To ensure the accuracy of your shot, you need the best red dot sight for tactical shotgun or any other smaller firearms. It’s a must-have tool in the tactical world. Out of so many brands out there, only the Vortex and Leupold are most trusted and recommended. I have reviewed some of their most recommended models.
Best Red Dot Sight For Tactical Shotgun Comparison Table
Before you go for the long and detailed review, take a quick look at the following comparison table. I have arranged them in an orderly fashion based on their quality and number of recommendations from the skilled tactical shooters.
[table id=12 /]4 In-depth Reviews of Red Dot Sight For Shotgun
I believe you have found the right RDS for your firearms. Now, if you want to know the details about it, here are the most comprehensive reviews. Make sure to read the verified reviews from the actual buyers as well.
Vortex Optics Venom [Model :- VMD-3106]
You need a flawless targeting system to ensure the highest accuracy and consistency while shooting. For a low light shooting, it’s really tough to have such accuracy and consistency. It can greatly help here. Things get better when it comes to the Vortex Optics. If you have previous experience of using Vortex spotting scope, you know what I am talking about.
So far, vortex optics is leading this industry and this model is highly appreciated and recommended for tactical shooting. It’s just perfect for your shotgun, pistol, and rifle. Mount it on your Glock 17 MOS, Canik TP9 SFX 9mm or Glock 40 GEN4 MOS and it will be just sublime.
Unparalleled clear optic, so your target can never be blurry. Even if you keep your eyes open, the target acquisition will be perfect. You no longer have to squint to obtain the precise focus. And for the dark location, nothing could get better than this.
Tips: if you see the dot to be fuzzy, definitely it’s the problem of your eyes. I saw some complaints calling the fuzzy dot. You may have astigmatism and a contact lense will help you greatly.
Once it is zeroed, you don’t have to adjust it for a very long time. Heck! People have shot more than 1000 rounds and the Zero is holding just right. The outstanding battery (CR1632 3V) will amaze you greatly. Helps you great in a long competition like the USPSA. Just turn it on and you don’t have to turn it off until the competition is over.
You do not have to adjust the brightness repeatedly. The auto-brightness feature works like a charm. It does not matter whether it is a bright daytime or there is low light. You will never face problems seeing the dot. It’s really a better version than the Vortex’s Viper model.
Installation is pretty simple and straightforward. Boresight process is fairly simple and you will be amazed seeing how perfectly it holds the boresight.
More Features & Why Should You Buy It?
- You can select from 3 MOA or 6 MOA.
- Aluminum housing, so it is really sturdy and strong. It will withstand whatever you throw at it.
- Multi-coated lenses offer clear optic as you have never experienced before.
- On the left side, you will find the controls for power and dot intensity. There are 10 brightness levels to choose from! Don’t forget, it has the auto-brightness mode that works like a charm.
- You will face no issues fitting it with your shotgun or rifle. Comes with the Picatinny rail mount for your shotgun or whatever weaponry you prefer.
- Totally water-resistant, you do not have to worry if it is raining.
- Outstanding customer service which you will really appreciate. Having any trouble or need some screws? Just contact their contact support.
Cons:
- Low-quality battery cover. Battery access is a little bit difficult.
Vortex Optics Strikefire II
After the 1000 rounds of shot, the strikefire still can maintain the zero. So hands down to this really badass RDS from the trusted Vortex. Don’t take my word for it, this is just how satisfied users have reviewed it. At this price, this is simply unbeatable.
Experienced shooters have confirmed that you will be wasting your money if you go for other brands or even other models! And do you know who are these shooters? They are people with 18+ years of military service! Trust me, you don’t need any more validation.
You can dim it or brighten it as per your requirement. A huge plus! It has impressed people thoroughly with its outstanding precision and performance of quick and precise target acquisition. So many shooters have used it in all kinds of weather and it never lost the zero. More so, had no trouble as well. Did not have to replace the battery even after 1.5 years!
Just like the previous one, water is not an issue. People have used it under heavy rains without any issue. Highly recommended for people with a limited budget but want durability, quality, and accuracy. The overall appearance is good and it fits firmly to the rail. It exceeded expectations from so many people that they have bought it again.
People who have bought this for the first time, waited a few months to leave accurate reviews. They call it the most crystal clean RDS. People tried it on different guns like the shotgun, rifles, Glock, and so on. You will even get the awesome result using it with your Colt AR-15.
Even on the brightest days, you will be able the see the target crystal clear. Dark environments? No problem! With the cantilever mount, you will be able the see the iron sights. Pretty well-built with super clear glass.
Best value for your money. You won’t be disappointed. If you have any trouble or this is not just right for you, contact the customer care. They will take care of it. Your investment is totally secured!
More Features
- Available in 2 styles: bright red dot and red/green dot. I personally recommend the bright red one.
- Great reticle visibility. You have the ability to make the reticle as bright as you want.
- Intelligent adjustment turrets for easy adjustments.
- To make it fog-proof and waterproof, Vortex has featured Nitrogen purging and o-ring seals.
- Comes with the cantilever mount which can be used along with the magnifier and backup iron sights on the same rail. If your weapon has the Picatinny style rail, it will fit perfectly. The magnified does not come with it.
- 4 MOA dot.
Cons:
- RDS are not circular, which is a little bit of disappointment so some users.
Burris Fastfire III
You want to pick the dot flawless, even if your groups are tight? Burris Fastfire III is for you. It has everything you need and it is within your budget – a sweet deal that you should consider seriously. More than thousands of hundreds of happy shooters have recommended it for their buddies.
For such quality, you would have to spend twice or thrice the price; but Burris made it inexpensive and so competitive. A perfect alternative to all those highly expensive options. And don’t forget you will get the same nice sight with a lot of range adjustment options.
This model itself has 5 modes of operation like the automatic, high, low, medium, and off. The automatic features work like a charm. It will automatically adjust to the current lighting condition. If you are suffering from astigmatism, you should go for the low setting.
Lots of shooters have tried it with their M&P9L C.O.R.E. pistol, Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm and they are impressed with its performance. This works great with the Glock MOS system as well.
They took it to the range and faced no trouble zeroing the sight at 10 meters and more. With the impressive sight, even the older people were happy as they achieved an accurate target with it. The only thing that could be better than this is having a holographic weapon sight.
Some people bought it mostly because of economic reasons and seeing a lot of positive reviews out there. They did not regret it; in fact, they are really happy with their purchase. Just because it is relatively inexpensive than their counterparts; don’t think it is an inferior product. People with a lot of years of shooting experience have recommended it.
Here is the unboxing and video review of it.
https://youtu.be/U_mFgOvGdu4
More Features
- Several buying options. From 3 MOA to 8 MOA; with the Picatinny mount or without it. If you are a shotgun or a rifle guy, choose the 3 MOA dot. 8 MOA dot is suitable for the short-range shooters.
- The Picatinny mount that comes with it is removable.
- Great battery which comes with it. You will find the battery access at the top of it. You won’t have to replace it in the near future.
- Offers tight mount on any guns that have the mounting rail on it. It is suitable for any optics-ready handguns.
- Metal construction for maximum strength and durability.
- Perfectly able to handle recoil the shotgun without any issues. Definitely, it can withstand being mounted on the 50 caliber desert eagle.
- To keep your sight glass clean, it features the waterproof roof.
- I don’t know why a lot of people are asking; YES it comes with the sunshade as you can see in the picture.
Cons:
- Has mounting issues.
- Have incidents of supplying defective unit. Don’t worry, contact the Burris and they will take care of your issues.
Leupold DeltaPoint Pro Reflex Sight
If you have a good budget and want to have the right model for tactical shotgun, Leupold is your trusted brand. People who had some issues with those cheap models have found their ultimate solution from the DeltaPoint Pro Reflex model. Again I must warn you, it is expensive.
And this RDS is not perfect for just the shotgun or rifles, it is perfect for the Glock 17 MOS, Glock 35 MOS, Glock 34 MOS or any other weapons that have a rail to mount it on. After several months of usage and shooting more than 1,000 rounds, people have been impressed with its performance.
It is rugged and if you drop it accidentally (which happens sometimes), it won’t lose its zero. People had this experience and they have confirmed this fact. Leupold has rear iron sight too and if you pair this RDS with that, it will be even better. With the robust build and crisp image – it is just something you can’t ignore.
You will achieve the target rapidly and precisely even for very small groups. Keep both of your eyes open and it is still great for the target acquisition. It’s very easy to site-in and it holds zero even after the day-long shooting at the range. The optics quality is really impressive.
You can easily install it and the operation of this RDS is really simple. Simple on/off button on the top of it which by the way works great and placed at your convenience! I found a lot of complaints from people saying that battery changing is problematic for some models. Well, with is a model it is really easy and simple.
Adjusting the brightness level is simple as well. During the daylight, it is pretty bright; and during the dark lighting situation, you can simply adjust it. Every time you turn it on, it will set to the default, no matter what was your last adjustment.
More Features
- Finally, a made in the U.S.A. RDS! Designed and assembled here too.
- Available in 2.5 MOA dot and 7.5 MOA dot. It comes in a matte color. For the speed, go for the 7.5 MOA dot, and for the precision, go for the 2.5 MOA dot.
- Features intelligent motion sensor technology to save the battery. After 5 minutes of your inactivity, it will automatically deactivate the illumination and activate momentarily once it senses any motion.
- Scratch-resistant diamond-coated lens.
- 100% waterproof and rugged build has made it suitable for both tactical environments and hunting nearby your home.
- Suitable for any firearms you can think of as it features a wide variety of mounting solutions. If you have a Glock MOS (no matter what series), it will have a snug fit.
Cons
- Not suitable for you if you have astigmatism.
- Not suitable for the S&W M&P Pro CORE pistol unless you buy the special mounting plate.
Buying Guide For Your Best Red Dot Sight For Shotgun
RDS is not something you buy every day. But it is as important as having the shooting earmuff in the range. They are costly but a must shooting gear. So you need to be careful while picking yours. There are a lot of counterfeit products out there. Some of them are genuine but may not be suitable for you. So, here is the ultimate guideline for you to pick the right one for your firearm:
Pick The Right Size
This is the most important factor you need to take into your account if you want to avoid disappointment. All the quality RDS offer the same task but not all of them are of the same size. If you have a shotgun or a rifle, you will need a bigger RDS, but if you have a small firearm like a pistol, you will need a smaller one.
The Price
Of course, there is a direct relationship between the cost and the quality of the RDS. While this is true, I reviewed some inexpensive model above that offers impressive performance. If you are on a tight budget and just learning how to shoot precisely, you can go for them. Brands like the Leupold and Trijicon offer highly expensive RDS which is a better solution for the skilled shooters who can’t compromise the quality.
Check The Battery
Look at the lifespan of the battery and how easily it is accessible. Always get the readily available battery. Do not go for the special order battery. Any special order battery will put you at a great disadvantage in the coming future.
If you are just in the training phase, consider the RDS that has the longest battery life expectancy. The manufacturer of the sights will clearly mention the life expectancy of the battery. Make sure to read it. Also, make sure the replacement of the battery is easily available.
Open or Tube Option
You need to seriously think about whether you will go for the tube option or the open option. You may know the open option as the window design as well which offers a better scope of vision than the tube style. But they get damaged very easily.
On the other hand, the tube style is well protected but offer a limited scope of vision. Which one should you prioritize depends mostly on your requirement.
Reticle Size
You may not be aware of it but the size of the RDS itself plays a huge role. If you are more concerned about taking the most precise shot at the longest distance, consider having the smaller reticle size. This is suitable only for skilled shooters.
But if you are a new shooter, you should go for the bigger reticle sizes. It is not ideal for long-distance shooting but it offers a wider viewing area which is just perfect for the newbie.
Conclusion
When you have to have the best red dot sight, you have to trust the reputed brands only. That’s why I have reviewed only a few of the above. You can either go for the Vortex or the Leupold, the choice is yours and you will definitely not regret having the RDS from them.
