Thread: Red dot scopes on rifles.

Originally Posted by Koshogi

Why does the size of the dot equate the size of your group?

How big is a iron front site post at 100m? At 300m?

An AR front site post for example is 11MOA, does that mean my groups will be 11 inches at 100m? Or 33 inches at 300m? No, because I'm not obscuring the target with the entire post. I'm using the tip of the post, the same can be/is done with a dot.

If accuracy is the priority then clearly the preferred option is a magnified optic. To say that a red dot isn't accurate past 100m though, is .....well inaccurate.

Again I am not disagreeing with you.I am simply saying that if you are after accuracy at those longer shots then, as you say, a magnified optic is better. Its all about a balance between what is best at both. Going right back to the original post I have quoted below. that a red dot would be much more suited at those ranges. The size of the dot matters to an extent because if it as large as you suggest, then while you can hit the centre of the dot, if it obscures the target that much you cannot be sure where the target is behind the dot. The one I had was great for those quick close shots, but at 200m it would obscure almost the whole goat and not being about to see behind the dot meant I could not know if it moved or whether I was still aiming at a vital organ or not. I could not see the target clear enough to guarantee a clean shot.

The point I was trying to make is not so much "To say that a red dot isn't accurate past 100m though, is .....well inaccurate." but rather more like To say that a red dot isn't as accurate as a scope past 100m . You find someone who can shoot an accurate group with a Red dot at a range past 100m, and then see what happens if they use a magnified optic at the same range......And as most rifles are set up for those 100m + distances they tend to use magnified optics as a default.

Originally Posted by Ricochet

Sorry if this is a super dumb question but I hunt the Kaimais and all deer I encounter are within the 50m range. (Actually more often than not it's more like 10m).

Wouldn't a red dot scope be better suited to this range than my 3-9? Why haven't I ever seen one on a bolt action before?

At those ranges, yes, most certainly a red dot would be great. The reason you probably have not seen one on a bolt action is that most would be set up for longer ranges than you are encountering.