to POI, with shooting a custom Briley Super Full Straight Rifled Turkey Choke matched to the gun.

The Circle-X reticle gave me a "He's at 40 yards" or closer range estimation built in to the scopes design

This also gave me the "He's in tight/close" exact point of aim, I did make sure of this by setting 10 yard targets to shoot

And a few other benefits came to light over the years, I do a lot of Learn to Hunt Programs, Youth Hunts and introducing other adult hunters to turkey hunting. The scope was always an easy way for those to see/understand the POA or what I call "The Circle of Death" just put the circle where the feathers meet the neck.

I guess I have just never seen the disadvantage to having/using a scope on the turkey gun. I have made flying and running shots with it and it has been flawless in performance.

Anymore just can't imagine not having a scope on the turkey gun.


MK M GOBL

i know that girl. i deer/turkey hunted for 10 years across the road from her parents. brother was a best bud of mine in high school

[Tom007]

I hunt a lot of public land for pressured birds. I hunt the remote mountain birds guys are too lazy to chase. An hour and a half walk is common. These birds are wary, sharp, spooky. The scope helps me identify them, most of the time I take several set ups to harvest these old guys. Lots of times I just get a quick look at the head and chest to see the beard, the scope assures me it's the Tom I am after. I know it's not Old School, but the old eyes need the help....be safe...

[Nathan_Wiles]

Progressive lenses on my glasses.
I can see the sights but when I focus to aim them I lose my distance vision. I didn't like guessing where the sights were while keeping the target clear. Red dot fixes that. It works so well I've put them on deer rifles, squirrel guns, and pistols.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[Bowguy]

Imo most guns need some sort of sights especially w today's loads and chokes. Shoot your bead. If it's poi meeting poa and your eyes don't necessarily need it than you're good. Most often you'll see a discrepancy and need to adjust. Best w sights of some sort

[bbcoach]

I'm a Red dot guy for 2 reasons.  1. Fixed my POA/POI on my 835  2. Makes me concentrate with our tight patterns.  We are shooting shotguns but not Upland or Dove patterns.  At 20 to 25 yards, where most turkeys are killed, we are shooting a pattern the size of a baseball.  As others have already said, Aim Small, Miss Small!!!!!!  And yes, my 835 is a dedicated Turkey Slayer.