RE: Scope, red dot, open sights???
All of my smokepoles have fiber optic sights because of personal preference ,
but I wouldn't rule out a decent scope later .
My crossbow has a red dot sight and a laser sight as well for dim areas .
My recurve has only a stick-on rest , nothing else is needed .
Each of these systems has their positives and negatives . What you select for optics depends largely on what you want the weapon to do and where you intend to do it . For open range and field shooting a scope is unrivaled , but isn't suitable for jump shooting . A red dot excels there but may lack longer range accuracy . Laser is hard to beat for spot on shot placement , but you have to guess a bit when the range to target exceeds the range that the beam is calibrated for .
For shorter ranges like 100 yards or less I like fiber optic sights such as TruGlo .
For intermediate to long ranges of 100 to 300 yards open ground I like scopes .
In close quarters or dim light I favor the laser , especially when placement is crucial and range doesn't exceed 200 yards .
My shotgun has a fiber optic rod front sight and fiber optic ring rear sight great for fast sight picture , target aquisition , and tracking .
You see , it depends on what you want the gun to do and where . For general shooting your iron sights will do just fine . As conditions and targets change you'll find what works best on your own without a lot of thinking . Know what each device can do and what your weapon can do with it and the pieces will quickly fall into place . There is no substitute for range time or field use , get the most that your schedule allows if you want to be proficient with that front stuffer .