Optic on a shotgun

[SixPointEight]

I plan on trying a red dot site on my benelli some day. Simply because I'm left eye dominant and would like to give it a try.

You know, I'm left eye dominant too. I've heard of people training their right eye to be dominant, I'd love to do that because I am super uncoordinated with my left hand. If I find out anything I'll let you know. With that said, I will be trying an optic on my shotgun soon

[aippi]

no optics on an HD. they will get in your way.

[prc77]

I think you'd better go shoot the thing first. Then go buy a real stock for it. Once you can aim it properly then you'll be in a position to evaluate sight options. For HD a bead is what you want.

Good advice

[rp55]

Speed bead or aimpoint T-1 micro

I just put a Speed Bead on an 870. On the one hand it is pretty amazing. It is unobtrusive and does not get in the way. You look through it and where ever the dot is, the shot pattern goes. Interestingly 99% of the time it is exactly matched up with the front sight. On the other hand, it is a pita to put on a synthetic stock. I could not get it in. Thought I was messing up so I took it to a gunsmith and he could not get it in. We tried it with some wood stocks and it fits them perfectly. Wound up having to take a Dremel to the synthetic stock and remove some to get it in and the fit is not perfect. It may be valuable to a new or inexperienced shotgun shooter but my opinion is that it is not worth $250, which seems to be the going Internet price (I got mine for free). In the long run you'd be better of buying a case of good ammo and practicing.

[Hayashi Killian]

What's a good choice for "better irons"?

Ghost rings, or a better front post and rear leaf sights compared to the single front bead. For HD, something with trijicon would be good, since the glowing sight would outline your target in what's presumably going to be a low-light situation.

[BMC]

A shotgun in a close-quarter, HD situation is beneficial because you don't have to be precise with your aiming. They were once called "scatterguns" for a reason. That being you can use it as an effective tool from most controlled shooting positions, even shooting from the hip. As suggested in several posts, it will only get in the way. For a human (intruder) target, you don't even need beads.

[1811]

The JIC doesn't have a buttstock... so the question is: How would you hold a shotgun like that up to your face to use the optic? Assuming you could, I hope you have really strong cheekbones if you tried to fire it. ;-)

I plan on putting a stock on it if I go with a red-dot...

OUCH....that would hurt...

[windrider]

if its for HD i would forget about it, you want to take as little steps as possible before you can fire it, you might get killed because you had to turn on a site before you can fire, its just a bad idea, i like the idea of having a aimpoint micro t-1, it has a battery life of like 5 years so you can just leave it on and not have to worry about turning it on if you need to use it

[cal3gunner]

...

[2new]

no optics on an HD. they will get in your way.

What he said!

[an actual gun]

The JIC is pistol grip only, so in this case I especially think optics are kind of pointless.

[1811]

The JIC is pistol grip only, so in this case I especially think optics are kind of pointless.

As I said a few posts above...I will only put a red-dot on if a stock goes on...

[jordeezy]

I'm also getting my first shotgun, also a Mossberg 500, and was thinking of picking up a fiber-obtic front bead from Tru Glo.

http://www.truglo.com/content/products/firearm/wing_clay/glo_dot_2.asp

[Compuham]

Agree w/prc77; no optics, but a red or green laser device might be good. I have an 870, no optics or laser.

[randy]

Some LAPD guys are/were running red dots on their M4 Benelli's. I don't think it would be a good idea for a HD gun. To me HD is reactive not proactive. If you're a cop and going hunting (on a team) then you are proactive and have time to turn on the dot check your load adjust your pants and wipe the donut crumbs off yourself. If you get woken up in the middle of the night KISS comes to mind. Not having to mess with a dot is a good thing. I also don't see any need for GR sites on a HD set up but you do need to aim/point.

All my shotguns are VR models. I've seen some shooters using a 10/22 rear sight cut into the VR flip it up for slugs down for everything else. Another option I had to use on a curse I owned (Remmy 1100) was a Williams sight on the receiver and the standard bead on the front. That gun was so far off on windage I couldn't shoot slugs without it.

I'm a believer in less is more. The less crap you have on your gun the more reliable your gun is going to be.