# Red dot vs Fiber optic



## Spunky (Feb 18, 2014)

Which way should I go and why? I've got to get new sights for my backup turkey gun and I'm torn on which way to go.


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## jrmcc (Feb 18, 2014)

Red dot.....I have a hard time focusing on both the sights and the turkey without one getting blurry. With a red dot both are in focus


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## pasinthrough (Feb 18, 2014)

I shot fiber optic sights for years and busted many a beak.  I changed to a red dot last year and killed em dead too.  I'll keep using the red dot and keep an extra battery in my vest, just in case.


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## Jody Hawk (Feb 18, 2014)

Since I've gone to a red dot, I'll never hunt again without one. Just bought a Burris Fastfire III Sunday to go on my backup gun. I don't like the sights, they cover up the turkey. I like to see the whole turkey with the dot on his waddles.


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## Spunky (Feb 18, 2014)

I just put new fiber optics on my 835 last year.  If I get a red dot I'd like to put it on my 835 and switch the f.o. sites on my backup which is an x2. Will they fit on them?


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## 01Foreman400 (Feb 19, 2014)

A red dot is a whole lot better in my opinion.


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## sman (Feb 19, 2014)

I went red dot. I liked it but was worried about running shots. 

I shot doves with it and didn't do well.  Made me think what if a bird spooks and runs or comes running in to the call. So I took it off and put it on my son's gun.

Don't get me wrong, I liked watching the red dot floating on a strutting toms head.


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## brittthomas (Feb 19, 2014)

For those who are running red dots, what kind are you using?

I just recently ordered a Tru-Glo Gobble Stopper. It had excellent reviews from people that have been using them for a year or more to be a $60 red dot.


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## kiltman (Feb 19, 2014)

I would go with fiber optics on the back up and a red dot on the primary.  I'm not sure I would take off the fiber optic sight off the primary. You will need a backup sight.   Red dots will fail in the field, not when your at home.  If that happens your hunt isn't over with, just remove the red dot and use the back sight.  The military does  that for the same reason.  Marines always have iron sights on their weapons, even if the are using a red dot or a scope.


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## jrmcc (Feb 19, 2014)

brittthomas said:


> For those who are running red dots, what kind are you using?
> 
> I just recently ordered a Tru-Glo Gobble Stopper. It had excellent reviews from people that have been using them for a year or more to be a $60 red dot.



IV used a $40 truglo and a $200 Burris fastfire both worked fine and killed turkeys. The truglo is cheaper, larger field of view, runs through battery's quicker. The Burris is more expensive, , low profile, smaller field of view but it isn't a problem, and I've never heard of someone's fastfire battery going dead in the field.  Currently running the fastfire ll.


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## dotties cutter (Feb 19, 2014)

I had never looked through a red dot scope till I bought my cross bow 4 years ago and now I wish I had that same scope on all my guns. No real magnification just 20, 30 and 40 yard accuracy.


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## Huntinfool (Feb 19, 2014)

Specifically speaking of the "Dr" or "Fastfire" type sight (not just a red dot generically), there is no comparison between fiber optic and red dot.

These types of red dot are full eye relief.  There is almost no field of view impairment and they are dead on accurate every time regardless of whether your head is in perfect position on the stock (and it often is not given you sometimes have to be a contortionist to kill a turkey).

A full field of view red dot will always hit what it's aiming at and will not cause you to 'miss' anything in terms of what you can and cannot see.  The same cannot always be said for the "scope type" red dots.


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## Spunky (Feb 19, 2014)

Looks like I've decided on a fast fire 2.


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## Pneumothorax (Feb 19, 2014)

Spunky said:


> Looks like I've decided on a fast fire 2.



That's what I recently put on mine after reading a bunch of opinions/reviews/recommendations on this site and others.  It is really, really, cool!  With my older eyes, the rear sights were getting pretty blurry.  The dot is nice and sharp and as others have said, it stays put even when you move your head around.  Can't wait to try it out on a bird soon...  

It was kind of a headache getting it sighted in though.  I'd shoot at a dot.  Then I'd mark the center of the resulting pattern with another dot.  Back at the lead sled I re-aimed at the original dot, unscrewed the locks, re-checked the aim, used the adjustment screws to move the sight to the POI dot, and re-tightened the locks.  Seemed reasonable.  But it always seemed like the next pattern would be moved in the right direction - but twice as far as what I wanted it to.  Maybe I was doing it wrong.


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## PINE KNOT (Feb 19, 2014)

Burris Fastfire III


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## Phil W. (Feb 19, 2014)

$200 for a Burris what??? Is there something wrong with the bead that came on the shotgun? LOL


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## Gut_Pile (Feb 20, 2014)

Phil W. said:


> $200 for a Burris what??? Is there something wrong with the bead that came on the shotgun? LOL



Yes. There is a lot wrong that came with the bead. I have killed with both and have missed with only one, the bead. The red dot allows more room for error. With a bead you must have your head completely down on the stock and aligned just right. With a red dot as long as the dot is on the bird, and your gun is sighted in, you will kill the bird. You can shoot right handed, left handed, right side up, or upside down. A red dot is far superior to a bead for more than one reason.


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## Timber1 (Feb 20, 2014)

I still like to think that I have something to do with killing a gobbler. Getting your head down on on your stock is a basic shooting skill. It could be said that a blind is far superior to sitting at the base of a tree with a few pine limbs stuck in front of you. That being said the docter and Leupold's red dots are great aiming aids.


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## brittthomas (Feb 20, 2014)

Phil W. said:


> $200 for a Burris what??? Is there something wrong with the bead that came on the shotgun? LOL


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## Spunky (Feb 20, 2014)

Scratch the ff2 i'm going with the ff3. I like that added options.


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## Gadget (Feb 20, 2014)

Spunky said:


> Looks like I've decided on a fast fire 2.




DocterIII or FastfireIII is the way to go. These are not really considered red dot sights, which are normally tubed, these are reflex sights.


 I have all the Docters; I, II, and III going back 15yrs, the III's are nice, the ability to control the brightness is huge for me, I keep my DocterIII turned to the lowest setting. I've had two of my older Docters customized with lower output LED's to make the dot less bright. When the dot is too bright you can get a Starburst, Halo, or glare. The Burris has more of a problem with it then the Dr, Burris pays Analytik Jena royalties to copy their sight but they are not the same; Burris is made in Taiwan and Docter in Germany.


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## goblr77 (Feb 20, 2014)

Phil W. said:


> $200 for a Burris what??? Is there something wrong with the bead that came on the shotgun? LOL



Not if the POI is correct. If my guns shoot where I aim with a bead, that's what I use.


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