Red Dot/Bead

[Will]

I was watching on YouTube where a young man was interviewing several people at the NWTF convention on whether they use a red dot or bed sight when turkey hunting. I have been contemplating on a red dot for a youth 11-87 20 gauge I have but would like to see how popular the red dot sights are for members on this forum.

I have been a bead guy. how about you?   

[mcw3734]

I was a bead guy too. Then clamp-on rifle sights for a short time. I then went to a red dot several years ago and loved it. I keep a red dot on my primary and backup gun.

[Dr Juice]

I use scopes on both of my 12-gauges. One of them has a diamond and the other has a circle to range the turkey. I find the ranging capability very useful when making the decision to pull the trigger or not.

[Dtrkyman]

I prefer a double bead, but do have a dot on one gun that wasn't shooting down the beads!

My sbe2 shoots right down the beads with virtually anything! But I rarely carry these days.

[Lcmacd 58]

I have always shot the beads
But I'm seriously considering the new vortex dot

[Greg Massey]

I prefer scopes, but I have guns set up with both red / green dots and scopes.

As you get older and your eyesight isn't as good you will use a scope.. IMO

[btomlin]

I had a winchester 1300 with rifle sights that I liked. I have tried the scope, but didn't like it.  Maybe it was the scope (bushnell banner circle plex). Went back to a bead for years.  I put a reflex sight on my gun a few years ago, and won't be using anything else.  I like the ability to 'see' the entire target, put the circle dot on the mark, and boom.  To me, the target gets blocked out by the barrel when using a bead and then there's that deal where you have to have your head down on the stock or you will shoot high with a bead....not that I've ever done that. wink wink.

I will say that I believe that I had 1 bird that maybe saw the "glint" off my reflex one time from the sun.  He was super close and didn't survive the encounter, but he did suddenly come out of strut like he saw something.  It could have been anything, but I felt I was hid very well. 

[3bailey3]

Burris fastfie 3 on one and Vortex venom on another, like them both with Sumtoy mounts!

[bwhana]

Green dot first choice, scope 2nd. The only birds I've missed so far were with a scope so I switched to dots.  Only one of my guns so far had the same POA and POI and I do not want to have to think about KY windage in the heat of the moment so beads are a no go for me.

[Dougas]

When I went to using a scope it was a great improvement. When I went to a red dot, it was a game changer. For.my eyes, red dot wins hands down.

[Kytomgetter]

Try a red dot and you'll love it. Last year was my first year with one and now I have it on both my 20 gauge's

[Yoder409]

Went to a red dot on my primary, dedicated guns 25 years ago.

Not changing.

[richard black]

I have use a red dot exclusively for several years now. My eyes are not what they used to be as I am getting old and the red dot was a game changer. My 2 cents.

[redwad]

I wanted to like red dots. I had the worst experience imaginable. I gave the red dot theory a chance for two springs. I had several mounting issues and a Burris fast fire 4 that kept walking out of zero. Since going back to the bead I've had zero problems.

[Zach.Hannigan]

I bought a franchi affinity compact last year and out of the box set it up with a burris fastfire it was pretty sweet just shooting dove loads to break the gun in and then dialing it in with my turkey choke and shells. However 2nd day of turkey season it was a raining foggy morning and the sight glass was completely fogged up and couldn't see a thing through it. It came with a plastic cover that I assume if for those situations however it skipped my mind. I had a flock of birds fly down in front of me and got it somewhat clear where I could see through it partly without alerting the birds. But the dot seemed very blurry and I missed a bird at 30 yards. I probably shouldn't have taken a shot at all due to low visibility through the glass. For the simple fact of that, I went on in to work and before I got to work doing anything I took the red dot off my gun. Beads for me