Red dot vs traditional rifle scope

7

7mmpioneer

New member
I realize this is a preference question so there may be different views but beare with me. I just purchased my first AR. The ruger 556. I need to buy some sort of optics and as the Subject line read I'm having an issue deiciding what I want for a scope. I feel like a red dot or something such as an Eotech would be a better fit because 1. An illuminated reticle would be better with low or no light, 2. Ill be hunting in close quarter woods as well as out in the open and I'll have quicker aquisition with the red dot. Im just not sure how bad I''m going or require magnification. So the question is this, those of you that coyote hunt with a red dot or scope with magnification, do you really feel comfortable shooting out to 2-300 yards without magnification? For me shooting out past 300 would be un-realistic. And all my other rifles have tradtional magnification scopes. Sorry for the long read
 
200-300 yards without magnification at a 12" square target? Not going to happen for me personally. I refuse to just "throw lead and pray". If you think your shots will be from 10 yards to 300 yards you'd be much better served with a good quality variable scope like a 2-7 or 3-9.
 
After looking around I found a scope mount called an accucam that can swap on and off. At least with that I could swap between a scope and red dot if I had both on accucams. Not perfect but it says it still keeps a good MOA. It'll work.
 
Red dots are for speed, not accuracy. On my AR I could stay on a man sized target to about 200 yards, but it wasn't pretty. On irons I could do the same poor grouping to about 300.

For speed and varying conditions a 1-4 is pretty nice.
 
Having hunted with both an eotech and a 1-4x scope and even a 4-16 scope. I would pick a 1-4x for close in work, thick cover and even in low lite times. My ar's that get the most use all have a 4-14 or 4-16x scope on them. They are usually set on 4x most of the time and only get turned up to higher magnification when needed. I took the eotech off with it's 3x magnifier and now it sits on the self. Might put the eotech on my turkey/predator shotgun.
 
I'm in the same boat but my shots are only in the daytime and from 10 to 75 yards tops. I don't know where I can even see more than 75 yards unless it's on a road. I intended to put a 1x4 but saw this "Vortex StrikeFire Red/Green Dot Optic" for $90 and it is tempting, it's cheap anyway. You think I should still go 1x4? What good is a collapsible stock and a scope?
 
1x4 with light up reticle. your further north than me, the cold eats batteries quick. if mine dies i still have the black reticle. used to run red dots on my slug gun, switched to a scope. some of the good high dollar red dots have run times measured in years. but for that kind of money you could get a really nice 'for me' scope. 75 yard max in georgia, a red dot would be great. jmo
 
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Originally Posted By: JohnK9027I'm in the same boat but my shots are only in the daytime and from 10 to 75 yards tops. I don't know where I can even see more than 75 yards unless it's on a road. I intended to put a 1x4 but saw this "Vortex StrikeFire Red/Green Dot Optic" for $90 and it is tempting, it's cheap anyway. You think I should still go 1x4? What good is a collapsible stock and a scope?


With the EOTech you can use both eyes and have a much better situational awareness and still shoot using the red dot. The HWS were designed for up close work like you descried.
 
Originally Posted By: 7mmpioneerAfter looking around I found a scope mount called an accucam that can swap on and off. At least with that I could swap between a scope and red dot if I had both on accucams. Not perfect but it says it still keeps a good MOA. It'll work.

I can swap out my Nikon scope with my EOTExch easily on my AR15's Picatinny Rail
 
Go with the low power scope with an illuminated retical. My hunting AR's wear 1.5-5 VX3, 3-9 Zeiss, and a 2.5-16 Bushy 6500. I do run an Aimpoint T1 on my 308, but that's for deer drives in the thick stuff.

For a calling rifle, scope wins for me. With practice, you can shoot with both eyes open no problem.
 
Originally Posted By: Coyotehunter_Originally Posted By: JohnK9027I'm in the same boat but my shots are only in the daytime and from 10 to 75 yards tops. I don't know where I can even see more than 75 yards unless it's on a road. I intended to put a 1x4 but saw this "Vortex StrikeFire Red/Green Dot Optic" for $90 and it is tempting, it's cheap anyway. You think I should still go 1x4? What good is a collapsible stock and a scope?


With the EOTech you can use both eyes and have a much better situational awareness and still shoot using the red dot. The HWS were designed for up close work like you
descried.

With practice you can do it with a 24x
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And if you really want some fun that messes with your mind use a red dot with the far end taped over. It turns into an occluded eye sight, just as accurate as using it as a red dot once your brain learns to overlap the images but way trippier. Amaze your friends!
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