Offset Red Dot and Fixed Scope

[Scrumbag]

Hi Folks,

A while ago I noticed something in Field Sports Britain (UK focussed Youtube hunting show) that caught my eye.

Using a red dot in conjunction with a scope on scope a rifle:

The above are interesting ideas I think and have been done by the Tactical / sports shooters for a while. I’m not sure why you’d mount a red dot on your scope with a 1.8x / 2.4 / 3x bottom end as those guys did. I did however wonder about adding it to a fixed scope such as an 8x56 I wondered if that would make the scope a bit more flexible as it’s great in the dark up a highseat (aka Treestand) but it’s rather rubbish at snap shooting a close target such as if you see something walking in to your high seat or on the way out.

I recently came across a video from Red Moose Hunting where he uses a red dot with a relatively high bottom end magnification:

And he seemed to have some success with it, particularly on the running boar target

So, I thought it might be worth a go and so set up .22lr as this is a relatively cheap way to experiment and doesn’t beat up the ears and shoulder.

I learned a few things from this:

1. The red dot for me is better mounted up by the objective rather than back by the ocular as I found my hand tended to hit it when using the rifle
2. The 3 o’clock position suited me best as the 1:30 / 45 degree angle was rather a chin weld (as was 12 o’clock)

For offhand shooting, not bad with a crude zero

Not perfect by any means but think worth trying more.

Anyone else have any experience with this?

Scrummy

 

[shoobe01]

FWIW: One reason lots of mil guys do it is the more head up position makes passive (not laser giving away your position) night vision aiming. Even if your LPVO goes to true 1x, through NODs it's not the same as an RDS and the height helps. Friend has my old Insight MRDS on top of a Spectre-DR 1-4x for example.

Army-wide I mostly see it used with a lowish-power fixed. RDS on top of ACOG, or the Germans mounting them to whatever Hensoldt 4x prism sight they are starting to use these days, to replace the red dot over (2.5x?) scopeon the G36 carry handle. Then they use that as the alternative to LPVO; red for close/fast, scope for more precision and PID.


My brain sucks so I do poorly with the transition, but know many who have done well, have seen (and briefly used) some good looking setups.

 

[Scrumbag]

Yeah NV / Thermal is interesting as an idea, problem is quiet a few jurisdictions where I hunt don't allow it...

The best ambient light scope without NODS / Image intensifiers etc tends to be a large objective, fixed mag scope (Think Kahles / Swarovski / S&B / Zeiss / Docter / Leica maybe put Meopta and Karl Kaps in their too)

Problem is, for a quick snap shot, these fixed scopes aren't always the best if you don't mount clean on your target first time - hence my idea about a red dot for a close in snap shot.

Scrummy

 

[shoobe01]

Oh, sure. Sorry, wasn't trying to imply that hunting would use or need that NV but just why it's sort of a thing.

Yes, the RDS can be a bit more forgiving than a scope for snapshot type purposes but remember the small ones usually used for this and in your examples are, well, smaller

RDS have been the go-to for many stalk hunters in europe, and often what is used for dangerous game hunts when they go to Africa or Asia. Aimpoint makes a line of sights just for hunters no less, which we don't get here.

 

[Mark W]

I’ve did this on my AR for coyote calling. I didn’t mount to the scope like that, I used 45 degree picatinny mount and mounted to the rail. To me that gives a much better angle and is closer to the barrel.