How To Choose A Binocular
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Choosing A Red Dot Sight For A Hunting Rifle
Over the last 30 years, red dot sights (otherwise known as reflex sights) have really taken the hunting world by storm. Red dot sights offer profound advantages over both iron and telescopic sights in hunting environments.
Red dot sights from manufacturers like Eotech, Aimpoint and Trijicon come with a military heritage that guarantees their function in the most rugged environments. If the US Marine Corps or USSOCOM put their seal of approval on a sight, you can be sure it will function in anything your hunt can throw at it. They will survive treatment that will destroy the rifle they are mounted on. When you are a long way from home, in Alaska or Africa, it helps to know your trip won't be ruined by the failure of your sight.
Red dot sights make use of binocular vision. Lining up your shot, you will still be aware of anything moving in a wide arc to your front. This is vital when hunting in close country or in heavily hunted areas or those popular with other outdoor enthusiasts. Fast moving predators, dangerous game or wounded animals can be taken with confidence.
You can have the advantages of a red dot sight with the magnification of a scope. Manufacturers of quality red dot sights like Aimpoint and Eotech have introduced flip-to-side magnifiers that can convert your red dot into a medium powered scope in seconds. Some of these sights also offer bullet drop compensating red dot reticles. One such sight is the Eotech 552.XR308.Whilst this won't tell you exactly where your hunting loads will go, it is still an option many hunters find beneficial. Trijicon offer their ACOG range of magnifying reflex sights that can feature a bright aiming mark for close range shooting and a bullet drop compensating ladder for greater ranges. The ACOGs can be used at closer ranges with both eyes open, but an even better option is to have one with the peep and/or rear mounted red dot sights mounted one fitted with iron sights and/or a rear mounted red dot unit will give you the best of both worlds. With the 1X sights you have the option of 'co-witnessing' flip up or fixed iron sights through them. This may sound paranoid, but not so long ago it was commonplace for hunting rifles intended to be fitted with scopes to come with a set of open sights. Red dot sights are almost always made to fit Weaver or Picatinny bases/rails with quick detach throw levers a factory or aftermarket option on all the military, law enforcement or hunting specific models. The quality red dot sights will be within 2 MoA when remounted and some manufacturers claim 1 MoA for models with longer mounts. There are few kinds of hunting where even 2 MoA repeatability is not sufficient. The QD option also gives you the option of swapping a high magnification scope for longer shots. Some red dot sights, including the extremely rugged Micro H-1 from Aimpoint are so light and small that you can keep one in your pack as a back-up. The H-1 weighs all of four ounces with a Weaver/Picatinny mount.
The major manufacturers all make most of their ranges night-vision compatible and this is becoming increasingly common in predator control. When selecting a sight for a night vision rig ensure it has necessary night vision capability and that it mounts to the correct height for your NV sight. It is becoming common to include or offer risers for this purpose. Choosing a model with side, rather than rear mounted brightness controls can be beneficial - Eotech offer this on recent models. Side mounted adjusters also help with close mounted magnifiers.
Military sights can have other beneficial features. Both the Aimpoint Comp M4 and M4s (the latest US Army M68 CCO) and the Trijicon Rifle Combat Optic standardized by the US Marines, come with shrouds to prevent reflection from the objective lens that could spook game. Eotech get around this by employing flat glass panels that are far less likely to generate reflection than a curved lens.
A word of caution! Beware cheap red dot sights. Eotech, Aimpoint and Trijicon have designed their sights to either eliminate parallax or ensure it is only evident at very close ranges. Eotech have been particularly successful with their holographic reticles essentially eliminating parallax from the whole reticle, rather than its center, whilst the US Army consider the Aimpoint CompM2 (the original version of their M68 CCO) to be parallax free from 50 meters on out. Cheap red dot sights can give parallax errors inb the order of feet at 50 meters with small movements of the shooter's head. This is also the case with knocks, weak or poorly dimensioned mounts compounding the problem. Cheap red-dots can be a lot of fun on an inexpensive .22 for informal target shooting or short range pest control, but as a sportsman you won't want to risk wounding an animal or ruining a hunting trip with one.
If travelling outside the United States, be aware that some of the military or law enforcement sights are subject to export restrictions. This is particularly the case with those equipped with ballistic reticles, intended for use with night vision or fitted with lasers. Aimpoint make an aesthetically pleasing range of 'scope-like' red dots specifically for hunting rifles - these are unlikely to cause problems with foreign authorities. some countries have bizarre restrictions on weapon configurations, ban or restrict military chamberings et. so it is always a good idea to check with your hunting guide or tour operator before travelling or shipping your red dot sight abroad.
Copyright Chris Pieterman 2010.
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