scope vs. red dot

[foxtrot]

If you had a choice for the ideal night time sight what would it be?I love the red dots for close work but not so much for the long shots.Scopes are more precise for the longer shots but make it harder to get on a moving target in the dark with their small field of view.

[uncle buck]

Muller illuminated (red dot or illuminated tactical cross hairs) SCOPE on rifles. Starting with the 3 X 9 40 MM red dot Or a more expensive or less expensive illuminated dot SCOPE will also work on a rifle..
Red dots? probably only use them on shotguns...I am not a big fan of red dot but that IMO.  However if you could find just the right one it might be deadly on a shotgun... I have a Bushnell Holosight...an old one....I'm not truly satisfied with mine.....

[foxtrot]

Uncle Buck,
  I would like your thoughts on red dots and why you don't care for them?

[uncle buck]

Here is what happens to me when I use the Holosight...I am calling and all of a sudden a red will come running right at me...I have to find the fox in the red dot and by that time he knows I am there and he high tails it for the next county..Now if your calling and you see a red or gray working there way into your stand you can put the dot on them and pop them one...It's when they show up so fast and you have to find in the screen and then put the red dot on them...

Why not just use an illuminated bobber light styk right behind the bead of your shotgun..Attach it with adhesive Velcro...As soon as a fox show whether far or running right at you it's so simple to find it swing and fire...Cost of a battery type light styk is about $2.50 and it will last all hunting season..

I suppose if you do extensive practice with the Holosight type red dot and target practice at night...just do snap shooting etc etc etc you could master the red dot for fast incoming critters... However as you know and this IMO sometimes less technical works better when darkness sets in...
You can find these light styks in Cabelas, Gander, and sometimes Dicks Sporting Good and Even wal-Mart  fishing bobber department.

[bigben]

I like using a red dot on a shotgun and ill crosshairs in a scope for a rifle.  I never had problems getting the dot aligned before but I just use a dot.  the holosights I think have a different sight picture.  make sure you keep both eyes open.  use a 1x red dot scope not one with magnification and be done with it. 

[furbug]

 
  Mount the light under the barrel, so its like laser sight it in point the light and shoot.

[foxtrot]

I think the choice of sights depends a lot on the type of terrain a person hunts.The big open fields that I know some of you hunt would most of the time be handled best with a scope.For close in calling I would  take a red dot anyday.My son has a trijicon lighted front bead on his shotgun that works very well for close work.Its simple and effective.On the red dots get one with the smaller dot like a 2 or 3 moa the bigger dots tend to be to much.Like Ben mentioned go with a 1x as a 2x cuts down on your sight window big time.I would say a red dot is pretty effective at about 60 yards or less if you typically make longer shots than that I would consider a scope.Though I use a red dot almost all the time I will admit that at times I wish I had a scoped rifle along,Thats when a partner comes into play.By reading the other responses you can see there is many ways to get the job done its just what your comfortable with.

[bigben]

my shotgun stands are 30 to 40 yds or less shots.  the way I setup you don't have the shot opportunity till they are that close.  it helps when  taking a new guy that thinks his new shotgun will shoot as far as he can see.  also it helps to get a pos id on the critters.  and the only time I stand is when i am using a shotgun.  if I am using a rifle I kneel.  if I sit I find I limit myself on where I can move to for a shot.  I should have probably added this to the first post but oh well.