Holographic Sight on a shotgun?

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Schofield3

Schofield3

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Hello all; Quick question: Does anyone currently use or plan to use a Holographic or Reflex style optic on a shotgun??

Like:

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I've got a 590 that i'm thinkin real hard about a rail and Holographic sight on; only other concern is would the 12GA recoil be too much for these optics?

Thanks
 
I wouldn't plan to use one on a shotgun, if I were going to be shooting shot in it.

Slugs are a different matter.
 
On a dedicated slug gun it's something to consider. But I'd probably throw on some rifle sights or ghost rings in that case. Batteries die, holo sights break and wear out.
 
hahaha, nope no shot; Slugs are why I'm even considering this....
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Well, you never know.:)

There are other things to consider, like the stock. I think that, if you put that sight on top of a gun with stock drop meant for a bead or ghost rings, you could be in for a world of hurt when you touched it off.

But, set up right, with top-notch sights, it should work.

People use those sights on slide mounts on 1911s, meaning they get slammed back and forth every time the things cycle. So they are tougher than they'd seem (though I agree with Acceptable: electronic doo-dads are GREAT, when they work...).
 
I have used a EO on a shotty for turkey hunting for years.

Holo's and red dots are great for using on hunting shotty's. You can really get the "meat of the pattern" where you want it.......

For slugs it woudl great too....
 
Reflex or holosights are good for either shot or slugs, when it comes to getting a quick sight picture. The only thing is, if you're talking about a basic pump action 12 gauge, you're potentially talking about an optic that costs more than the weapon did. It's a very subjective, but still very relevant question about diminishing returns.

If you have the money, are willing to use it on this form of aiming device, and are able to practice on it and get proficient with it, I can tell you from experience, it will undoubtedly improve your ability to run the shotgun accurately, and quickly. I CAN'T tell you that it'll definitely be $300+ worth of improvement. That's up to you to decide.
 
Yeah, turkey hunting with very tight chokes is a whole different application, with sighting more like what you'd want for slugs than for shot.

To the original question, a lot of turkey loads are BRUTAL. I doubt that slugs would cause any more recoil, wear and tear than some of those turkey shells do!
 
Thanks for the reply's! I'm leaning towards getting one, I have to decide on a mount now; plain flat rail on top or one of the reciever wrap-around type mounts??

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I used the saddel type mount you have pictured with great results....

I was able to have it on there for Turkey season and then take it off for Pheasant season...

When I put it back on - I always had perfect zero everytime......
 
If your receiver is already drilled and tapped, there's no reason not to go with the plain rail. The wrap-around ones aren't any more or less stable, and are usually more expensive.

On the other hand, and I will be stressing this point in just about every post I make on this topic... it /IS/ your money. If you prefer the appearance of the receiver wrap-over saddle rails, enough so to feel it is worth the extra few bucks, god bless you.
 
I've used an EOtech in the past, and currently have a Bushnell on the bullpup shotgun. The Mossberg SPX has a Pride-Fowler mini red dot that's set up so that the dot is exactly where the fiber optic is when I have my head correctly aligned.

The PF is Tiny, compared to most red-dots, as most MRD's are. I figure it's the best of both worlds as I can see the MRD when it's dark and the fiber optic when there's enough illumination.

When I had the EOtech on the bullpup it was amazingly fast, pull the trigger as soon as the big circle was getting on target and it gave consistent center-of-mass shots out to 25 yards.
 
I have the Burris Speed Bead that doesn't require holes to be tapped or anything. But mounts between the stock and the receiver. Works great for skeet. It's actually on a 20" Remington Express for HD so it's excellent as a night optic. No issues with mounting height as it comes with several spacers. And battery life is several thousand hours so just leave it on. And the red dot is plenty bright even in bright day light.
 
Does anyone currently use or plan to use a Holographic or Reflex style optic on a shotgun??
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Have you been watching that idiotic show on the Sportsmans Channel? Flyway Highway, I think it's called.

One of the hosts on that show uses one (misses more than he hits, as far as I can tell.) He claims it helps him with cross-eye dominance. Never having had that problem, I can't really comment on it any more than plausible.

Wyman
 
If you're shooting dynamic targets versus static targets, and you're focusing on the bead/sights, you'll be missing your target. Turkey/deer hunting, being more static this might be nice; clays, birds, being dynamic, this would be a waste
 
Among Open Division 3 Gun shooters, it's extremely common to see them running a red dot or holographic sight of one sort or another. Presumably, it not only makes it faster/more accurate to make long-distance slug shots, but also speeds up transitions and target acquisition with bird shot as well.

I don't know what the effect would be on shooting flying targets such as clay pigeons.
 
I don't know what the effect would be on shooting flying targets such as clay pigeons.
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The effect is a missed bird - the focus needs to be on the TARGET, not the sights. many a good wing-shooting instructor will remove the beads completely. If the gun fits properly, they're not necessary
 
If the gun fits properly, they're not necessary
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Worse yet, they'll sometimes divert your attention from the target, especially whey you're shooting under lights and the bead suddenly goes from being a dark dot to a bright shiny gold object.:)

I've paid to have a brazed-on fiberoptic removed from a shotgun.
 
I used a Weaver Quik Point years ago and I can tell you it works great on flying targets. I ran many a 25 at skeet and trap warming up for waterfowl season. The dot and the bird are in the same focal plane, so instead of using the traditional sight picture you just concentrated on putting the red dot where you wanted the pattern to go. I stopped using it because I had continual problems with the mount, it was heavy, and it was bulky, and it used natural light, not because it didn't work well when light conditions were good. I am seriously considering a Speed Bead, except the cost is putting me off since I am without a job at present.
You do not have to worry about fit, cheek weld, keep head down, nothing, except if you can see the dot and it is where you want it, and you calculated the lead correctly, you will hit the target. It's different. I even shot some targets using an occluded sight. You block the sight tube, and your normal dominant eye sees only the dot, and your other eye sees the target, and your brain puts them together and you still hit the target. I got a 23 at skeet and a 24 at trap doing that and amazed the heck out of some people, including me.
 
Slugs, yes. Shot, no. Most setups raise the sight picture too high for a proper cheek weld. If you are gonna do it and into to shoot at moving targets, look for a low setup that places the dot as close as possible to the natural sight line down the barrel.
 
You don't need cheek weld. Your eye position is no longer the "rear sight".
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The two things are not necessarily mutually exclusive. You don't need a cheek weld in order to have the POI match the POA. But there are other reasons to have a cheek weld.:)
 
Your eye position is no longer the "rear sight".
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Cheek weld will keep your head on the stock.....There's an old saying: "Head on the stock, eye on the rock"....Your eye SHOULD be the rear sight when you're talking about moving a gun to hit a moving target

Successful baseball hitters watch the ball, not the bat. Successful tennis players watch the ball, not the racquet. Successful shotgunners watch the target, not the sight
 
Your eye SHOULD be the rear sight when you're talking about moving a gun to hit a moving target
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I started shooting my rifles better -- even scoped rifles -- after getting some shotgun experience. I learned that the rifle was an extension of my upper body and head, and that everything should be locked together and move in unison.

Shooting is not just about looking down the sights or through the scope.:)
 
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