is there a quality 150-200$ xbow red dot out there?

[vpsaline]

I'm trying to setup a xbow for an older hunter. I'm thinking that a 1x redot with 3 chevrons would be best but I could be wrong. Is there a quality 150-200$ xbow red dot or other optic out there that fits the bill? Is an illuminated 3x scope better?

[Starvin' Hillbilly]

Go to MIDWAYUSA.com and look a the Millett series of red dots, one has an adjustable dot from 2ml to 8ml, you could adjust the dot for different aiming points/ yardages . . .good reviews and lite weight
-ken

[wildcatter]

1.3oz. Burris Fastfire II or III,,, very light, very durable, and fully automatic rheostat that works, simply turn it on and hunt!! The III turns on automatically,,, and battery life last for months, even left on!

The only drawback to red dot's for me is, without the electronics there is no aiming point's, I prefer illuminated scopes for this reason only.

[Microbuck]

Mueller quick shot would fit the bill nicely. Great little sight, built for shotgun recoil so it can stand up to a xbow better than most of the other sub $400 red dots.

[vpsaline]

Mueller quick shot would fit the bill nicely. Great little sight, built for shotgun recoil so it can stand up to a xbow better than most of the other sub $400 red dots.

That might be just what the Dr asked for. How is the 'ruggedness' of this sight do you have first hand experience?

Thanks!!!

[jody5252]

JMO It is best to get one with descending, multi dots to adjust to the speed of your x-bow. Tru-glo makes some good ones. A single dot is ok, but you really want to do a lot of shooting, to know exactly where to hold the dot at longer distances. Check out, Optics planet (huge selection) and Amazon (lower prices) Good luck. J.

[Microbuck]

Mueller quick shot would fit the bill nicely. Great little sight, built for shotgun recoil so it can stand up to a xbow better than most of the other sub $400 red dots.

That might be just what the Dr asked for. How is the 'ruggedness' of this sight do you have first hand experience?

Thanks!!!

Yep, have one on my 15-22 and love it. With the 4 different reticles you should be able to identify different yardage markers. Really can't go wrong with the sight, and I think it would look really good on a crossbow as well.

Solid construction, has held up to all the bumps and knocks it's taken when friends are shooting (and dropping ) the rifle.

[vpsaline]

with a 30 yard zero would that 5mil dot allow for 20-40 yard shooting you think (shooting 305-335fps)?

Or maybe that 'CQB' option is best suited to crossbow use?

[Microbuck]

with a 30 yard zero would that 5mil dot allow for 20-40 yard shooting you think (shooting 305-335fps)?

Or maybe that 'CQB' option is best suited to crossbow use?

Depending on the shooters eyesight I believe it would. I think the euro/dot would be a good reticle for marking ranges. CQB wouldn't be bad either, but there's a lot of space in the middle of that reticle and I would prefer a dot. That said, you could always change reticles at distance if you know how they're sighted in. It would be a fun project to tune your shooting.

[tomcat]

Red Dot's have their Pro's and Con's over scopes:
Pro's: Quick Target Acquisition, Wide FOV(plus keep both eyes open for even more FOV), Infinite Eye Relief, Switch between shooters without POI shift(including younsters), Visible reticle at dusk/night, and really lightweight.
Con's: No Magnification for longer shots, Not as good in dark at longer ranges, Some have intensity that don't adjust low or high enough, which washes out target at dusk or too dim in bright light(same with Illum scopes), and of course the risk of batteries giving up while you are afield (easily addressed by taping a spare to inside of quiver and put a fresh one in at beginning of season)

IMHO if you aren't one who shoots past 50 yards often, shares the crossbow with others(especially kids, as they are really awesome for beginners), and don't see yourself needing that enhanced light gathering of a scope then a Red Dot is just the ticket.

What about the Excalibur brand Red Dot?

[DeathMerchant]

Take a look at the Ultradot line of red dots. I use the Ultradot 6 as well as the Pan-V on different weapons. I would think they would be ideal on a crossbow, especially the Ultradot 6 with different dot sizes as well as dot/circle and cross hair. They are built like tanks and have a lifetime warranty.
They run around $200

[jody5252]

Red Dot's have their Pro's and Con's over scopes:
Pro's: Quick Target Acquisition, Wide FOV(plus keep both eyes open for even more FOV), Infinite Eye Relief, Switch between shooters without POI shift(including younsters), Visible reticle at dusk/night, and really lightweight.
Con's: No Magnification for longer shots, Not as good in dark at longer ranges, Some have intensity that don't adjust low or high enough, which washes out target at dusk or too dim in bright light(same with Illum scopes), and of course the risk of batteries giving up while you are afield (easily addressed by taping a spare to inside of quiver and put a fresh one in at beginning of season)

IMHO if you aren't one who shoots past 50 yards often, shares the crossbow with others(especially kids, as they are really awesome for beginners), and don't see yourself needing that enhanced light gathering of a scope then a Red Dot is just the ticket.

What about the Excalibur brand Red Dot?

That is a tru-glo sight... I had one...

[wildcatter]

I would never use or suggest any Tru-glo, from others I have witnessed they make junk!! I have seen up to a dozen scopes and red dots with there name on it and never seen one hold up, but every one created problems!

The Battery bit as I stated on the Burris is a non issue, I can leave my Burris Fastfire II on for over month and not run a battery dead, on the Fastfire III on off is auto and will not run dead in 6 months if used a lot!! In either case put a battery in it before season and you assured of never having a dead battery during hunting season!

The problem of to much brightness is a problem on most red dot sights, the reflex Fastfire has auto brightness, I can verify it is always perfect even at midnight I have used it and in full sun in my open backyard, the intensity is always perfect.

Yes the magnification is an issue,, for some, my 380's are zeroed at 30 yards so I can use less than 3X to keep the rest of my aiming points on 10 yard increments, I much prefer field of view for hunting big game (deer or bigger) over power, even with these old wore out eyes I can see my target perfectly out 60 yards without 4X or stronger scope!

I had the Burris on the Micro all summer, and had no problems out to 40 yards staying inside a 3" bull offhand. I sighted it in at 30 yards, with a 4MOA dot I shot about 1" above the dot at 20 yards centered it at 30 and held the dot about 2 to 3" above the where I wanted to hit at 40. At 1.3 oz. it is sweet!!

There may be others that offer perfect illumination in every situation, or superb battery life, but this Burris is 4 years old, it has been on a .22 R.F. automatic pistol, a 358 win. 14" Encore, an 11/87 shotgun, and now the Micro,,, never has had an issue and has always held zero once set, with unbelievable battery life, I have never needed to change a battery in less than 1 year, and then it was still good!

But I would never suggest any tru-glo scope or red dot to anyone,,,,,,I liked! In my book they are JUNK!!

[tomcat]

I have a Burris Speed dot which is great. I also have some of the Horton 3 dot sights on setups for the kids and they have been great as well.

I don't know about the Excal/Truglo quality as I 've never owned one, hence the question. I know that the Excal brand(regardless of maker)would be covered under warranty like usual in great CS fashion, only Excal can do.