MKIII Hunter Scope

[harley]

I am looking for a handgun scope for my MKIII Hunter. I have been looking at red dot and traditional scopes. My intent is to use this pistol for small game. Tree rats and such. Please give me some of your thoughts and pictures if possiable.

I am most interested in something that will not be bulky. I like the idea of the little window that takes the place of your rear site. But I dont know how practicle that is on an animal at 25 yards. I dont want to make the pistol into a something only comfortable at a bench to shoot.

 

[GR8_Outdoorsman]

You have several choices to go with. I'm not sure if you've shot a red dot before, but that is the direction that I went with my Mark III Hunter that you can see in my avatar pic. I really couldn't see myself shooting .22lr beyond 25 yards or so and the red dot is perfect for that application. It also lets you acquire the target quicker than a standard magnified scope.

I went with the Aimpoint Micro, which is pretty pricey but it's a great size for the Mark III. You may want to look into the Ultra Dot scopes as well. I don't own one personally, but have read nothing but great reviews about them.

 

[harley]

So when you say "Ultra Dot" do you mean the brand?

Yours is the tube style. What do you think about the open "window" style that sits where your rear site was? or is this just preference?

 

[GR8_Outdoorsman]

Yes, Ultradot is the brand. Actually, if I were to buy a red dot for a .22 lr today, that would probably be the one I would go with. They are used a lot in competition. They also have a lifetime warranty.

Personally, I prefer the tube style red dots because I feel that they offer more protection than the open style. Probably not a big deal for a range only gun, but I like being able to carry my guns through the brush if needed. I will say that there are plenty of eoTech window types that have been put through their paces without failure as well. This is more of a personal choice.

On a side note, if you never looked through a red dot you may want to give one a try before you buy one. There are a lot of people that found out they had astigmatisms after they bought a red dot scope. This makes the red dot look more like a Nike check mark or cluster of grapes instead of a clear dot.

 

[harley]

Thanks for the info. I will head to my local Bass Pro and Cabelas this weekend and try some out. I have been told that I need to get my eyes checked, by the wife...

I did not even think about the tube being better protected for the woods. Since you hunt any thoughts on a holster that may work with the tube style? I guess the plastic tactical one might work but i would prefer something more apealing.

 

[GR8_Outdoorsman]

Holsters are the tough part when you put a scope on your handgun. For my Mark III, I took a regular Uncle Mike's nylon holster and cut a notch out of the top of it to all clearance for the scope to slide into the case. It actually worked pretty well and was very easy/cheap to do.

 

[Rumrunner]

harley,
I also like the UltraDot brand red dot sights. I also prefer the tube type red dot sights.
I use an Uncle Mikes shoulder holster for scoped pistols for mine.
I have a scope on my TC Encore 44 that I use for deer hunting, and a red dot on my 44 RedHawk for deer also.
For small game, I found it hard to get on target quickly with a scope, (mainly squirrels). The red dot is much faster and easier to shoot offhand. My Charger will put 10 shots in under an inch at 25 yards with a red dot. I am picking up a 22/45RP Hunter on Monday and already have an UltraDot for it.

 

[tiger955]

I had been thinking about trying a red dot for a while on my Mark III target. Found a Tasco tube style pretty cheap and figured why not? Took it out to the range today for the first time with the Tasco on it and had a blast kicking empty shotgun hulls around at 50ish yards after I sighted it in.
Only downsides are,
1 It is kind of bulky, will have to find another holster
2 Have to remember to turn it off when not in use (batteries)
3 If the battery dies you are out of luck, BUT, it is easy to pop it off and use the iron sights.

 

[Rumrunner]

Another good red dot that is smaller but still a tube style is the Bushnell TRS-25 (I think I got the right model, I am at work and cant check). I have one on my Mossberg 500 and it is becoming a favorite due to size and light weight. I may actually buy another one for my MKIII Hunter and just keep the UltraDot for backup on my Mini14. I have been using a scope and it back and forth on the Mini. I have fired more than 100 deer slugs through that Mossberg with the Bushnell and it has held up to the recoil.

 

[harley]

Ok so here is my final question before I buy an Ultra Dot. What size tube do you perfer and why. Seems the 30mm would give a better field of view but would be a bit large looking on a 22auto. But of course the smaller tube may look better and.... I am leaning toward the smaller tube so is enough lost in the size that I should buy the larger one? The price is not enough to make the decision for me.

 

[GR8_Outdoorsman]

To be honest, I don't think that it really makes that big of a difference. Sure the larger diameter may be slightly easier to find the dot in, but you shoot a red dot with both eyes open. I would probably go with the smaller diameter to minimize the bulk....

Just my $0.02 but I'm sure that you'll be just as happy with either!

 

[Bubba]

Has anyone tried a Vortex SPARC? I have a couple of their Viper scopes and have been very happy with them.