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shotgun red dot choices?

1827 Views 19 Replies 1 Participant Last post by  ShotgunPro, 
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so ive narrowed it down to two different red dot sights to put on my mossberg 590, just need help deciding. its between the burris fast fire and the vortex sparc. does anyone have experience with either one? i figure the burris fast fire is lightweight and simple, but the vortex has more mounting options, both are around the same price though.
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What kind of loads are you planning to shoot? The Burris speed sight is "supposedly" like a better bead for clays or close targets. If you are shooting heavy loads like 3" Mag Buck or Slugs you may want to look at the other option.

I know holosights will hold up to heavy loads, but at $500 its almost not worth it when most shotguns are only $300 lol.

I'm using a Bushnell red dot on my 500 right now, have not had any problems yet, but I haven't ran 3" Magnum loads since I cracked my last sight.
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I have a burris on my Saiga 12 and it has handled everything with ease so far. The only thing is that the batteries need a torx bit to get at and the adjustment screws are tiny. Other than that it's an awesome sight. If you are putting a rail on the top of your receiver and mount it to that you will not need a cheek raiser because it's a pretty low profile sight.
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i shoot 00 buckshot and rifled slugs mostly but usually stick to 2 3/4 variety, i dont plan on shooting 3 inch magnums ever so either sight shouldnt have a problem with durability. @ misfit-x do you have the burris fast fire? if so how do you like it?
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what's wrong with the stock beads?

i've honestly never heard of anyone putting a red dot on a shotgun. kinda seems like a waste of money imo.
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psi chick said:
what's wrong with the stock beads?

i've honestly never heard of anyone putting a red dot on a shotgun. kinda seems like a waste of money imo.
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I installed a Tru-Glo Red/Green dot scope on my 870 for turkey and deer hunting, have shot 3.5" mag shells and not had a problem. It was and inexspensive sight and was also in Real Tree camo. All I'm saying is it comes down to personal preference. My buddy is a Burris rep, but Burris stop producing in camo.
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There are several reasons for going with a reflex sight on a shotgun:
Vision issues, older eyes
Faster acquisition
consistency

A buddy of mine has a Burris on his G35, Benelli M1, and AR-15. He uses them in 3-gun matches, and wants a consistent sight picture.
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i have ghost ring sights on my 590 now and i cant stand them so im gonna throw a red dot on just for a quick aiming reference for slugs. i was just trying to see if other people had any success with it before i try. thanks for the help matthew
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NewBlackDak said:
There are several reasons for going with a reflex sight on a shotgun:
Vision issues, older eyes
Faster acquisition
consistency

A buddy of mine has a Burris on his G35, Benelli M1, and AR-15. He uses them in 3-gun matches, and wants a consistent sight picture.
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i can understand if there are vision issues or an older individual, but the other two are excuses imo. if you can't acquire a target fast enough or aren't consistent enough, practice more!

i know it's just my personal bias against scopes/sights. i really don't believe in them. imo if you need a scope or sight when shooting at a reasonable distance, you aren't a good enough shot yet and need to practice more. i'm of the mind set that you should be able to shoot your gun as it sits effectively before adding helpers.
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psi chick said:
i can understand if there are vision issues or an older individual, but the other two are excuses imo. if you can't acquire a target fast enough or aren't consistent enough, practice more!

i know it's just my personal bias against scopes/sights. i really don't believe in them. imo if you need a scope or sight when shooting at a reasonable distance, you aren't a good enough shot yet and need to practice more. i'm of the mind set that you should be able to shoot your gun as it sits effectively before adding helpers.
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I'm in the boat with you on this one. I'm still going to put a eotech on my AR when I finish it though ;)
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lol ok believe me i can use iron sights quite effectively out 500 yards and have been doing so for a number of years so lets get back to the original question and not argue over whether or not putting a red dot or any sight for that matter on a shotgun is practical. my guns are just are just a hobby of mine yet they do serve a vital purpose. that being said my mossberg has a bayonet lug too does that mean i need to put a bayonet on it? no probably not but it is an option.
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i plan on putting an eotech on my AR as well do i have to qualify with my iron sights for you first? im sure i can dig up my rifle range scores from the past 5 years. sorry Marines tend to get upset when someone implies that they "arent a good enough shot".
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I just put an Aimpoint red dot on my Mossberg 500. The Truglo red dot I had on it died after about 100 shells of slugs and buckshot. I bought it used so I could not use the warranty. The Aimpoint has a 5 year warranty and I got it for a real good price online.

I need to get it out to the range and zero that sucker in. So much fun to put slugs on target. I could hit the 200 meter steel torso everytime with my Truglo. I expect the same satisfying "gong" with the Aimpoint. Thats why I use a red dot on my shotgun.
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psi chick said:
i can understand if there are vision issues or an older individual, but the other two are excuses imo. if you can't acquire a target fast enough or aren't consistent enough, practice more!

i know it's just my personal bias against scopes/sights. i really don't believe in them. imo if you need a scope or sight when shooting at a reasonable distance, you aren't a good enough shot yet and need to practice more. i'm of the mind set that you should be able to shoot your gun as it sits effectively before adding helpers.
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In the words of Zak Smith: "(Open) sights are great until you need to shoot fast on the move, the target contrast is low, there is low light, you need to shoot from a poor position, or weak-handed, or the target is smaller than your front sight, or your windage knob gets bumped off zero, or you can't ID or make out the target because it's too far away. Optics are a force-multiplier for (long-guns)."
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thanks for the helpful info guys
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rgrmax said:
I just put an Aimpoint red dot on my Mossberg 500. The Truglo red dot I had on it died after about 100 shells of slugs and buckshot. I bought it used so I could not use the warranty. The Aimpoint has a 5 year warranty and I got it for a real good price online.

I need to get it out to the range and zero that sucker in. So much fun to put slugs on target. I could hit the 200 meter steel torso everytime with my Truglo. I expect the same satisfying "gong" with the Aimpoint. Thats why I use a red dot on my shotgun.
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Same issues I had with TruGlo, except it was only 5 slugs before I cracked it from recoil (Hehe!). I didn't bother with the warranty since it was incredibly cheap to begin with.
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Since the OP listed two choices that I have little experience with personally, I didn't recommend another option. But, if it's still open for debate, the Primary Arms MicroDots are pretty awesome MRDs, and the price is under $100. There have been multiple people over on ARF.com that are using them on shotguns with good luck.

I own a bunch of them already, and I'll be buying another for the Saiga 12 that just showed up at my FFL today. :D
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ill have to check those microdots out price seems great
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kirk22287 said:
i shoot 00 buckshot and rifled slugs mostly but usually stick to 2 3/4 variety, i dont plan on shooting 3 inch magnums ever so either sight shouldnt have a problem with durability. @ misfit-x do you have the burris fast fire? if so how do you like it?
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Yes I do and I love it. It does look kinda funny on the mount I have for the Saiga but it gets the job done well.
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well i ended up ordering a primary arms microdot so we'll see how it holds up. couldnt pass up the price for one of those.
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