Does anyone have any experience with the inexpensive red dots sights. I don't really want to spend 2 or $300 on something I don't know if I will even like or can use.
Red Dot for Mark IV
- Thread starter BigFoot
- Start date
No, but stay away from the cheap airgun red dots. A fellow RSO tried to use one on his 9mm carbine and had to drop out of the match because of red dot failure. While I understand your reluctance to spend a bunch of money on a RD for your Mk IV, just be aware that it is an investment that could be swapped to another firearm down the line.
I personally wouldn't recommend anything cheaper than a Swampfox. While I have not used one, I know one of the RSOs who uses one on one of his pistols and seems satisfied with it, and he's a pretty serious shooter. You get what you pay for.
www.opticsplanet.com
I personally wouldn't recommend anything cheaper than a Swampfox. While I have not used one, I know one of the RSOs who uses one on one of his pistols and seems satisfied with it, and he's a pretty serious shooter. You get what you pay for.
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@BigFoot The sightmark red dot might fit the bill.
www.opticsplanet.com
$99.97 and if you sign up for e-mails as a first time customer you get 10% off your fist order over $50.00 so that would make it $89.98+shipping.
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$99.97 and if you sign up for e-mails as a first time customer you get 10% off your fist order over $50.00 so that would make it $89.98+shipping.
My dad and I both have this one. I have it on my Mk3 and he has it on his Mk2. Uses same mount pattern as an RMR so mounts are easy to find. Currently $244 on Amazon
Wish they would make one without the tinted and poor coatings which diminish light gathering ability. Who wears sunglasses at night, eh. And don't post a link to that bad 80s song... I will!
AA
I shot silhouettes for a long time. I saw lots of guys buy "inexpensive" red dots thinking "it's only a .22" I saw many problems with them not holding zero, too. There's nothing more aggravating than shooting a gun that's zeroed one day and then completely off the paper the next.
I use Burris Fast Fire III reflex sights on my silhouette guns. I hadn't adjusted my zero on my MK in many years. Last week, I made a click or two adjustment for windage when I shot one of the bullseye targets. The scope wasn't off enough to have affected my silhouette shooting, though.
I have seen a lot of Fast Fires on centerfire handguns and am always amazed that they can ride on a slide and not get beaten to pieces. I don't recall ever seeing one fail.
I would buy a good optic. If you don't care for it on your MK, you can use it on something else or sell it at a little loss. Quality optics aren't hard to sell.
The Fast Fire and Burris mount is about as sleek and low profile as you can get.
I use Burris Fast Fire III reflex sights on my silhouette guns. I hadn't adjusted my zero on my MK in many years. Last week, I made a click or two adjustment for windage when I shot one of the bullseye targets. The scope wasn't off enough to have affected my silhouette shooting, though.
I have seen a lot of Fast Fires on centerfire handguns and am always amazed that they can ride on a slide and not get beaten to pieces. I don't recall ever seeing one fail.
I would buy a good optic. If you don't care for it on your MK, you can use it on something else or sell it at a little loss. Quality optics aren't hard to sell.
The Fast Fire and Burris mount is about as sleek and low profile as you can get.
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I think the Burris FastFire series are the sweet spot, not too cheap, not too expensive, good/great performance, robust.
JCinPA
The Lather Maestro
The Ruger Mark IV has such ridiculously light recoil, there is no need for a more expensive red dot, the gun just does not stress them at all. You can get a Ruger 90623 1913 Picatinny Rail and the Bushnell Trophy TRS-25 from Amazon, together for under $100, shipped.
I wouldn't spend any more than that. With my old eyes and wobble, I probably wouldn't spend that, the plain sights on my Ruger are probably just fine, but if I wanted a red dot, the above is the way I'd go. It's not as elegant as some of the other options, but it's reliable, good enough, and dirt cheap.
I wouldn't spend any more than that. With my old eyes and wobble, I probably wouldn't spend that, the plain sights on my Ruger are probably just fine, but if I wanted a red dot, the above is the way I'd go. It's not as elegant as some of the other options, but it's reliable, good enough, and dirt cheap.
I bought a Vortex Venom 3moa reflex sight from B&H photo for $219. I like the sight. I really like the Vortex support and no problems/no excuses lifetime warranty. The Buckmark I bought was supposed to have a Picatinny rail. When I tried to install the sight it rocked on the rail instead of sitting on it. I asked Vortex if they had an adapter. The support rep asked me for the Buckmark's manufacture year. That same afternoon they sent me a complete base that would fit the Buckmark's rail. No charge. They did ask me to call them to let them know their fix worked. Installation was extremely easy. Sighting it was also easy.
The Ruger Mark IV has such ridiculously light recoil, there is no need for a more expensive red dot, the gun just does not stress them at all. You can get a Ruger 90623 1913 Picatinny Rail and the Bushnell Trophy TRS-25 from Amazon, together for under $100, shipped.
I wouldn't spend any more than that. With my old eyes and wobble, I probably wouldn't spend that, the plain sights on my Ruger are probably just fine, but if I wanted a red dot, the above is the way I'd go. It's not as elegant as some of the other options, but it's reliable, good enough, and dirt cheap.
I have this sight on my S&W 22S and it works great. Not very sexy, inexpensive, but it's been a winner for me.
JCinPA
The Lather Maestro
For plinking/target use, that Bushnell is hard to beat.
For a little more serious use, the Sig Sauer Romeo5 is a great red dot.
Why folks like to have what the go-fast operator types use is beyond me. I have ONE peanut butter has hit the fan gun that has an AimPoint PRO on it, and solid (not top priced custom stuff, just solid) components. For an SHTF gun it makes sense. Everything else, though? Tons of lower priced good quality stuff.
I'd actually consider the Romeo5 for my SHTF the gun, but I got the PRO years ago, why change it. I wouldn't do it again, though.
For a little more serious use, the Sig Sauer Romeo5 is a great red dot.
Why folks like to have what the go-fast operator types use is beyond me. I have ONE peanut butter has hit the fan gun that has an AimPoint PRO on it, and solid (not top priced custom stuff, just solid) components. For an SHTF gun it makes sense. Everything else, though? Tons of lower priced good quality stuff.
I'd actually consider the Romeo5 for my SHTF the gun, but I got the PRO years ago, why change it. I wouldn't do it again, though.
I would use an Aimpoint Pro on a go to war gun or SHFT I would not use a Sig Romeo5 on a go to war or SHFT gun if I had other options available to me. And I have a Romeo5 on a Colt LE6920.
The Romeo5 is an excellent range, competition and limited self defense dot, but the jury is still out on it’s actual capabilities and ruggedness, when one finds themselves in some serious juju.
Especially in the area of strength on it’s OEM mount.
I've been considering a red dot for an air pistol and while I've been doing searches on "red dot" I've learned that there are red dot, reflex, and holographic sights; the term "red dot" seems to get used interchangeably amongst all 3. I've also seen the carve out of "micro red dot" which looks to me like small reflex sights specifically designed for carry pistols. Just tossing this into the mix as getting the terminology specific has helped me in my www and YouTube searches.
Having said all that, I came across a YT video just the other day that featured a Sig Romeo 5 mounted on a Mk4. Looked really slick to me, and the Romeo 5 is one that comes up in review after review as being a great quality sight for the money -- if in fact one wants a red dot and not a holo or reflex.
Having said all that, I came across a YT video just the other day that featured a Sig Romeo 5 mounted on a Mk4. Looked really slick to me, and the Romeo 5 is one that comes up in review after review as being a great quality sight for the money -- if in fact one wants a red dot and not a holo or reflex.
- Thread starter
- #14
Hey, Ronnie long time no talk!! How you been?
JCinPA
The Lather Maestro
I would agree, @OkieStubble now that you mention it. I said I wouldn't do the Aimpoint PRO again, but actually I likely would. Like you say for one SHTF go to war gun, it's worth it. Complete BCM upper and BCG, some of their BCM accessories, and the Aimpoint PRO and Magpul backup sights.
Ruggedness is the kicker. The PRO is absolutely bombproof, including the mount.
Ruggedness is the kicker. The PRO is absolutely bombproof, including the mount.
If your air pistol is a springer you need to ask the manufacturer if the sight will work on air pistols that use springs as the power source. The spring moves in the opposite direction when you pull the trigger. That means it recoils forward instead of backward. That wrecks havoc on most non-iron sights.
JCinPA
The Lather Maestro
@OkieStubble You got me into my nerd space on ballistics again, haven't been there in a few years. It's good, though, I need to clean up the reloading room and get busy, you never know when the zombies will show up. 
But I found this article and thought you also might enjoy it.
and you can search this ballistics calculator putting in round and barrel length if you want to play with it. For example, Google this:
shooterscalculator xm193 16" barrel
and you're first link is:
shooterscalculator.com
Have fun! I have to dust off my propellar hat.
But I found this article and thought you also might enjoy it.
Maximum Hangtime: Getting the Most Out of your AR15 Zero - The New Rifleman
What is the best AR15 zero? It's one where you have to estimate distance as little as possible to hit your target. Point. Click. Hit. Read up inside.
thenewrifleman.com
and you can search this ballistics calculator putting in round and barrel length if you want to play with it. For example, Google this:
shooterscalculator xm193 16" barrel
and you're first link is:
ShootersCalculator.com | XM193 16" CARBINE
Calculates the ballistic trajectory of a bullet fired from a rifle, handgun or other firearm. Produces a ballistic trajectory chart and table that shows the drop, velocity, kinetic energy, windage, and trajectory of a bullet.
Have fun! I have to dust off my propellar hat.
Seems kinda big for a .22 pistol to me, but I’m sure it can be done.
@OkieStubble You got me into my nerd space on ballistics again, haven't been there in a few years. It's good, though, I need to clean up the reloading room and get busy, you never know when the zombies will show up.
But I found this article and thought you also might enjoy it.
Maximum Hangtime: Getting the Most Out of your AR15 Zero - The New Rifleman
What is the best AR15 zero? It's one where you have to estimate distance as little as possible to hit your target. Point. Click. Hit. Read up inside.thenewrifleman.com
and you can search this ballistics calculator putting in round and barrel length if you want to play with it. For example, Google this:
shooterscalculator xm193 16" barrel
and you're first link is:
ShootersCalculator.com | XM193 16" CARBINE
Calculates the ballistic trajectory of a bullet fired from a rifle, handgun or other firearm. Produces a ballistic trajectory chart and table that shows the drop, velocity, kinetic energy, windage, and trajectory of a bullet.
Have fun! I have to dust off my propellar hat.
Thanks for the link. When Leupold gets my scope into production, I am going to go with their CDS turrets and they can custom set the dials to the ballistics of my chosen fodder.
Mutant Biker Ninja Zombies are the worst.
I wear sunglasses all the time, but only because my future is so Brite, baby!
Who wears sunglasses at night, eh. And don't post a link to that bad 80s song... I will!
AA
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