Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Update on quest for close range scope for bad eyes: reflex review

This is an update re my quest for a close range sight for my abnormal eyes, with review of a one power open reflex sight I'm trying. It's a mixed bag but suspect that it is my best option till somebody makes the scope I need. After eye disease and five surgeries, it's my eyes, not the optics.

I shoot fine at most big game ranges, but can't see nor hit the close stuff through any scope I've tried. For 40 years I shot grouse with a .22 using open irons, 2-7 and 3-9 scopes, etc. None of those work FOR MY EYES anymore. I tried a Bushnell 2-7 with parallax adjustable to 10 yards and everything was blurry at five yards. I shoot a lot of grouse at 5 yards.

I bought a Center Point open reflex sight, one power, red dot option. Fun to shoot targets. Not so great for hunting, though I am getting better with it. From 15 yards to 40 yards it has worked well, including a string of six grouse in six shots.

My dozen misses have been at 12 feet, 16 feet, 18 feet etc. (4-8 yards). I've missed all but one under 25 feet and that one was hit far from where I aimed.

Mounted as low as possible, this sight still requires me to lift my head from the rifle comb in order to see the red dot. I suspect that my close misses are due to parallax error from not getting a consistent cheek weld (I use my chin) and so not having my eye in the same place every shot. My research indicates that parallax is more severe the closer the range, and the higher the magnification. I am tinkering with a homemade comb riser, and if that solves it, maybe I will stay with it since it is fun to put the red dot on a grouse.

Two other disappointments I have with the open reflex sight:
1. The open reflex needs a lid on it for our rain. Had my brain been in gear I'd have bought a tube type red dot sight.
2. Glare is a serious problem for the open reflex at many sun angles.

What I'd really like is a 1-4 variable scope with parallax adjustment to five yards.

The old Leupold 4x are good

what about a fixed 1x scope?

I've got a vortex for muzzleloaders I"ll send you, if it works keep it, if it doesn't send it back...
http://www.vortexoptics.com/product/crossfire-II-1x24-muzzleloader-scope-with-v-plex-moa-reticle

Wow! That is a tremendous offer! My apology for not replying sooner. I have been away from computer out doing the grandkid thing with Friday night football several hours drive away and just got home to check e-mail. Will send you a PM.

How about a shotgun with an open choke?

Now don't go dragging in practical reality!

No question that a shotgun gives the highest probability of a hit. But I'm an old dog... I hunted grouse with a shotgun one day 40 years ago with a friend, lots of fun and we got quite a few grouse. I did not like shot in the meat when it came to eating. I'll stick with the .22 and sometimes with my .17 air pistol in a fanny pack when still hunting with a big rifle. I’ve killed a dozen or so with rocks over the years.

I cobbled up a high cheek riser this afternoon and will try the one power open reflex again tomorrow.

'Nother update: I'm getting the hang of this red dot. In the past week or so I killed 11 grouse with 12 consecutive shots.

I figured out why I'm missing close shots with the one power reflex sight. The height of the sight is 2 1/2 inches above the bore, and at ranges under 5 yards, the bullet is hitting 2 inches and more below point of aim. That's enough to miss entirely, especially when I usually aim at the neck. OK, I am slow to perceive the obvious! The .22 is sighted to hit point of aim at 25 yards. Its about a half inch low at 15 yards.

My close up misses with 2 and 3 power scopes were a different problem. Since my eye disease, everything is blurry inside of 7-8 yards with them. I would scrunch my eye around trying to see better which aggravated parallax error, which is greater the closer the target. The one power red dot reflex fixed the parallax problem but it is so high above the bore that I have to remember to hold high on grouse closer than about 7 yards.

Good point, sounds like the old AR iron sights, mounted way above the bore, sight in at 25 yards and be back on at 300...

You're doing better with your eyes than a lot of guys with good eyes and a 12 gauge can do.

I think the high mounted sight accounts for a kill I made on a grouse at 57 yards in September. I was more surprised than the grouse when the bullet hit. The red dot covered most of the grouse body. Like you, I now suspect that the bullet was coming back down to line of sight at that range. I was NOT trying for the head!




Thank you! I have surprised myself. There are some physical design things I still don't like about the red dot but man is it ever a grouse getter.

IMO ruffed grouse are the best tasting thing in the woods and I wish that they weighed 50 lbs. each. I get more blues and spruce, almost as good. Supper last evening was boneless medallions of ruffed grouse breast, sautéed in butter in a cast iron skillet. Half of the batch were breaded and the other half saw only black pepper and salt. Wife loves them.