Red Dot Scope?

[rodburner72]

Any of you guys ever usea red dot scope on your bow. I was wondering if they work and if they are legal. I live in OK. I'm going to call the game warden if it's worth it.

[TripleActionOutdoors]

Piece of crap...... I've never used them

[wis_bow_huntr]

Uncle Ted uses one once in a while. Nothing wrong with them

[Paul L Mohr]

I've messed with them off and on. They are not real cheap depending on the type of sight you want and the mount you pick, from around $100 up to $400 if you wanted a really nice set up.

I didn't like it because of the expense (and a had a cheaper one), they can be heavy and bulky compared to a normal 3 pin sight, you have to rely on a electronic device with batteries, you are limited to one pin and other things I'm sure I am forgetting.

Oh, they can be a pain to set up properly as well.

I have played with many different sights and I always come back to the good old inexpensive simple 3 or 4 pin sights. Light cheap and rugged always seems to work well for me.

This subject comes up every now and then if you want to do a search on it there are a few threads about. Some like them, some hate them, and others like me are indifferent. And some think they are only good for shooting in the dark and poaching.

Paul

[Alex Nenadic]

ORIGINAL: Paul L Mohr
you have to rely on a electronic device with batteries

Paul

I agree with everything except that point. EOTech and Aimpoint optics account for over 90% of the issue aiming systems in the Combat Arms of the US Army. If they are reliable enough to have worked in Afghanistan and Iraq over the past 6 years, I am sure they are reliable enough for some deer hunting.

Of course $400 is not enough to cover one of these optics alone, nevermind a high end return-to-zero mount.

[Paul L Mohr]

Well just don't come crying to us then when you see the buck of a lifetime pull your bow up and can't find the dot in your scope because you screwed up and left the thing on for two days straight or something stupid like that. Or you didn't swap out batteries from last season and they die on you in the middle of a hunt. Or because you forgot to turn the stupid thing on when you got in the stand and sat down (guilty of that one). Or the bulb in the scope goes bad (I will admit I have never seen this happen though.).

That doesn't mean it's going to happen, but the chance is there. Then again you could always break a pin sight too which would be just as bad. I don't think the sight itself would fail, they are pretty simple devices for the most part. But electronic products are not failsafe and batteries do go dead, usually at the most inopportune times.

Eotech and few others to make some nice bow sights and mounts, however you won't touch one for less than 300 bucks. Most are going to end up with a BSA scope on an aluminum mount with a weaver rail on it.

Like I said, I used one and wasn't really impressed. I put the red dot on my shotgun for turkey hunting. Some really like them though. They are nice if you have bad eyes.

[Paul L Mohr]

Oh, and I believe most of the electronic aiming devices on combat equipment can be bypassed, looked around or removed if it fails leaving you with the open sights on the weapon. I'm sure these things are not solely relied upon in a life and death situation.

Something else to consider is you can shoot with them just fine even if the dot isn't on, it just won't be as accurate. I have shot both firearms and bows with the dot off. Just center your target in the scope and you will pretty close.

Paul

[rodburner72]

Thanks guys, that's what I wanted to know.