To red dot or not?

[kokoji04]

Got a Benelli SBE3 for Christmas. I want to know common it is to bird hunt with red dots? I know, do what you want, but just curious. I like the idea of shooting both eyes open and not having to worry as much about lining up. I’m assuming the parallax free dot placement should allow for quick shots?

 

[Axlrod]

I shoot both eyes open. No red dot, dont know anyone that shoots one on a shotgun.

 

[Irish Miner]

I have a couple red dots on my turkey rigs. One being a Benelli Super Vinci. I shot a swan with it and it worked fine. Had plenty of time to aim leading up to the shot.

For upland or waterfowl (ducks) in general, I prefer no red dot. Easier without one and both eyes open for follow up/multiple shots in my opinion.

 

[RockAndSage]

Dots are fine for things like turkey or even deer, especially where you want a tighter pattern over longer distances. But with wing shooting, or even shooting fast-moving targets like a sprinting rabbit, they're a crutch at best, and an hinderance at worst. Perhaps in some situations they can help if a shotgun is particularly bad-fitting for your body. But a well-fitted shotgun should have your eye centered along the rib, left-right and up-down - so that when you're looking at your target, and staying focused on your target, the bore is lined up with your target.

 

[Macintosh]

Nope. Anything in the way of using your binocular vision is a problem for wingshooting. Turkeys, yes. Deer, yes. Squirrels, sure. Moving targets, NO.

 

[Steve300xcw]

No dots for me.

Still shoot with both eyes open though

 

[Rolando]

Absolutely zero people shoot registered clay bird targets with a red dot. It’s a bad idea for flying targets. You should still shoot with both eyes open without looking at the gun/bead.


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[43.6N]

I’ve got a dot on an 18” beretta 1301.
I’ve been making a point to take it out clay shooting for practice the last 6 months.

It’s doable, but certainly a learning curve. I shoot both eyes open, and hard target focus on both red dots and bead sights.
My father actually prefers it. He always asks if I’ve brought the beretta whenever we shoot together. But his near sight accommodation is long gone. So he prefers having the dot on the same focal plane as the target.

While my hit rates on fast crossing shots has stayed the same after my learning curve. My dad is much much more consistent with the red dot shotgun.