HD shotgun red dot recommendations

[deckhandmike]

Look at all the haters above? LOL. You could make the same claims the haters are making about putting a red dot on a handgun or even an AR. If you can't hit a target with ______ at ______ yards without a red dot you suck. They are not wrong, but they are missing the point. Firstly, it's cool. Secondly just about anything you can do without a red dot with irons or a bead you are going to do better with a red dot. It's not a necessity. It's a nice to have. Besides, even though the primary purpose is HD, that doesn't mean you're not going to want to take a course with it and push it to it's limits. In which case, a red dot is helpful.
.

I fully disagree with you here in regards to a shotgun. I can walk through my house at low ready with a shotgun and a laser/light and fire before I can even mount my gun knowing exactly where my round is heading. A red dot is useful when you are ready to fire. Not when caught by surprise. You can absolutely fire a shotgun from the hip, a pistol in the dark not so much. When Im clearing my house at night because something fell I prefer to keep my gun at low ready because its 99.9% not an intruder and I don?t want to accidentally shoot my family. A laser is more useful for this because it requires no cheek weld. I dont care if I give away my position because its not an intruder and I dont want to break my leg stepping on frigging legos.

And I agree a red dot is better for when you?re ready to work but it?s a hindrance when caught by surprise. And yes if I was some real operator I?d never use a visible laser. But it?s great for the average joe vs the average hood rat in a real world bump in the night scenario.

Obviously this is different for everyone but I?m very mindful to not let my gear surpass my training or needs. To me a laser on a shotgun is an illuminated bead sight and the longest distance in my house is maybe 50 feet. A red dot would require me to clear corners with my gun fully extended instead of a safer for everyone (but me) low ready. As a dad I can?t go bungling around a house at 2am flagging everyone with a red dot.

Everyone clears their house differently based on their needs but to me it?s more snap shooting. Very similar to quail hunting where you are pointing a gun in a safe direction and then need to bring it to fire quickly. A red dot sucks for this. You don?t see red dots on upland guns for a reason, it?s way slower.

[LBDamned]

I have a Holosun 507c on my Beretta 1301 and its fine.

That's what I use on 1301 and M4... on scalarworks mount.

No issues.

[W.R.Buchanan]

If you are just wanting to try one out I can attest to Bushnell TRS25 for $80 being a viable sight. I have 7 of them and all of them still work from as long as 20 years ago.

They are all mounted on various Carbines and my Ruger Scout Rifle .308.

Haven't put one on a Shotgun for any number of reasons but my House Gun has a Streamlight TLR 7 with Laser on it, and it works just like the "Deckhand" states above. IE: you can fire it from any position that you can put the laser on said target, around corners, upside down etc. No gun mount necessary.

I used to use just a Streamlight TLR3 on that gun and with the Fiber Optic Sights they glow pretty bright when the light in turned on, so finding the Front Sight in the Dark is pretty easy.

YMMV

Randy

[tacticalcity]

If you are just wanting to try one out I can attest to Bushnell TRS25 for $80 being a viable sight. I have 7 of them and all of them still work from as long as 20 years ago.

I had one for a while. My main issue with it was battery life. Even not turning it on and leaving it stored in my closet off the battery was dying on me. Then again, I may have just had a bad one. That said, the pricepoint is great. Especially if you are not sure you are gonna like using a reddot. Gives people a chance to try it out with something that will hold zero without breaking the bank.

[Avocado Toast]

They fall off under recoil of anything other than birdshot.

Shooting buck or slugs sent it off my 870 and it landed at my feet. Totally worthless product. A shotgun will find the weaknesses in your system and break anything that it's Loctited or torqued down. It's a very weak product.

[Avocado Toast]

I have been asked to teach combat shotgun and shoot more shotgun than most sane people and I can tell you with absolute conviction that you must aim a shotgun.

It's not an alley sweeper and it has to be aimed. The spread on a shotgun is about 1" per yard with any off the shelf ammo. That's it. 7 yards equals 7". If you use Federal Flitecontrol ammo, it's excellent for distance like nothing else but it only spread about half the distance of plain jane buckshot.

Like any arm, it must be aimed.

For short distances, the ammo doesn't matter. Not one bit. Longer distances it does. Just pick a 00 buck and go to town and while we're at it, please, and I say this with tears running down my cheeks, do not stagger your ammo in the magazine with buck, slug, buck, slug or anything similar. It's what non-thinking people do. It's a really bad idea.

[W.R.Buchanan]

My Vang Comped House Gun puts 00 or 000 into 7" at 25 yards

The gun is kept loaded "Cruiser Ready" Chamber empty, with 5 rounds of Low Recoil 00 in the magazine and another 4 on the Side Saddle with 2 slugs just in case. 11 rounds total on the gun.



The Light/Laser is activated by a "Treadle Switch" on the rear of the light which is mounted at the front of the Fore End.

This gun can be fired accurately in the house by simply putting the Red Dot on the target which can be done with the gun in any position. My Wife has been trained to have the Buttstock under her Arm to avoid the Recoil. Also she, like most women is Cross Eye Dominant, so she doesn't have to mount the gun to her shoulder and try to go all contorted to get her left eye lined up with the sights when seconds matter!!!.

Hopefully she will be able to do this if necessary, I have no doubt that she has the Balls to do it, I just hope she can remember to Rack the Slide in the Heat of the Moment?

Randy