Turkey hunting forum for turkey hunting tips

I was watching on YouTube where a young man was interviewing several people at the NWTF convention on whether they use a red dot or bed sight when turkey hunting. I have been contemplating on a red dot for a youth 11-87 20 gauge I have but would like to see how popular the red dot sights are for members on this forum.

I have been a bead guy. how about you?   

I was a bead guy too. Then clamp-on rifle sights for a short time. I then went to a red dot several years ago and loved it. I keep a red dot on my primary and backup gun.

I use scopes on both of my 12-gauges. One of them has a diamond and the other has a circle to range the turkey. I find the ranging capability very useful when making the decision to pull the trigger or not.

I prefer a double bead, but do have a dot on one gun that wasn't shooting down the beads!

My sbe2 shoots right down the beads with virtually anything! But I rarely carry these days.

I have always shot the beads
But I'm seriously considering the new vortex dot

I prefer scopes, but I have guns set up with both red / green dots and scopes.

As you get older and your eyesight isn't as good you will use a scope.. IMO

I had a winchester 1300 with rifle sights that I liked. I have tried the scope, but didn't like it.  Maybe it was the scope (bushnell banner circle plex). Went back to a bead for years.  I put a reflex sight on my gun a few years ago, and won't be using anything else.  I like the ability to 'see' the entire target, put the circle dot on the mark, and boom.  To me, the target gets blocked out by the barrel when using a bead and then there's that deal where you have to have your head down on the stock or you will shoot high with a bead....not that I've ever done that. wink wink.

I will say that I believe that I had 1 bird that maybe saw the "glint" off my reflex one time from the sun.  He was super close and didn't survive the encounter, but he did suddenly come out of strut like he saw something.  It could have been anything, but I felt I was hid very well. 

Burris fastfie 3 on one and Vortex venom on another, like them both with Sumtoy mounts!

Green dot first choice, scope 2nd. The only birds I've missed so far were with a scope so I switched to dots.  Only one of my guns so far had the same POA and POI and I do not want to have to think about KY windage in the heat of the moment so beads are a no go for me.

I'm an "everything is a trade off" guy.  My 410 has a Sig Romeo 5 high mount red dot.  Been fine but I would be more than ok with a good set of rifle sights.  My 12 ga 870 has had a scope which worked but the whole setup is very heavy.  If I carry it for turkey it is the old standard beads it came with.  Scope and cantilever barrel is now for just slugs.  Perfect for Florida hogs.

When I went to using a scope it was a great improvement. When I went to a red dot, it was a game changer. For.my eyes, red dot wins hands down.

Try a red dot and you'll love it. Last year was my first year with one and now I have it on both my 20 gauge's

Went to a red dot on my primary, dedicated guns 25 years ago.

Not changing.

I have use a red dot exclusively for several years now. My eyes are not what they used to be as I am getting old and the red dot was a game changer. My 2 cents.

I wanted to like red dots. I had the worst experience imaginable. I gave the red dot theory a chance for two springs. I had several mounting issues and a Burris fast fire 4 that kept walking out of zero. Since going back to the bead I've had zero problems.

I bought a franchi affinity compact last year and out of the box set it up with a burris fastfire it was pretty sweet just shooting dove loads to break the gun in and then dialing it in with my turkey choke and shells. However 2nd day of turkey season it was a raining foggy morning and the sight glass was completely fogged up and couldn't see a thing through it. It came with a plastic cover that I assume if for those situations however it skipped my mind. I had a flock of birds fly down in front of me and got it somewhat clear where I could see through it partly without alerting the birds. But the dot seemed very blurry and I missed a bird at 30 yards. I probably shouldn't have taken a shot at all due to low visibility through the glass. For the simple fact of that, I went on in to work and before I got to work doing anything I took the red dot off my gun. Beads for me

Adding an adjustable optic, ie; scope or Red Dot has numerous advantages over fixed/bead sights. You can zero every fire arm regardless of POI. Some shotguns just do not shoot straight. Todays tighter chokes and sophisticated Turkey loads almost mandate the use of optics. I use both Red Dots and scopes on my turkey guns. I like them both, definitely prevents misses, and forces you to keep your head down on your shots. I would highly recommend either one. Good luck...

Red dot on all mine. 

I run red dots on both my dedicated turkey guns

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Went red dot and never looked back...

For me...

Red Dot > Scopes > 2 beads > 1 bead

Green dot. Really like it.

I use a red dot sight. I used to use a bead years ago but wouldn't go back.

I use both red dots and scopes. I was a bead guy for a long long time. But most shotguns POA sucks. So, instead of remembering which gun shot which way, I go with optics and zero them the way I like to shoot

I have a red dot on every one of my turkey guns, either a holsun 507c or a sig romeo5.  I have no interest in going back to a bead

Red dots on all my Turkey guns! Never any problems and will never go back to a bead. I only use Holosun red dots, never any issues.

Fiber optic rifle sights on the 12 ga. guns, and FF3 on the 20 ga. I can take or leave the red dot, having run rifle sights for many years that is my preference.

I have several turkey guns set up with vortex or burris red dots. With tight tss patterns I feel they are a must. They are my preference but I always have a double bead gun in the truck for days of heavy rain.

I have hunted with red dots in the rain but it is a challenge to keep them from becoming wet or fogged.

Holosun 507C on all my turkey guns.  I have never experienced any issues (battery, fogging, etc..) and would not go back to beads.  If I were looking at a new red dot.  I would strongly consider the new Vortex that mounts directly to the receiver.  Amazon for $299 seems hard to beat.  I had a chance to look through it at NWTF and it was nice.  Little pricer if you want multiple reticles.

Red dots on my 2 dedicated turkey guns.  Leupold DeltaPoint Pro and a Burris FF4.  As I got older and my eyesight got worse, I had trouble seeing the bead and being able to still see the turkey.  Red dots fixed that for me.

Neither,first choice is a set of adjustable fiber optics,I prefer the Williams with the peep sight.

Simple is always better but as I got older the beads were getting harder and harder to see and align. I have a scope on two of my turkey guns and a red dot and green dot on my other two guns.
I like the scopes and of the two dots I prefer the green dot.

Imo if you want optics a prism sight is worlds better than a red dot. It's got an etched reticle so it's always visible. You can turn on optics which light reticle plus no starbursting or over illumination occurs.
You can also if so inclined add a small magnification. It's also much tougher and they're about same prices dependant on which prism or red dot is chosen.

Red dot all the way. FF


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Holosun 507 green, love the sight, shake awake, adjustable brightness, use the circle reticle, know if turkeys head is inside of circle, he's beyond 40. 

Started out with beads, then when the first scopes for turkey hunting came out, I put one of those on my gun. First gobbler encounter: he popped out unexpectedly at five yards...put the scope on his head briefly as he started head bobbing...head would bob in and out of the scope...I pulled the trigger as he started to depart...unfortunately, head bob was out of the scope right at that moment...turkey ran away unscathed as I tried to find him in the scope...scope was removed and has not seen the light of day since.

Moved to a red dot. First gobbler encounter: called one to twenty yards thru brush...he stepped out, quickly looked around for the hen, and started to dart back into the brush...swung on him, guessing if the dot was on him as he went...had no idea if it was or not, but I managed to kill him. ...Won't even talk about the time the red dot fogged up in the rain with a gobbler standing there at thirty yards... Red dot was removed and has not seen the light of day since  ;D

Both turkeys above would have been dead meat shooting beads with no questions asked.  Went back to beads...and unless I become blind as some point, will stay with them. Of course, my gun shoots beads dead-on POA/POI and has a great...and forgiving...pattern at the ranges I shoot turkeys. It weighs a ton, but that is a trade-off I am willing to make to stick with the beads...which I currently have the utmost confidence in.

End of story...   ;D  :angel9:

Red dots on all my turkey setups. Don't think I could go back to shooting a bead.

Thanks for all of the replies. I have been a bead guy all of my life and am now considering a scope or red dot. I held a Mossberg with a red dot yesterday and the dot was neat to say the least.   

Quote from: Will on February 23, 2025, 07:46:56 AMThanks for all of the replies. I have been a bead guy all of my life and am now considering a scope or red dot. I held a Mossberg with a red dot yesterday and the dot was neat to say the least. 

Red dot for me as well.

To properly sight down the barrel, you must partially block out your view of a portion of the bird. Hunters often miss because they're trying to see the bird over the top of the lead bead and they shoot high. With the red dot, the whole bird is in view the entire time.

Vortex Venom on both my 12ga SBE2 qnd 20ga SBE3.

Went from bead/rifle sights to a Burris FF2 in 2011 and have never looked back.