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Red dot on shotgun...why?

3142 Views 21 Replies 1 Participant Last post by  ShotgunPro, 
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Ive been considering a red dot on my shotgun, but I question its utility.

I own a Stevens 350 Security shotgun. It has massive ghost ring sights, which I personally love.

The only reason I could see to really need one would be for night shooting. The one time I have shot shotgun at night, it was difficult to see the sights.

A red dot or holographic sight would potentially make night sighting easier.

Anyone have one? Why did you put it on? Has it been helpful, or is it a tacti-cool accessory?

For daytime use, I can think of no reason to justify a red dot. The sights are effective out to the maximum effective range of a shotgun, which I consider to be 25 yds.
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I have a flashlight mounted just behind the front site. When turned on it lights up the front sight and allows me to see the front sight and align my rear ghost ring sight with the front sight. I think a holographic or red dot would only be practical at night but really not even then. I mean unless you are using it to clear mud huts in astan lol.
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I agree with Medic738. Seeing your sights only in low light will do nothing for you when you NEED to know what it is you are shooting at.

A flashlight don't even need to illuminate the front sight. Any amount of light sent down range will cause the sights on the gun to cast enough shadow on your eye that it will be all you need and most important you now know what them sights are on.

You don't need to see the sights, you need to see what them sights is sighting on.....
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I used one in place of a scope for a couple years for slug hunting. Then again my barrel didn't have any sort of sights on it. For this use it worked extremely well out to a 100 yards. As far as for a self defense gun not sure i would want one, just something else to go wrong, catch on something, or weigh your gun down. I would think use a ghost ring sight and get some with tritium on them if your to worried about not seeing them.
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I have a Trijicon Reflex mounted on my FN SLP. It helps me with my cross eye dominance issue, that's the only reason it's on there and for that purpose it works great for me. Better than the stock ghost ring sight that came with the shotgun.
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Ultimatly its up to what u think best but i would hold off on it if you arent sure u want it.

Its a shotgun point in general direction and slap the trigger.

If your going to be on the move or shooting a fast moving target , or if useing a slug then i could see the use but a shotgun is a shotgun if u useing any kind of "shot" u can only hope for a general area anyway and cant count on where a ball/pellet will actually hit

Thats my opinion :)
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I have a dot within a circle, the circle works great for shot out to 15 yards and the dot for slug.
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Rob2 said:
Ultimatly its up to what u think best but i would hold off on it if you arent sure u want it.

Its a shotgun point in general direction and slap the trigger.

If your going to be on the move or shooting a fast moving target , or if useing a slug then i could see the use but a shotgun is a shotgun if u useing any kind of "shot" u can only hope for a general area anyway and cant count on where a ball/pellet will actually hit

Thats my opinion :)
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Anyone who has actually done any work with a shotgun knows that there's a hell of a lot more to getting a hit than just waving it in the general direction--regardless of payload.

Especailly at HD distances.

My take--if a red dot helps you put the shotgun on target faster, by all means use one. I've played with a Reflex on a M4 Benelli that I think may have been the best setup ever for a HD shotgun...
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I have a red dot on my 870 Tactical because I am cross eyed dominant. I am right handed but left eye dominant plus I can't close my left eye independently. So for me any long gun must have a red dot type sight to be used effectively.
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ive got a red dot on mine. i like it as ita better than my ghost ring sights for low vision.
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Its a shotgun point in general direction and slap the trigger.
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Nothing personal, but that is absolutely the worst advice you can give anyone. Slap the trigger.....right. :rolleyes:
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arizona98tj said:
Nothing personal, but that is absolutely the worst advice you can give anyone. Slap the trigger.....right. :rolleyes:
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Agreed! He apparently has never had tactical shotgun training.
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Hmm. Thanks for the suggestions guys. I might try it out and see if I like it. If I feel that it makes a significant improvement, I'll keep it. Any suggestions for affordable red dot systems?

Sub $100 is 'affordable' for me ;) ;)
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check out primary arms. theyre pretty good for the money. ive got an eotech but wouldnt second guess their red dots. good customer service too.
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slugger6 said:
Agreed! He apparently has never had tactical shotgun training.
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I just got back this past Friday from a 4 day Advanced Tactical Shotgun course at Front Sight. Slapping the trigger.....yeah right.....NOT!!!
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slugger6 said:
Agreed! He apparently has never had tactical shotgun training.
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Or shot one.

sigh. Kids these days....
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I'm considering a red-dot as well for my 500... specifically because of the cross-eye dominant issue previous posters have mentioned. I'd been having issues trying to compensate for the cross-eye problem and was introduced to a red-dot.... I hope to have one of those on EVERYTHING I shoot sometime soon. Absolutley love them!!!!
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never saw the point....

I guess I could see a point with slugs... but then again I don't use slugs.
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arizona98tj said:
I just got back this past Friday from a 4 day Advanced Tactical Shotgun course at Front Sight. Slapping the trigger.....yeah right.....NOT!!!
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Who was your instructor?
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apamburn you should check out the bushnell trophy red dot...looks kinda like an acog and has emergency irons on the top...I personally use an eotech on my saiga 12 but thats my zombie fun gun.:twisted:
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