Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints dot reticles

has or does anyone use a dot reticle for hunting......I am thinking of using one.

leupold has 3 dot reticles to chose from.....target......large and small.....any thoughts...…….bob

If you are shooting coyotes, or other small game at distance,a dot reticle may cover em up too much. It makes a difference if you want ffp, or sfp as well. The swfa mil quad reticle uses hash marks instead of dots, which don't cover up as much. Night force has similar reticles as well. I would pick hash marks over dots any day for more precise shooting.

They are not so great for hunting, they will "fade" into the animal. I tried one on one of my varmint rifles and even in bright light they are difficult to see against fur, I can't imagine they would work any better on game animals.

drover

just so I know I am on the same page...…...I am talking about crosshairs that lead to a single dot...…..there is a large and small dot


the large dot is a 1/2 @ 100 yards......if I am reading it right...…...bob

I have quite a few 12X Leupold dots I use on PD rifles and love them. I think they are 1/4 minute dots. They are some of my favorites.

6mm...….according to the leupold site......large dot 1/2 min...….target 1/8 min.....unless I missed it...doesn't say what the small dot is.

if I change over want to make sure I get the right size...….bob

Bob, I am not positive about the dot size. These are all older 12X's and I could be mistaken but I believe that they subtend about 1/4' at 100 yrds. They are small and when I typed 1/2" I really meant to say 1/4".
Wish I could be of more help

6mm …….no...a lot of help.....so large dot 1/2...….target is 1/8.....stands to reason the small dot would be 1/4.


so....for a calling rifle....what would be the dot you would pick?......probably going to have 1 scope large....1 scope small to see what I like .
..bob

My calling rifles are mostly Duplex but have shot quite a few with the dot. I think for coyotes, cats and fox in daylight I'd probably go for the large dot. I'd not select a dot if hunting a night with a spotlight.

drover has very good comments on the dot... I have them in 5 or 6 scopes, but they are only used for gopher shooting or p.. dog shooting... The duplex perhaps with the Leupold dot work fine... Or the duplex if calling at night or very late or very early...

wch….it is crosshairs, that go to the dot...…..not just a "floating" dot...….bob

I have a 1-4X scope I use for calling and I used an identical one on my 458 in Africa. The dot is in a gap in the middle and allows one to hold inside a diamond or box for working up loads and then again for longer range precision shots with only 4Xs. I love it. Mine even illuminates.

I had one on a P Dog rifle and liked a lot . Sighted it so hold the dot under a dog for regular distance and hold the dot on top of the dog at long range .

I believe mine was a Quarter minute and did have the crosshairs leading into the dot . It was on my 223 Cooper that i shot for a time .

I thought this might help. It is a picture of a 1/8 dot. They are useful for target shooting and when going after small critters. I use one on a 22LR target rifle.

They make a large 1/2 and a smaller 1/8 which they designate for target and silhouette. Wouldn't be my first choice for hunting. They can be hard to find in dim light or a cluttered background. They also make a bunch of illuminated ones that may work.

They also make one they call large in their BG scopes that covers around 2 3/4 at 100, which I like for Deer.

This may work, but they don't indicate the size.

https://www.leupold.com/reticles/reticle-firedot-4-fine-164

I have German #4's with a larger dot on a couple of rifles and find it is a really nice reticle for calling coyotes in the thicker stuff (forests and high sage) and still hunting whitetails. A couple als owith illuminated dots, really nice for coastal rainforest, heavily overcast days and first light of the morning, I just hate having to deal with batteries and on off switches on a scope. Most of mine are 1-4 and 1.5-6 scopes.

I do have a couple of larger scopes 6.5-20's with a varmint dot and also like them for targets and varmint at longer range.

BobMt: I use LOTS of scopes with "dot" reticles for my Colony Varmint Hunting.
These are the very fine dots from Leupold and Weaver.
Have never intentionally used them for predator (Fox, Bobcat, Coyote) or Jack Rabbit Hunting - prefer others here.
If you are intending on doing some Colony Varmint (Ground Squirrels, Prairie Dogs & Rock Chucks) Hunting I would recommend you give one a try - the finer the better.
IF... (and you don't say so) you are planning on using your scope for "all around Varminting" then I recommend the Leupold fine Du-Plex type reticle.
Best of luck to you with whichever you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

For a calling rifle I would get the large.

No question.

varmintguy…...calling rifle, if I like it I will change all my scopes to it......just something new.



deflave…….going to get 1 large......1 small...…..target dot is out...……..bob