Red Dot or Scope on Dedicated Turkey Rig???

[BrowningGuy88]

Guys, I need some help! I am building my 20 gauge 870 into a DEDICATED Turkey Rig. I have a SumToy in the mail and a few boxes of HWT and H13 in the ammo box at home. What I need help with now is optics!

I have a Burris FF3 on my Vinci and really like it for shooting clays and will be using it for ducks once season gets here, but I believe I can come close to the numbers it is turning with Mag Blends using my little 20 gauge with Fed 7's. That will relegate my Vinci to the duck blind!

Anyway, I have the options above that I am looking at for optics. Now keep in mind that this rig will be dedicated to hunting turkeys and nothing else. I am strongly leaning towards the Leupold FX-II 2.5x20mm for its 5" eye relief and durability. I had an Eotech XPS-2 recently and liked it other than the bulk and it kinda looked weird on my guns.

This is the last choice to make before the gun goes out for finish treatment. Deciding between laminated stocks and cerakoting all the metal parts or a full dip job from Liquid Dimensions.

Thanks for the help!

[BrowningGuy88]

About 6 ounces on the Leupold Ultralight.

[Gut_Pile]

Red dot all day long!

[chatterbox]

I love my Burris TAC30 scope.
The great thing about this scope is, when you have the power set on 1, it has such a wide field of view, you can shoot it with both eyes open.
I think if a hunter likes a scope on a deer rifle, the transition to one on a turkey rig can be pretty seamless.

[remmy1187]

Hoping to have a ff3 on my 11-87 next year.  Taking nikon scope off.

[DirtNap647]

Hoping to have a ff3 on my 11-87 next year.  Taking nikon scope off.

i agree think im doing the same

[DeWayne Knight]

I have a Simmons Pro Diamond reticle 1.5x5 scope on my dedicated turkey gun and I LOVE IT!  I don't think I could turkey hunt with a non-scoped gun anymore.  I have mine on a B-Square saddle mount.

[beagler]

None of the above.
Aimpoint 9000SC Red Dot for me.

[Devastator]

None of the above.
Aimpoint 9000SC Red Dot for me.

i have to agree with the beag

[hookedspur]

FF3 

[gobblergls]

Trijicon Reflex.  Not as small or light as an FFIII or III, but is batteryless and illuminated by a combination of tritium lamp and fiber optics.  Illumination is guaranteed for 15 years but with a decreasing warranty.   In other words,  in the 14th year, it'll cost more to repair than in year 5, etc.  Will work in pitch black darkness, not necessarily a useful feature in turkey hunting, but works fine in extreme lowlight which can be a problem with other systems.  Weight of optics without bases--4 oz.   Since Trijicon has become a major military supplier, the price of the units has increased over the years.  Not cheap, but you get what you pay for--waterproof, military grade, combat proven.  If expense wasn't an object, I'd opt for the Aimpoint H1 or T1.  Pricey but it's an Aimpoint and tiny.

[WildTigerTrout]

I have and use both but if forced to choose one it would be a red dot.

[mudhen]

FF III on whatever base.  I don't need any magnification yet, just need to know where the pattern will hit with more precision that I can get from open sights.

While the FF sights are not always slam dunks, I enjoy shooting them more and more each hunt.

Now, if I hunted open areas all the time, and didn't travel to a wide variety of conditions, I may not be that concerned. bit I do, so I am 

I shot a great tom in Nebraska this year through this brush.  There is a small opening to the right of the small trees he was standing behind.  He gobbled at my calling, then stayed behind the trees, peeking out, looking for the hen.  When he stepped out, I put the dot right on him, and connected with 15-20 pellets in the head!



These new sights are also great for the later season high grass shots...

mudhen

[Skeeterbait]

I realize it is just my opinion, many will agree, some will passionately disagree, but I think putting a scope on a shotgun is a total mismatch of equipment.  It's like putting a bait cast reel on a fly rod.  You could catch a few fish with it but neither piece of equipment functions at its best.  Even a tube style red dot has some of the disadvantages of a scope.

Open lens red dot sights are in my opinion the way to go.  There is far less to obstruct view down range and the view thru the sight and around the sight are at the same magnification, none, so finding the target and aligning the dot are much faster, especially on a moving target or in brushy terrain.  At the distances we shoot turkeys, magnification is not your friend.  There is nothing to have to center up, no aligning barrel sights and position of your head does not matter.  Your head can be canted, closer up, further away dot anywhere in the lens, whatever... if the dot is on the target it is ready to pull the trigger.

If you mount the sight back close to your eye and shoot it with both eyes open, the frame around the lens of the sight blurs out and leaves the red dot seemingly to just be floating out there downrange with an unobstructed view.  You can even shoot doves this way with an open lens reflex sight.  Try that with a scope.

[JUGHEAD]

FFIII....all day and twice on Sunday.