Best Red Dot/RMR for 458 Lott

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Looking for recommendations from those who have or use a red dot or rmr type sight on big bores. I have a CZ 550 458 Lott in the works and trying to decide which one to go on it. Leupold Delta Point, Kahles or Trijicon. Looking for pros and cons from you who actually have one on a big bore. Thanks.

 

[matt85]

I use a Trijicon 1 MOA RMR on my 500 NE and i use a Leupold VX-6 1-6x24 with Firedot on my 416 RM.

If the rifle is strictly to be used for close range (100 yards or less) then i HIGHLY recommend the Trijicon RMR with the 1 MOA dot! The Leupold 1-6 optic is an excellent all around optic suitable for even close range dangerous game with its only real fault really being its weight.

-matt

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

I use a Trijicon 1 MOA RMR on my 500 NE and i use a Leupold VX-6 1-6x24 with Firedot on my 416 RM.

If the rifle is strictly to be used for close range (100 yards or less) then i HIGHLY recommend the Trijicon RMR with the 1 MOA dot! The Leupold 1-6 optic is an excellent all around optic suitable for even close range dangerous game with its only real fault really being its weight.

-matt

Yes. I am setting this rifle up for close range 100 yards or less.

 

[Scrumbag]

I've liked the Leica on my 9.3x62



Scrummy

 

[mneilh]

I have used a Burris Fastfire III on a .458 Win Mag extensively for the last 6 years. No change of zero over that time. An excellent sight.

 

[Scrumbag]

That's true actually, got a Fastfire III on my slug gun (Supernova Pump) and it works very well in my view

Scrummy

 

[Hunter4752001]

Be aware that the Burris Fastfire III has an auto shut-off which activates after approx 8 hours. If your hunts starts before dawn it means your sight will shut off early in the afternoon. Originally not documented on the box or instructions, but now claimed on Burris website as a feature to save battery life.

"Battery access is conveniently located on the top of the sight; automatic time-out feature after 8 hours helps battery last up to 5 years"

It coast me a Kudu. Had I been after dangerous game, then the cost could have been much greater. At least once you know about the issue you can make it a practise to manually switch off then on every few hours.

Give consideration to any of the brands which feature a battery drawer. These enable a quick battery replacement without having to un-mount the sight or re-zero (or fiddle with a spring loaded battery cover in the field.)

 

[austrianhunter]

The most rugged sights are made by Aimpoint. I use the H2 model on rifles of all bore sizes (including 450 Rigby) - the ACRO also will fit your needs.

I mainly use 2 MOA dots - for a big bore i would use a 4 MOA dot.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Thank you for all the comments and suggestions! I originally was going to do red dot but today I got a deal on a Swavarski Z6i 1-6x24 that was just to good to pass up. So it will be going on the 458 Lott!

 

[Opposite Pole]

Thank you for all the comments and suggestions! I originally was going to do red dot but today I got a deal on a Swavarski Z6i 1-6x24 that was just to good to pass up. So it will be going on the 458 Lott!

Great choice/score

 

[austrianhunter]

Thank you for all the comments and suggestions! I originally was going to do red dot but today I got a deal on a Swavarski Z6i 1-6x24 that was just to good to pass up. So it will be going on the 458 Lott!

But you should know, that aiming with a scope is completely different than with a red dot! Event a 1x magnification a scope does it different...

 

[Opposite Pole]

But you should know, that aiming with a scope is completely different than with a red dot! Event a 1x magnification a scope does it different...

I agree, for peace of mind he should sell the scope to me ;-)

 

[DrBob]

But you should know, that aiming with a scope is completely different than with a red dot! Event a 1x magnification a scope does it different...

Eye box on that scope is large enough that it acts like a red dot. The Sig Romeo1 has the largest window for the top end red dots. I have the sunlight/tritium RMR and can't fail but dot too big and in bright sunlight had to tape over light pipe as too much bloom. I went with the Leupold Delta with a smaller dot. Using the same base arrangement the JPoint is nice and I have the ring/center dot which is fast. The Leupold and Sig have auto off but with motion on so that it is ready when you need it.

 

[austrianhunter]

Eye box on that scope is large enough that it acts like a red dot. The Sig Romeo1 has the largest window for the top end red dots. I have the sunlight/tritium RMR and can't fail but dot too big and in bright sunlight had to tape over light pipe as too much bloom. I went with the Leupold Delta with a smaller dot. Using the same base arrangement the JPoint is nice and I have the ring/center dot which is fast. The Leupold and Sig have auto off but with motion on so that it is ready when you need it.

With a scope you aim with the reticle (also with red dots with more than a point - so the ring around dot sucks) - with a good red dot you focus on your target. You want to hit the target and not the reticle - so why look on the reticle and not on your target. When you have a fight with snowballs, you look on your target - not on the snowball in your hand. Its that simple. A scope is good for targets at distance - but short range or fast moving targets are not the case for a scope. A red dot with only a dot and nothing fancy and the focus point on your target works together with your brain - cause that is, what our eyes/brain are/is used to 99% of the day. Our brain is simple - so keep your shooting simple. Its not too long an we were hanging around in trees searching for fleas in our fellows pelt. A close meet with an animal we hunt (or that hunts us...) is like a fight (same hormonal triggers in our body/brain) - i a fight, our brain goes back to a simple operating system - so keep your things to do simple. Use what is left in our mental possibilitys. Every hunter with iron sights will only see the front sight and a scheme of the target - there are no other things he will recognize after a close quaters battle like a charging buff. Its like a tunnel. The same with a red dot - with only a dot - but u will see your target clear and the dot will find the target automatically with some proper training.

 

[DrBob]

With a scope you aim with the reticle (also with red dots with more than a point - so the ring around dot sucks) - with a good red dot you focus on your target. You want to hit the target and not the reticle - so why look on the reticle and not on your target. When you have a fight with snowballs, you look on your target - not on the snowball in your hand. Its that simple. A scope is good for targets at distance - but short range or fast moving targets are not the case for a scope. A red dot with only a dot and nothing fancy and the focus point on your target works together with your brain - cause that is, what our eyes/brain are/is used to 99% of the day. Our brain is simple - so keep your shooting simple. Its not too long an we were hanging around in trees searching for fleas in our fellows pelt. A close meet with an animal we hunt (or that hunts us...) is like a fight (same hormonal triggers in our body/brain) - i a fight, our brain goes back to a simple operating system - so keep your things to do simple. Use what is left in our mental possibilitys. Every hunter with iron sights will only see the front sight and a scheme of the target - there are no other things he will recognize after a close quaters battle like a charging buff. Its like a tunnel. The same with a red dot - with only a dot - but u will see your target clear and the dot will find the target automatically with some proper training.

A simple question to start off with. Have you actually looked through a Z6i or other similar scope? The Z6i has a daylight bright red dot at the center of the reticle. That red dot, the true 1x power, and large eye box provide a superb sight picture. The reticle plays no part in using the Z6i in snapshots and as I said the scope acts like the standard red dot just with the option of variable power for longer shots. I dislike the standard red dot moved forward as the value of looking through the sight winds up with a decrease field of view... at the forward position one has to aim through the smaller window to find the dot. It is better on rear bridge or at breach of doubles where I have mine. As for ring and dot... it isn't bad and as for “killing”.. the “donut of death” reticle design is well regarded. Your discussion is valid for conventional scopes and your points are well taken but I think this new generation of scopes work well.

 

[Ed Lally]

DrBob, I agree. I also believe that a red dot at the breach of a double works best and that it should be mounted as low as possible to keep its optical center close to the line of site of the original open sights, thus preserving the original stock hold and cheek weld that existed when using the open sights. In the photo below you can see that my RMR dot is only a fraction of an inch above the original line of sight and the front sight. The dot is on high power in this photo. On a bolt gun, I like either a sight similar to an Aimpoint a 1-5, 1-6 or even a 1-8 scope as many, but certainly not all, stocks are set up for line of sight a bit more above the bore.

 

[Tanks]

I use a Trijicon 1 MOA RMR on my 500 NE and i use a Leupold VX-6 1-6x24 with Firedot on my 416 RM.

If the rifle is strictly to be used for close range (100 yards or less) then i HIGHLY recommend the Trijicon RMR with the 1 MOA dot! The Leupold 1-6 optic is an excellent all around optic suitable for even close range dangerous game with its only real fault really being its weight.
...

I concur. I have ordered a 1 MOA adjustable LED RMR for my double and have used 1 MOA Eotech on a bolt gun. Worked great as you can see. I mounted it quite a bit forward as the base was too high to mount closer.

Elephant Hunting

• Tanks
• Feb 3, 2020
• 1

 

[DrBob]

DrBob, I agree. I also believe that a red dot at the breach of a double works best and that it should be mounted as low as possible to keep its optical center close to the line of site of the original open sights, thus preserving the original stock hold and cheek weld that existed when using the open sights. In the photo below you can see that my RMR dot is only a fraction of an inch above the original line of sight and the front sight. The dot is on high power in this photo. On a bolt gun, I like either a sight similar to an Aimpoint a 1-5, 1-6 or even a 1-8 scope as many, but certainly not all, stocks are set up for line of sight a bit more above the bore. View attachment 342132View attachment 342130

Nice. I have gone through several red dots to get the lowest base height. Most of the red dots are promoted for handguns or AR type platforms. Keeping close to the bore axis is important with the heavies. I was late in coming to both illuminated scopes and red dots. Age made it apparent that a good sight picture was far better with illumination. Putting a red dot on a double really brings the rifle to maximum performance.

 

[chashardy]

I put a Trijicon RMR 3.25 MOA on my Chapuis Double. The gunsmith removed a small block on the rib and machined a mount so that the RMR sits flat on the rib. Works great. I'm such a fan of the Trijicon RMR that I put one on my 9mm Beretta pistol. Works great on a pistol also.
I agree with matt85 above who also uses the Leupold VX6 1-6X24 scope with firedot. If you turn it down to 1 power it works pretty much like a RMR sight. I put one on my 416 Rigby.

 

[Ed Lally]

I have a Leupold VX 5 HD 1-5X24 with a fire dot as a dedicated scope on my .458 Lott Blaser Barrel. Fast target acquisition!! The scope is zeroed at 50 yds but has a CDS dial calibrated for 500gr Barnes TTSX which allows quick adjustment for any range. I have a similar setup on my .375 H&H barrel with a Leupold VX 5 HD 2-10X42, zeroed at 100 yds. I had an opportunity to take a couple of shots at a 6" gong at 312 yards and hit both times. I really love those CDS dials.