Red Dot Sight

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Laker

New member
I'm wanting to get an inexpensive red dot sight for my Buckmark Target model. It will be used for, well, target shooting. What do you suggest?
 
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David the Gnome

New member
After a lot of research I decided to go with this one on my S&W 686 6":


UltraDot Red Dot Sight 30mm Tube 1x 4 MOA Dot with Weaver-Style Rings - $149.99
image

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=914878


I haven't received it yet but it got excellent reviews and comes highly recommended.
 
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Alleykat

Moderator
I have a red dot like the Simmons, but with "BSA" stamped on it. It's worthless.

Also have what looks like the same as the Ultradot, but it's the proven Tasco PDP3. I'm using three now. $85, free shipping, no taxes, at opticsplanet.com. One mounted on G20; another on G21; another on my AR.
 
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ZeSpectre

New member
I'm sorry, define "inexpensive". (not being snide, just trying to understand your price range).

I've had a couple of the 30mm "Simmons" scopes, one was great, the second wouldn't hold zero and was exchanged for another that has been fine.

However for my Buckmark I bought a Bushnell Trophy Red-Dot Scope which I reviewed here.

I've had it on my Buckmark for just under three months and put about 550 rounds through the gun and I'm very happy with it.

2009_10D_2754.jpg
 
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comn-cents

New member
I have two of these. Both on Rugers, 1 a 10/22 & the other a MK2. I would buy them again in a heartbeat. With the 3 moa dot it really helps with .22 shooting little holes. It's a great sight. Good Luck


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Bushnell Trophy Red/Green Dot Sight 30mm Tube 1x 4-Pattern Reticle (3 MOA Dot, 10 MOA Dot, Crosshair, and Circle with 3 MOA Dot) with Weaver-Style Rings MatteProduct #: 716797
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Bushnell Trophy Red Dot Sight 30mm Tube 1x 4-Pattern Reticle (3 MOA Dot, 10 MOA Dot, Crosshair, and Circle with 3 MOA Dot) with Weaver-Style Rings MatteProduct #: 310814
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Slopemeno

New member
I have to give a thumbs up to the Ultradots. Quite a few friends of mine used them on paintball guns, and they held up really, really well. I got a 1" Ultradot for free via a horsetrade, and more than 13 years later it still works great.
 
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midiwall

New member
I have a couple of NcStar's in various configurations, and while they're inexpensive, they're not without problems. Both of them had to go straight to NcStar right out of the box due to not being able to "sight low enough".

Now, the upside is that NcStar had great customer service, and immediately replaced both units. They're now both just fine and I like them. Dunno that I'd recommend them though...
 
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Alleykat

Moderator
have to give a thumbs up to the Ultradots. Quite a few friends of mine used them on paintball guns, and they held up really, really well.
Click to expand...

Hahahahahaha!!! I'm surprised they held up under the horrible recoil! ;)
 
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Slopemeno

New member
Shoot something like an old "Illustrator" and get back to me. The had the harshest firing cycle you could imagine, since they were heavily sprung, had light internal parts, and shot from the open bolt. Your trigger finger would go numb shooting them... they did go about 500 rounds from a 7 oz tank if you shot conservatively though.

FWIW I also used that same Ultradot on a break-barrel spring piston air rifle, and they are far and away harder on scopes than any cartridge firearm.
 
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Alleykat

Moderator
Thanks for the heads-up about the severely-recoiling paint ball guns. I had no idea they were in the class with .44 Mags, etc., etc. I was pretty happy that my PDP3 stood up well attached to that Mod 29 Smith!
 
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chris in va

New member
Come on guys. The OP wants a dot on his 22, which recoils about the same as a paintball gun. And yes, I have both.

FWIW I also used that same Ultradot on a break-barrel spring piston air rifle, and they are far and away harder on scopes than any cartridge firearm.
Click to expand...

However I find that hard to believe, and again...I also have one.
 
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Slopemeno

New member
It's not about volume of recoil, it's about type of recoil. "Springer-rated" scopes require double bracing, since a spring-piston air-rifle has two-way recoil. That is, it has a hard lurch at the start of the firing sequence when the pison is released, and all that weight lunges forward, and then it has the second cycle when the piston slams to a stop on the column of trapped air at the front of the compression tube, and the piston rebounds slightly.

Shoot a 12 ft/lb springer with hearing protection on sometime, and you can feel all the mechanical stuff going on inside it...it's "ka-choinggggggg".

If you put your average rifle scope on a springer, it'll usually be junk in short order.
 
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ZeSpectre

New member
FWIW I also used that same Ultradot on a break-barrel spring piston air rifle, and they are far and away harder on scopes than any cartridge firearm.
Click to expand...
However I find that hard to believe, and again...I also have one.
Click to expand...

Chris,
Actually he's right. Most scopes and dot sights are designed to be structurally sound against the recoil impulse of a firearm which is a one-way impulse (towards the rear).

CO2 powered air pistols and Pnuematic pumps are generally the same, with the recoil impulse primarily towards the rear.

However the heavier "springer" action break barrel guns (and some of the paintball guns as well) have a surprisingly strong forward snap at the end of their recoil cycle and even though you may not really feel it, it creates a "whipping" effect on the internals of scopes and red-dot sights that causes far more stress than the uninformed user would have any reason to expect.

I've seen some otherwise fairly sturdy red-dots killed by this effect not to mention any number of .22 scopes that folks mounted on strong "springer" type air guns assuming that it would work just fine.
 
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