[Cody21]

I have a benelli nova pump and which would be best for deer? I imagine the scope would, and what's a good scope under 100 bucks? Can I use the bead? Or is that inaccurate? I was lookin at the bushnells 1.75-4x32 with a 6 inch eye relief.. Thanks for replies!

[TurtlePhish]

How well do you shoot with just the bead? Many people can manage hunting-level accuracy with just a bead out to 50-75 yards.

[LeonCarr]

Under 50 yards, the dot.

Possible shots over 50 yards, the scope for magnification.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

[Virginian]

Well, a red dot that will stand up to the recoil isn't going to be $39.95. I think whichever you prefer will be fine out to 150 yards. I think a dot is faster, but that's just my opinion.

[Cody21]

I can get 2-3 inch 3-shot groups at 50 yards, which is enough, but precise is best.

[rcmodel]

I can get 2-3 inch 3-shot groups at 50 yards, which is enough, but precise is best. That is precise for rifled slugs.

Hunt like a bow hunter hunts at under 50 yards, and you will have a freezer full of venison with that kind of slug accuracy.


If you are planning on sniping at deer across a 100 acre field of bean or corn stubble?
You need to get a rifle, not a scope for your shotgun.

rc

[OptimusPrime]

I've had a few deer with just a bead, and the ones I've missed were not due to a lack of scope but rather because them deer run fast. And a moving shot is infinitely better with a bead, at least to me. So for my money a scope is wasted on a slug gun, a bead gets you enough accuracy to reach out 75 yards before the slug drops off the chart.
Good luck.

[JEB]

depends on your shotgun really. over the course of two or three years, i set my slug gun up for one thing; accuracy. i hated lobbing rifled slugs into a "pattern" at 100 yards. ended up with a fully rifled barrel, shooting sabot slugs, and a bushnell banner 1.75-4x32 scope (the same one you are looking at actually). this combination will shot a 1-1.75" five-shot group at 100 yards. while hunting, accuracy is #1 for me, so i choose the scope.

i have hunted with red dots in the past and found that i just didnt like them. they are fast and more than accurate enough for 50-75 yard shots. the main problems i had with them was that i didnt like depending on batteries and always having to carry a spare battery or two. also the dot tends to wash out when hunting in the snow on a bright day. in the end i would prefer decent iron sights instead of a red dot. ghost ring sights or standard rifle sights are still very fast to get on target and more than accurate enough.

[jmr40]

Under $100, stay with the bead until you can afford a decent scope. No point in throwing your money away. Especially on a slug gun. You will be generating 300 win mag recoil levels and need a decent scope. The under $100 scopes will work on a 22, not a 12 guage.

And I'd stick with a low powered 1-4X scope. You can get a decent scope cheaper than a decent red dot and get far more accuracy.

[Virginian]

Gads, I am not a deer hunter anymore, but I have seen several smoothbore shotguns that I would feel entirely comfortable shooting a deer with out to 150 yards. Of course that was with a specific slug/barrel combination. I would think the rifled/sabot combos would easily get out there.