Red Dot On a Shotgun

[DyNo!]

Aside from slugs, is there any reason to?

The few times we shoot slugs as three gun shooters, I'd think we've got plenty of time to get an acceptable sight picture with irons.

Is there any reason for me to put a dot on my Saiga for 3-gun? I'd think that most of the time the dot would be off the target for "acceptable" sight pictures and that offers few advantages over iron sights.

Edited September 16, 2010 by DyNo!

[EkuJustice]

I would go with a bead and make sure the comb height is correct for you on the stock. I do not even notice the bead on mine unless its slug time

[Outsydlooknin75]

If you are running a Saiga you are shooting Open, so why not?

I believe that Clint Upchurch is running like a 7moa dot on his Saiga and when I talked to him at the beginning of the year at RiverBends first shotgun match he was liking it.

7moa dot, cover the clay and pull, or I would think get the dot around the clay and pull and you are good to go.

[SinistralRifleman]

A red dot on a shotgun is pretty much like cheating. It offers all the speed advantages that they do on a rifle with the added benefit of the shotguns spread of shot. Both eyes open, faster target to target transitions, and you will find you miss a lot less because unlike a bead or iron sight the dot is much more forgiving if your head isn't in the same place every time.

For flying clays it works just fine, put the dot in the general area and pull the trigger.

I use an Aimpoint Micro on my Saiga-12. Other dots I tried had durability issues when used on the shotgun.

Edited September 16, 2010 by SinistralRifleman

[norbs007]

I use an Aimpoint Micro on my Saiga-12. Other dots I tried had durability issues when used on the shotgun.

So a Docter won't hold long on a Saiga? I'm asking coz that's what I'm planning to use. Thanks

[SinistralRifleman]

So a Docter won't hold long on a Saiga? I'm asking coz that's what I'm planning to use. Thanks

A doctor might be ok. I tried a J-point and it got beat to death.

Also, anything that uses AA batteries in line with the action will get the batteries trashed with regularity.

[Cold Absolute Zero]

Thanks for the tip, thats good to know. Also great video, I really enjoyed it. With that SAIGA + RDS you make shotgun shooting look easy lol.

Edited September 16, 2010 by Cold Absolute Zero

[norbs007]

So a Docter won't hold long on a Saiga? I'm asking coz that's what I'm planning to use. Thanks

A doctor might be ok. I tried a J-point and it got beat to death.

Also, anything that uses AA batteries in line with the action will get the batteries trashed with regularity.

Thanks for the info.

[GorillaTactical]

Getting back on topic jkjk

I think the real plus of shooting open shotgun is round count and reload time...both of these are basically what have come to define shotgun stages nowadays anyway. Whether a red dot REALLY makes a huge difference is probably more shooter specific. I try not to watch my sight when I shoot shotgun, just see the target down my barrel...that is a product of having to deal with slower sights though...I personally would prefer to be able to watch the target and just swing a dot over it....

Edited September 17, 2010 by GorillaTactical

[SinistralRifleman]

Let's keep in mind the OP is talking about a Saiga-12. The factory sights that come on the Saiga suck; they are either pistol style irons you can't zero, or older ones had a short rib with a bead. Either way you have a bore offset of about 1.5". Traditional shotgun sighting techniques that rely on a sight picture directly along the barrel do not work the same with the Saiga-12 for these reasons.

If you are using a Saiga the only real options are using a red dot of some kind, or Krebs Iron sight (ghost rings you can actually zero for slug shots). For the purposes of 3 gun, until Saigas are allowed in tactical, you might as well use a red dot.

[Alaskapopo]

I use an Aimpoint Micro on my Saiga-12. Other dots I tried had durability issues when used on the shotgun.

So a Docter won't hold long on a Saiga? I'm asking coz that's what I'm planning to use. Thanks

I killed a Burris Fast Fire after about 1500 rounds. I am using an Aimpoint R1 now that I got used at a great price.

Pat

[Mark K]

The point of using a Red Dot on any gun - Rifle, Pistol or Shotgun - is not looking at the sight at all!! You become target focused, and the dot is just out there in your field of vision. You can put a piece of tape over the front of the Red Dot, and you will still see the dot on the target. The worst thing is to getting into the habit of looking for your target through the little window of the red dot sight.

I emailed you, Cameron, but bring some rounds down Sunday, and you can shoot the red dot on my Saiga and see what it feels like.

Mark K.

[00bullitt]

Heres a good video of this guy rocking the 2010 MG Nats with his red dotted Saiga.

Lots of slug shots. Notice he doesn't slow down much. Had he been using irons, he would have been giving up much more time and points.

Top shooters in this sport get separated by tenths of a second. Use every advantage allowed in your division. A dot is always faster in the majority of shooters hands.