Gentlemen, have you ever had a red dot-type optic fail on one of your handguns? If so, what type was it and what went wrong with it?

Whitworth

I had a bushnell last fall that the dot would get dimmer and go off. I could shake the gun and it would come back on. It seamed to be in the switch. I sent it back and Bushnell replaced. It stayed zeroed.

Mark

Mark, what were you using it on?

Bushnell trphy red dot. was on 15" 500sw encore barrel. The tube disconnected from the main housing-threads basicaaly just stripped out-prolly less than 100 rounds. loved the red dot as had removable polarised screen and different shaped dots/circles

Same here, my Bushnell failed but it had quite a life up until that point. It spend most of it's time on a 475Linebaugh and 45-70 BFR which to this date is still the most violent revolver I've had with my particular loads. I had a lens break when I put it back in to duty on my 500 Linebaugh but Bushnell replaced it and it has a couple hundred rounds under it's belt on the 500 since.

BSA red dot. Even with fresh battery, it's almost impossible to see it in the bright TX summer sun.

Once got a cheap Docter knock off that broke while adjusting it for an initial sight in.

These were on .22's so the recoil probably was not the culprit.

I had a 1" Ultra Dot that would allow the battery to pop loose in recoil enough that it wouldn't function, every 6 to 20 rounds. The Ultra Dot was on a T/C Contender .45-70. I put the unit on another gun, replacing it with a 2X Leupold.

adco (I think) on a 10.5" super blackhawk. lost zero. had it on a turkey gun before that and it was fine

I had a bushenell go bad. It started out on an AR15 and went to the Raging bull 480 and lasted about 200 rounds. Dot stopped working. I replaced with the Holo sight when it came out.

One Ultra Dot that the switch screws got loose, fixed free.
Bushnell, Tasco and Millet red dots that had the prizm glass pull out with just a .44. I steel bedded them back in, good to go.
Broken wires on many, easy fix.
Switches have screws that come loose and some can be reached by using a spanner to remove the nut. Remove the main contacts and put Loc-Tite on the screws. You will NOT remove an Ultra Dot nut, send it back.
Heads up displays have the WORST mounting systems ever and although the sight is tough, mount screws can break or bend. Think $500 for a good heads up.
Red dots that have different pictures can change POI with each change. Those with dot size changes are not bad.
The straight Ultra Dot is the best for the money.

I bought a used Optima (now J-Point) on e-bay and it wouldn't adjust windage or elevation. I took it apart (amazing how SIMPLE it is made) and found that the tiny electronic strip with the red diode (or whatever it is) had come loose from the tiny plate that was moved up and down by the windage and elevation screws; ie. the glue had failed. I centered everything up including the two adj. screws and carefully re-glued with a tiny drop of JB Weld. It works perfectly and is probably stronger than the original.

Perhaps, but my Optimas have held up to everything I could throw at them and they keep working, for about $100. The JPoint is the new Optima and they run around 2 bills. You can certainly overspend on optics if you wish, but is it necessary?

430man:

The Pan-A-V is still on the .475 and is holding up. It makes the gun lighter and easier to shoot offhand. We'll see how it works out for the duration.

I had a UltraDot L/T go off zero enough to miss a black bear and spoil a hunt on a 45-70. After adjusting back to zero, and numerious test firings, including test firing the day before the hunt in South Africa, it went off zero agian, and almost cost me a record book Kudu.

The military has been mounting Eotechs(heads up display sights) on Ma dueces for the past 6 years. A buddy of mine who is a Sgt in the Marine Corp was telling me of the torture test they put an eotech thru mounted on a 50 cal. They had over 5000 rounds thru it and it was mounted on top of a humvee. It took a beating and hasn't failed as far as I know. It has been on the gun for over 3 years now.

It is good but out of a price range. $450 to $500.
But did you know a .50 BMG has the recoil of a .243 with the muzzle break. I have shot many and a revolver has more force on a scope.

I don’t fully understand the effects of a break’s concussion on a scope, but I still thought it had some effect? What am I missing?

Eg, My 16.5 TC Custom Shop 270 Win was a 15 in barrel with break on it. It was harder on scopes and bases than my standard 15in 308 Win or 338 Fed.

Someone educate me on what I don’t understand?


Whit, I am sorry man, I side tracked your thread...

No sweat, Tex!

cfish2:


EOtech has the MK56 designed for the 50 BMG. Cost is $2,300.

Oh, okay I'll take two -- no make that three.....

The dynamics of a 50 BMG firing is extremely hard on optics no matter how much recoil that the breaks eliminates from the shooter as this video clearly demonstrates.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5pVya7eask

look at airguns, they will eat rimfire scopes and i'm not talking your Red Ryder either. The high power airguns are hard on scopes.

TC the only issue I've ever seen with brakes and scopes is if the barrel is short enought to hang the scope out over it where it will be subject to the muzzle blast.

From the Navy cats I have talked to, they will not even use Leupold on the 50 BMG because it is not strong enough...

Rod, My 16.5in 270 Win snapped 2 of the 4 heads of the mount screws in one session... it was wearing a 2-7 Burris with 4 Burris Z rings...