Just ordered a mossy 930 in bottomland and looking to add a red dot since alot of reviews complain about the front sight on these. I have never used a red dot and personally dont know anyone with one. What are some of your favorites?

I have a vortex venom and a bushnell first strike. Best thing is when your twisted like a pretzel on a shot it will hit where you have the red dot from those awkward positions. I think that’s a great advantage as opposed to trying to login up fiber sights

I have a TRUGLO Tru-Brite that works well. I have a problem of shooting in front of anything moving to my right with the front and rear sight so the red dot eliminates that problem.

Ordered a venom from optics planet yesterday for $200 and tree two day shipping.

Bushnell trs-25. Best one for $50 bucks. Looks great and shoots well of my daughter's 20.

I was in Pat's earlier and the had a truglo tritan 28mm. Said they have sold a ton and are very common on the little 410s that are so popular. Guess I give it a shot and if it isnt something I like then I'll order the venom. Thanks for the info guys

I been eyeballing a Venom myself.

Venom

I've never looked at a Venom. What makes them better than a FF3? Will they fit the Marlin 336 base? Thanks

I can’t speak for how a venom will hold up as I have only had one on my gun for a year.
But have had horrible experiences with FF3’s.

I like the glass a little better on a venom. I like the controls and adjustments better. It has a different, more square shape than the fastfire which (to me) gives a lot bigger sight picture. It doesn’t give off that horrible copper colored glow from the front like a fastfire does either. And yes it fits on a 336 base. I had never tried the venom til last year but I like it way way better than a fastfire.

Great info, thanks.

Does the Venom have an automatic brightness setting like the FF3? That's one of the features I like best, turn it on and forget about it. The Holosite I used for several years had to be constantly reset manually. It never cost me a turkey, but came close.

It does have an auto feature PCP. I put one on my 20 for this year, and hope to try it out on an osceola very soon.

Yes but they have way more than just 3 settings, which I like a lot better. Lots of times the FF3 would be either too dim or too bright to suit me.

Ok, y'all have pretty much talked me into buying one. I'm about to roll out a new gun and was thinking of robbing the FF off of another gun, but I'll just try to sell it with the FF on it.

Get the venom. You’ll like it

Just an FYI. FF3s are on sale at Midway for 219

If anyone wants a $15 off of $150 to optics planet, I have a coupon that came with my venom. First person to post here that they want it and I’ll send you a pm.

I will take the coupon if still available, thanks

About to order a venom today as well!

Sending pm now

Walter Craig in Montgomery has the venoms for $181 this weekend and the vipers for $189

Dang! That’s a good deal. Cheaper than anything online even with a coupon. Anybody coming from Montgomery to Shelby county want to scoop me one up???

A follow up question on red dots. I just bought a Stevens 410 and want to put a red dot on it. This may be a dumb question, but how do you sight one in on a shotgun? Do you just adjust where it looks like the majority of the pattern hits? Also could you pattern with cheap stuff and then switch over to the TSS for fine tuning? Thanks

I start with dove loads at 25 yds. Shoot. Put a dark dot in center of pattern vs where I aimed. then on my bench move my red dot to dark dot I drew on paperin pattern center. Then move to final sight in distance and shoot hunting load. Fine tune to my center of pattern dot and then done

This^^^ Exactly how I did mine when I had it.

Here's a tutorial I did several years ago.

After having the scope mounted on your turkey gun, you have to sight it in. Many ways of doing this, but this is how I've done it through the years.

Things you will need:

1. Sandbags/shooting rest. This is a must, as you will need the gun to remain still while you adjust the windage and elevation of the scope
2. Patterning paper, bought usually at a local hardware store, called contractor's paper in 35" width.
3. Some sort of holder for your patten paper. I use large cardboard wedged between to four T post, two per side.
4. 2 3/4" low brass shells and your turkey shells you plan to shoot during season
5. Sharpie marker and/or masking tape.
6. Turkey target (not necessary if you can draw well)
7. Hearing protectors


First set up at 15 yards from your target.


Shoot at mark/tape on target.


Now, here is where you HAVE to keep the gun still without moving it, unless you want to have to shoot several times.

Place the gun in the sandbags/shooting rest, to where the retical of the scope is on the target you just shot (Point of Aim or POA), and is not needing any help from you to stay on target. If you look real closely, you can see the red dot on the masking tape in the below picture, where I was originally aiming.


Now, with out moving the gun, adjust the elevation of the scope to where the shot/hole is in the target (the point of impact or POI)



Without moving the gun, adjust the windage of the scope to where the target hole is.



Shoot again at a new target, and see where you POI is in location to your POA.


A little off, so I adjust it again using the above steps.

Steady in the bags, retical on the original target/POA.


Adjust the windage of the scope, as this was basically all that was off target.


Shoot again at different target.


Was basically on, a little high, but we are shooting at 15 yards, so I left it at that.

Moved the target to 40 yards now, and added new patterning paper.

Add a tape square, or color a good sized 2" dot you can see on the center of the pattering paper, and shot at it, still with low brass shells.



I was fairly happy with the shot pattern around where I was aiming, so I didn't adjust the scope, as I still have to shoot a turkey shell at 40 yards. So shoot a turkey shell at a turkey target at 40 yards, with new patterning paper.

This is a Nitro shell out of the SBE at 40 yards. (I poked a sharpie marker in each hole to count, and make it show up better for the camera.)


I need to change my POI up, as the pattern was low. I put a square of tape on the center of the turkey's neck where I was aiming, and a square of tape where the pattern center was on the paper.



I adjusted my scope, just like the first two adjustments, and shot again at a new turkey target, and patterning paper, at 40 yards.


Back of target, with a quarter where I was aiming (the middle of the turkey's neck).




It isn't going to get much better than the above, so I left it alone, and it is ready to hunt!!



Remember though, you have to shoot your gun again at 15, 25, and 30 yards if you are going to be positive of where your turkey shells will hit in comparison to your point of aim. At 15 yards, with a turkey choke, your pattern is going to be tight and not always where your POA was.



Hope this may help some of you. Stay safe!!


God Bless,
David B.

Thx!