RE: 1X traditional scope vs Red dot
Well the RED DOT I have on my .44 magnumRuger Redhawk is fine. My shots are all close with that. But when I had it on a muzzleloader, at 75 yards it covered the center of a target. Now the RED DOT claims a 3MOA but what if your second shot, the dot is a little off... your 3MOA gets bigger. Out to 50 yards the RED DOT is plenty accurate. Even 75 yards it was acceptable. BUT the night I had a doe come in, and figured.. dead meat. It was right at closing. I pulled up and the dot stuck out like a sore thumb, but there was no deer in the RED DOT, just a black tube with a red dot. It did not do me much good.
Another option is a True Glo Ghost Ring peep. They have fiber optic points on each side of the rear peep and using the front fiber optics makes an easy to see in low light sight, plus the accuracy of the peep. I do not shoot one, but have read reports of those that do and they tend to like them.