In the last few years many hunters have begun incorporating former combat rifle features into their hunting gear. For example, modern sporting rifles have become popular for their low recoil and fast followups. Picatinny rails are commonplace and rifles like the Sig Sauer Cross feature pistol grips. One potential cross over that isn’t as commonplace is the red dot sighting system. Does the red dot have a place in the hunting world?
Benefits
In order to evaluate red dots’ suitability for a hunting firearm, one must identify which attributes make it so desirable on a combat rifle. Because there is unlimited eye relief and negligible parallax, a red dot can be used from awkward positions. Additionally, red dots have no magnification. These two attributes combine to give red dots their most significant benefit; They allow for very fast sight acquisition. Not only does this lead to a fast first shot, but also faster follow up shots.
Drawbacks
However, the very characteristics that make red dots so quick to operate lead to the red dot being imprecise. Even relatively fine red dots often cover 2 MOA of the target. Furthermore, with no magnification, it is difficult to shoot past 300 yards or so. This can be somewhat mitigated with a magnifier, but that will slow the sight acquisition and does not change the fact that the dot still covers 2 MOA of the target.
Application
So how do these benefits and drawbacks apply in a hunting context? Most eastern whitetail hunting involves sitting in a stand, and taking time to make a precise shot is possible. This favors the precision of a traditional rifle scope.
Western hunting often takes place and lives in wide open areas where extended range shots aren’t unusual. These long shots require magnified optics in order to make them ethically. Bullet drop reticles or dialing elevation on turrets can also be used to help make these shots. As such, for western hunting rifle scopes are also preferable.
Therefore, for both of the most common styles of North American hunting, the riflescope is a better option than a red dot. For a general purpose hunting rifle there is a reason that magnified optics dominate the market. With that established, let’s look at a few instances where a red dot might be an appropriate optic for a specialized rifle.
When is a Red Dot Appropriate
Red dots do offer fast shooting characteristics. While this is not all that useful in open areas or when concealed, it can be advantageous up close. Red dots can be useful on fast handling firearms in scenarios likely to call for close up shots on mobile game. The close range minimizes the impact of the lower degree of precision offered by a red dot. At the same time, shorter ranges increase the likelihood that game will be aware of the hunters presence. This awareness increases the odds that they will move or potentially run. In this scenario, a quick shooting red dot optic could come in handy.
One such situation that springs to mind is stalking through the timber, where deer are often spotted at close range. Another hunting style that lends itself to these optics is a deer drive. Both such scenarios can take advantage of the speed of a red dot, but must be paired with an appropriate firearm to do so.
Red dots will be best utilized on fast handling rifles. Pairing a red dot with a bolt action would render obsolete all of its benefits. On the other hand a pump or a lever action rifle with a shorter barrel would be ideal. Due to the limited number of pump action rifles on the market, a lever action seems like the more natural choice. Semi-automatics are also a good partner for a red dot hunting set-up.
Closing Thoughts
In closing, red dot optics have a number of advantages that make them excellent combat optics. However, for the most part, these benefits don’t translate over into the world of hunting. There are some niche scenarios that call for in close shots where a lever action outfitted with a red dot is a suitable option. Still, for hunters who don’t own a multitude of firearms and hunt in a very specific style, a traditional rifle scope will serve much better. In general, the red dot will stay out of the woods.