Dove hunting with rifle sights?

[eng23ine]

Just wanting to see everybody's opinion on using a shotgun with rifle sights vs. a red dot vs. bead sights for moving targets.

I've got a sweet lil BPS and would like to get some birds with it, but the rifle sights seem intimidating to me.

 

[Jeff F]

I use a rifle sighted rem choke barrel for birds at times, and to shoot skeet, trap and sporting clays too. For wing shooting I just ignore the sights or just use the front blade.

 

[chute2thrill]

For s@g a buddy and me loaded birdshot in his rifle barreled 870 and tried our hand at poppin clays.. We really didn't see much difference till he had to clean the shotty.. Lead kept coming out... It took about 35 minutes just to clean out the barrel..

 

[mgregg85]

It all depends on how much you are focusing on the sights when wing shooting. I tend to only see a little gold blur that is the front sight as I focus on the target. I'm not sure how that would work with rifle sights.

I saw a remington 10 ga autoloader today at Jay's sporting goods that had rifle sights. It made me wonder about this very same subject.

 

[TehK1w1]

for doves, quail, etc the sights couldn't matter less to me, as long as they are not too obtrusive. I've hunted both quail and dove with a shotgun that had no sights of any kind-no problems.

 

[Frank Ettin]

You want to focus on the target and not look at the gun when shooting flying targets. If you look at the gun or sight or bead, you will tend to stop the gun and shoot behind. If you can keep your focus on the target using a rifle sighted shotgun, you should be fine. It just may be more difficult with a rifle sighted shotgun than with a normal bead.

 

[oneounceload]

If you're focused on the birds, you won't even see the sights - which is what you should be doing - dynamic targets are best hit with both eyes open and locked on the target, your natural pointing ability will take over from there

 

[Leadhead]

Rem rifle sights don't bother me shooting clays....try some clays and see for yourself how you do.

 

[Virginian]

It can be done. But, trying to hit doves you may find you can use all the help you can get, and I don't see rifle sights being one bit helpful. If you plan to do more shooting at flying targets, be they real or clay, get yourself a nice 26" or 28" barrel with a nice rib and a bead sight. It will serve you well in the long run.

 

[Jst1mr]

If the gun fits you properly it will come up naturally to the target and you won't even see the sights.

 

[SN13]

My Ghost ring sights do wonders for trap.

 

[Frank Ettin]

My Ghost ring sights do wonders for trap.

Really. Do you shoot registered trap (ATA)? I'd be interested in knowing more -- always looking for a way to improve my game.

 

[ArmedBear]

WRT doves, I'd say it depends.

First off, on opening day it seems lots of shots are fired, but few birds fall. Seems some people don't practice before they go.

Second, doves can fly right at you. You can point and shoot. Rifle sights should be fine. They can also fly by, really fast, in which case rifle sights would be a serious hindrance unless you are used to ignoring them.

 

[Jack2427]

I have never hunted Dove. But I do go Grouse hunting every October(that would be MISTER Grouse to me). I use my short barreled BPS which is the straight grip upland model, with a 18.5" open rifle sights on it from my BPS buck special. The sights do not seem to matter, I point shoot, and miss just as well with rfile sights as I do with a traditional bead

 

[romeo212000]

Forget the sights. Do not use them. Just shoulder your shotgun as normal and focus on the target and you should be fine.

 

[SN13]

Fiddletown,

I don't shoot ATA but I am a member of a local trap/skeet/5stand club.

Normally I shoot an O/U and usually shoot 21-23.

Don't laugh, but I used my Saiga-12 for fun one time, and got 16... but it had pistol sights. Got a Poly-choke and ghost ring sights, and then I shot 23 and 22

I don't know if Ghost rings are legal for ATA but if you set it up right, you just KNOW it's going to hit the clay.

30" O/U Full/Mod: Best 23/25
18" Full S-12 w/Ghost Rings: Best 23/25 (And dangit if I didn't know the moment I shot the two I missed that I was High and low respectively. )

 

[Virginian]

Well I must have led a sheltered life for 60 years, but I have never even seen anyone trying to shoot skeet or trap with rifle type sights.

 

[SN13]

Virginian, I've never seen anyone use a red-dot or holographic optic to shoot em either but I've heard of people doing it.

I just have a feeling that when everyone's using O/Us and 30"+ barrels that people who come to shoot don't want to be laughed at so they get a 30"+ O/U as well. (or a long pump/SA)

Personally I have more confidence in my 18" Poly-choked Russian, Stamped - sheet metal, black on black with a drunken Russian paint job, when it comes to hitting what I'm aiming at, than I do with my inexpensive, but normal looking O/U.

The best part of shooting trap with a Saiga-12 is when people give me weird looks when I pull it out.

Don't get me wrong, beads work just fine, but for someone who started shooting on rifles, you learn to look THROUGH the rifle sights like you'd look through a rib/bead setup.

Although it is a bit of a pain to have to single-load a semi auto that has no LRBHO (the manual BHO works but you still have to set it yourself) I do alright... I'm waiting for them to let me load up a 10rd mag and shoot each of the 5 stand stages without having to reload

 

[Jeff F]

Well I must have led a sheltered life for 60 years, but I have never even seen anyone trying to shoot skeet or trap with rifle type sights.

I do it all the time, a 20 inch rem choke rifle sight 870, +3 mag extension with a full tube in it for trap. I don't use the sights, I ignore them. Most of the time when I pull that one out to shoot a round or two I get some weird looks and not so nice comments.

It lets me get my defensive long gun out and run it. Oh and those guys that make those comments, shooting their nice expensive O-U and single trap guns, well I have cleaned their clocks a few times and they go stomping off mad.

 

[dewidmt]

I used to shoot skeet in AZ with an 870 Express with the 18.5" smooth bore slug tube w/rifle sights. Ran 75 straight one day. Used to beat guys with Perazzis and Krieghoffs. They weren't happy about a $200 shotgun beatin their $20,000 outfits. Only problem is, that sucker is a bit loud at stations 1 and 7! Course, I was usin a bunch of old reloads with Blue Dot in em'......