You an have both in one. The LumeZone scope offered by Excalibur has a crosshair reticule with 5 aiming points, that light up on demand. Scope gives you magnification that red dot does not. Much more precise but a bit heavier. I traded my red dot for the LumeZone and have absolutely no regrets. Oh yes, if your battery dies while you are hunting you're out of luck with a red dot. Not so with any scope, including the one I mentioned.