Is a red dot faster than a bead on a shotgun?

I fimd them slower on clays but on a mover IPSC target they are a bit more precise. On static targets I shoot the dot much faster.

Greg
 
I used both red dots and holosight "dot in a donut" sights.....the dot in the donut holosights were much faster than either the bead or red dot for me.....keep the target inside the circle and shoot. The only way I think they could improve on the Eotech is if they made it shorter for shotguns.
 
Originally Posted By: SlickerThanSnotnothing faster than a plain old bead.

That's where I am too...
 
Originally Posted By: GCOriginally Posted By: SlickerThanSnotnothing faster than a plain old bead.

That's where I am too...

Me too!
 
IMO part of it depends on how well your gun shoot's in relation to where it's pointing vs where the pattern's hitting.Gun fit-shooting position comes into play to.I prefer a red dot because it's quick and accurate even when shooting from awkward positions.
 
Not sure I get how one non moving point to look at is any "faster" than another non moving point to look at {point of aim}???? I don't think it's a matter of speed as much as not losing time...if the stock is too short and you have to pull the gun back to your shoulder you lost. If the gun doesn't fit you properly and you have to make corrections for that to get on target you lost time, etc.
 
Aiming vs. shooting the shotgun. You can hit with a shotgun that doesn't fit by aiming it with an optic that has been sighted in to place the point of impact to point of aim. Shotguns that fit allow you to maintain a hard focus on the target and bring the shotgun to the face - the eye is right on the bead & target naturally at that point.
 
Originally Posted By: Bernie P.IMO part of it depends on how well your gun shoot's in relation to where it's pointing vs where the pattern's hitting.Gun fit-shooting position comes into play to.I prefer a red dot because it's quick and accurate even when shooting from awkward positions.

I agree on the awkward shooting. I use mine in 3Gun and find it helps a great deal when you are trying for those six shots in 2.5 second passes with buckshot. Sometimes things get a bit skewed at speed. I also find it valuable for the few slugs that get shot. Precision does pay off on the score board with them.

I don't use them on game birds but if it were big game or things like squirrels they would be an asset IMHO. (where I grew up they wouldn't let you use a rifle)

Greg
 
As GC was getting into it, with a shotgun you point, with a rifle you aim. I shoot between 8 and 12,000 rounds a year of trap and related games. Done this for a few decades. I never see my "front bead" on the shotgun before I shoot. Eye is always on the target, whether it's a clay or bird. The barrel is just an extension of your eye. Both eyes open. Only one shooter in all the years I've shot, had a halogram site on and that was because he was in a fire accident and still wanted to shoot. Needed the extra help.
 
I have shotguns that I have taken the bead completely off and have no trouble hitting clays. while admittedly I am not a 3 gun shooter, I would not hesitate to run them just like I have them.
 
Originally Posted By: jcs271Eotech Holosight, both eyes open with the red circle and dot on the target. Can't beat it!

I've shot a Remington Model 870 since I was in High School some 40 + years ago and it's pretty fast. I used it on rabbits that were running along the ground and for ducks and geese that were flying into a decoy spread. I've used it to shoot doves on the wing and crows as well.

I've purchased a AR15 and a EOTech HHS1 system this past year and have not had the opportunity to actually hunt fast moving objects yet. So I can't really say it's faster than my shotgun with just a bed on the top end of the barrel.

But the EOTech is a point and shoot optics that's can be used from any angle as long as the red dot is on the target. I can keep both eye's open and still shoot as long as the red dot in the 65 MOA circle is on the target. I don't have to have a good cheek weld to be able to aim the gun which is a huge plus.

So for me the jury is still out but if I were a betting man I vote for the EOTech Holographic weapons sight. That's what the Navy Seal Team 6 guy used to shoot Bin Ladin. That says a lot to me about which weapons sight is the more reliable and accurate and fast.

PS I'm hedging my bets as right now I have to close my left eye to shoot bother my Rem 870 and my AR15 with the EOTech on it. I'm about two weeks post op from eye surgery on my left eye and it's going to take about 3 to 6 months to completely heal the eye after the removal of an epiretinal membrane on my retina. The operation to remove a cataract in my left eye and right eye was successful for the most part. I seem to still have some astigmatism in my left eye which I didn't notice right away after the cataract with laser assisted surgery on that eye. That was because I still had the problem with my left eye's retina and could not see that well. Now after the retinal surgery I'm noticing that I still have some double vision in my left eye that makes the text on the TV screen seem to be blurry for the small text due to having double vision in the left eye still. After the retina heals I'll talk to the eye surgeon to see if he can help me correct for the astigmatism as that was part of the deal with the eye surgeon who did the cataract surgery on my left eye. I see him in a month or two and will talk to him about fixing the astigmatism is it's still a problem then. He did did a touch up on my right eye after the Laser assisted cataract surgery on my right eye didn't correct for my astigmatism totally. He did the touch up in his office on a follow up visit about two weeks after he operated on my right eye's cataract. That seems to have works and the astigmatism in my right eye is much better now. It' seems to come and go as the eye's cornea heals. But at times I see perfectly out of the right eye these days.

So once both my eyes are healed up and I get new eye glasses or contacts if needed I'll be able to better assess how well the EOTech system works compared to the bead on the shotgun.
 
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Like stated before, when a shotgun is mounted properly it should hit where you look. No need for a bead or anything else-will just slow you down. Practice your mount if your having trouble. Pick a spot on your wall (or a tree or what ever) and look at it and mount your gun repeatedly till it is pointing at the spot every time you throw it up. As for shooting from awkward positions, take the extra half second and correct it if you get it up wrong, will save you lots of swear words and ammo.
 
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If optics were better for fast complicated moving targets all the skeet, trap, sporting clays, five stand and fitasc shooters would be bolting battery powered glass onboard their shotguns. That would then trend over to the hunting fields and dove, upland bird and waterfowlers would catch on and be clamoring for a camo clad version to screw on to their trusty blunderbuss. But they aren't ...
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Originally Posted By: GCIf optics were better for fast complicated moving targets all the skeet, trap, sporting clays, five stand and fitasc shooters would be bolting battery powered glass onboard their shotguns. That would then trend over to the hunting fields and dove, upland bird and waterfowlers would catch on and be clamoring for a camo clad version to screw on to their trusty blunderbuss. But they aren't ...
smile.gif



+1
If your shooting for speed you better not be looking at the bead. Some people love red dots and some don't. Try one out if you don't like it sell it.
 
Originally Posted By: GCIf optics were better for fast complicated moving targets all the skeet, trap, sporting clays, five stand and fitasc shooters would be bolting battery powered glass onboard their shotguns. That would then trend over to the hunting fields and dove, upland bird and waterfowlers would catch on and be clamoring for a camo clad version to screw on to their trusty blunderbuss. But they aren't ...
smile.gif



The thing with shotgun shooting disciples is they are all standing positions...proper foot placement....ready fro the quarry situations. Hunting is different, with coyotes and turkeys you're generally hunkered way down for concealment and you don't necessarily have any idea what direction the critter will come from...you may be shooting strong side...weak side...sitting...kneeling...standing... like mentioned by a previous posted awkward positions really show how the holosights excel. I rabbit hunt with beagles and it's not uncommon to have your body twisted all the way to one side because if you move on crusty snow the rabbit will dart in the other direction offering you no shot....optics help you aim because just pointing won't get you the game. I also hunt with a BFR .410 revolver that requires you to aim....birds/clays I point but hunting coyotes, turkeys...and many times rabbits I aim.
 
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