Sights on shotguns

[Wapato]

Searching finds some threads touching on the subject, but it never gets discussed in detail.

What do people think about the different choices of sights on shotguns?

I would have thought that scopes on a shutgun would be silly. But if I'm reading our states laws right, you can't use buckshot on bucks, and they say scopes are highly encourage.

What about with home defense? I think all the military rifles fieature something like ghost ring by default and a rail for mounting other stuff. But that might be for engaging targets at much further ranges. Still, you aren't going to see much spread at <21 feet and so shot placement could merit a sight. Also night vision sights are coming down in price to where they could be affordable, and while I've never used one, it seems like they might eliminate all the complications of trying to work a light for target identification and aiming, which seem especially annoying on a shotgun.


What about for trap or birds? Bead is obviously popular, however I could see where a red dot sight might be much easier to learn on for leading a target if not better overall.

Actually I could see the training thing applying to all cases. Maybe after 25 years of point shooting someone wouldn't want or need sights. But I'm coming at this from purchasing my first shotgun, and I've never tried point shooting with my rifles, and hardly any with a handgun.

 

[blackthorne]

The only use for rifle sights, scopes or red dots on a shotgun would be for slugs at over 40 yards. With anything else, beads work better, much much better.

Buy your shotgun. Take some lessons. Afterwards you can experiment with sights if you shoot slugs at longish targets.

 

[erwos]

Beads work fine for HD... you just need to replace your bead with a tritium bead, like one of those XS Big Dot sights.

 

[circleshooter]

Blackthorne is absolutely right. Unless you're shooting slugs at distance, all u need are bead sights. In fact, for wing shooting or clay targets you don't even need those. Shotguns are pointed and not aimed. If your eyes are focused on the beads and not the target, well, you miss. I use the beads when I mount the gun to make sure my head is aligned correctly and then never look at them again.

 

[pitjeep]

lots of turkey hunters & still target shotgunners use diffrent types of sights-scopes.

 

[Wapato]

Shotguns are pointed and not aimed. If your eyes are focused on the beads and not the target, well, you miss.

That's why it seems like a red dot sight would be helpful, as you'd be focused on the target but you could still tell where the gun is pointing without having to build in insticts for it.

Ah well, maybe it wouldn't work well after all.

Anybody ever try out one of the night / infrared scopes?

 

[pitjeep]

burris speed bead sounds like what you are looking for.

 

[boss66tcode]

Some people use fancy sights and even a scope for turkey. I've hunted turkey, and personally, I think its just marketing.

I have used one of the newer "fiber optic" bead sights that make the bead easier to see. IMHO, anything else is a product to ease the mind.

 

[Minuteman]

burris speed bead sounds like what you are looking for.

Great tip! I had never heard of this before, and it's so minimalist; cool thx!

http://www.google.com/search?tbm=is...&q=burris speed bead&sa=N&biw=320&bih=356#p=0

 

[retrorichard]

I have a pistol gripped remington 870 and had a maverick 88 set up the same way. Without a stock, the pistol gripped 870 helps me aim at the range compared with the bead on the maverick. At the same time, I don't use the setup for HD- I have a mossberg under the bed with a regular stock.

 

[blackthorne]

I have a pistol gripped remington 870 and had a maverick 88 set up the same way. Without a stock, the pistol gripped 870 helps me aim at the range compared with the bead on the maverick. At the same time, I don't use the setup for HD- I have a mossberg under the bed with a regular stock.

Are you referring to shooting slugs at long or small targets?

 

[circleshooter]

That's why it seems like a red dot sight would be helpful, as you'd be focused on the target but you could still tell where the gun is pointing without having to build in insticts for it.

Ah well, maybe it wouldn't work well after all.

Anybody ever try out one of the night / infrared scopes?

Well, most clay shooting, and I'm going to assume wing shooting as well (I've been pheasant hunting once), is based on muscle memory and "building instincts" as you put it. Once you learn, through practice, to mount the gun the same way every time it becomes instinctual. And once you have the gun properly mounted, where you are looking (down the rib) are where the pellets are going.

In clay shooting there's really no such thing as having the bead, sight, whatever, on the actual target. They are traveling 40+ mph and require leads of some sort. Skeet leads range approximately between 1-3 feet, and some sporting clays shots need 8 foot leads or more. You'd need a red dot the size of an iPad to have the "dot" at the right lead point and still be able to have the leading edge of the target in focus. And even then, I'd bet that most people would still put their focus on the red dot itself. I know I probably would. Result: You miss!

 

[lilgibby]

ghost ring gets my vote, love em. will be replacing whats left of my front bead on my mossberg. (notta big deal since i have the benelli as well)