So who still shoots the bead after trying a red dot? I mounted a Meadow Creek mount on my M2 last year and had mixed feelings about it. Still seemed high to me but thought I would hunt with it. Long story short I missed my gobbler with the first shot at 25 yards, got him on the second but I feel like I hold my gun not as tight to my shoulder to still see the dot, head more off the stock. Thinking of trying a Sumtoy mount or just shooting the bead. Anyone else feel this way?
I run sumtoys and either vortex venom or burris fast fires on all my dedicated turkey guns. I tried the meadow creek and did not like it or trust it to hold zero.
That being said I have a franchi affinity 3 with just a bead I keep for extreme rain situations where I have to try to keep a red dot clear and free of rain.
My main gun has a Leupold NWTF turkey plex scope. My backup is bead only. I'm thinking about drilling and tapping the backup for a Sumtoy mount, ai did not like the Meadowcreek either.
FF3 on my 20 gauge, and fully adjustable rifle sights on my 12 gauge single shot. Never been a fan of a bead/double bead for a turkey choked gun.
Just having a hard time thinking about drilling into one of my M2s
Quote from: Dedduc on February 15, 2026, 12:37:31 PMJust having a hard time thinking about drilling into one of my M2s
Drilled and tapped my m2 with a sumtoy mount and couldn't be happier. Well worth it to me if that helps any.
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Quote from: Tomtom97 on February 15, 2026, 01:14:11 PMQuote from: Dedduc on February 15, 2026, 12:37:31 PMJust having a hard time thinking about drilling into one of my M2s
Drilled and tapped my m2 with a sumtoy mount and couldn't be happier. Well worth it to me if that helps any.
Who drilled it for you?
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Quote from: Dedduc on February 15, 2026, 03:41:13 PMQuote from: Tomtom97 on February 15, 2026, 01:14:11 PMQuote from: Dedduc on February 15, 2026, 12:37:31 PMJust having a hard time thinking about drilling into one of my M2s
Drilled and tapped my m2 with a sumtoy mount and couldn't be happier. Well worth it to me if that helps any.
Who drilled it for you?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have a Aimpoint Micro S Red Dot (Rib mount)on my Super Black Eagle 3 20 gauge. Sits right on the rib, as low as it gets. Fantastic Red Dot, fits any rib without additional mounts. They are hard to get if you can find one, you lucked out. Aimpoint makes military mounts, very reliable. Good luck this season.
Still use the bead, tried a red dot.
when I switched my 20's over to TSS I went with dots and I've never looked back. I did however put cheek risers (home made) on them and it made a world of difference.
So far I've used bead, fiber optic irons, red dots and scopes. They all work well, but my personal favorites are bead and red dot. I prefer a bead, but the gun has to shoot dead on, and I use a choke/load combo that is a little more open so as to be more forgiving of errors up close, and try to not take any really close shots. I am eventually going to have my sx4 drilled and tapped as soon as I can find a good gunsmith in my area, and will be using a holoson 6moa green dot though. After all the sighting systems I've tried, this one suits me the best.
I have and use all of them, but my favorite is a scope. REgardless I like just one aiming point.
Single bead guy here. They day I can't get on his neck and head clean with it, within 30yrds, is the day I hang it up. At 54yrs old, I hope that day does not come anytime soon :)
Quote from: WLT III on Today at 09:19:02 AMSingle bead guy here. They day I can't get on his neck and head clean with it, within 30yrds, is the day I hang it up. At 54yrs old, I hope that day does not come anytime soon :)
Some people don't see as well as others, just because you have to use other means to aim is not a reason to give it up .. IMO
Quote from: Greg Massey on Today at 10:49:33 AMQuote from: WLT III on Today at 09:19:02 AMSingle bead guy here. They day I can't get on his neck and head clean with it, within 30yrds, is the day I hang it up. At 54yrs old, I hope that day does not come anytime soon :)
Some people don't see as well as others, just because you have to use other means to aim is not a reason to give it up .. IMO
More often than not, other means are used to extend the killing distance to, in my opinion, un ethical ranges. That, to me, would be past 35 steps. But to those who truly need optics to kill clean at 30, and abide by that code, hunt on my friends :icon_thumright:
Quote from: WLT III on Today at 12:21:55 PMQuote from: Greg Massey on Today at 10:49:33 AMQuote from: WLT III on Today at 09:19:02 AMSingle bead guy here. They day I can't get on his neck and head clean with it, within 30yrds, is the day I hang it up. At 54yrs old, I hope that day does not come anytime soon :)
Some people don't see as well as others, just because you have to use other means to aim is not a reason to give it up .. IMO
More often than not, other means are used to extend the killing distance to, in my opinion, un ethical ranges. That, to me, would be past 35 steps. But to those who truly need optics to kill clean at 30, and abide by that code, hunt on my friends :icon_thumright:
I will agree, but we all have opinions, I guess I don't look at it in the same way, just because someone is using optics doesn't mean they will necessarily shoot pass ethical range / same can be said with using TSS ...
Quote from: WLT III on Today at 12:21:55 PMQuote from: Greg Massey on Today at 10:49:33 AMQuote from: WLT III on Today at 09:19:02 AMSingle bead guy here. They day I can't get on his neck and head clean with it, within 30yrds, is the day I hang it up. At 54yrs old, I hope that day does not come anytime soon :)
Some people don't see as well as others, just because you have to use other means to aim is not a reason to give it up .. IMO
More often than not, other means are used to extend the killing distance to, in my opinion, un ethical ranges. That, to me, would be past 35 steps. But to those who truly need optics to kill clean at 30, and abide by that code, hunt on my friends :icon_thumright:
Naw, most of us use optics so we don't miss with a itty bitty pattern at 20 feet, not to extend the range. Beads work fine at longer range where the pattern opens up nice and forgiving, not so much sometimes up close. Plus, dots are nice on weird angles where you have to twist around and can't get your head down on the stock. My sx4 and 10 gauge are my bead guns, although I want to put a dot on the sx4. My Vinci has a scope or dot on it when I use it for turkey, and the bps upland I use fiber optics on cause it don't shoot straight lol!
Whatever makes you feel better bud. I'm always skeptical of those who shoot optics and tss. 9 times out of 10, my presumptions has been right on. Like I said though, those that truly need them to kill clean within 35 steps, I wish them many Springs to come.
To me it's really common sense. If i shoot a reasonable patterned gun,(Forgivable) and it shoots poa why on earth complicate it? Bet most guys shot way more without sights than with. This whole super tight pattern stuff makes sights unavoidable very often.
TSS is a big culprit. Shoots too tight and if off there's no leeway
I'm still getting away with just a bead, i do like a double bead better. I sometimes have trouble seeing the length of a beard in early morning in a dark woods. Only thing to fix that would be a good scope.
Ethics is a fine line, not sure how 30 yards or 35 steps is the only distance that's ok
I would like to see the look on the face of Turpin, Davis, Jordan or Everett if they were told 35 steps was the limit or they just weren't real turkey hunters
Most people don't step a yard, 35 steps is more like an average 31-32yards
Quote from: WLT III on Today at 12:21:55 PMQuote from: Greg Massey on Today at 10:49:33 AMQuote from: WLT III on Today at 09:19:02 AMSingle bead guy here. They day I can't get on his neck and head clean with it, within 30yrds, is the day I hang it up. At 54yrs old, I hope that day does not come anytime soon :)
Some people don't see as well as others, just because you have to use other means to aim is not a reason to give it up .. IMO
More often than not, other means are used to extend the killing distance to, in my opinion, un ethical ranges. That, to me, would be past 35 steps. But to those who truly need optics to kill clean at 30, and abide by that code, hunt on my friends :icon_thumright:
Odd, I've been using a scope on my turkey gun since around '08. I've yet to shoot a bird past 35 yards.
FYI, my scope has a built in reticle that serves as a turkey rangefinder.... maybe don't speculate about people's ethics if you don't know them.