Shotgun Red Dot Suggestions

[jkchan83]

I am thinking about putting a cheap red dot or holographic sight on my shotgun. I was wondering if you had any suggestions.

The gun is a Mossberg 590 (Big 5) that I've added a top rail to. I have the OEM stock on it right now, but I plan on changing it for a Knoxx Spec-Ops Recoil Reducing stock soon. I have read that this stock raises the head so that the bead sight is useless. Therefore, I want to add a red dot or holographic sight.

This weapon is mainly for home defense. It already has a white light, so that is not an issue. I would like to add a small reflex-style sight since my girlfriend and I both shoot red dots on our AR's.

Thanks in advance.

[sb_pete]

Meh, 12ga defensive loads are a lot of recoil for "cheap" red dots. Why not go with a ghost ring rear sight and tritium front post? Something like the 590 SPX setup. Here is the Mossberg ghost ring set as a kit. Around $70 but I'm sure you could find them cheaper. These are fast and unlikely to fail. Your receiver needs to be drilled and tapped but it sounds like you already have a rail so this might not be an issue. Not sure if the holes would be the same though or if they would work together. Also, these are not trit front sights out of the box.

There is also the MMC ghost ring. More expensive though. If you already have a rail, the LPA setup just goes on to your rail. That's the one Mossberg uses on they're 930SPX models. Here's the full breakdown of the LPA stuff. They are made by PSI (Precision Sales Intl.)

Maybe you could even just go with something like the XS "Big Dot" (~$60) front sight by itself. That would be cheap and might get you high enough.Never done it, so you'd have to check with someone with a knoxx stock to make sure it would work. They also make ghost ring setups.

I wouldn't hesitate to put a quality red dot or holographic sight on a shotgun, but a cheap red dot on a pump action 12 ga intended for defensive use just don't sound too smart to me

[L-2]

Here's a photo on a Benelli shotgun (ref. Larue Tactical for photo). Disregard the two rifles at the top of the photo.

http://www.aimpoint.com/products/aimpoint_product_lines

Consider Aimpoint. There's a nice smaller one called a Micro T-1 which added no discernible weight from the one I tried on an 870.


You can try "cheap", but most of the cheap stuff I've bought usually broke and was thrown away soon after trying them.

[supermario]

Meh, 12ga defensive loads are a lot of recoil for "cheap" red dots. Why not go with a ghost ring rear sight and tritium front post? Something like the 590 SPX setup.

Here is the Mossberg ghost ring set as a kit. Around $70 but I'm sure you could find them cheaper. These are fast and unlikely to fail. Your receiver needs to be drilled and tapped but it sounds like you already have a rail so this might not be an issue. Not sure if the holes would be the same though or if they would work together. Also, these are not trit front sights out of the box.

There is also the MMC ghost ring. More expensive though. If you already have a rail, the LPA setup just goes on to your rail. That's the one Mossberg uses on they're 930SPX models. Here's the full breakdown of the LPA stuff. They are made by PSI (Precision Sales Intl.)

Maybe you could even just go with something like the XS "Big Dot" (~$60) front sight by itself. That would be cheap and might get you high enough.Never done it, so you'd have to check with someone with a knoxx stock to make sure it would work. They also make ghost ring setups.

I wouldn't hesitate to put a quality red dot or holographic sight on a shotgun, but a cheap red dot on a pump action 12 ga intended for defensive use just don't sound too smart to me

Exactly my thoughts, and to be honest with you, for home defense you probably would just point and shoot anyways, thats why they call them scatter guns. I think the knoxx stock and ammo you use is more important than anything. I use a bead to hit clays flying in the air, you really dont need optics unless your shooting a slug gun. IMHO

[lokmeup]

http://www.tacticalnightvision.com

rdp-II-sar.pdf

[maxicon]

Marsh at www.primaryarms.com tests his inexpensive red dots on shotguns, and has had good luck with them. I think the T1 look-alike is out of stock, but it would be worth checking.

[sb_pete]

Marsh at www.primaryarms.com tests his inexpensive red dots on shotguns, and has had good luck with them. I think the T1 look-alike is out of stock, but it would be worth checking.

heh, didn't know about those. They look like cool options. Again, not sure I'd want to trust them to my SHTF 12ga, but they would be alot of fun on carbines and .22lr tactical plinkers like Spikes uppers and GSG-5's.

[prc77]

HD shotgun, bead sight is plenty good enough, and the fastest thing out there. Nothing to turn on, nothing to look through. K.I.S.S. ( keep it simple stupid )

[JPurp]

I just put a red dot on my Benelli M2. I decided to go with the Aimpoint Micro T1 because it was small, there was great feedback about it's ability to take shotgun recoil and I could use the very low profile LaRue mount (as pointed out above). Over all the sight is great.

I store the T1 turned off to save battery and with the covers on it as it picks up dust and fingerprints easily. When I want to turn it on the dial is a bit stiff and it needs to be turned to 7 or 8 to be really useful. My concern is for home defense that is quite a bit of extra work to do when 1/2 asleep.

In comparison my EoTech turns on with the push of one of 2 buttons and it is automatically at the correct brightness.

Just my $.02. Hope that helps.

[sb_pete]

Why the heck would you store an Aimpoint T1 Micro turned off? The battery life is 5 YEARS! of constant on. They are meant to be left on at all times. Just change the battery once a year or every time you change the batteries in your smoke detectors or something. Even then the battery in the T1 will still have 80% life.

[MallNinja]

Don't listen to anyone that hasn't tried a red dot. And you'd know who they are because if they'd tried it, they wouldn't write them off and tell you to get some ghost rings or night sights. After installing my Burris Speed Bead on my 870 and shooting even clay pigeons with them, I can say that it's helluva lot quicker acquiring targets. And to be used in the dark, nothing beats it. Since you have a Mossberg but you've got a rail, look into Burris FastFire http://www.burrisoptics.com/fastfire.html And I can attest to it's reliability and keeping zero after shooting many many buckshots through it. They're rated at 5yrs battery life and 1,000 g's forces.