All:

Gun: Ruger redhawk in 44 Mag. 7.5 inch barrel.

Game: Deer sized game. Maybe black bear sometime in the future.

I have a Leupold 2.5 EER scope now. But since I am new to handgun hunting, are there any better options?

What do you recommend and why?

Thank you,
RAS

I think what you have is as good as it gets.




Dave

That is what I have been finding but wanted to throw it out there on here in case there is something else I am missing.

How good are the quality red dots? Are they better for target acquisition?

RAS

Take it out at dusk and dawn and check if YOU can see the crosshairs.

If I'm offhand or other field positions I'd take the red dot. But if you're talking 50-150yds and wanting pinpoint accuracy I have found I can really thread needles with the 2X's.


Travis

And I assumed you were hunting from a stand which may be a bad assumption.




Travis

You blind old bastard.




Travis

I like the 2X best.

I had one on my Redhawk .44 mag 7.5 inch. It worked great there, but I moved it to my 14" .30-30 Contender.

Ultradot all the way. Much quicker to acquire than the cross hairs of a long relief handgun scope and better in low light IMHO. With practice, 100 + yard shots are no problem.

Haha, how did you know. I catches up with all of us.

I am reading a lot of good reviews about the 30mm Ultradots as well.

Stand hunting is a good assumption. With a pistol in a stand, I will always have a rest of some type. If walking in, I am looking for a rest of some type. But I will probably have my sticks ready. For me, I have a lot more confidence with my shot if I have a rest. That mostly includes rifles too. But especially pistols.

I had a 30mm Ultradot on a Ruger SRH 480 Ruger and it worked perfectly; I preferred it to the Leupold 2x and 4x that I'd also tried out on that gun.

I'd go 2X.




Travis

I took a 2x leupold off a Super Redhawk and replaced with an Ultradot 30, way better for me.

I'm partial to the ultradot myself

You are pretty well set the way you have it now, but if you do a lot of staking in the Timber then a Red Dot may be a better option like the Trijicon RMR

I also replaced the scope on my .480 SRH with an Ultra Dot, but I still use scopes on several other revolvers. Both can work, although conditions can vary and favor one other the other.

Mike

I love the leupold ......but I had a one power Burris that was nice.

Nice light gathering. Jackrabbits in the desert.

Did leupold ever make a 1x or 1.5x?

I think Dave got one right; now if only Travis & Clark could as well.............

MM

Since you recommended it, and others have said that your book was an influence in their choice on their pistol/revolver, I went ahead and ordered one while they were on sale.


How do I send you the bill?

Help me out here, are you talking about the 2.5-8x EER pistol scope, or are you talking about the 2.5x EER scout rifle scope?

I just retired a Ruger Redhawk Hunter, with a LEU 2x pistol scope. Bowen made me a nice set of hunting sights, and I'd go back and forth between those and the scope. Cannot begin to estimate the number of miles I carried that revolver.

Bowen sights alone, it was most joyful to hunt with as a 44 revolver. Great gun for me in the mountains for fairly quick shots inside about 50 yards. I'd be pushing it much further and would need ideal conditions and presentation. Maybe no more than about 75 yards due to sight thickness.

2x was complete opposite. Had no issue getting a good workable sight picture as far as the 44 would be effective on game. During practice sessions, from field positions, I'd generally beat a bolt gun in cleaning a row of spaced bowling pins out to around 135 yards or so. Problem was, it is true that it takes very good practiced form to quickly acquire a sight picture with the traditional pistol scope. When shot presentations are quick, close, and moving, like I experience with the technique of busting holed up boar out of the rocks in the mountains, even my 2x, which is actually 1.7x, requires practiced form, along the lines of wing shooting.

Nearly every time I took my rig out, I'd be torn between optic or fixed. Most presentations were actually inside 50 yards, but on occasion, I'd have a sitting duck at 125, and would wish for optics.

So, if traditional route, the 2x is the ticket, combined with a good set of fixed sights when you get the craving to run that revolver naked. Combine that with a good load running a 240xtp, for what you describe, and it will be as good as it gets.

Now, if talking putting a dot on that revolver, I'll defer to Max. What I did, and why my 44 is retired, I went the G40 route with fixed sights, and with Trijicon RMR dot. This is to maximize the fun I have with the close and quick shots, while having the ability to execute the occasional long shots, though I'll not push it as far as the 44. As with the perfection of the 240xtp with the 44, the sun, moon, and stars also align with the 180xtp in the 10mm.

If it were me, I'd neither run the 2.5-8x, nor the scout scope, if that is what you are saying. LEU 2x for scope, or probably listen to max if a dot on a revolver.

Best!

I have had several handgun scopes on my .454 FA Casull over the years, both Leupolds and Burris models. I have found that neither brand will stand up to more than 250 to 300 rounds of full-power loads before failing. I have sent a 4x Leupold LER back to the factory for repair twice, as I did a 4x Burris. I finally sold the Burris, but just two weeks ago, the Leupold cratered on me, again.

I have ordered a 2x Burris EER, maybe the lower magnification scope will hold up better than the 4x counterparts have, either Burris or Leupold. I also am not shooting full-power loads anymore- most of my shooting is with 250 gr. bullets, at around 1600 fps, and for hunting, I will be keeping my shot distances less than 100 yards, for which 2x will work just fine.

Both Burris and Leupold have given fine customer service, no complaints with either.

Just got my satin 30mm Ultradot in. I will try to both and make a call from there.

Thanks for all the input gentlemen.

RAS