Best red dot for turkeys

[ddd-shooter]

Tried a search, couldn’t come up with much.
Looking to add one to a benelli SBE3.

 

[Holocene]

Lots of variables. Lots of options.

12, 20, or 28 gauge?

Will you use this gun for other things or just turkey?

If other things, are you willing to get another barrel?

 

[Irish Miner]

I have a couple of Burris Fastfire III’s and a Vortex Venom. Cant say I prefer one over the other. They work.
I use Sumtoy Custom mounts. Had to shim a red dot on a small .410 to get the proper adjustment.

 

[Choot]

If you want the best I’d get a scalarworks mount and the aimpoint t2. I originally had the sumtoy/venom setup on here and it worked fine, just got the wild hair to upgrade

 

[ddd-shooter]

Lots of variables. Lots of options.

12, 20, or 28 gauge?

Will you use this gun for other things or just turkey?

If other things, are you willing to get another barrel?

20 gauge
Turkeys in the spring, doves in the fall. One barrel.

 

[voltage]

I bought a Vortex Viper Enclosed last year for my SBE2 and loved it. I took it off for ducks this year, despite their marketing attempt to say it’s a good idea for wing shooting. I put it back on recently in preparation for turkey season and I did not have to adjust the zero. I really like not having to mess with a rail.

 

[jml49]

Eotech on a Mossberg 835

 

[Bigred323]

I’ve never really understood the red dot on a turkey gun thing.

If you’ve got em in close enough for shotgun range, just use the bead? Can’t think of a time where a red dot would’ve been any more of a benefit.

 

[stump06]

I’ve never really understood the red dot on a turkey gun thing.

If you’ve got em in close enough for shotgun range, just use the bead? Can’t think of a time where a red dot would’ve been any more of a benefit.

Red dot gives you some forgiveness if your head isn't all the way down on your gun. They are also great for younger/beginner hunters for the same reason.

I have a couple Burris fast fires and love them. One is on a sumtoy mount and the other on Meadow Creek rib mount. I recently purchased a vortex spark but haven't put it on a gun or used it yet.

 

[ddd-shooter]

Red dot gives you some forgiveness if your head isn't all the way down on your gun. They are also great for younger/beginner hunters for the same reason.

I have a couple Burris fast fires and love them. One is on a sumtoy mount and the other on Meadow Creek rib mount. I recently purchased a vortex spark but haven't put it on a gun or used it yet.

Forgive the ignorance, if my gun is already drilled and tapped, do I need the sumtoy mount? Benefits?

 

[voltage]

I’ve never really understood the red dot on a turkey gun thing.

If you’ve got em in close enough for shotgun range, just use the bead? Can’t think of a time where a red dot would’ve been any more of a benefit.

It does two things.

1. It lets you see more of the bird/other birds while your head is on the gun. It also helps alleviate lifting your head off the gun.
2. I get bored in the off season and like to buy gear that is only marginally better than what I have.

 

[Kurts86]

20 gauge
Turkeys in the spring, doves in the fall. One barrel.

Does it have 2 screws or 4 screws? The 12 gauge SBE’s have a one piece barrel and receiver but the 28 gauge and 20 gauge? The sleeve is actually the part drilled and tapped with 2 screws. This matters because it limits mount options.

 

[Irish Miner]

I’ve never really understood the red dot on a turkey gun thing.

If you’ve got em in close enough for shotgun range, just use the bead? Can’t think of a time where a red dot would’ve been any more of a benefit.

I was really surprised how a couple of my shotguns patterned using an extra full choke without a red dot. At 20 yards and less you'll have a super tight pattern. My Super Vinci was throwing the pattern high and to the left quite a bit when shooting on paper. Surprised me. So, at close range (a turkey head <20 yards), a person could very well miss throwing a pattern that tight. The red dot allowed me to dial it in better.

30 to 40 yards might not matter as much, but the super close and longer shots with a tight choke constriction can benefit while using a red dot. Now, if your gun is throwing that load of pellets accurately while using the bead, then it doesn't matter as much.

 

[ddd-shooter]

Does it have 2 screws or 4 screws? The 12 gauge SBE’s have a one piece barrel and receiver but the 28 gauge and 20 gauge? The sleeve is actually the part drilled and tapped with 2 screws. This matters because it limits mount options.

Two screws.

 

[stump06]

Forgive the ignorance, if my gun is already drilled and tapped, do I need the sumtoy mount? Benefits?

Yes, you will need a base to mount the red dot on the gun. The Sumtoy mounts to the gun and the red dot mounts directly to the Sumtoy, creating a smaller footprint/profile than a picatinny rail will.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I’ve used Burris Fastfire iii and Vortex Venom using Sumtoy and the Burris FFIII mount. I prefer the Venom over the ff iii and the Buris mount over the Sumtoy. Nothing wrong with either, though.

 

[Hardly_Hangin]

I turkey hunted for 16 years without a RDS but just tried it out last year and was a huge fan. Id always get worked up making sure the rib was perfectly flat and my head was down etc, it added a lot of stress to the shot, and some misses. The RDS eliminates that stress - just put the dot on his head, easy peasy.

Big help too with awkward shots hard right or left when you may have difficulty lining the bead and rib up, or if you cant get your head down all the way, or if youre splayed out trying to shoot one at 6ocklock behind your tree.

Having a fuller field of view is nice too - with a bead and the barrel itself is still in your peripheral vision, and can be distracting.

And it eliminates patternning issues. Pattern is high right? Adjust the dot. Low left? Adjust the dot. Before i would have to pattern multiple brand of shells with multiple chokes to find one that worked. Now i use the choke i have, the shells i want to shoot, shoot once to get on paper, adjust, shoot to verify, and let her rip

Mine was a rib style clamp mount and i think a holosun dot, on a 20ga 870.