Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Best reflex red dot sight for a rifle.

I had offered my HVA '06 with Leupold 2-7x33 on the classifieds. Had some bites, no takers.

One guy asked if the HVA crest was on the receiver ring. I couldn't remember, so I removed the scope and front base to confirm it was.

Handling this 6# rifle gave me an idea. If I mount a very low, compact red dot sight, thinking maybe a reflex version, this would be a wickedly fast handling '06, about like a high end bird gun.

Question: Given that scenario, what would be the best option?

DF

Hello DF,

Interesting thought and topic!

Maybe some of those upper-Midwest whitetail guys will chime in. I’ve head of a good number that do just that.

As an aside, I picked up a couple of Burris red dots from PSA on close out that I plan to put on a couple of short ARs, one in .233 and one in 300 BO.

I'd rather have something like this:
https://www.eurooptic.com/Trijicon-...uplex-30mm-Satin-Black-Riflescope-2.aspx
Could turn up the magnification for longer shots if needed. I might consider a red dot on a slug gun.

Sorta bigger than I was thinking, but should work.

Those are great scopes. I mounted a 1-4 with triangle orange post on my Bud's .416 Rem, M-70 that he used to kill a nice buff in South Africa.

I'll think about that.

DF

I have my latest FN, hampered by being d&t for some obsolete mount and a low stock comb, fitted with a Lyman peep and have a Vortex Sparc 2 on the receiver. The pic shows the base, but not the sight. It has a 2MOA dot and is pretty precise.



The Sparc is staying for the season, then I’ll fit the ramp with the higher front sight it needs. This seems to be how the driven boar boys mount theirs.

Can’t believe that rifle of yours didn’t sell. If you’d offered it before I saw this one, it’d be mine.

Well, guess the timing wasn't right for those who were looking.

Maybe I'm supposed to keep it and re-constitute it into something pretty interesting.

Isn't it funny, how we can take a safe queen and discover new concepts on what it could be...

Loony stuff, for sure.

DF

Well, had this one on an AR. Took it off the high mount, attached the low mount. Reversed the front base, filed a new recoil screw slot and mounted it.

Seems lower than the scope, but I'd like something even lower, more streamline. It does handle kinda like I thought it would. Interesting innovation.

It comes up faster and easier than the AR, holds steadier once shouldered. But, a "bird gun" is gonna handle a heap better than an AR.

Wouldn't ya know. Made in China, causes cancer in California. At least I can stay out of CA, have no business in China, either.

Other than the political rant, what ya think?

DF

Your premise is sound, taking a pound or more off of a rifle and lowering the center of gravity changes the handling markedly for the better.

I've mounted reflex sights on a Ruger M77 and No. 1 and they work fine. As to the "best" reflex sight, take your pick. I've used Burris Fastfire III's mostly because they make a neat little mount specifically to fit the Ruger built in bases but any reputable sight will do. I've also mounted the Sig Romeo5 on a Ruger 10/22, Savage Mk II and just for grins a Remington Model 700 .243. With a picatinny style you can mount it on pretty much any Weaver type base, I used a single rear Weaver base to put the Romeo on the M700. It hung over the front of the base some and looked funky but it worked fine and didn't come loose.

The Romeo5's 2 MOA dot gives you a finer aiming point vs. the Burris 3 MOA and it has more brightness settings but in actual use it doesn't make a lot of difference. Being able to see the target well is the limiting factor, just like a peep sight. The Sig, even with the low mount, will put your line of sight about the same height as a low mounted scope; the Burris' height in a picatinny mount is about halfway between a scope and a peep sight.

I've also looked into something other than a dot reticle and unfortunately there isn't much out there suitable for rifle use. Those circle and dot reticles seem like they'd work but the circles are on the order of 62 MOA so way too big. Holosun makes one sight with an 8 MOA circle which might work, but again putting theory aside and going off of experience, a small dot works just fine - as long as your target is big enough so it doesn't completely hide behind the dot.

Both sights are pretty inexpensive, I've seen the Romeo5 as low as $75 or $80 NIB on ebay. Amazon puts the Burris on sale now and then, I bought three of them when they were at $168, that's with the picatinny mount.

As to aesthetics, I like the Burris in a rearward position but the individual rifle might not allow that.


My faux Pre-war Sporter Model 77 with a 21st century sighting system.

I like that set up. May need to look into that one, put the Romeo back on the AR.

DF

Not specifically what you are after but I am pretty pleased with one of these on my Ruger PC Carbine. I bought it to give it a try and will likely move it to a hunting rifle.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1022578844?pid=467523

You just might be glad it didn’t go. Shore is a purty one!

Appears that comb is lower than mine, so I can see how it wouldn’t quite get where you want to go.

I zeroed mine last week at 50, then just for giggles took some whacks at a 9” 200 yard gong (from a rest!). First shot went clang. Shoulda quit there because the next four didn’t, but I was having trouble staying on it because the dot covered it because of flare. Bigger target would’ve been better.

Warne bases are a bit lower than the Weaver, maybe 3/16”. As to COO of red dots, very few are born anywhere but the PRC, Burris is one IIRC.

rj308 put me onto the Bushnell LilP prism sight, the smallest I know of and now discontinued. Prisms are like small 1x scopes, so can be focused, and the reticle in the LilP allows very fine aiming, finer than irons I think. Downside is limited eye relief, so placement is less flexible than a red dot. Where you have your sight is the best place for a prism.

I have a Leupold DPP and a Aimpoint H2. Mounted the H2 on my rem 7600 358 win, it works great. I like how easy it is to adjust the red dot, also I like the lens covers. With the DPP adjusting the red dot is a pain and you have to be careful not to get any debris in the front IE snow if you do the red dot will not project on the lens.

I bought two Aimpoint "Nano" red dots for this specific purpose and can not be happier. Very small but great viewing.

I am buying QD bases for them on my brush guns so they can be swapped out with optics when they are a better choice.

Ok. You win. That's an really classic looking rifle with the advantage of modern sighting, and it's left handed to boot ❤. I've got an Browning BLR set up with an Romeo 5 and lefty Ruger 375 alaskan with Aumpoint 9000l. I really need to do the Burris like yours on my Ruger 30-06 because this year my eyes changed and I can't see my iron sights clearly thru my corrected lenses only without my prescription and that limits range big-time. I'm in the old fart Era now.

I'm in the old fart Era now.


It only hurts for a little while………….

The more I look at Jim’s setup on his Ruger, the better I like it. The Romeo on this HVA, front ring mount, just not that appealing. And it’s at least as high as the scope was. With the low comb, a very low reflex red dot set up is what I’m looking for.

Romeo goes back on the AR.

Thanks for all the ideas.

DF

Burris makes dedicated mounting plates for select firearms that eliminate the Weaver/PIC base, putting the FF very low. I though about one for my 336 before going with a Warne base and a 2.5 scope.

A clever and handy person might be able to get one cobbled up for say, a Mauser-like object, or have it made.

Dirt,

I'd take a hard look at the Horosun 510:

https://holosun.com/index/product/detail/id/124.html

The best option? An Aimpoint Micro.

In the world of red dot optics, there is Aimpoint, then everyone else.