I've been watching the posts on red-dots vs scopes with great interest. I've shot revolvers for years and have always shot open sights. I've always limited my shots to 50 yards and can still keep shots inside a paper plate at 50.

I was shooting my 475 over the weekend for practice. It was overcast and late in the day - right at 'deer time'. Been doing this practice routine for years and it helps. I noticed I was having a hard time picking up the front site and focusing a bit. (BTW: I just ordered my first pair of bi-focals.......) This got me to thinking about scoping my BFR. I have scopes on my Contenders and shoot them well in all conditions but need a rest beyond about 40 yards. I've always liked the simplicity of open sights but may try a handgun scope on my revolver.

I've used Leupold 2x and Bushnell Trophy 2-6's on previous pistols with good luck. What have you guys been using on big boomers? Any other suggestions/ideas/comments are welcome. Except getting old jokes

Haven't fooled with any of the red dots but I'm intrigued by some of the newer smaller versions for certain applications. As far as scopes go, I usually stick with the Leupold of one persuasion or another.

As for the old part, I can't comment. No glasses yet.

I think that for the money the Bushnell Elite is hard to beat.

I'm the same as Glenn. I go with Leupolds. Since I have gone with leupolds only, I have had no trouble what so ever with my 460 S&W encore. Had the 460 revolver from S&W, and it ate up three scopes, one of them a red dot, in a sum of less than 20 rounds. Went with Leupold, and never had the zero change once it was set.

I don't think you could break a Leupold with Wapitirod's 9000 pound truck!!! :-) (Edited the next day: HEY!!! What happened to the post in "off topic" for the gearheads? This joke won't be funny without that post!!!)

Leupold or the Busnell 2x6 3200 Elite. I have a Bushnell on my BFR 454 and I really like it. As for a red dot I would go with the Ultra Dot Match dot. You have 4 different dot sizes to choose from.

Leupold or the Busnell 2x6 3200 Elite. I have a Bushnell on my BFR 454 and I really like it. As for a red dot I would go with the Ultra Dot Match dot. You have 4 different dot sizes to choose from.

I have an Ultradot and they are very durable. When I decided to get a scope for my FA 83 I wanted one with some quality. I have a Leupold on my Remington 700 .270 and put a fixed site model on my Ruger Gunsite .308. However, Bushnell just had a rebate and since it covered their variable model I picked up one of those. That rebate just ended and was good for $75.00.

Midway put the ultradot on sale for December.

Bushnell 3200 Elite.
Why do you need a rest beyond 40 yards if you don't need a rest beyond 40 yards with iron sights?
Think about it.

Not much to think about.........

I feel more comfortable with iron sights because thats what I've done for 30 years. I'm still getting used to a scope on a revolver. I've shot them from a rest but still can't quite get used to the wobble when shooting offhand.

You wobble the same with irons, just can't see it. You gotta learn to ignore it.

Plagioclase

Once you get used to a good scope on a hunting handgun you will never go back .. There are a number of the red dot sights that are small and convenient for holster carry, and are exponentially better than iron sights. Here is a link to one that may be going into military service. http://www.tactical-life.com/online/products/fnhs-fnp-45/

I tend not to shoot game at ranges that will justify a scope. I can acquire a red dot-type sight much more quickly than I can a scope. For my needs, the red dot or open sights better serve me. JMHO.

As we get older it becomes more difficult to get a good sharp sight picture with iron sights, as time passes some sort of optical sight is pretty much a necessity.

Yea - I think thats what is going on - and it sucks!

As MePlat and S4 point out, the wobble is still there but when viewed through a scope it bothers me alot. I spend more time trying to settle the wobble than shooting. At this point in time, its a comfort thing but I'm open to opinions on the matter and will likely try to reach a comfort level. I think the other thing that doesn't help is the weight of a Contender/Encore. My Contender weighs 4.5lbs with scope; my Encore weighed 5 lbs. Thats a lot of weight to hold out in front of you. I'm thinking a revolver will be lighter.

I also tend to agree with Whitworth. I spent a big part of my life with bow in hand, so keep animals at comfortable shot distances. Interestingly, I started with a recurve, journeyed to compounds, then came back to building recurves and instinctive shooting. I shot with fingers during my compound years and tried a release. I couldn't get used to a release and chucked all of it for the simplistic recurve. I honestly felt more deadly with a stickbow in my hands than a compound. I killed more than a few deer with stickbows but kept ranges under 30 yards. A deer inside 30 yards was coming home for dinner.

Also spent some time yesterday looking at flourescent nail polish to paint my front sight - hoping to get a better sight picture. I got some weird looks whilst nail polish shopping in Walmart. It was special.

Plagioclase

We are kindred souls, I have been a lifelong bow hunter, most places the bow season is appreciably longer than the fire arms season. When I lived where there was an option to hunt both seasons I would hunt the archery season and then hunt with one of my handguns during the fire arms season. I have always been a traditional archer, but had to try a compound, one season of that and I was back to long bows and recurves.

Handgun hunting is a lot like bow hunting, there are those that favor "traditional" revolvers/semi autos with iron sights and those that like a bit of "glass" on a a single shot of some sort.

I have been there and done that as well, I had Contenders with a number of different barrels, I found that to be fun, informative, but at the end of the day I ended up selling the single shots..

There is no denying that as our eye sight fails there are options to mitigate that problem, I speak from the other side of cataract surgery on both eyes. I have scopes on some of my revolvers and it is undeniable that I shoot them much better.

However after a life of bow hunting, there is not much that I cannot get within 25 yards of, and at that range iron sights work just fine.

Sight visibility is a definite factor. There are some solutions, some are more expensive than others. Fingernail polish is really not a good choice as it is intended to be very shinny and has a lot of glare, another alternative that I have found that works very well, is one of the "day glow" paints, they are flat finish, but reflect a great deal of light. There are also fluorescent paints, some have as much as a 12 hour persistence. You expose surfaces treated with these paints and they will continue to emit light for up to 12 hours. A very reasonable substitute for tritium night sights.

Handgun hunting is very subjective, what makes the perfect hunting handgun? It is the one you shot the best and have the most confidence in...

Know your gun of choice, the game you are hunting, then get as close as you need to and carefully place the shot.

You're right about the nail polish. I did find some lime green flat enamel at the local hobby store. I'm likely going to try day glo flat paint next.

Thanks to all for their input. I'm watching a couple of low power Leupolds on ebay and gunbroker and will likely give it go and see what I think.

Plagioclase

Good luck .. shoot often and shoot straight.

I've used the TC branded scopes on my Encore in 44mag, .460, and .223 without issue. Not sure who makes these for TC