Red Dot vs. Bead vs. Ghost Ring, what is the consensus?

[GH41]

More applicable to clay shooting/duck hunting. Delivering accurate hits with buck and slug out out to their max effective range in low light situations...then an Aimpoint T1 is a good idea.

How do dots help target anything in low light conditions?? Does a dot somehow illuminate a target? GH

[GrandPooba]

How do dots help target anything in low light conditions?? Does a dot somehow illuminate a target? GH

have you ever taken a low light class? Real world light is dynamic, not black and white. There are many instances where you are able to identify your target due to sufficient ambient light or backlight, but your own sights are still in the dark.

http://pistol-training.com/archives/7668

[tappedandtagged]

I like the bead. Although, I have noticed those in my dept. that were not adept to shotguns before find the ghost rings much easier to use. So... It may just be the back woods hunter that likes the bead better. Everytime I go to qualify, I always try to find an old Wingmaster to use with the plain bead vs. the new Express SG with the ghost rings.

[PatrioticDisorder]

I had an XS tritium bead. It was nice and very effective. If it fits your mission and purpose, it would be great. I personally just felt that I wanted something more precise for slug out to 100m or so, which explains why I went to a rifle sight/Aimpoint combo. In my case, the rifle sights are obviously a backup, as the Aimpoint Micro is incredibly robust.

My Aimpoint T1 rides on a Larue QD Low mount, which is about as low as you can get. I think shotgun fit plays a big role in how easy it is to pick up the dot. Most people are running a stock that is too long for tactical shotgun use. I personally have a Speedfeed Youth stock, which is about perfect for my body size. I have no issues picking up the dot, nor do I have to crane my neck to get behind the sight.

I'm thinking I need to run an LT660HK for me to pick the dot up quickly. Every time I start from low ready the dot is always too high for me to see it. I run blackhawk stock (I know, not well recieved on this forum) with the shortest possible length of pull.

[Steve]

Are those the old Wickert sights?

Those as from don lazzarini (sp). In California I have them on several guns

If the rds fails I use the tube as a huge ghost. Like any concept if has its limits

Pending your zero mounts and optic the sights may be used

[Armati]

I personally like the RMR (esp RM08). I can zero the apex of the triangle for slugs at 100 yards.

If i do not have an RMR I prefer a rib and gold bead. However, an 870 with rifle sights is as accurate as I am with slugs.

[Noodles]

IMO.... From best to worst:


Red dot
low profile rifle sights
ribbed bead
ghost
bead
normal rifle sights (870 only)

Red dot if you're going to carry a shotgun or game with it. It's respectable use for a red dot for sure.

I just put these on my 870 and LOVE them. As fast a bead, nearly as accurate for me as ghost and don't stick up to snag on anything. Allow me to go 75y with slugs where I'd feel comfortable hunting, but I'd go 100y if I had to defensively.
http://frankbaumer.com/Heartland%20P...e_sights_2.jpg
My m1S90 has similar low profile factory sights, love em

Ribbed bead is fast, and allows a little bit of accurate slug shot, assuming you know your windage or it just happens to line up well.

I think ghost are WAY too slow, at least for me, I've found them to give me a sort of tunnel vision. Lose a lot of peripheral. I keep a shotgun for big game protection, so not what I wanted.

Bead is fine, just has no option of lining up a slug at all.

And I absolutely despise Remington's normal (ultra high profile) side-pokers... I mean rifle sights.

.... So, if you can't get a good set of sights or the sights you want, do a red dot.

[DocGKR]

As Steve noted, my BIS are custom ones that Don Lazzarini has been making since the 1990's.

Slight detour. We have been looking for ways to wean off the SF dedicated shotgun WML forends (http://www.surefire.com/illumi.../shotgun-forend.html), as they are big, heavy, awkward, expensive, lacking modularity, and force you to use a specific light. To that end we tried a variety of options, including barrel mounts and various pic railed forends. Recently some friends from the north recommended Cadex: http://cadexdefence.com/cadex_index.html. We tried the Cadex Mag Cap Dual Rail accessory mount:



It comes with two lengths of pic rail and an end cap the fits onto the mag tube end, allowing the ring mount to slide on, then the normal end cap/extension tube is screwed back into place. This works very well for use on 870's with or without mag extension tubes and allows mounting of any light with a pic rail interface.





Some folks like the light reciprocating with the handguard, especially those lights without a constant on feature--the Magpul forend with a pic rail works great.

Others individuals use a click on tail cap with constant on and prefer the light to NOT be attached to the forend--the Cadex mount is strong, durable, and combat proven for this application.

[RCI1911]

If you are shooting at hallway distances I think its hard to beat the speed and simplicity of a bead sight. If you stretch out to slug distances then obviously a ghost ring, or better yet, an RDS would be the way to go IMO.

[CoryCop25]

I prefer an RDS with rifle sights so I can cowitness.