reflex sight?

JackBeQuick · February 17, 2013, 09:21 PM

I have never used one or held a gun with one. Are they useful or more for looks?

allaroundhunter · February 17, 2013, 10:18 PM

Are they useful? Yea, for close in shooting. I can acquire a target much quicker with one than I can with iron sights.

They serve the same purpose as an Eotech holo sight or an Aimpoint RDS.

In what applications are you questioning their usefulness?

JackBeQuick · February 17, 2013, 10:27 PM

target practicing or even shooting coyote or ptarie dogs

Striker1 · February 17, 2013, 10:30 PM

What brand reflex sight are you asking about?

Yung.gunr · February 17, 2013, 10:39 PM

It really depends on what you are looking for. On an AK or something you are setting up for close quarters it works great. For longer distances not so much..

I have a Sightmark reflex on my Saiga but a magnified Simmons on my .22 Savage bolt gun.

Make sense???... I love the Sightmark BTW..

JackBeQuick · February 17, 2013, 10:42 PM

no brand in paticular just curious if worthwhile, funner to target practice with a reflex?

allaroundhunter · February 17, 2013, 11:02 PM

For accurate shooting past 100 yards (like coyote or prairie dog hunting), you should not be using an unmagnified optic (like a reflex sight).

For that kind of shooting you need a magnified scope. Prairie dogs are way too small to shoot well at 200+ yards with a reflex sight with a 4 MOA dot.

If you are trying to call coyotes in close for a quick-paced shot, then it is hard to beat a reflex.

Quote:

funner to target practice with a reflex?

Honestly, target practice inside of 300 yards isn't all that fun for me by myself. I enjoy competition, and I enjoy shooting long-range rifle. Now, for steel challenge, I love shooting a rimfire (S&W 15-22) with a trijicon reflex sight....that is fun. Also, I do really enjoy taking fairly novice shooters out and teaching them to shoot. They always love using red dot type optics. It makes shooting more instinctive and easier than lining up iron sights.

Revoliver · February 18, 2013, 01:34 AM

Honestly, iron sights work just fine, out to well past 100 yards even and are usually free.

No foolin'.

alex0535 · February 18, 2013, 03:30 AM

From 5-65 yards, a good reflex sight can be used to shoot squirrels out of trees. A larger animal could be taken with one at longer distances.

Next deer season, I am going to put a picatinny rail or base mount on one of our Marlin 336 for my Burris Fastfire III. Around here deer are usually 50 yards or less when the shot is taken, so no magnification is necessary.

Iron sights are ok, but in the early hours of the morning or when the sun starts setting those iron sights can be a little bit hard to see. A 3 moa red rot is very easy to see, and if I have enough light to see my target, I have enough light to hit my target.

Lining up a dot and your target is easier than lining up the rear sight, front sight, and the target.

wogpotter · February 18, 2013, 10:34 AM

They work faster & better than Iron sights at the same distance.
Why?
Well, because they have a single plane to sight in.

The "dot" (Or whatever, my preference is the Dot over a Chevron) is in a single optical plane & so is the target. Conventional iron sights are in 3 planes,
plane 1= rear sight,
plane 2= front sight,
plane 3= target.
Your eye has to "pick" a plane as it can only focus on one at a time, with a reflex/dot/holo type sight it doesn't have to pick anything, it just looks through the sight to the target & your brain automatically overlays the image. You also don't need to close the "other" eye, you just look past the sight to the target.

In reality the dot is far more obvious than in the pic, my camera doesn't "like" red.

JackBeQuick · February 18, 2013, 02:41 PM

So what is a good reflex or red dot site for a reasonable amount of money? Can't go to high to i am looking at good bang for the buck

alex0535 · February 18, 2013, 03:13 PM

What is your idea of a reasonable price?

I paid $220 for my Burris Fastfire III 3 moa dot. I love it, its compact, light, recoil resistant enough that it holds up to sitting on top of a slide on a semi auto handgun. Waterproof. Automatic and 3 brightness adjustment settings. Comes with a nice little see through cover. Most people seeling this optic put a $250 price tag.

Really my only complaint is that specific weapon mounts for it cost like 40-50 dollars. Mine came with a picatinny mount.

The Fastfire II is a bit less expensive. Automatic brightness setting only, battery removes from underneath the sight so it has to be taken off to change it.

wogpotter · February 18, 2013, 03:44 PM

What are you thinking of putting it on?
Yes this matters. Some reflex type sights are huge & some tiny. Some have closed tubes & some are open. Some will take medium power centerfire recoil, some just about handle .22 RF recoil.

RamItOne · February 18, 2013, 04:12 PM

I like mine a lot, anyone who says they can acquire a target faster with irons are fooling themselves. I have the 6moa option and it covers a nicely visible 6" spot on a man sized target at 100 yards.

loose_holster_dan · February 18, 2013, 04:17 PM

reflex sights are AMAZING for cqb. the bigger the reticle, the better IMO.

i love the eotech on an AR platform. makes for very quick threat acquisition, and turns your AR into a groundhog killing machine

JackBeQuick · February 18, 2013, 10:12 PM

either AR or saiga 308

wogpotter · February 19, 2013, 10:22 AM

Spend real money so it'll hold up to real recoil!

Ignore the low-priced airsoft-capable $59.95 stuff that "looks tactical" in adverts. Otherwise you'll have problems with it holding zero & be replacing it in short order.

Achilles11B · February 19, 2013, 11:35 AM

What Wogpotter said, nailed it.

Get something with a proven record of reliability and performance. My favorite is EOTech but I've had good experiences with Aimpoint as well. About $400 will get you either manufacturer's entry-level model, but both are quality sights and worth the higher price point.

wogpotter · February 19, 2013, 03:53 PM

Yep, if you absolutely must compromise on price look at the high end Russian stuff. It's solidly built if a little "klunky" & "bulky" , with a "rough" finish compared to Japanese & U.S. products, but at least you're getting your money put into the guts, not the cosmetics. Service & customer support. What service & customer support? Though!

Here's my "Kobra" a nice Russian built unit that's held up to a lot of full house 7.62mm NATO load in a FAL (which is famous, or infamous?) for being hard on optics. It'll save you a few bucks over Eotechs & so on. If you look around you can find one for m$250~$300. It comes with 4 built-in reticules, (dot, chevron, dot over chevron or open "T"), & 11 light levels with auto-recall on all settings. The pic earlier was taken through this sight.

L_Killkenny · February 19, 2013, 05:16 PM

Not a fan of red dots for anything but fast and furious, close in shooting (squirrel hunting? Forget about it.) but I will have to say I like that chevron.

February 17, 2013, 09:21 PM	#1
JackBeQuick Member Join Date: January 6, 2013 Posts: 25	reflex sight? I have never used one or held a gun with one. Are they useful or more for looks?

February 18, 2013, 10:34 AM	#10
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	They work faster & better than Iron sights at the same distance. Why? Well, because they have a single plane to sight in. The "dot" (Or whatever, my preference is the Dot over a Chevron) is in a single optical plane & so is the target. Conventional iron sights are in 3 planes, plane 1= rear sight, plane 2= front sight, plane 3= target. Your eye has to "pick" a plane as it can only focus on one at a time, with a reflex/dot/holo type sight it doesn't have to pick anything, it just looks through the sight to the target & your brain automatically overlays the image. You also don't need to close the "other" eye, you just look past the sight to the target. In reality the dot is far more obvious than in the pic, my camera doesn't "like" red. __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”

February 18, 2013, 03:44 PM	#13
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	What are you thinking of putting it on? Yes this matters. Some reflex type sights are huge & some tiny. Some have closed tubes & some are open. Some will take medium power centerfire recoil, some just about handle .22 RF recoil. __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”

February 18, 2013, 04:12 PM	#14
RamItOne Senior Member Join Date: May 24, 2011 Posts: 990	Trijicon Reflex RX34 I like mine a lot, anyone who says they can acquire a target faster with irons are fooling themselves. I have the 6moa option and it covers a nicely visible 6" spot on a man sized target at 100 yards. __________________ M&P- the other dark meat https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/pet...rtant/DJyvnHz0

February 18, 2013, 04:17 PM	#15
loose_holster_dan Senior Member Join Date: April 5, 2011 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 2,461	reflex sights are AMAZING for cqb. the bigger the reticle, the better IMO. i love the eotech on an AR platform. makes for very quick threat acquisition, and turns your AR into a groundhog killing machine __________________ Favorite range gun for the money - CZ 75B or STI Spartan V 9mm Go-to carry setup - Walther PPS or PPQ in FIST kydex holster 1AK Favorite semi-auto design - HK P7 "A Sig is like a lightsaber - not as clumsy or random as a Glock."

February 17, 2013, 10:18 PM	#2
allaroundhunter Senior Member Join Date: May 6, 2012 Location: Southeast Texas Posts: 1,670	Are they useful? Yea, for close in shooting. I can acquire a target much quicker with one than I can with iron sights. They serve the same purpose as an Eotech holo sight or an Aimpoint RDS. In what applications are you questioning their usefulness?

February 17, 2013, 10:27 PM	#3
JackBeQuick Member Join Date: January 6, 2013 Posts: 25	target practicing or even shooting coyote or ptarie dogs

February 17, 2013, 10:30 PM	#4
Striker1 Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2004 Location: TX Posts: 710	What brand reflex sight are you asking about?

February 17, 2013, 10:39 PM	#5
Yung.gunr Senior Member Join Date: November 11, 2010 Location: Phoenix area Posts: 1,442	It really depends on what you are looking for. On an AK or something you are setting up for close quarters it works great. For longer distances not so much.. I have a Sightmark reflex on my Saiga but a magnified Simmons on my .22 Savage bolt gun. Make sense???... I love the Sightmark BTW..

February 17, 2013, 10:42 PM	#6
JackBeQuick Member Join Date: January 6, 2013 Posts: 25	no brand in paticular just curious if worthwhile, funner to target practice with a reflex?

February 18, 2013, 01:34 AM	#8
Revoliver Member Join Date: September 4, 2012 Location: USofA Posts: 80	Honestly, iron sights work just fine, out to well past 100 yards even and are usually free. No foolin'.

February 18, 2013, 03:30 AM	#9
alex0535 Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 2012 Location: Georgia Posts: 908	From 5-65 yards, a good reflex sight can be used to shoot squirrels out of trees. A larger animal could be taken with one at longer distances. Next deer season, I am going to put a picatinny rail or base mount on one of our Marlin 336 for my Burris Fastfire III. Around here deer are usually 50 yards or less when the shot is taken, so no magnification is necessary. Iron sights are ok, but in the early hours of the morning or when the sun starts setting those iron sights can be a little bit hard to see. A 3 moa red rot is very easy to see, and if I have enough light to see my target, I have enough light to hit my target. Lining up a dot and your target is easier than lining up the rear sight, front sight, and the target.

February 18, 2013, 02:41 PM	#11
JackBeQuick Member Join Date: January 6, 2013 Posts: 25	So what is a good reflex or red dot site for a reasonable amount of money? Can't go to high to i am looking at good bang for the buck

February 18, 2013, 03:13 PM	#12
alex0535 Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 2012 Location: Georgia Posts: 908	What is your idea of a reasonable price? I paid $220 for my Burris Fastfire III 3 moa dot. I love it, its compact, light, recoil resistant enough that it holds up to sitting on top of a slide on a semi auto handgun. Waterproof. Automatic and 3 brightness adjustment settings. Comes with a nice little see through cover. Most people seeling this optic put a $250 price tag. Really my only complaint is that specific weapon mounts for it cost like 40-50 dollars. Mine came with a picatinny mount. The Fastfire II is a bit less expensive. Automatic brightness setting only, battery removes from underneath the sight so it has to be taken off to change it.

February 18, 2013, 10:12 PM	#16
JackBeQuick Member Join Date: January 6, 2013 Posts: 25	either AR or saiga 308

February 19, 2013, 10:22 AM	#17
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	Spend real money so it'll hold up to real recoil! Ignore the low-priced airsoft-capable $59.95 stuff that "looks tactical" in adverts. Otherwise you'll have problems with it holding zero & be replacing it in short order. __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”

February 19, 2013, 11:35 AM	#18
Achilles11B Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2010 Posts: 595	What Wogpotter said, nailed it. Get something with a proven record of reliability and performance. My favorite is EOTech but I've had good experiences with Aimpoint as well. About $400 will get you either manufacturer's entry-level model, but both are quality sights and worth the higher price point. __________________ Good equipment will never be a substitute for good training.

February 19, 2013, 03:53 PM	#19
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	Yep, if you absolutely must compromise on price look at the high end Russian stuff. It's solidly built if a little "klunky" & "bulky" , with a "rough" finish compared to Japanese & U.S. products, but at least you're getting your money put into the guts, not the cosmetics. Service & customer support. What service & customer support? Though! Here's my "Kobra" a nice Russian built unit that's held up to a lot of full house 7.62mm NATO load in a FAL (which is famous, or infamous?) for being hard on optics. It'll save you a few bucks over Eotechs & so on. If you look around you can find one for m$250~$300. It comes with 4 built-in reticules, (dot, chevron, dot over chevron or open "T"), & 11 light levels with auto-recall on all settings. The pic earlier was taken through this sight. __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.” Last edited by wogpotter; February 19, 2013 at 03:59 PM.

February 19, 2013, 05:16 PM	#20
L_Killkenny Senior Member Join Date: February 2, 2007 Location: Iowa Posts: 2,676	Not a fan of red dots for anything but fast and furious, close in shooting (squirrel hunting? Forget about it.) but I will have to say I like that chevron.