My dad struggled with scopes when he had to use trifocal glasses. He's now 80 and uses red dots on everything! Last year he got a doe that was just over 200 yards away.
We have a guy about 80 here with a Sporterizrd Lee-Enfield .303 British with a Red Dot and he runs that thing like a levergun. Sorry if that double offends the purists.
Remington 40X .222 Remington Weaver T36 (36x40) = 1.6" at 300 yards. Leupold M8 Compact 2.5x20 = 2.75" at 300 yards. The record for 1000 yard bulls (36") with an aperture sight on an 1903 Springfiled Rifle stands at 71 straight. Magnification is over-rated.
The Fin’s make some of the best guns in the world for hunting! My Sako’s and Tikka’s are my favorite rifles and I have hunted with just about any brand out there be a 60+ rifle collector and owning many custom rifles as well. My husqvarna are my favorite mausers to hunt with as well!
A red dot is a great choice for lever guns as well. Lever guns are very often used as close range, thick brush guns making the red dot a great choice on these guns.
I live in SE North Carolina where I'm usually hunting pretty thick pine forests and swampy areas with the occasional field edge, but never really with shot opportunities more than 100 yards. This is making me re-think my 3-10 I've been using!
Your going to like it. I'm in the same area and bought several styles of the cheap knock offs until I decided on the style I wanted. You can by the cheappies for as little as $30 and they are fine range toys. Then you can figure what you want to be the better brand for hunting.
I bought a vortex crossfire red dot last week and mounted it on a .308 bolt action rifle and zeroed at 25 yards this weekend i shot my first boar at 50 yards. Red dot on the vitals and pulled the trigger and job done. i am from belgium and here it is very common to use a red dot.
About a year ago I came across a guy on UA-cam that showed his elk pistol setup. He was shooting a 12.5" 6.5 Grendel with a red dot for deep woods elk inside 150yds. In addition to the speed of acquisition with the red dot, he said that the setup allowed him to cheek weld the buffer tube and shoot very stable in a wide variety of field positions like he could never do with a long bolt gun. The other thing I thought was cool was that he could slip the buffer tube into a loop on his backpack belt and then he just had a tether at the shoulder that he'd slip over the muzzle. It was a much cleaner setup than any carry method I've found for my rifle.
I use a red dot on my kombination gun, 12/6.5x55. perfect lightweight combo. I use it mostly for driven hunts where roe deer, hogs and hares are on the menu. 👍
Have dots on my 44mag lever and 45-70 guide gun. Love both! Peep sights do a similar function and I have those on two Winchesters. All great in the thick Maine brush.
Love that Ryan made it to Huntstock, the tracking has seen to be taking off but is a great way to hunt. Very exciting and adventurous. 760 Remingtons and lever guns are a huge staple in that world. Great video guys
You guys comprehensively covered all the reasons I have used to dissuade myself from getting a red dot for my deer rifle. In the end i like not having to carry a monocular for looking at distant objects, im afrair of missing out on a good deer because of a hard shot opportunity and Im too good at hitting running deer in the woods on 3 power with a 3-9 scope.
Up here in Ontario, Canada we run chases (drives) for white tails. More and more guys are getting on the red dot wagon. 60+% of the guys are using them and the users all range in age. Fantastic solution to the traditional iron sights.
I have an astigmatism so red dots aren't dots for me. I use a prism in any situation that someone would want to use a red dot. For heavy woods/Southern Michigan hunting I would have no problem at all hunting with the prism optics on a bolt action, or my lever guns. Would also use one on my Ruger no1 450 bushmaster if I could come up with a way to mount one to the quarter rail.
You guys are hitting the nail on the head with this one. I hope more hunters should embrace the red dot. Heck, I’ve got one on my duck gun because I used the gun for my first turkey hunt and just never bothered to take the sight off. Used it on one duck hunt and realized there was no reason that I should ever take it off. All you really need is some good binoculars to confirm the animal is legal to take and you should be fine with a Reddit out to 200 with a whole slew of calibers and a proper zero. I put a red dot on my dangerous game rifle in 458 Lott when I went to Africa. I didn’t want to put that gun down to use a scoped rifle to save my life. I only shot one thing with the scoped gun and it was a klipspringer. The shot that really cemented it for me was on a zebra. The herd wasn’t more than 75 yards from me and we selected one that I liked to take. When I fired the shot I was able to keep my eyes on the zebra I had fired at when the whole herd started to scatter. I saw that my zebra was also taking off so I rant the bolt without lowering the rifle and fire a second shot into the same zebra. However, when I fired the second shot two things happened: one, the zebra went down and stayed down; and two my PH about lost his mind. He thought I was crazy and had shot two zebras because he thought there was no way I could keep my eyes on the zebra I shot with the first shot. Even though I told him I was sure of what I had done, he was talking about how we were gonna lose the whole day to track a second wounded zebra. When we got to the downed zebra it conveniently had two entrance wounds from where I had shot it twice. The first shot had only pierced the lungs but the second went through the heart. The PH couldn’t believe it. I was just happy I had insisted on continually using the big gun on animals that it wasn’t needed for because of how handy the red dot was for that type of hunting. I just wish there were more manufacturers making mounts for bolt guns that put the red dot forward and as low as possible. As an additional bonus on bolt guns when you mount the sight on the front of the receiver is that the action is unobstructed for reloading guns with fixed magazines. Seems like a real handy feature on a dangerous game rifle and would probably be nice on a driven pig hunt if you want to show off to your friends that think a semiauto is the only gun to use on hunts like that. It takes some practice but you can get pretty quick with cycling a bolt gun.
Would be neat to hear a 10 minute talk about all the different kinds of iron sights...i know y'all are an optics company but would be neat to hear y'all talk about blade and leaf sights, skinner sights, and my favorite express sights!
@@45-70Guy glad to hear someone else still likes using irons! I think they should be on any rifle that you travel with or have a risk of deadly game just as a level of security in case something happens to a main optic.
@@kbowen2251I’m not as old as some, still young to the game, but I’ve used irons for the majority of my hunting which I never felt disadvantaged, peep sights mostly. I did just start In the last year or two messing with scopes low power fixed and have had good success but I really enjoy the simplicity, lightweight, and ease of knowing its zeroed with my loads no matter what unless something was legit broken off.
@@45-70Guy i think we are on exactly that same boat. I'm definitely young compared to a lot of the people i listen to but enjoy the irons. Shoot they were all i had on my bb gun when i was a little kid. I have been debating getting an lpvo on qd rings just so i can reach out further if i need to. You are right though... Unless something is obviously broken most guns will shoot like a laser until you can't place the irons on target anymore.
I think they’d be open to doing this. Just because you’re using iron sights on a firearm, which are actually required under certain hunts (e.g., iron sight muzzleloader seasons), doesn’t mean you aren’t using other optics like binos and rangefinders
I got a primary arms red dot on my ruger American ranch 7.62x39. Here in Wisconsin rarely get a shot past 150 . So it is amazingly handy and light weight white tail killing machine.
I had a Burris 2moa SpeedDot on my Ruger Ultralight .308 bolt rifle about 20 years ago and the idea was quick target acquisition with a reasonably flat shooting caliber so I could shoot to 200 yards.
Red Dots are like the iron sights of today, with most hunting rifles being built on the premise that an optic will be used they are a great alternative utilizing the same style mounting.
I have a reflex sight on my savage rascal for small game and I have a vortex red dot on my bolt deer gun. In my neck of the woods in PA 200 yards is really pushing your line of sight and that distance is in a field. In the woods you're shooting about 50 to 75 yards.
Great commentary. I've used a red-dot on my rifle for number of years hunting in the northeast and they are indeed the best sight option that I am aware of. Based on my experience there are two additional benefits of the red dot that you did not touch on. First of all they are nearly impervious to getting clogged with snow or other debris due to their minimal overhang between the glass and the edge of scope on both the front and back. The second benefit is ease of carry. You mentioned that they are light (and they are) however they are also small. Mounted on a 7600 the site does not interfere with the ability to wrap your hand round the gun when carrying. Here in the northeast we carry our guns for miles in a day so how a rifle carries matters a great deal. I would love to see Vortex offer an 3-4 MOA dot on units as the 2MOA is on the small side for hunting the Northeast. It's ok in low light but when it's bright and especially when there is snow a 2MOA dot can be hard to pick up as quickly as a slightly larger dot.
Ryan, its Brad Willey with Big Woods Bucks (spoke with you about the 7600 in 35 Whelen in MA at Hunstock - 2024). All I use is dots. In fact, my Whelen has a dot on it. Been using it for years and won't go back while tracking in the Northeast! Great podcast gents!🤙🦌
For close in driven hunts or eastern whitetail hunting I think it’s definitely a good idea. I could use one for shooting deer on my property in Texas, but we have antler restrictions so I use about 5-6x magnification in my scope to do a final check on the legality of the buck.
Shooting a beretta brx straight pull in 300win for drivenhunts here in Europe. topped with an lpvo 1-6. Fantastic for close range and due to the magnification the option to reach out a little further then with a red dot.
I mounted one on my double .350 eight years ago to get barrels regulated,its still on it.I use it bush hunting red and fallow,also pigs here in New Zealand.Recently put another red dot on a bolt gun for the same hunting.I am in late 60s and my eyes arn't as good as they were.The smaller the unit the better I think,less likely to snag in thick bush.Great show guys.
I have had a dot on, and hunted with my SKS since about 2003, I’ve also worn Speedos since about 2010. Since I seem to be a hipster, I will go ahead and hunt in a speedo, with a red dot this year!
I’m glad y’all added the bit after the 20min mark. All I can think about is the dilemma of identifying with confidence the moving target when the gun is already up. We have goofy buck restrictions in MS and shooting a marginal (legal) buck would often be impossible without a little magnification. A doe hunt makes more sense, but nubby bucks/spikes could be a day ruined.
I hunt with a red dot! On my small game setup, I have a reflex sight. When I am hunting squirrel and rabbit with a 22 caliber break-barrel air rifles, I like to have quick target acquisition. I just recently bought a Vortex Spitfire Prism Sight 1x DRT for my 10mm carbine for deer!
I have a red dot on a 300blk bolt gun because it’s light and quiet, but if I know I’m gonna be able to shoot 150 or beyond I want a higher magnification scope for a few reasons, 1: if I’m shooting deer I want to be able to count their points so I can decide to shoot or wait on a bigger deer, 2: when I shoot a deer I want the most precise shot for an quick ethical kill and I’m not saying a red dot can’t be precise but if is like 250 yards with a scope I am certain that bullet is going where I want it and there’s no room for things to go wrong, 3: light transfer through the optic is really important at daybreak or dusk and with a good scope I can see better in low light than with my eyes and I always am finding red dots have a dimmer image than my naked eye I low light
Not a bolt gun guy but picked up a Ruger American Gen 2 Ranch 556, just for fun. And a Sig 2 MOA red dot, just for fun. I'm a both eyes open, iron sights, offhand, target on the move kind of guy since a kid. It'll be fun seeing what this combo can do out in the desert. Thanks, nice vid!
Would love to see you guys test a straight pull rifle with a red dot against the more typical american hunting rifles and scopes in a range test of some kind. Emphasising quick shots at the typical ranges used by most american hunters. Awesome to hear this style of hunting is starting to become more popular over there!
I purchased a red dot and magnifier specifically for my 350 Legend bolt rifle. For a rifle I don't plan to use past 150 yards, this seems like a logical choice.
Great idea! For the last few years, I’ve hunted with a Marlin .30-30 with a 1-4 optic. I always thought a red dot/magnifier setup would work great if I could get the 3x mounted low enough.
When I turned 18 or 19 i bought myself a left handed Remington 700 SPS chambered in 270 Winchester and I put a Vortex Crossfire II red dot on it. It retains the light weight characteristics and I was able to drill the bullseye of a 12 inch target at 100 yards. I was honestly shocked but now i dont think Ill switch to anything else unless I get an LPVO.
@@brianolson3010 absolutely love my Henry. Best rifle I’ve owned over the years, taken several deer and coyotes with it the last couple of years. Debating on putting the Vortex Crossfire red dot or a Skinner peep sight. Have the 20 gauge shotgun as well.
I shoot long range with my 300wm and @ 1350 yards my scope is only around 7-10x magnification. You really don’t need much to aim long range. The only good thing about magnification is target identification at distance. But for actual target engagement you typically run 1/2 the magnification
I'm running a Holosun 507c on a low rail mount adapter on a Mossberg MVP Scout. It's zeroed at 50 yards, and can quickly acquire targets out to 150, probably farther with some patience. It adds almost no weight. I really like it.
I run crossfires on both my combination gun (12/5.6x52r) and on my Merkel Helix (8x57JS) except when I’m out stalking or in low light conditions. Works great.
I have a Chinese SKS I bought and fully intend to hunt with, and if I was 20 years younger I wouldn't have an issue with the iron sights on it. That not being the case, the reflex sight I put on it is a game changer. It's definitely the answer for me.
I remember reading a story by Jack O'Connor where he said he had a 2 and a half Power Scope with a 3-minute dot in it and he done his best shooting with that
Here in Switzerland the majority of hunters use red dot sights on our shotguns or combined rifles for hunting roe deer foxes pigs and where permitted red deer (the shotgun for foxes and roe deer, slugs or rifle for pigs and only rifle for red deer). I my self use a red dot on my Blaser d99 Drilling 30-06 and 2x 20ga for driven roe deer and wild boar. Works as a charm. Thanks for sharing
I don't have Vortex red dots, however I have a Mauser M12 Expert (30-06) with an Aimpoint 9000L (2MOA) and a Blaser R8 Success timber and have an Aimpoint H2 Micro (2MOA) on my 9.3x62 barrel. Exceptional! Cheers from Australia. P.s. Ryan thanks for the help with my Vortex spotting scope issue.
I put a vortex defender on my Remington 870 turkey rig and it is amazing. Got another one on order for my marlin 336 30-30. Going to set it forward on the scout rail iv installed on it and have and even better brush/swamp gun for where I hunt in north Ontario Canada 🍻🇨🇦👍🏻
Use whatever works for you. Don't let others opinions sway you. I'm using a Vortex 1-8x LPVO on my Weatherby Vanguard. Etched lighted reticle, near true 1x and enough magnification to easily take a 300 yds shot. I wouldn't use a red dot cause they kinda suck in low light and depending on your eyes, they can bloom out at bad times.
I just sighted in a old JM stamped Marlin 30-30 with a Sparc II and a Ruger American .450BM with a Crossfire red dot. Both are ready for Pennsylvania bear season starting Saturday. I use a printed target with a 3 MOA bullseye. Having that aiming point 1 MOA larger then the red dot allows for a consistent hold. Ruger printed 1.32 MOA group and the Marlin printed 1.87 MOA group.
Many people have been using red dots for years here in Victoria, Australia for hunting sambar deer in thick bush . I've got an aimpoint H1 on my BLR 308 and an aimpoint Hunter 34L on a Tikka in 9.3x62. I've also got an aimpoint H1 mounted on the right hand side of my scope on a Kimber which is the best of both worlds.
I have a red dot temporarily mounted on my new RARR in 300 BLK. I like the light weight and compactness of the red dot on the short rifle. I need to shoot more at longer distances to see if I can stay with the red dot or need to move to a scope. I didn’t use the magnification or focus much on recticle on the last buck I shot at 80 yards a couple of weeks ago. Most of my hunting distances are at less than 100 yards.
I use a Tikka T3 caliber 308 with a red dot on a Dentler mount and silencer on all driven hunts and when stalking. With the Dentler mount you can Swap Out your optic easy. Greetings fromm Germany and "Waidmannsheil" 🙏
I have the Vortex crossfire 2-7 on my AR, the 2X is really fast and accurate, and when I need to look out to 300 I crank it up to 7X to use my handy dandy Dead Hold BDC. On my 30-06 I have a 4-12 X 50 with a mini red dot on top.
Surprisingly, I agree. Red dot is perfect for close quarters or heavily wooded hunting. I hunt in northeast Texas, which is similar to the heavily wooded lands you have in Wisconsin. I use Venoms on my rifles except for my M4 A3 in 5.56. That has iron sights and I have not changed that, though I could. I tried an LPVO on it and did not like the sight picture.
Electronic dot sight on my Marlin SBL 44MAG. The Ruger scout and Marlin 1895 are set up bI th with LPVO in QD mount and QD dot sight so i can choose between them.
Here in Sweden especially the Aimpoint brand (sorry Vortex) of red dots has been (and is) very popular on hunting rifles for the past 25 years or so. I would say that LVPO:s has overtaken that segment the last 8-10 years thou. On new hunting rifles now it is more often a LVPO that a red dot.
I live in Sweden, hunts driven hunt, stalking and blinds, have red dot on three of my rifles, a kombi 12/76-6,5x55 a semiauto 30-06 and Bolt action mauser 9,3x57. Have taken roedeer on 100-120 yards with the 6,5. Moose same distans with 30-06. Here where I hunt we rarley have distans over 120 yards , mostley Wood and small fields , only use scope when in blinds in early morning or late evning for deer or hogs.
I live in the northeast and hunt exactly like ryan described with tracking in the snow. If it’s nasty out and there’s snow falling or in the trees I still u see a peep sight on a highly modified bar with a 16” barrel in 308. If there is snow in the ground but not still falling I carry a 2nd modified identical bar in 308 with a aim point T2 in a custom mount. I wish vortex would make a Reddot with see through flip up lens caps!!!!!
The peep is hard to beat on those snowy days up here. Especially for a fail safe, traditional option. The weather changes so often though we need options ha
Was thinking about this in your EXACT example. 760 for deer in Pennsylvania woods. Ended up buying an illuminated 3-9 but now I'm wondering if I should pull the trigger and do the red dot.
I run a vortex red dot on my bolt action hunting gun. I have added a quick release so that I can swap to my 3-12 scope in a few seconds. It perfect an I use my red dot more than my scope.
Discuss if a prism would be in any way practical or useful on a bolt gun. To me it seems weird. But the subject of the video was weird until I watched it. And someone else in here suggested a talk about iron sights. Also a great idea.
Hi there (from Europe - Portugal), I use always a red dot for the allowed birds hunting with mine semi automatic Winchester SX4 Cal.20. It's amazing the difference "to have a red dot" and "do not have a red dot". As you know, hunting birds with a Cal.20 requires a better shot colocation on target and, normaly, we shoot at 20 to 50 yards in a very quick movement. Shooting with a red dot, you have a faster target aquisition and also a faster perception of the target diretion. Get one, train and you will not regret. After a little train you will conclude: where is the dot, is the shot. Don't forguet your swing... Good huntings. PS. When I say birds i'm saying mainly: pigeons, partridges, ducks and thrushes
Red dots are the way to go in deep forests. No need for magnification. Used an Aimpoint for my first roe deer. Snap shot where I had wery short time, 80m standing. Red dots are the best solution for DG, and is close to ideal out to 150m.
My problem isn't making hits, it's making positive identification. In the driven hunt scenario you're talking about where a deer comes running and jumping by so quickly that you need a red dot for speed, how confident are you with your naked eye that your doe doesn't have tiny spikes?
Ive got a gun where the factory sights are adjusted to max elevation to zero at 100yds. Its not quite enough either. My solution since i dont need magnification is im adding a rail and a dot. Simple and easy. Thing is its a Traditions .50 black powder... And i love the idea.
Killed my buck this year with a marlin 1895 in .45-70 with a red dot. These rifles are limited range wise and its short compact frame makes for quick up close shots.
My dad struggled with scopes when he had to use trifocal glasses. He's now 80 and uses red dots on everything! Last year he got a doe that was just over 200 yards away.
Very impressive
That is a prime example of a good shooter not needing excessive magnification to make a shot.
We have a guy about 80 here with a Sporterizrd Lee-Enfield .303 British with a Red Dot and he runs that thing like a levergun.
Sorry if that double offends the purists.
Remington 40X .222 Remington
Weaver T36 (36x40) = 1.6" at 300 yards.
Leupold M8 Compact 2.5x20 = 2.75" at 300 yards.
The record for 1000 yard bulls (36") with an aperture sight on an 1903 Springfiled Rifle stands at 71 straight.
Magnification is over-rated.
I only shoot lever action so I approve this message@@gk5891
I shot a 10 point bull moose with a Tikka T3X with a Vortex Crossfire red dot last month , so i'd say it's effective.
Greetings from Finland
What range did you get him at?
@@TheIamfrustrated80 or so meters, slow walk
What cartridge did you use?
@@Honkers716 308 win, 168gr barnes ttsx handloads
The Fin’s make some of the best guns in the world for hunting! My Sako’s and Tikka’s are my favorite rifles and I have hunted with just about any brand out there be a 60+ rifle collector and owning many custom rifles as well. My husqvarna are my favorite mausers to hunt with as well!
A red dot is a great choice for lever guns as well. Lever guns are very often used as close range, thick brush guns making the red dot a great choice on these guns.
This is why I'm here lol
I live in SE North Carolina where I'm usually hunting pretty thick pine forests and swampy areas with the occasional field edge, but never really with shot opportunities more than 100 yards. This is making me re-think my 3-10 I've been using!
LPVO and prism are in the mix too in that situation
Your going to like it. I'm in the same area and bought several styles of the cheap knock offs until I decided on the style I wanted. You can by the cheappies for as little as $30 and they are fine range toys. Then you can figure what you want to be the better brand for hunting.
I bought a vortex crossfire red dot last week and mounted it on a .308 bolt action rifle and zeroed at 25 yards this weekend i shot my first boar at 50 yards. Red dot on the vitals and pulled the trigger and job done.
i am from belgium and here it is very common to use a red dot.
About a year ago I came across a guy on UA-cam that showed his elk pistol setup. He was shooting a 12.5" 6.5 Grendel with a red dot for deep woods elk inside 150yds. In addition to the speed of acquisition with the red dot, he said that the setup allowed him to cheek weld the buffer tube and shoot very stable in a wide variety of field positions like he could never do with a long bolt gun. The other thing I thought was cool was that he could slip the buffer tube into a loop on his backpack belt and then he just had a tether at the shoulder that he'd slip over the muzzle. It was a much cleaner setup than any carry method I've found for my rifle.
"I don't want to look up a gnat's ass" 😂😂😂
Ive got a red dot on my Marlin 1895 for many of the reasons you guys say here. Good stuff Guys!
I use a red dot on my kombination gun, 12/6.5x55. perfect lightweight combo. I use it mostly for driven hunts where roe deer, hogs and hares are on the menu. 👍
That sounds awesome who makes the gun?
@@MrNpc81 it's an old Husqvarna from the 90s, f.a.i.r. in Italy makes a similar today. 👍
Have dots on my 44mag lever and 45-70 guide gun. Love both! Peep sights do a similar function and I have those on two Winchesters. All great in the thick Maine brush.
Not a dot, but I do like a fixed prism optic too. A 3x or 5x Microprism on a lightweight gun is perfection.
Been using one on my Ruger GSR for years
Love that Ryan made it to Huntstock, the tracking has seen to be taking off but is a great way to hunt. Very exciting and adventurous.
760 Remingtons and lever guns are a huge staple in that world. Great video guys
I’d have no prob red dotting a lever gun. East Coast shots average 50 yards on deer. All other game average under 35.
You guys comprehensively covered all the reasons I have used to dissuade myself from getting a red dot for my deer rifle. In the end i like not having to carry a monocular for looking at distant objects, im afrair of missing out on a good deer because of a hard shot opportunity and Im too good at hitting running deer in the woods on 3 power with a 3-9 scope.
Up here in Ontario, Canada we run chases (drives) for white tails. More and more guys are getting on the red dot wagon. 60+% of the guys are using them and the users all range in age. Fantastic solution to the traditional iron sights.
I have an astigmatism so red dots aren't dots for me. I use a prism in any situation that someone would want to use a red dot. For heavy woods/Southern Michigan hunting I would have no problem at all hunting with the prism optics on a bolt action, or my lever guns. Would also use one on my Ruger no1 450 bushmaster if I could come up with a way to mount one to the quarter rail.
works great on old Remington pump action rifles. Model 760, 7600, etc. Perfect setup if you are the "designated driver".
You guys are hitting the nail on the head with this one. I hope more hunters should embrace the red dot. Heck, I’ve got one on my duck gun because I used the gun for my first turkey hunt and just never bothered to take the sight off. Used it on one duck hunt and realized there was no reason that I should ever take it off.
All you really need is some good binoculars to confirm the animal is legal to take and you should be fine with a Reddit out to 200 with a whole slew of calibers and a proper zero.
I put a red dot on my dangerous game rifle in 458 Lott when I went to Africa. I didn’t want to put that gun down to use a scoped rifle to save my life. I only shot one thing with the scoped gun and it was a klipspringer.
The shot that really cemented it for me was on a zebra. The herd wasn’t more than 75 yards from me and we selected one that I liked to take. When I fired the shot I was able to keep my eyes on the zebra I had fired at when the whole herd started to scatter. I saw that my zebra was also taking off so I rant the bolt without lowering the rifle and fire a second shot into the same zebra. However, when I fired the second shot two things happened: one, the zebra went down and stayed down; and two my PH about lost his mind. He thought I was crazy and had shot two zebras because he thought there was no way I could keep my eyes on the zebra I shot with the first shot. Even though I told him I was sure of what I had done, he was talking about how we were gonna lose the whole day to track a second wounded zebra. When we got to the downed zebra it conveniently had two entrance wounds from where I had shot it twice. The first shot had only pierced the lungs but the second went through the heart. The PH couldn’t believe it. I was just happy I had insisted on continually using the big gun on animals that it wasn’t needed for because of how handy the red dot was for that type of hunting.
I just wish there were more manufacturers making mounts for bolt guns that put the red dot forward and as low as possible. As an additional bonus on bolt guns when you mount the sight on the front of the receiver is that the action is unobstructed for reloading guns with fixed magazines. Seems like a real handy feature on a dangerous game rifle and would probably be nice on a driven pig hunt if you want to show off to your friends that think a semiauto is the only gun to use on hunts like that. It takes some practice but you can get pretty quick with cycling a bolt gun.
2MOA Red dot on my 416Rigby. Great eye relief. Immediate on target. 2 eyes open. Close action in the bush in Africa.
Would be neat to hear a 10 minute talk about all the different kinds of iron sights...i know y'all are an optics company but would be neat to hear y'all talk about blade and leaf sights, skinner sights, and my favorite express sights!
Skinners have been my go to since they came out, but express sights are an absolute classic and effective setup. Fast,light, durable.
@@45-70Guy glad to hear someone else still likes using irons! I think they should be on any rifle that you travel with or have a risk of deadly game just as a level of security in case something happens to a main optic.
@@kbowen2251I’m not as old as some, still young to the game, but I’ve used irons for the majority of my hunting which I never felt disadvantaged, peep sights mostly.
I did just start In the last year or two messing with scopes low power fixed and have had good success but I really enjoy the simplicity, lightweight, and ease of knowing its zeroed with my loads no matter what unless something was legit broken off.
@@45-70Guy i think we are on exactly that same boat. I'm definitely young compared to a lot of the people i listen to but enjoy the irons. Shoot they were all i had on my bb gun when i was a little kid. I have been debating getting an lpvo on qd rings just so i can reach out further if i need to. You are right though... Unless something is obviously broken most guns will shoot like a laser until you can't place the irons on target anymore.
I think they’d be open to doing this. Just because you’re using iron sights on a firearm, which are actually required under certain hunts (e.g., iron sight muzzleloader seasons), doesn’t mean you aren’t using other optics like binos and rangefinders
I got a primary arms red dot on my ruger American ranch 7.62x39. Here in Wisconsin rarely get a shot past 150 . So it is amazingly handy and light weight white tail killing machine.
What ammo?
@@WellDressedCaveman hornady sst
I have been using a red dot on my Remington 7600 in 30-06 for over 20 years and in the 150 yrd and under environment that I hunt it works perfectly.
I have a Winchester XPR 350 legend with an Aimpoint reddot zeroed at 100 yrds. I set this up for public land hunting in Indiana. Love the set up
I had a Burris 2moa SpeedDot on my Ruger Ultralight .308 bolt rifle about 20 years ago and the idea was quick target acquisition with a reasonably flat shooting caliber so I could shoot to 200 yards.
I use my Burris fast fire on my 460 magnum performance center and its performs phenomenally
Red Dots are like the iron sights of today, with most hunting rifles being built on the premise that an optic will be used they are a great alternative utilizing the same style mounting.
I have a reflex sight on my savage rascal for small game and I have a vortex red dot on my bolt deer gun. In my neck of the woods in PA 200 yards is really pushing your line of sight and that distance is in a field. In the woods you're shooting about 50 to 75 yards.
Great commentary. I've used a red-dot on my rifle for number of years hunting in the northeast and they are indeed the best sight option that I am aware of. Based on my experience there are two additional benefits of the red dot that you did not touch on. First of all they are nearly impervious to getting clogged with snow or other debris due to their minimal overhang between the glass and the edge of scope on both the front and back. The second benefit is ease of carry. You mentioned that they are light (and they are) however they are also small. Mounted on a 7600 the site does not interfere with the ability to wrap your hand round the gun when carrying. Here in the northeast we carry our guns for miles in a day so how a rifle carries matters a great deal. I would love to see Vortex offer an 3-4 MOA dot on units as the 2MOA is on the small side for hunting the Northeast. It's ok in low light but when it's bright and especially when there is snow a 2MOA dot can be hard to pick up as quickly as a slightly larger dot.
Hunt in the northeast and just got a red dot for these same reasons. Light gathering, easy to use and I can wrap my hand around my lever gun.
Ryan, its Brad Willey with Big Woods Bucks (spoke with you about the 7600 in 35 Whelen in MA at Hunstock - 2024). All I use is dots. In fact, my Whelen has a dot on it. Been using it for years and won't go back while tracking in the Northeast! Great podcast gents!🤙🦌
awesome for a close cover hunting situation
Red dots on lever action is great
For close in driven hunts or eastern whitetail hunting I think it’s definitely a good idea. I could use one for shooting deer on my property in Texas, but we have antler restrictions so I use about 5-6x magnification in my scope to do a final check on the legality of the buck.
Shooting a beretta brx straight pull in 300win for drivenhunts here in Europe.
topped with an lpvo 1-6.
Fantastic for close range and due to the magnification the option to reach out a little further then with a red dot.
I mounted one on my double .350 eight years ago to get barrels regulated,its still on it.I use it bush hunting red and fallow,also pigs here in New Zealand.Recently put another red dot on a bolt gun for the same hunting.I am in late 60s and my eyes arn't as good as they were.The smaller the unit the better I think,less likely to snag in thick bush.Great show guys.
I have a red dot on my 12ga slug gun. Love the quick target acquisition ability for deer hunting.
I have had a dot on, and hunted with my SKS since about 2003, I’ve also worn Speedos since about 2010. Since I seem to be a hipster, I will go ahead and hunt in a speedo, with a red dot this year!
100% been considering one on top of my scope. With my hunting conditions out west, I really could use both.
Turnbull makes some pretty slick red dot mounts for winchesters.
I’m glad y’all added the bit after the 20min mark.
All I can think about is the dilemma of identifying with confidence the moving target when the gun is already up. We have goofy buck restrictions in MS and shooting a marginal (legal) buck would often be impossible without a little magnification.
A doe hunt makes more sense, but nubby bucks/spikes could be a day ruined.
I put a red dot on a marlin 336 30-30 back in 1995 and never regretted it. Nothing better for close up deer hunting in the thickets.
I hunt with a red dot! On my small game setup, I have a reflex sight. When I am hunting squirrel and rabbit with a 22 caliber break-barrel air rifles, I like to have quick target acquisition. I just recently bought a Vortex Spitfire Prism Sight 1x DRT for my 10mm carbine for deer!
I have a red dot on a 300blk bolt gun because it’s light and quiet, but if I know I’m gonna be able to shoot 150 or beyond I want a higher magnification scope for a few reasons, 1: if I’m shooting deer I want to be able to count their points so I can decide to shoot or wait on a bigger deer, 2: when I shoot a deer I want the most precise shot for an quick ethical kill and I’m not saying a red dot can’t be precise but if is like 250 yards with a scope I am certain that bullet is going where I want it and there’s no room for things to go wrong, 3: light transfer through the optic is really important at daybreak or dusk and with a good scope I can see better in low light than with my eyes and I always am finding red dots have a dimmer image than my naked eye I low light
Yes. 2.5x prism on my 450 BM in 300 BLK increments matches very well.
Not a bolt gun guy but picked up a Ruger American Gen 2 Ranch 556, just for fun. And a Sig 2 MOA red dot, just for fun. I'm a both eyes open, iron sights, offhand, target on the move kind of guy since a kid. It'll be fun seeing what this combo can do out in the desert. Thanks, nice vid!
Would love to see you guys test a straight pull rifle with a red dot against the more typical american hunting rifles and scopes in a range test of some kind. Emphasising quick shots at the typical ranges used by most american hunters. Awesome to hear this style of hunting is starting to become more popular over there!
I purchased a red dot and magnifier specifically for my 350 Legend bolt rifle. For a rifle I don't plan to use past 150 yards, this seems like a logical choice.
Great idea! For the last few years, I’ve hunted with a Marlin .30-30 with a 1-4 optic. I always thought a red dot/magnifier setup would work great if I could get the 3x mounted low enough.
When I turned 18 or 19 i bought myself a left handed Remington 700 SPS chambered in 270 Winchester and I put a Vortex Crossfire II red dot on it. It retains the light weight characteristics and I was able to drill the bullseye of a 12 inch target at 100 yards. I was honestly shocked but now i dont think Ill switch to anything else unless I get an LPVO.
TC Contender and Encore pistols,44mag,30-30, and 308, Super 14" barrels! Perfection!
I put a dot on my CVA pistol in .350 legend. What a real gem.
Good timing! I’m considering putting a red dot on my single shot Henry for deer hunting.
How do you like your Henry? I’ve been looking at them and the CVA Scouts, and I can’t really pick which one I like better.
@@brianolson3010 absolutely love my Henry. Best rifle I’ve owned over the years, taken several deer and coyotes with it the last couple of years. Debating on putting the Vortex Crossfire red dot or a Skinner peep sight. Have the 20 gauge shotgun as well.
I’ve got a Henry ss. Not shot it a ton yet but it’s such a beautiful gun and a handy size.
A red dot on a Marlin 1895 SBL 45-70 makes heaps of sense.
On a Browning BLR in 308WIN… hmm… that is an intriguing thought!
I shoot long range with my 300wm and @ 1350 yards my scope is only around 7-10x magnification. You really don’t need much to aim long range. The only good thing about magnification is target identification at distance. But for actual target engagement you typically run 1/2 the magnification
I'm running a Holosun 507c on a low rail mount adapter on a Mossberg MVP Scout. It's zeroed at 50 yards, and can quickly acquire targets out to 150, probably farther with some patience. It adds almost no weight. I really like it.
Great here in the South East. I also use a QD magnifier that I can quickly throw on if needed. This is how I run my 300 Blk Out.
Great talk. Had to put one on my Lever Action Trapper. Still as handy as ever and now faster because I can see it.
I run crossfires on both my combination gun (12/5.6x52r) and on my Merkel Helix (8x57JS) except when I’m out stalking or in low light conditions. Works great.
I have to come back to this but the first 3 minutes is hilarious!
I’m sold. Ruger American in .450 bushmaster and a red dot. I think it’s next on the list.
I have a Chinese SKS I bought and fully intend to hunt with, and if I was 20 years younger I wouldn't have an issue with the iron sights on it. That not being the case, the reflex sight I put on it is a game changer. It's definitely the answer for me.
Put a red dot on my Win 30-30lever. 50y zero, love it, very fast target acquisition and very accurate to 175.
I think I am now going red dot on my 450 Bushmaster instead of LPVO. Great discussion and information, thank you.
Check out the Burris 322. Lit reticle 3or 5 power
I remember reading a story by Jack O'Connor where he said he had a 2 and a half Power Scope with a 3-minute dot in it and he done his best shooting with that
Here in Switzerland the majority of hunters use red dot sights on our shotguns or combined rifles for hunting roe deer foxes pigs and where permitted red deer (the shotgun for foxes and roe deer, slugs or rifle for pigs and only rifle for red deer).
I my self use a red dot on my Blaser d99 Drilling 30-06 and 2x 20ga for driven roe deer and wild boar.
Works as a charm.
Thanks for sharing
I don't have Vortex red dots, however I have a Mauser M12 Expert (30-06) with an Aimpoint 9000L (2MOA) and a Blaser R8 Success timber and have an Aimpoint H2 Micro (2MOA) on my 9.3x62 barrel. Exceptional! Cheers from Australia. P.s. Ryan thanks for the help with my Vortex spotting scope issue.
I put a vortex defender on my Remington 870 turkey rig and it is amazing. Got another one on order for my marlin 336 30-30. Going to set it forward on the scout rail iv installed on it and have and even better brush/swamp gun for where I hunt in north Ontario Canada 🍻🇨🇦👍🏻
Just put a vortex red dot on my 30-06 BAR for deer drives in the woods, perfect
Use whatever works for you. Don't let others opinions sway you. I'm using a Vortex 1-8x LPVO on my Weatherby Vanguard. Etched lighted reticle, near true 1x and enough magnification to easily take a 300 yds shot.
I wouldn't use a red dot cause they kinda suck in low light and depending on your eyes, they can bloom out at bad times.
I just sighted in a old JM stamped Marlin 30-30 with a Sparc II and a Ruger American .450BM with a Crossfire red dot. Both are ready for Pennsylvania bear season starting Saturday. I use a printed target with a 3 MOA bullseye. Having that aiming point 1 MOA larger then the red dot allows for a consistent hold. Ruger printed 1.32 MOA group and the Marlin printed 1.87 MOA group.
Many people have been using red dots for years here in Victoria, Australia for hunting sambar deer in thick bush . I've got an aimpoint H1 on my BLR 308 and an aimpoint Hunter 34L on a Tikka in 9.3x62. I've also got an aimpoint H1 mounted on the right hand side of my scope on a Kimber which is the best of both worlds.
18” 308 Browning Xbolt speed SR with Aimpiont T2 and I’m happy 😁
Just bought my first red dot today! Took one of your crossfires, can't wait to try it our on my shotgun
Living in the south east USA the red dot on a 7.62 AK is a great option for pretty much anything you’d hunt down here.
I have a red dot temporarily mounted on my new RARR in 300 BLK. I like the light weight and compactness of the red dot on the short rifle. I need to shoot more at longer distances to see if I can stay with the red dot or need to move to a scope. I didn’t use the magnification or focus much on recticle on the last buck I shot at 80 yards a couple of weeks ago. Most of my hunting distances are at less than 100 yards.
I use a Tikka T3 caliber 308 with a red dot on a Dentler mount and silencer on all driven hunts and when stalking.
With the Dentler mount you can Swap Out your optic easy. Greetings fromm Germany and "Waidmannsheil" 🙏
I have the Vortex crossfire 2-7 on my AR, the 2X is really fast and accurate, and when I need to look out to 300 I crank it up to 7X to use my handy dandy Dead Hold BDC.
On my 30-06 I have a 4-12 X 50 with a mini red dot on top.
On your cartridge vs gel tests 28 nosler vs 7mm-08 has a 17.8 increase in velocity with. 140 grain but has a 103 percent more powder used
We still do drives in northern Wisco, long shots are usually 50 yards. I've tried dots, but personally a 1-4 lvpo with a firedot is far superior.
Does the crossfire have a clearer dot than the sparc ar?
I use one on my muzzleloader since were not allowed "telescopic sights." Most shots are within 100 yards anyways, so it works great
I've added red dots to the side of all the scopes on my deer rifles, best of both, scope and red dot.
Surprisingly, I agree. Red dot is perfect for close quarters or heavily wooded hunting. I hunt in northeast Texas, which is similar to the heavily wooded lands you have in Wisconsin. I use Venoms on my rifles except for my M4 A3 in 5.56. That has iron sights and I have not changed that, though I could. I tried an LPVO on it and did not like the sight picture.
Electronic dot sight on my Marlin SBL 44MAG. The Ruger scout and Marlin 1895 are set up bI th with LPVO in QD mount and QD dot sight so i can choose between them.
Here in Sweden especially the Aimpoint brand (sorry Vortex) of red dots has been (and is) very popular on hunting rifles for the past 25 years or so. I would say that LVPO:s has overtaken that segment the last 8-10 years thou. On new hunting rifles now it is more often a LVPO that a red dot.
Are there a common set of LPVOs in use?
I live in Sweden, hunts driven hunt, stalking and blinds, have red dot on three of my rifles, a kombi 12/76-6,5x55 a semiauto 30-06 and Bolt action mauser 9,3x57. Have taken roedeer on 100-120 yards with the 6,5. Moose same distans with 30-06. Here where I hunt we rarley have distans over 120 yards , mostley Wood and small fields , only use scope when in blinds in early morning or late evning for deer or hogs.
Having a Red Dot on a Ruger American Ranch 450 Bushmaster, I couldn‘t agree more!
Illuminated reticles are the answer for my eyes and I have never missed steel at 100. It's surprising what the red dot adds to target acquisition
I live in the northeast and hunt exactly like ryan described with tracking in the snow. If it’s nasty out and there’s snow falling or in the trees I still u see a peep sight on a highly modified bar with a 16” barrel in 308. If there is snow in the ground but not still falling I carry a 2nd modified identical bar in 308 with a aim point T2 in a custom mount. I wish vortex would make a Reddot with see through flip up lens caps!!!!!
The peep is hard to beat on those snowy days up here. Especially for a fail safe, traditional option.
The weather changes so often though we need options ha
Was thinking about this in your EXACT example. 760 for deer in Pennsylvania woods. Ended up buying an illuminated 3-9 but now I'm wondering if I should pull the trigger and do the red dot.
Here in the north east Red dot on rifle and handgun win win. Took many deer out to 200 yards.
I have a Crossfire on my Strasser RS14 in 9.3x62
So, so good.
I use a TC Encore Pro Hunter 16" 308 with a 1x prism. Perfect for here in North Central Arkansas.
I run a vortex red dot on my bolt action hunting gun. I have added a quick release so that I can swap to my 3-12 scope in a few seconds. It perfect an I use my red dot more than my scope.
Discuss if a prism would be in any way practical or useful on a bolt gun. To me it seems weird. But the subject of the video was weird until I watched it. And someone else in here suggested a talk about iron sights. Also a great idea.
Hi there (from Europe - Portugal),
I use always a red dot for the allowed birds hunting with mine semi automatic Winchester SX4 Cal.20. It's amazing the difference "to have a red dot" and "do not have a red dot". As you know, hunting birds with a Cal.20 requires a better shot colocation on target and, normaly, we shoot at 20 to 50 yards in a very quick movement. Shooting with a red dot, you have a faster target aquisition and also a faster perception of the target diretion. Get one, train and you will not regret. After a little train you will conclude: where is the dot, is the shot. Don't forguet your swing...
Good huntings.
PS. When I say birds i'm saying mainly: pigeons, partridges, ducks and thrushes
Red dots are the way to go in deep forests. No need for magnification. Used an Aimpoint for my first roe deer. Snap shot where I had wery short time, 80m standing.
Red dots are the best solution for DG, and is close to ideal out to 150m.
My problem isn't making hits, it's making positive identification. In the driven hunt scenario you're talking about where a deer comes running and jumping by so quickly that you need a red dot for speed, how confident are you with your naked eye that your doe doesn't have tiny spikes?
Ive got a gun where the factory sights are adjusted to max elevation to zero at 100yds. Its not quite enough either. My solution since i dont need magnification is im adding a rail and a dot. Simple and easy. Thing is its a Traditions .50 black powder... And i love the idea.
Killed my buck this year with a marlin 1895 in .45-70 with a red dot. These rifles are limited range wise and its short compact frame makes for quick up close shots.
Once again, well done Gents.
I have one on my 5.56 ruger american ranch, and it's awesome.
Red Dot vs LPVO for hunting would be an interesting discussion