Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Optics for hunting revolver

Here's my Ruger Blackhawk 44 Mag that I started hunting with a few years ago. It shoots fine with open sights but after missing a nice buck twice at about 50 yards I decided to put a 2.5x Leupold on it. At the range the gun is easy to shoot with the scope. In the field, it's hard to get it lined up properly to get a full view through the scope. In low light conditions, it's even harder. I thought the scope would help pick up branches or obstacles in the sight path but the eye relief issue is really bugging me. Is a red dot a better option?

In my opinion, yes. No worries about eye relief nor parralax, and better in low light. With both eyes open you don't even notice the tube. UltraDot is my preference.

Did you try adjusting the eyepiece? If you can't do that then a red dot is the next answer.

Bill, silly question, but is this the EER/IER scope? Or the regular lightweight 2.5x?

In regard to the red dots, I had an ultra dot on my 460 S&W and like it a lot. Never shot it outside of the range, so can't comment on field position or low light.

As an aside, where about in CT are you located?

Practice is the answer. Nobody just picks up a scoped revolver and shoots it like they've been doing so all their lives. No, a red dot is not going to be better in low light. Why would it be?

It's an EER scope. I haven't tried the eyepiece adjustment but will give that a try.

I'm in Lebanon near Lake Williams. Mainly hunt in Zone 9.

-------------

Adjusted the eyepiece and it seemed to help. Will check it out later at dusk.

Sorry if the question offends you Craig.

Try screwing the eyepiece all the way in. I did this on my Leupold EER 2.5/8x and it greatly improved eye relief and eye box.

My answer was not intended to be offensive. It is what it is. It takes practice to get good with a scoped revolver.

If your average is only 50 Yards then a red dot is the way to go. It will look just like a 2x as far as magnification. For some reason a 2x doesn't look like it magnifies the target at all. A red dot is much easier to pick up. If you plan on shooting out to 100 yards then skip the 2x and go with a 4x as it will be as easy to hold as a 2x and give you much better magnification of your target. Also as stated above you must practice with your gun/scope to become proficient with it.

So you guys have had good luck with Ultra Dots? I want to put a red dot on a Contender in 44mag for hunting, but I want it to stand up to the recoil. Considered a scope, but from my limited experience with red dots on handguns, and then quite a bit of experience with scopes, both low power fixed and variable, I think the red dot will serve better for hunting with that Contender. My eyes turned mid-40's last year, and my eyesight got funky. Open sights are not easy anymore. Seemed to happen overnight!

Spent more time playing with the eyepiece adjustment. Can't believe how much better it is.

If I take the revolver out I try to go to a stand where I'll have a fairly short shot.

I have quite a bit of experience shooting handguns but this is the first time I've put a scope on one. Didn't realize the adjustment was so far off. Unfortunately the seasons over here in CT but I'll hit the range this winter with it.

Thanks..

I use 2X Leupolds on a couple of revolvers, .44 and .41. As others here have stated, it takes time and practice to get it right. Have used red dots too, personally, I like the scopes better for my purposes. I would suggest spending some time each day bringing it up to shooting position and dry firing at something. You can develop the hand-eye coordination necessary for bringing a scoped handgun up to the point where you get the image as easily as you do open sights (or red dots.)

I have been ruthless to my Ultradots and after thousands of full-tilt .475 Linebaughs, .454 Casulls, .480 Rugers, .500 Linebaughs, and .500 JRHs, they just won't quit. Plus, there is a lifetime warranty. What's not to like?

Hard to beat the UltraDot. Although I wouldn't recommend the grips to anyone I liked.




Burris or Leupold for a fixed 2x.

Don't forget you had it on th the 416 Remington Whitworth.

Leupold doesn't say anything in their literature about how to adjust the eye relief with the eyepiece. Maybe that is because the average handgun hunter would have no use for multiple settings.

Try this. Turn the eyepiece out all the way. Measure your eye relief. Then turn it in all the way. You will see what I am talking about. The only problem is you have to fiddle with the eyepiece depending on the shooting position. Valuable time is wasted. The Ultradot is, IMHO, simpler. No lost time.

I turned the eyepiece on mine in all the way and I just leave it there. Haven't felt the need to change it and I shoot prone (Creedmoor), sitting and standing. This is with a 2.5-8 Leupold with less eye relief than the straight 2x.

I have Ultradots as well and they're fast, but not nearly as precise as a scope past 100 yards.

Absolutely the better choice, I hated the Leupold scope on My Bisley. It was a 4x not the 2.5 but the sight picture was horrible. I ended up with an ultra dot 30mm and the difference is night and day.

The 2 X Leupold scope I have on a Redhawk is easy for me to use.... the 4 X Leupold I have on a Contender is much harder to use... I have an Ultra Dot on My .45 Colt Mountain Gun and love it ....

Perhaps the 2.5 X you have is one designed for a Scout Rifle set up?

I think a scope over 2X on a handgun would be useful only in a few, narrow applications....just MHO.