I have had both, and realistically I think that both have a place in a hunting role. The first thing to consider is the platform your putting optics on. Is this an auto loader/standard revolver, a big revolver, a single shot of some sort? Next is shot range, then what critter your after.
Autoloading handguns and standard length revolvers are best at close range because the vast majority run out of energy quickly. The MOS Glock with a tiny holosight is a great example of where these guns shine. Great for close range hunting in thick woods, or as a sidearm playing second fiddle to a long gun. Realistically a good set of sights is almost as good as the expensive electronic optics, but only if you can see the sights.
Big revolvers are typically more powerful, sometimes much more powerful. They can have capability for some longer range hunting, but they can also be used for some serious stopping power similar to what was mentioned above. Pick your optic to match what you plan to do. If your going past 50ish yards you want magnification, inside 50 you want no magnification to help with quick target acquisition. 50 yards is my breaking point, it all depends on your skill, your gun, and your quarry as to where your decision lands, guys I hunt with have breaking points closer and further than mine, it’s personal preference.
The big single shots are geared for accuracy and that makes sense because if you only have one shot you want it to hit exactly where you aim. Guns like this are great platforms for pistol scopes, but be careful not to overdo it on magnification. The field of view is small and it can be tough to find what you want to aim at if you put on too large of a magnification scope. On these, fixed 2 to 4 power scopes are great. Same thing goes for big revolvers if a magnified scope is chosen.
On the scopes, handguns are less capable for extreme accuracy as opposed to long guns, so the things you see in rifles may not work in handguns. Things like BDC reticles and such are good for target shooting but for hunting they serve no functional purpose in most cases. By the time a bullet starts dropping enough to use those features the projectile has shed so much energy that it’s probably beyond its effective range. So it’s harder to shoot accurately, and it’s less powerful, so you are more likely to pull a shot from well aimed to a marginal hit with a marginal round (at that extended range) which quickly runs into the question of ethical shooting.
The red dots and holosights use batteries... always dead when you need them. No matter if they work for decades when left turned on, dead when needed. I dislike them for that sole reason, but for quick close shooting they can be a very good tool.
