Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Red dot recommendations for youth rifle

My daughter is left handed and right eye dominate so she struggles getting on a deer using a Redfield 3x9x40 scope.
She does well from the bench but lacks the skills of quickly getting on a deer in the scope with the correct eye relief.
I'm pretty sure using a red dot will help her and build confidence, hopefully getting her more interested in hunting.
I'm looking for a good recommendation on a budget red dot scope, nothing over 150.00. Thanks in advance.

The Bushnell TRS gets good reviews for durability. A buddy has one on his AR that has been trouble free for over 2 years. Granted it's not on a hard kicker but I've read they do well on shotguns so recoil shouldn't be an issue.

My oldest son, now 8, has made good use of a Bushnell TRS25. It's easy for him to find and allowed him to learn to shoot with both eyes open.

Pointer, that's a nice setup for a small kid!

With the exception of a promotional ProPoint I paid $30 for, my experience with budget red dots has been not so hot. $200 seems to be the approximate cutoff point. Never ran the mini Bushnell, but had three Trophy models crap out.

Watch for sales. Also, some sellers, including Amazon for Prime members, and Sportsman's Guide, let you pay in chunks on stuff over a certain price, without interest as long as you stay current.

If you want to try out your idea on the cheap, Amazon sells a sight for about $20 that works pretty well. I've had one on a customized Crosman 1322 for about a year without issue. It's not even water-resistant ( you can see wires underneath), but the dot is sharp. People seem to love 'em and they sell scads of them.

I could do the $200 for a good red dot but I'm clueless other than I have been looking at some Vortex Sparc II.
I believe they have a lifetime warranty which would be great for a good $200.00 red dot.

He likes it! The deer don't, as he's killed 3 in 2 years. It's a 357 Mag that I got from a fellow forum member. The semi-heavy, yet short barrel works great for how I set him up.

My wife is blind in the right eye and right handed, so it makes shooting with a scope tricky. The red dots are a lot easier for her. She doesn't shoot much, but I understand where you are coming from.

Have you tried having your daughter practice just shooting with the right eye closed? Not ideal,but I now people it works for and that may be the easiest, least expensive solution.

I had good luck with two TRS25 for the short time I owned them. I sold them to friends and I got myself a third. It was DOA.

I've had good luck (holding zero) with the Primary Arms micro. It doesn't have precise adjustments while sighting in, but since it is a set it once and forget it thing, that's fine with me. I've read reviews that say they rake recoil well, but I've only had mine on ARs, so can't comment on that. $80, plus a riser.
http://www.amazon.com/Primary-Arms-Micro-Systems-MD-FBGII/dp/B00JAOFKNY

I also bought the Primary Arms micro with the 50K battery life last year. I've only had it to the range a few times, but I like it a lot so far. I just leave it on since the battery lasts years. It's on a bedside gun and the constant on is nice. I put it on a nice Brownell's .5 inch riser and it feels really solid. My eyes are a fuzzy mess, but friends comment on how clear the glass and dot are.

http://www.amazon.com/Primary-Arms-Advanced-Buttons-MD-ADS/dp/B00OD2L62M

http://www.brownells.com/optics-mounting/rings-mounts-amp-bases/rifle-bases/ar-15-m16-mini-rail-prod40893.aspx?avs|Price_1=15xzzx00+TO+29xzzx99

I just picked up a SPARC to put on a SBR AR truck gun and I'm impressed with it for $200. Another option might be a 1-4 powered scope, the 3x might be to much magnification for his eye issues.

What about a 1-4ish illuminated reticle scope? The illuminated center dot should draw her eye to it. Shoot it as a red dot down low and scope when time allows.

The swfa 1-4 can be found lightly used for around 200

Look at the burris fastfire. I love mine on my turkey gun. Stands up to recoil and adds no weight. I like view through the open design better than the tube type red dots. They can be bought for $200 if you look around.

I didn't mention the Sparc II because it was over your limit, but I've had one for a couple years mounted on the Crosman, a .357, and now a .270. Good dot, rugged, and guaranteed forever. A bit heavier than some, but solid. They also have a reflex model that looks good and has a top-load battery compartment. This might be my next one.

Any hints, other than SampleList, were to look for used 1-4s? My oldest may be switching to a 'big gun' and that scope would work great!

Thats a great option I need to explore.

In my experience the Primary Arms red dots have been excellent. I really like the newer one with the push button adjustments and long battery life.

I second the 1-4 illuminated or a Vortex. Just picked up a Sparc AR for my sons AR (he didn't like the 1-4 SWFA for quick acquisition, and I agree that it's not as fast as a true red dot but otherwise I prefer it to a true red dot). I am very impressed with the Sparc AR. Probably get one for myself (and I have an Aimpoint comp m2? and a T1 on other rifles).

I got $20 off a $150 order at Midway and free shipping, so $180 total.

I doubt you'll find a SWFA 1-4 for $200. They sell for $400 (other than black friday) and hold value well. $300 is more likely.

I have a Vortex Strikefire II with low mount that works great. It has a slightly larger dot than the Sparc, which could be a benefit for your uses. It's a bit easier to pick up. I also doubt she's going to be shooting far enough for the size to become a hinderence.

You can likely get one for about $162 shipped if you call Doug at CameralandNY if you want new. Samplelist has a strikefire II for $140 (email and ask for the sniper's hide free shipping code as well). They also had a leatherwood Micro Max which is getting really good reviews on there as well.

http://www.samplelist.com/Leatherwood-1x20-Micro-Max-Sight-DEMO-B-P92824.aspx

http://www.samplelist.com/Vortex-1x-StrikeFire-II-Red-Dot-Sight-DEMO-A-P94759.aspx

The micro max has the crazy battery life and full features for a red dot.

The Millet dots have long been a pretty reliable choice in a simple tube type sight.

The TRS25 is another good choice, as it the Burris FastFire.

Unable to make a recommendation on a low end red dot, but can give you some first hand advice on what to look for based on my daughter's experience, combined with my training and experience on high end red dots.

My daughter is currently a well seasoned wing shooter with a taste for nice doubles. She started off as a child right handed with a left eye dominance, though it was not overly strong. She was helped by the late Tom Knapp with the use of a Swedish invention for shotgunners having cross eye dominance. It was eventually marketed in the US. The concept is simple, and it is the same in how a little Trijicon T2 works so well:

The idea is you want to shoot with both eyes open, with most of what you see of the target not being obstructed by the sight, yet, only the sighting eye can see the dot. Your brain puts the image together, and the dot floats over the image without double vision.

The Swedish device was a fiber optic rod, recessed within an aluminum tube, mounted over the front bead. From the sighting eye it was no larger than a bead, but the optic rod was only visible to the sighting eye when the gun is mounted. Therefore the cross dominant eye does not compete with the weaker eye, and the dot correctly floats with both eyes open.

Most do not realise this, but a T2 combat sight works the same way. Using a traditional scope, the majority of your sight picture comes from looking through the optic, hence the close eye relief to the eye piece. The tiny T2 does not work this way, and in fact, you do not need to see through the objective end at all, you only need to see the dot. This is why they are no longer shipped with see through objective covers, they are now solid black. The optic body is very tiny, and is designed to be mounted as far forward as possible on the receiver. In doing so, it obstruct very little of your vision, with the majority of your target being seen, with both eyes open, from around the T2 body, not through the optic. Like the Swedish device, only the sighting eye sees the dot, and when your brain puts the image together, the dot correctly floats with both eyes open. Now when I have good constant light, I need to make a precision shot, and/ or I have time to adjust the dot brightness, then my objective cover stays open. But, when I'm clearing buildings, going from bright to low light, and am in close quarters, then with the solid black cover closed, the dot can be left at the same setting, and is clearly seen, with the brain putting it all together so the dot correctly floats with both eyes open. You can take impact damage to the objective end, dirt, debris, etc...but against the black, the dot shows up crisp and clear.

So with all that said, if your daughter is measured on the extreme end of cross eye dominance, then likely switching hands is the easier route. But, if the cross eye dominance is not extreme, and you are looking for dots:

- Choose a red dot having a body that is small enough so not to be too obstructive of the target view with both eyes open.

- Mount the red dot as far forward on the receiver rail to lessen any obstruction of the target view with both eyes open.

- Use the largest appropriate dot size, for the intended game, to make it easier to pick up the dot.

- Resist temptation to close the off eye, and only look through the optic. Keep both eyes wide open and look at the target. The dot will be there.

Good Luck

Scratch my suggestion. I am now going to experience Vortex's famous warranty as the dot doesn't shut off on my SPARC. I always laughed at people bragging about Vortex's warranty because I said just buy a good quality optic and you don't have to worry about the warranty. I went cheap on this one and found out the truth about Vortex - never again.