Need Red Dot Advice

May 01, 2017, 12:35 PM

Art in Colorado

Need Red Dot Advice

I have no experience with Red Dot optics. I am setting up a new Ruger Mark IV. I am having a Volquartsen trigger put in and want to add a Red Dot. I purchased a Vortex Venmon with a 3 MOA dot and now I am not sure about the 3 MOA. I am not going to shoot on a competative level just targets and plinking at 25 yards or so. I have not opened the Vortex box and can return it.
Now the question. Would more experienced shooters go with the 3 MOA or opt for a larger dot?

Thanks
Art

May 01, 2017, 01:13 PM

mrtuna

quote:
Originally posted by Art in Colorado:
I have no experience with Red Dot optics. I am setting up a new Ruger Mark IV. I am having a Volquartsen trigger put in and want to add a Red Dot. I purchased a Vortex Venmon with a 3 MOA dot and now I am not sure about the 3 MOA. I am not going to shoot on a competative level just targets and plinking at 25 yards or so. I have not opened the Vortex box and can return it.
Now the question. Would more experienced shooters go with the 3 MOA or opt for a larger dot?

Thanks
Art

Sometimes it helps to calculate how large the dot will be at the distance you shoot most often. 1 MOA is 1.047 inches at 100 yards. 3 MOA at 25 yards is .785 inches in diameter. That's pretty small. If you can see it well and have good enough eyes to pick it up quickly the 3 MOA seems to work well for most people. If it's for carry and fast close shots are the most important people especially us older guys often bump it up to 6.

May 01, 2017, 03:55 PM

hrcjon

It really depends on the type of shooting you do and the distances. If you are truly plinking and static targets under no time constraints you will be fine with a 3 moa dot.
If you want to use it for action shooting with the element of time you would want a larger dot.

May 01, 2017, 05:12 PM

sig78257

Could just be my eyes but I have the Sig Romeo1 on a 320. When the brightness is turned down the dot is very small and round. At the brighter settings the dot becomes fairly large and splotchy looking.
The Romeo only comes in a 3 MOA. I prefer the brighter larger dot.

May 01, 2017, 08:04 PM

hrcjon

I should have been more specific in my post. I have now more than 30K rounds using a trijicon RMR. I have used all the available types of RMR's. If you have an RMR you will be very happy with a 3moa dot. Other dots with other characteristics I can't say. A good quality dot should be fine. Something that has display issues I can't say. The Vortex I have not used the same for the Sig quoted above.

May 01, 2017, 08:07 PM

DaBigBR

I think you'll find the 3 MOA dot is just fine. In the Trijicon RMR, the 3.25 and 6 MOA models are both popular. I have shot with a 2 MOA Aimpoint clone on a six second mount and did not find the dot to be too small (although the optic was replaced with a 4 MOA T1.

May 01, 2017, 08:18 PM

Joe L

The 3 moa dot will be fine. I have a 2 moa Ultradot Micro HD on a Ruger 22/45 and three 3 moa Burris Fast Fire 3's on bullseye match pistols. Optically, the small tube type is a little sharper, but I've been very happy with the 3 moa dots for bullseye matches and for shooting the pistols out to 200 yards. No way I would go any larger. I'd go 2 moa in the Burris if it were available.

May 01, 2017, 08:53 PM

Redhookbklyn

I use a 3 MOA Vortex Razor on a Ruger Mark IV Stainless Target. Also installed a Volquartsen trigger kit, thanks to the recommendations of several Forum members.

Was worried the size of the optic itself was to large for the Mark IV but, find it works well for plinking and target shooting out to 25 yards.

May 02, 2017, 12:31 PM

1KPerDay

I have both 3ish and 6ish MOA RMRs. The larger is perhaps a TAD easier to see but I shoot both equally well. For plinking or plates get the larger, for paper or precision get the smaller. I wager a lot of people wouldn't be able to tell which was which unless they looked very closely.