Which red dot for target pistol?

Stevie · May 20, 2009

I'd appreciate some help on choosing a red dot sight - I'm getting back into shooting after 10 years of no guns.....shot competitively (local) for 30 yrs before that.....many more products to choose from now, but that makes it harder!

The red dot will go on a .22 Ruger Mark III Competition Target pistol

I don't need it weatherproof or able to withstand huge recoil...
I do need it accurate.

I see Aimpoint's claim that they are the only one accurate if the dot is off-center, due to their unique lens system. Is that true? does it really matter?

How much do I have to spend for accuracy, and which brands/models would you recommend?

Thanks!

Twodogs · May 20, 2009

I've got a millet on my markII $69.00 works fine and mounts in the ruger rings.

kirkcdl · May 24, 2009

I got one of these to put on a Carbon-15,it's small enough for a pistol.One feature I like is the on-off switch instead of just hooding it to put it to sleep like some of the other brands...

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Stevie · May 24, 2009

I guess I didn't say - this is for INDOOR target shooting, and I believe that there isn't enough light on a range for this type of sight - I need a self-illuminated one, the kind that looks like a normal telescopic sight.

kirkcdl · May 24, 2009

Actually,this is an illuminated red dot sight,it just uses a display lens instead of a tube.It's very similar to a Bushnell Holosight,but without multiple reticles.The dot is plenty bright enough for an indoor range,and it is a "reflex" type sight,meaning it can be used effectively with both eyes open...It uses watch batteries...

Stevie · May 25, 2009

This sounds good...but at 1/5 the price of the Bushnell....what is it missing?

I'm trying to figure out what the difference is that makes such a range of prices in these red dots....is it weatherproofing (which I don't need) or accuracy (which I do need) or something else?

kirkcdl · May 25, 2009

Bushnell,and others,such as Aimpoint and the Russian Kobra sights,are multi-reticle sights.That is,they have a choice of,say,crosshairs,red dot,dot inside a circle,or a chevron,(like this-"^").The less expensive dot sights usually have just the red dot with no other choices...Also,another factor in price is country of origin,the Chinese and Russians work cheaper than the Americans,so prices will be less.The general concensus is also that the foreign-made products are,as a rule,of lower quality.My personal experience is regarding Russian optics,which I believe are the best value in quality/dollar on the market today.Other people will disagree with this,you should decide for yourself...

Another thing to be aware of if you choose a dot sight is dot size.A 4 MOA dot at 25 yds is covering a 1 inch circle on your target,that isn't very precise.If you are looking for more precision,you can find dot sights with 1 or 2 MOA dots...

My choice above was based more on size than price or quality,I have a Bushmaster Carbon-15,which is a relatively tiny AR-15 variant,and I wanted a tiny red-dot to go on top of it...Time will tell if I made a good choice or not...My Next Generation AR-15 and my .223 AK both have Russian Kobra sights,which are excellent optics,but are too large for the handgun use you're looking for...

Stevie · May 27, 2009

First, thanks to those of you who responded, your input helped!

I went looking for a dot smaller than the 3moa dots that were typically available....also wanted a reliable sight, and one that didn't cost a lot.

Found the ADCO Alphadot, available everywhere, which claimed a 1.5MOA dot. Got great reviews on Midway and other sites. I called them to check it out further, spoke to Al DePaoli, company owner (it was late on the east coast and he was the only one still there!). 800-775-3687, FYI.

Here's the funny part.....

He said that even though they were advertised as 1.5MOA that was an error in the ads and they really were 3MOA! He had spec'ed a dot size at a specific distance, not an MOA, and the web sales folks put it in the MOA spec.

But the good news is that he had built a line of true 2MOA sights, but nobody wanted to carry them, only target shooters want small dots...and you can order the 2MOA sights from him directly for the same price as the 3MOA.

Which I did, should be here in a few days, will report back on how it works.

Now I just have to find a place to shoot....

CastleFox · May 28, 2009

I have a brand new Tasco 1X30 Self Illuminated Red Dot with 11 different brightness settings. I'll sell for $15 bucks or trade for .22 ammo.

bnr32gtr · Jun 17, 2009

Depending on your budget, try a J Point from JP rifles. Same thing as a Tasco Optima 2000, but with better materials. There are all sort of dovetail mounts to get the sight nice and low. The sight itself weighs only .05 ounces(14 grams)!

I had a BSA red dot on my 22/45 for about 50 rounds. While accurate, it was heavy, large and forced me to hold the gun much lower than was natural, based on it being up so high.

Here's a link. You can get a crazy as you want to go! I'm currently building a mount to put a J Point on my Rem 870...

http://jprifles.com/1.6.1.php
http://jprifles.com/1.6.1a.php

Stevie · Jun 17, 2009

I got the ADCO 2MOA and it is a beaut!

Works great, I love the tiny dot. ONce again, to get the 2MOA version of the Alphadot, you have to call them and order directly - they don't sell that version through their dealers.