Merlin1274

Been awhile since I have been on here.. Bought a House last hunting season so all my free time went to it so I am gonna hit the woods this year.

I plan on using my 12ga Rem 870 Express for hunting from a gorund blind this year.
I can't decide if I want to use a Red Dot scope or go with a standard scope.

Suggestions needed. Pros and Cons from those who use either setup.

Thanks in advanced for input.

CarpetBagger

Nikon Prostaff, Nikon Slughunter, Leupold VXI in 2-7 are all pretty good....

To be honest i have a $50 Simmons fixed 4power8pt shotgun scope on my Mossberg 500 and it drives tacks at 50 yrds and groups at about 3" at 100.

Paul L Mohr

Are you talking about mounting it to the receiver or getting a cantilever barrel? I wouldn't bother with putting one on the receiver with a removable smooth barrel. My honest opinion is you would be better off with some clamp on fiber optic sights. Be much cheaper as well.

Now if you are talking about a cantilever barrel with integral scope mount then just about any quality compact scope should work well. They do make some specifically designed for slug guns though. I would look at something in the 150-200 dollar range in a 2-7 or 3-9. A nice 4 power would work well too, but I prefer the lower powers on the variables.

I have owned a few red dots as well and I think decent fiber optic sights work just as well and you don't have to worry about them dying on you or failing. Not to mention they are lighter and less cumbersome.

I personally wouldn't put a simmons 8 point on a shotgun of someone I hated. They are cheap for a reason, just look through a few in different price ranges and you should be able to see a big difference.

Paul

USNRETHunter

I've got Bushnell holosights on two slug guns and a multi-reticle red/green dot on another. I find that hunting in the woods here in Iowa that magnfiication gets in the way. I like the fast acquisition of the both/eyes open 1x "scopes". Yet, they are plenty accurate for that 100+ yard shot. With a 4 or 6 moa dot, I know the slug will be inside that circle. I'm on rifled cantilever barrels on 2 (Benelli Nova 12ga, 870 12ga) and a saddle mount on my son's 870 20ga, rifled barrel. I do have a 4x on my muzzleloader, but I don't group hunt during ML season, so it works well for me.

Jasonlester

I prefer regular scopes. I believe getting on a target that is moving may be easier with a red dot but I generaly don't take those shots anyway.

I do have a Simmons scope on my 870 and love it. It has the diamond reticle. This is great because you can have an aditional mark for greater distances (bottom of diamond) I also know with the diamond you can somewhat range things at distance by thier size realitive to the diamond. I haven't put to much time as all my shots have been under 100 yards. Well actually under 80. But the gun/sllug setup can reach out there pretty good.

So I guess something like mine would be my recomendation. I think it was around 100-150 at walmart once apon a time. But its been years. Probably not the best scope on the marked but I've had great luck with it and have had it in some crappy weather and bounced it around plenty and never had a problem.

Good luck with your decision.

Horizontal Hunter

I have a Bushnell shotgun scope (Variable 1.5 to 4.5) that is mounted on my winchester ranger 12 gauage pump, smooth barrel. I had a gunsmith drill and tap the reciever for the scope mounts.

It is perfect for the kind of hunting that I do and I have taken a lot of deer with this combo over the years at ranges of from 10 yards to nearly 75 yards.

A rifled barrel with an integral canttilever scope mount is the ideal setup and will greatly extend your range, but IMO it makes the gun much heavier and the sabots are pricey.

I find that my setup works for me in the woods that I hunt, and the rifled slugs give me the accuracy that I need inexpensively.

Bob

Merlin1274

I got a UAG 4X30 Scope I just mounted on it. Took it out and the mount loosened up so I had to use some locite on the mount screws to the receiver..

I am gonna try to hit the range tomorrow after work and see if it stays this time. Those slugs pack a punch..

Also the Red Dot I had would not mount to the scope mount I got for the shotgun.
Thanks for the input. Befor it loosened up on me I was getting 1-2" groups at 50 yards. Maybe now I can find tune it.