This may be blasphemy, but I've been thinking about having one of the very small "red dot" sights, like Doctor Optic makes, put on my drilling. They look like a scaled down EOtech holographic sight. The have various MOA dot sizes and don't use much power. My drilling has a very thin rear sight with a tiny "U" filed in. I can hit the 100 yard target, but in low light, it would be nice to have a zero power red dot.
Anyone used one on their gun?

Anyone have one on their gun?

I've read about a number of guys on the double rifle forum and Nitroexpress website that have used them, and were very pleased. If I remember correctly, a few of them were talking about 'Doctor' holographic/reddot sights.They didn't even seem to catch much grief from too many others. My opinion: if it works for you, enjoy the heck out of it.
Rick

I think MAK in Belguim even makes a nice quick disconnect mount for the Doctor.

Sounds like a great idea to me!

Ed

I saw one fresh from Germany with the Docter Optic mount, and it was a decent set up, IMO. It isn't "traditional", but it worked great!! After all, these were made to be hunted, not shown on runways.

This is a pretty common concept in Europe, especially the Aimpoint.

I have the Docter optic 3.5 MOA reflex 2 on my Blaser BBF.
It works like a charm on those running shots up close, and well enough out to around 150m or so.
For low light or when precision is called for, I just switch it for the Leupold 3-9x50, easy enough to do with the saddle mounts.
If I had to have a permanent mount, I'd think long and hard about one of the low powered Trijicon scopes.

It'S QUITE the fad, now.

There are a number of the Doctor sight mounts now made for only the REAR mount on Claw's & EAW's.

You'd be surprised how well ANY Scope or Red Dot works ona Drilling. One time a Clay Pigeon Club we mounted the scope (an 8x56) and were walloping Trap birds with pretty good consistancy!

I don't see why not - au contraire.
I use it (the Docter) on a bolt action 9,3x62, and have only good things to say about it. It especially fits fast shooting, so on a drilling I'd say it really comes to its own.

Additionally, as you shoot with both eyes open and the sight covers very little view, it probably should not disturb wing shooting, either.

Accuracy is good. For sure, it is no match for a good scope at maybe above 150m, but up to there it is quite on the par i my experience.
If the game is very small, you may disagree. Obviously I don't use a 9,3 on smaller than roe deer, and the main game is Scandinavian elk.
Thus, the shooting distances in practice also tend to be short: under 50m. On the range up to 150m is no problem at all.

I have it on a quick mount and the added bonus is that when you pack your rifles and backpacks in the boot of the car, you can put the little sight in your pocket and need not worry about it getting damaged.

What I don't have experience of is shooting in low light/dark.
Also, I have yet to see what the view is like when the lens gets damp (e.g. in rain).
I'm considering to take the rifle to Estonia next week and then I'd find out.

The only problem I foresee is that, unless they've changed since I used one, the Doctor Optik as well as other similar red dot sights do not have a dot intensity control. They're too bright for really dim light but otherwise I use them quite a bit on pistols, should work well on drillings as well.

The dim control is automatic.
According to the tests, on premium red dot sights it works well.
However, as said, I have yet to use it in dim/dark so I could not vouch that it works properly.

Glad to hear all the positive comments! I'll be using it for whitetail deer when I'm not after ruffed grouse or wood cock.

In the woods of New England, you often get just a quick snap shot when the deer jumps out of his bed, and as dim as the light can be, I think a small red dot will be perfect.

Thanks again!

Ok,

my two cents, the blasphemy is not in the use of a red dot or small variable scope or even a big scope on a drilling it´s in the

MOUNTING of said scope, any and all persons that drill and tap the barrel set of a drilling ought to have the same done to them self, there are other real and trued systems of having optics attached to drillings.

I hope I am not coming of to hard in this matter, but drilings are meant to have claw or swing mounts made for them, end of story.

In the far of chans that the rib is a solid one, then perhaps talleys or warnes could be acceptable but not really cause they will most likely not be repetable and true.

well there you have it, get optics preferably a red dot and or a small scope and a big ass old lowligt one for shooting in poor light.

Best regards Chris

quote:

Originally posted by Schauckis:
The dim control is automatic.
< I have yet to use it in dim/dark so I could not vouch that it works properly. >

I have, and I can say that I'm happy with it.
It is easily seen, yet (to me) not excessively bright.
However, at night I have noticed a 'halo' effect surrounding the dot, which makes it seem about twice as large as it does in daylight.
Of course, that could just be my eyes going on me...

How about an ITT Day-Night scope?

Check out this articles photos for the picture;

http://www.blaserpro.com/articles/article16.php

Or perhaps one should get a wellknown and reputed brand of scope to put on a drilling,

I don´t know anything about ITT, that in a fact is reason enough for me to stay clear.

To get clawrings fitted for a drilling costs about 1300 USD in Sweden, they will usually just work with the chosen optic and I for one will not recommend optics of unknown origin for when the cost of the rings rival the cost of the scope.

Best regards Chris

quote:

Originally posted by f224:
How about an ITT Day-Night scope?

Check out this articles photos for the picture;

http://www.blaserpro.com/articles/article16.php

The ITT sights are high dollar items, made for mostly police and military contracts.

Best quality on the market.

I do agree, having a good, classy and classic looking mounting system is preferable. When I do it, I plan on sending the gun to New England Custom Gun in New Hampshire. They fixed a broken spring and reblued the barrels for me 6 years ago. I figure they'll do it right!

A7Dave,

good solid call there,

F224, ITT? You do mean,

http://www.ssd.itt.com/esss/optics/


I am sure that they can make great glass however, in the real world, where the rest of us hunt and shoot ITT has noname besides some NV and goggles equipement.

S&B, Hensoldt, NF, Zeiss, Premiere Reticle and a few others in no certain order, are the real deal as regards to solid optics.

For a claw mount nothing less then a reputed companys product would go on my rifle, however you seem to be ok with less, that is alright by me.

Best regards Chris

Here is the commercial version;

http://www.auroratactical.com/product.php?productid=16229&cat=289&page=1


The Blaser Drilling uses the Blaser proprietary mounting system and on Tony's D99, it's the Weaver base/mount version.

It works for him for smacking pigs and varmints.

Dave, we know how the blaser mounting system works, the use of the scope of your pleasure is one of the benefits of the system

we are currently talking about swing/claw mounts, slightly different beasts.

Still NV:s are full of electronics, nothing I would use to hunt with for real, the blasting of a pig or two sounds like fun but to go out in the woods in Sweden, not only would it be illegal it would not make it through the first real rain.

Best regards Chris

The Docter Sight should be nice for bird hunting. I've been shooting with both a Zeiss Z-Point, a Leupold VXIII 1,5-5x20 CD and my new Swaro Z6i 1-6x24 CD.
I would recommend the Docter Sight or a variable scope like the Z6 with a very low or none magnification.

Well, I'd never put one on any of my drillings, but I wouldn't be too critical of anyone else doing it. Part of the lure of using a drilling is the classic hunting exerience. Like a flintlock or an old double gun, it stirs a flavor, that a battery powered sighting device seems to change the taste of (IMO)
I hate to see any kind of optical sight on a bird gun anyway. A claw mounted scope is nice for the rifle, but it comes off when shooting birds, for me at least. I agree on the mounting system being important. I've made some claw mounts and it's a chore to get them right. If you do it, have it done right, with as little modification to the drilling as possible.
Just my dos centavos...

I have used scopes and a few different red dot sights on my Drillings.

Just this last week my 11 year old nephew shot a few birds, a rabbit, a squirrel and 2 deer with a BBF 97 in 308/20ga using a Burris Fast Fire red dot.
This was the first time he had hunted with that gun and the first time he had shot a red dot sight.

I shot a deer with my D99 using a Zeiss Z Point. I have also tested an EOTec, a Blaser Hit Point Pro, and a Doctor Optic.

I have taken turkeys and small game with red dots as well.

Many regular shotgun shooters are mounting red dot sights, look at the Speed bead system.

They work very well.

They do not take the place of a scope as they have no magnification, I view them as an enhanced replacement for iron sights.

So far I like the Doctor Optic, Blaser Hit Point Pro, Zeiss Z Point, and the Burris Fast Fire.

They all have different features so I would give them a look and get the one you like best.

The 3.5 to 4 minute dot is best IMHO.

There is a base made that allows a Doctor Optic to be attached to the gun in the rear Claw mount.

Mounting a Doctor Optic/Burris speed dot to my drilling will be the issue for me, since my gun has only iron sights. Glad to hear that Doctor has a mount to attach to a claw mount.

Is the MOA dot at 3.5-4 MOA a good choice due to visibility? My goal is to have a small, unobtrusive sight that gives me a better sight picture than the tiny, crude set up that I have now. I can't imagine trying to take a shot beyond 100 yards at deer sized game.

A7Dave

Of all the red dot sights I have used/tested, including some models not suited for hunting rifles there are a few things that stand out about the Doctor Optic that I really like.

First the dot seems to be the roundest, sharpest [in other words the best] to my eye.

The sight is small and light weight.

It automatically adjusts the brightness of the dot to the light conditions. This means if you are tracking an animal from dark shadow into the sunlight the dot can always be seen.

There is no on off swith, it is on all the time, so you cannot forget to turn it on. The protective cover puts it in sleep mode.

The Battery lasts for years.

The adjustment wheel is very accurate, the sight is easy to sight in.

If I had to pick one reddot sight for a hunting rifle the Doctor Optic would be my favorite.

You definately want the 3.5/4 Minute dot [cannot remember which it actually is] not the 7 Minute dot for handguns.

With a Doctor Optic red dot sight and the small dot, on a M1-A, I had no problems hitting a chest sized target at 300 yards, every time, shooting prone.

I appreciate your take on the Docter Optics sight. I've been thinking about trying one. You mentioned that they can be mounted on the rear claw mount base. How do they do it and make them fit? Do they work only on an AKAH base or similar?

Go to the EAW web site.

They show 2 different claw bases for the Doctor Optic sight.