Handgun Scope?

[Jacks Grampa]

I need one because because 70 year old eyes don't do well with iron sights.

 

[Pinetreebbs]

For a pistol a red dot site will work unless you really need the magnification of a scope. Both take time to get used to, but IME a pistol scope is a little harder and takes a more steady hold to use.

 

[JSH]

Wheel gun, semi auto, single shot, caliber?

 

[DirtySteve]

If going for a Red Dot use a small 2 MOA for accuracy and 5-8 MOA for speed.
I have Burris FastFire2 & 3 and a Vortex Defender XL.. I like them all. I pick up the dot on my 1911 with the Vortex Defender Fastest. But when I had the Fast Fire on there I still picked it up faster than when using my M&P. 30 plus years of using the 1911 could be the reason.

 

[CJ6]

I have Leopold 2.5x8 scopes on XPs and Encores. It takes getting used too. Eye relief is more critical and so is alignment.
I have thought about going with a holo type site as I have a couple on semiautomatic pistols. I just haven't yet.

 

[Jacks Grampa]

It'll be for hunting with large bore revolvers. .454 and .44 mag.

 

[White Eagle]

when I had one it was a Burris 2-8 or something similar it worked real good

 

[SBS]

Pistol scopes have approximately half the field of view of a rifle scope of the same power. Plus being farther out from the eye, alignment is much more critical. You learn to keep the scope aligned to the eye and when moving it right or left, swivel at the hip -- keeps the scope in line with the eye. Start with low power & move up as you learn to use long eye relief scopes. I like something around a 1-4X variable for shorter range handguns and 2-7 or 3-9 for longer range hunting such as Encore, Contender, & XP-100 with bottleneck cases.

 

[Bob R]

At the moment we are pretty much down to a 2-7 Burris For a Handgun Scope. How you use the scope also has some impact on what you use. The Handgun Scope is better at arms length. If you shoot from a Bench off a Rest, (Tower Stand or Ladder Stand with a shelf using a sand bag rest) less eye relief may be better. In that application the Burris 2-7 Scout scope should work well. I have a Vortex 2-7 Scout on my Optima V2 Muzzle Loading Handgun. I will be buying more Scout Scopes for my shorter range single shot handguns. The Vortex can still be found on the shelf, but is now discontinued. I have also used 30mm MatchDot and UltraDot Red Dot Sights on my 480 Ruger Super RedHawk. Note: With Factory 30mm Rings on the Ruger Super RedHawk you will need to use the UltraDot. The Factory Ruger Rings are too close together for the MatchDot Sight. I currently have a MatchDot mounted on my Super RedHawk in a Weigand Combat 454 Mount. The 454 Version has a Recoil Shelf and also uses the sight screw hole as a mounting point if I remember correctly. The UltraDot does come in a 1" version. I prefer the 30mm as you have more field of view. If you are limited to 1" Rings this may be your best choice in a tube style red dot.

You have some choices, how you hunt/shoot will have some bearing on what will work best for you.
You did not mention what handgun you were using. What Ring's and Base's that are available for it can also impact what you choose.

Bob R