[Green Mountain Boy]

Looking to use on a mossberg 500 for hd use as well as slug shots under 100 yards.

What suggestions do you guys have?

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[BenjiEDF]

I think the Vortex SPARC is nice, and I would assume the Vortex Strikefire is a good product too. I have since upgraded to an AimPoint PRO and haven't looked back, so maybe I'm a RDS snob... but this was for an AR-15 build of mine. I think the SPARC could be mounted low enough to have a nice sight picture/cheek weld and it's tough enough to work well on a Mossberg.

[MrMurphy]

For serious use......for that price? Nothing.

Get a XS tritium Big Dot or for slugs, the Express sight/Ghost Ring option. Fast and accurate.

If you actually intended to spend money on a serious optic, an Aimpoint Micro H-1 in a low mount would work well.

[sigman69]

Originally Posted by MrMurphy

For serious use......for that price? Nothing.

Get a XS tritium Big Dot or for slugs, the Express sight/Ghost Ring option. Fast and accurate.

If you actually intended to spend money on a serious optic, an Aimpoint Micro H-1 in a low mount would work well.

exactly, none of the cheaper Red dots will hold up to any kind of shooting out of a shotgun.

[Buffering]

Competition ready for <$200 is possible but for serious combat work it can't be done. Read Murph's post again.

[SouthpawG26]

For exactly $200 you can get a newly released Lucid HD7 gen III. In my opinion the only optic in this price range that i would consider truly shotgun proof.

It also has some features not available on Aimpoint, Eotechs and other top red dot sights, such as auto brightness regulation, 4 changeable reticles and screw in magnifiers.

http://www.mylucidgear.com/reddotsights.php

Reviews:
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/201...red-dot-sight/

http://www.riflescopes.webyshops.com...D7-Review-From

Note: the new Gen III addresses most of the shortcomings of the earlier models with better turrets, screw in killflash etc.

[pgg00]

I'd agree with Murphy.

[Green Mountain Boy]

Ok fair enough. What price point should I be considering. PS. This is for HD applications first and perhaps medium range slugs during Bear Season.

Regards, GMB

[glockman99]

Originally Posted by Green Mountain Boy

Ok fair enough. What price point should I be considering. PS. This is for HD applications first and perhaps medium range slugs during Bear Season.

Regards, GMB

For HD you might not have time to use sights at-all...Just point & shoot.

[Green Mountain Boy]

Originally Posted by glockman99

For HD you might not have time to use sights at-all...Just point & shoot.

I would agree that in a true HD environment the simple bead sight or perhaps XS Big Dot Sights might suffice. My concern is making accurate hits with slugs for a different application. I want this gun to be able to serve double duty as a hunting gun as well. I would like to use the same setup right down to the sling.

Regards, GMB

[Buffering]

To be honest, unless you're going to leave the RDS sight on all the time at an appropriate brightness setting (how do you know what it will be?) it's more of a hindrance. Additionally, for distance shooting on something like an AK, I'd prefer to have the finer dot of a 2 MOA whereas a 4 MOA might be preferable for a HD weapon.

To continue with the Honesty Tour, I think you'd be better off buying a cantilever barrel for bear hunting and then just unscrew the HD barrel and then screw on the one with the RDS.

In terms of price, this is where your sphincter muscle needs to relax a bit because just like with optics on an AR, a quality RDS is expensive. For your purpose the Aimpoint H1 will work perfectly well and not disintegrate on a shotgun. Opticsplanet had them this past weekend for $607. Sometimes you can find it for $575.

[MrMurphy]

You could also use an Aimpoint PRO in a very low mount, but it's a bigger scope, and having used a same-size ML3 on an 870, it's not optimal, the Micro was designed specifically for this sort of thing.

I use a Micro on a rifle and they're worth every penny.

If you're stand hunting, ghost rings are just as accurate for both your purposes, i've shot standard slugs (accurately) from the prone and routinely headshotted silhouettes at 100m with a known range and no time crunch. Out to 75 yards or so under hunting conditions would be doable if you can see the target.

A red dot for a slug shotgun will improve acquisition speed on moving targets or in the dark, but it won't make you a better shot. A spare barrel with cantilever and a 2X illuminated scope would probably do better there.

Unless you train with one for a while a red dot may not be the best option for under-20 yard use indoors. At typical shotgun distances loaded with buck indoors, an XS Big Dot tritium bead is nearly as quick as a red dot (having used the Big Dot on a Glock for over a decade), where the dot wins is further out and in varied conditions, or to augment rifle sights. I've used Aimpoints on duty for years in all weather conditions and the dark and love them, but in this particular instance, if your budget does not allow it, the XS sights run about $100-150.

[Green Mountain Boy]

The more I read research and hear it sounds to me like the xs big dots may be a better way to go. I don't like the Idea of having more switches to fumble with.

The xs sights sound like a good option. How difficult is it to remove the current bead and go to the xs bead?

Regards, GMB

[glockman99]

I've had the (Ashley) Big Dots on my Glock pistols, and they are excellent, and quick to "pick-up".

[Buffering]

I have no idea what I'm talking about so I deleted my reply.

[Green Mountain Boy]

Originally Posted by Buffering

I have no idea what I'm talking about so I deleted my reply.

Common you don't get to delete your post prior to the op seeing it

Also clearly I am the only one who doesn't know what he is talking about or I wouldn't have 20 questions.

This whole shotgun thing is new to me for sure.

Regards, GMB

[GWG19]

I have a Aim Point PRO, a couple of EOTechs and a couple of Bushnell TRS-25s.
I am running a TRS 25 on a SBR AR15. Low round count but no problems. I am also running one on a M11A1 with Lage Upper on it. It is a FA gun and the TRS25 probably has about 2000 rounds of full auto fire under it. No problems.

The TRS falls into your criteria. No it does not have the battery life or the durability of an AimPoint. But it does cost less than $100.

With all of that said IMO you would be better severed buy a good set of ghost ring sights of your shotgun.
Accurate 100 yard hits are difficult to obtain with GR sights. We where shooting 8 inch balloons at 100 yards with slugs and smooth bore.
http://www.brownells.com/search/inde...ghts&ksubmit=y

[Buffering]

Originally Posted by Green Mountain Boy

Common you don't get to delete your post prior to the op seeing it

Also clearly I am the only one who doesn't know what he is talking about or I wouldn't have 20 questions.

This whole shotgun thing is new to me for sure.

Regards, GMB

Fair enough.

What I'd originally typed was that the XS would just epoxy over the existing sight and then I remembered that's only for the 870 (what I have) and that XS doesn't make one for Mossberg. They make them as part of a set for Mossberg but not a standalone item.

Moral of the story? Don't listen to half of what I say.

[Green Mountain Boy]

Ah well the set on their site would be ok I suppose. But it seems like I am in for some serious metal work to remove that bead.

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[MrMurphy]

For slug use, I'd advise the white stripe front sight, not the Big Dot.

[afe7ret]

Bushnell TRS-25.

[onebigelf]

Originally Posted by GWG19

I have a Aim Point PRO, a couple of EOTechs and a couple of Bushnell TRS-25s.
I am running a TRS 25 on a SBR AR15. Low round count but no problems. I am also running one on a M11A1 with Lage Upper on it. It is a FA gun and the TRS25 probably has about 2000 rounds of full auto fire under it. No problems.

The TRS falls into your criteria. No it does not have the battery life or the durability of an AimPoint. But it does cost less than $100.

With all of that said IMO you would be better severed buy a good set of ghost ring sights of your shotgun.
Accurate 100 yard hits are difficult to obtain with GR sights. We where shooting 8 inch balloons at 100 yards with slugs and smooth bore.
http://www.brownells.com/search/inde...ghts&ksubmit=y

I'm also running TRS-25s on a Winchester 1400 semi-auto 12ga slug gun, an AK-47 SBR, and a 9mm carbine. I have nothing but good things to say about the sight. The newer ones don't have the uber stiff dial of the older ones. Battery life is decent and batteries are widely available/cheap 2032 watch batteries.

I like the look of the Lucid H7 and may try one of those on another gun. Thanks for the link, Southpaw.

John