red dot or iron sights 4 home protection
 

Just a question i wanted to throw out there...would you rather have iron sights, or a red dot scope on your in home defense shotgun and why?

Irons. Batteries go dead at the most inconveniant times. I don't want to have to worry about that.

thats true...but then again what if its dark wouldnt a red dot b more conveinient?

Even with a red dot you wont be able to see in the dark. Just a red dot but no idea where or what you are aiming at. I mounted a light on my pistol after having one scare of the wife "seeing" someone in the house and me learning that I could not see a damb thing.

Home defense range probably renders the choice of sights a moot point. The first shot will light things up just fine.

burris fastfire red dot.........

A sight? It's a shotgun! (i.e. point and shoot)

Get a good stunningly bright flashlight on it and you are all set.

yea but i like to shoot slugs too!

point and shoot...

it's a shotgun/buckshot, not a 100yd slug shot on a deer.

My iron sight 30-30,standin right beside my bed. DEADLY lol

The intruder can't see in the dark either. You are at an advantage knowing the layout of your home. Why would you want a light to give away your position??

+1 point and shoot............sawed off SxS 12 gauge

Because there is the chance that the intruder isn’t really a "threat". Like I wrote earlier, there are lots of newspaper reports of homeowners shooting their relatives by mistake. Here’s a few:

Man shoots fiancée:
http://www.ktnv.com/global/story.asp?S=11296215

Husband shoots wife:
http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2009/07/21/conroe_courier/news/shoot0722.txt

Cop shoots daughter:
http://www.masscops.com/f79/ct-officer-shoots-daughter-mistake-31261/

Man shoots wife:
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/03/wife-shot-elgin-torrance-clark-reckless-discharge-firearm-burglar.html

Man shoots wife:
http://kathmanduk2.wordpress.com/2008/01/02/natchez-man-shoots-wife-in-mistaken-home-invasion/

Unless you live alone, that bump in the middle of the night might not be what you think it is. I’d rather strobe an intruder to determine it’s a threat, than shoot "someone" and later learn that I was my unarmed neighbor’s kid after my laptop, or my boy sneaking back into the house after being out late.

I’d suggest that before you decide not to have or use a light, try taking a low-light class and then make a decision.

Chuck
　

If the intruder is in my house, he's a threat and I'm going to smoke him. If it's a kid, so be it. I wouldn't want to smoke a kid but I would. If he's big enough to break in a house, he's old enough to know better. I could post ten times the amount of things you did, where a teenage kid killed a homeowner. I'm not going to shine a light on someone and then say....oh, you look okay. Can I help you! That's just stupid. I don't need any class to learn that. WTF

Or, it could be a disoriented neighbor, some harmless drunk, or one of your kids sneaking home late.

I guess you’re right; taking a second to ID a threat is a lot dumber than “smoking” “something” or “someone” in my house that I can’t identify.

Don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t care less about anyone that breaks into my house. But I do care about protecting my family and my assets. Any time there is a shooting, justified or not, you’re going to be looking at some legal bills. Even in a castle doctrine state, the DA can decide to take it to a grand jury and you will need legal representation. The last thing I want to do is shoot someone I didn’t have to, because justified or not, it’s going to cost me a lot more than a laptop or stereo.

Seriously, do some research, take a class, check out some equipment. IF you think you can get off any kind of aimed shot when lit up with a 125 lumen light you’re kidding yourself. The time it takes to go from flashing a light, to pulling a trigger with a weapon mounted light is a fraction of a second.

Chuck

I'm sorry it took me so long to respond. I was busy reading about the gang war that happened just a few miles from my house where 7 gang members were shot. I don't know where you live but where I live home invasions is one of the fastest growing crimes since the economy went south. It's a real threat that could happen to anyone anyday.

I have 2 kids that are grown and gone and I managed not to shoot them and I'm pretty sure I won't shoot the other 2. Anyone who is the head of their household needs to know who is there. Not once did I ever say not to be sure of your target before you shoot. I don't know about your home but mine has enough light in it at any given time to to do just that. (barring a complete power outage and that would change everything) I do keep a flashlight by the bed in case that were to happen.

If a wayward drunk enters my home (that is locked up tighter than a drum) he's probably going to get shot. If a kid comes in to steal a laptop, he's probably going to get shot. If my kid is sneaking back in the house, I will know and not shoot them. My kid sneaking into the house will not even closley resemble a home invasion. If something goes bump in the night, the first thing I do is check on the family and I know exactly where they are at.

Different strokes for different folks. The main thing is to be ready because it could happen to you.

shoulda named this thread flashlight or no flashlight..........

In close quarters combat, you really don't even use your sights. In tight spaces, it's almost always point and shoot, even with something like an M16, you basically look over your sights, sounds kinda weird but it's easy enough after you get used to it.