Red dot on Tikka? Advice needed.

[Stinky Coyote]

I’ve done both close with pistols and farther (out to 300m) with rifle with the red dots mounted at the end of the upper receiver (all ARs). It’s really only a 6 inch difference in eye relief that we’re talking about here since I shoot mainly ARs. When I first tried red dots, I used them mounted close because I had always used ACOGs in the military, and as anyone who has used an Acog knows, their eye relief is non existent. It was after shooting like that and then getting into instruction and competition stuff that I learned and switched to mounting them farther out and found that I prefer it that way. So I’m unlikely to switch back since back to that. Currently I have an Acog with a 35 degree offset red dot and have found it to be my favorite set up. Same thing on my long gun; I have the red dot offset and in front of the scope.

I’ve changed from close to far mounting before, and I’m way too stubborn to switch it back.

I have none of that experience, just hunting and long guns, some air pistol time where no effect, so trying to qualify what I ended up liking as a hunting on long gun iron sight. There is an alberta shotgun Wolf and coyote guy that rolls dot on end of barrel and buckshot but at those ranges the entire sight is inside the fur for referencing to full scene. I have that setup also and don’t have issue with it limited time dialling in pattern to 40-50 yards on targets. But do love the mossberg 940 I setup along side it much more even though used in those shorter distances. The front of receiver on howa mini still very close all things considered on a bolt gun and was functional but given choice if available I’d be behind action. I like having as much of the scene around the dot before running into site tube as possible.

The 940 I set up with slugs for the odd big game seasons we have access too so stacking challenger slugs into cloverleafs at 40 was part of it but actually using only the 32 moa(at 100) circle reticle option as again useful in rangefinding to kill zone sizes and choosing zero point. This where I want to see as much of animal and scene around animal inside housing as possible. But translated to howa when I was shooting to 400, obviously all in the scene getting out there past closer ranges and all options will work. Just saying try it out folks. For rifle set up.

Now op and others interested in playing have some ideas of things to look for and try for themselves.