Red dot size

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deerhunter1970

New member
What is a good dot size to get for a red dot scope? Most of the companies offer 2 or 4 moa. Which ones are better for hunting. I am guessing it is the 4 because that seems to be the more popular on the hunting models. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
 
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Smaller is better, go 1 MOA if you can get it.




The only time a 4+ MOA would be better is if it is strictly used for close quarter (25yd) target competition or on a shotgun. At 100yds the 4 MOA dot will cover a little over 4 inches of your point of aim.
 
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Small ones are fine for target shooting but a little difficult to find in the scope for hunting purposes.



If your color vision is abnormal the dot may be difficult to see. Mine is bad but I see reds and oranges pretty well.

The smaller the DOT the better for hunting. If your target (coyote) is the size of a horse then the 4moa dot will do just fine. However, since a coyote at 100 yards is the size of a house cat at 50 feet then the need for a 1 moa dot is crucial. The intensity of the dot can be adjusted and the brighter it is, the larger the dot appears. So as you crank up the juice you also enlarge the dot size. Go small and get it done right.

I prove this over and over to newbies out to 300 yards my Aimpoints all have 1 moa dots and they work very well. The intensity should only be turned up as high as the ambient lighting will allow the shooter to barely see the dot against the target /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
I bought two of the Tasco red dots with the variable dot size. They are the PDP3 and PDP5CMP. The PDP5CMP has 4, 8,12, and 16 MOA dots and it currently resides on my 3.5" Mossberg 12 ga. It was on my 41 magnum Redhawk. The smaller scope was on my Ruger 10/22, but was removed because it covered a squirrels head at 50yds making it hard to make good head shots. For quick shooting they're hard to beat, even on a shotgun. For accurate shooting go with a conventional scope with some type of duplex or fine crosshairs. To me(this is strictly my opinion, worth whatever you get out of it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif) a rifle with a 1 MOA dot will never shoot less than 1 MOA on a regular basis. There just isn't as good a point of reference. My PDP3 only stayed on my AR for about 15 minutes until I realized that it didn't have the 100yd potential a scope had. If I was going red dot on a rifle then the smallest possible would be the answer.
 
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Another issue with red dot scopes might be the dot shape. I know they make them round and that's the way my son sees them, but with older eyes and an astigmatism, I see the same dot as an odd shaped blob.

Could be an issue with older eyes or less than perfect vision?
 
Ras, that can be an issue that turns off many potential uses. I have found that if you happen to use an AR for example, look thru through the rear sight if you have one, it seems to make the dot focus in better. Sounds weird but I have had good luck in using this method on some dot sights. It may not work for everyone.
 
ARCOREY

I agree 100 percent, there is no way a 1 MOA dot will ever take the place of a fine crosshair reticle for accurate shooting. But there is no way you'll ever be as fast with a 12x scope at 40 yards on a runner as you will be with a dot sight. However, you may be lucky once in a while, I've done it both ways so it happens.

I always develope loads with a scope but then for my particular hunting for that day, I'll use the rifle setup with the appropriate optics as well as caliber.

I'm currently working on my hand calling techniques. So for now, I opt for the dot sight to force myself to keep shots closer. This raises the risk of being busted on a stand so I need to get on target fast.
 
I guess my scope use experience goes back to when I was a pre-teenage boy learning accuracy. I was taught to shoot with the weak side eye closed as do many shooters. I had read that shooting both eyes open made for better target acquisition. I forced myself to learn this method shooting a cheap Marlin 22 with a cheap Bushnell 3x-9x-40. I would shoot cans swinging from strings or walnuts floating down the river for practice until I could hit gray squirrels on the move with a .22. I got use to looking at the target with my left eye while placing the cross hairs with the right and now a scope works like a red dot for me at the lower maginications. The cross hairs seem to float out in space on the target and not in the tube. After about 10x or 12x it is harder, but most of my scopes start at 3x or 4x and top out around 9x or 12x unless they are for groundhogs where moving targets aren't as frequent.
 
just go with the bushnell holo sight.i use one on my muzzle loader and witness hunter.you will have no problem hitting something at 100 yards with it.
 
Well I went with the Aimpoint 9000sc which came with the 4moa. I guess I should have clarified in the post earlier that the predators I am shooting at are bears. The 9000 is mounted on my SuperRedhawk. From what I have seen so far it is going to be a bear killing rig. Can't wait for the bears to come out and play in May. Thanks for all the input. Shoot straight
 
Hey deerhunter1970,

You got the right Red-Dot. Aimpoints are the best of the Red-Dots and 4 MOA is perfect for a big bore handgun. It would be a different story on dot size if you were using it on a rifle as a primary sight past about 75 yards. The one MOA dots work well, particularly with magnifiers. I had a Super Redhawk with a 9000 on it. You could easily bust pop cans at 100 yards, and the dot was easy to find in a hurry for hunting situations. I've also had Pro-points that were pretty good for the money spent.

If your bothered with the weight or bulk of some of the Red-Dots, take a look at the new Aimpoint Micro T-1. By modifying the mount and switching from the Pro-Point, I cut the weight by nearly a pound on my Raging Bull setup. You do give up a little field of view, but it handles so well you barely notice it. The T-1 battery lasts for over 5 years even if you never turn it off. I am modifying the Larue Tactical SPR 1.5 /LT-137 mount on my AR-15 to handle the T-1 or the usual Burris Fastfire mini Red-Dot. I beats trying to find the close targets that pop up in the 6.5-20X50mm primary scope.
 
i am colorblind and i use a red dot where i can switch the size of the dots on my shotgun. in the middle of the day, its very hard to see except on the biggest dot and highest intensity. not in the middle of the day i like the smallest dot i can see easily
 
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