Revolvers...red dots...questions

[bear71]

I've just purchased a previously owned Ruger KGP-161 with a Bushnell Trophy red dot sight affixed to it. No box or paperwork for the firearm or the red dot. No factory rear sight. This is a fun gun, I won't be defending life and limb nor will I be competing with it or anything else. FUN GUN ONLY. This is my first revolver and my first red dot.

Rather than run off right away to buy some suitable sights for it, I'd like to try out the red dot. Some questions.

1. Do the red dots hold their zero or do they need to be tinkered with constantly?

2. At 15-20 yards, will the point of impact be different for the .357 compared to the 38 special? Does it have to be zeroed to one or the other at a fairly close range?

3. What are the main disadvantages to red dot scopes on revolvers?

4. What are the main advantages to red dot scopes on revolvers?

5. Is a 6" Ruger .357 suitable to hunt whitetail deer at ranges of 50 yards or less should I elect to do that once skilled. They're legal here.

 

[transalpian]

My opinions:

1. My red-dots hold their zero extremely well. I use UltraDots for bullseye shooting and have never had a problem. HOWEVER, the mount and rings on your sight will have a big impact on repeatability.

2. Typically, POA vs POI issues are more impacted by bullet weight differences than by velocities. Out of your 6" gun, if you are shooting similar weight rounds, you probably won't see much difference.

3. Main disadvantages are having a battery that can go dead and a somewhat limited sight picture (depending on the size of the sight). My sights are 1" tubes and give me adequate field of vision for target use at 50 yds. For hunting, I'd probably use something bigger.

4. For me, the main advantage is being able to fix my focus on the dot and the target at the same time. As you know, with iron sights, your focus should be on the front post, leaving the target blurry. Some people love red dots, some people hate them. Check this link for more intelligent info:

http://www.bullseyepistol.com/dotsight.htm

5. I don't hunt, so I'll leave this one to someone else.

6. Your Ruger is a great gun. I had a 4" version and loved it. It is a workhorse gun and you'll not likely ever break it or wear it out. These GPs can be tuned easily to have a pretty good trigger. I have a .pdf of a tuning document from the Ruger forum that I can email you if you are interested. It goes into amazing detail and I didn't write it, so its probably accurate!

Hope this helps

'alp

 

[Deer Hunter]

For hunting, you should be fine for hunting at 50 yards. I've got a 30mm Millet on an S&W 625 of mine and love it very much. Red dots hold their zero very nicely.

 

[bear71]

Thanks for the thoughtful response, trans.

Great pic, hunter!