Bushnell experiences

[WestLoCo]

recently purchased a MSR. The accessories book that comes with the rifle pushes Bushnell. Looking online I see people saying stay away from the Incinerate Red Dot (AR750132) , but the Enrage Red Dot (AR751305) and TRS-25 Red Dot (AR731306) had good reviews. I see no reviews for the Engulf Red Dot (AR750006).

It seems that Enrage and TRS-25 can be combined with the 3x magnifier (AR731304), but maybe not the Engulf?

Anyone on here have any of these optics and can vouch or criticize for any of them? What are/were your experiences?

[J.Baker]

I run a TRS-25 on my Ruger Mark III Hunter pistol and have had no issues with it in the 3-4 years I've had it, and I know several other guys locally who have been running them for several years with no issues as well. Can't comment on the other's as I don't have any experience with them.

[Smokey262]

I have the TRS-25 on a semi-auto pistol and 2 slug shotguns. Works just fine. Light and small, batteries last a long time

[big honkin jeep]

Just my .02 on mounting a red dot on an M4 style AR.
I know it comes down to personal preference but I tried several types of sight setups and found a red dot covers too much of the bullseye for my taste.(aimpoint comp M2 and vortex sparc). Wound up with a 1.5-4x Leupold Mark AR(less than $300) that lets me shoot with both eyes open up close on 1.5 and delivers the pinpoint accuracy further out at 4x. liked it so much I also picked up a 3-9x version when I caught it on sale for another flat top rifle. The red dots wound up riding eastern bloc modern sporting rifles and work great for pigs :)
Again just personal preference but getting 4+" groups from a rifle capable of holding MOA just didn't cut it for me.

Sorry if I'm off topic since I have no experience with the specific sights you asked about or how you intend to use it, but just wanted to share my experiences when trying to choose a sight.

[J.Baker]

Just my .02 on mounting a red dot on an M4 style AR.
I know it comes down to personal preference but I tried several types of sight setups and found a red dot covers too much of the bullseye for my taste.(aimpoint comp M2 and vortex sparc). Wound up with a 1.5-4x Leupold Mark AR(less than $300) that lets me shoot with both eyes open up close on 1.5 and delivers the pinpoint accuracy further out at 4x. liked it so much I also picked up a 3-9x version when I caught it on sale for another flat top rifle. The red dots wound up riding eastern bloc modern sporting rifles and work great for pigs :)
Again just personal preference but getting 4+" groups from a rifle capable of holding MOA just didn't cut it for me.

Sorry if I'm off topic since I have no experience with the specific sights you asked about or how you intend to use it, but just wanted to share my experiences when trying to choose a sight.

Have to pay attention to dot size when shopping for Red-Dots. Most have a 4 MOA dot and thus will cover 4" at 100 yards. Some have a 2 MOA dot which is better, but still not great for precision work. There are a few that have 1 MOA dots (Leupold just announced their new Freedom RDS at SHOT which has a 1 MOA dot), but you really have to search them out and you'll pay a premium for them.

In the grand scheme of things though, you don't put a red-dot on anything if you're looking for precision accuracy at anything over 25-50 yards. They're effectively a reflex sight for quick target acquisition, not precision work. Think CQB, SHTF or dangerous game situations. As BHJ discovered, a low-power variable with illuminated reticle is a much better choice if you're wanting to do any precision work.

With the new 5x, 6x and 8x zoom scopes on the market you can get a good 1x or 1.5x on the low end for fast and close, yet still have as much as 8x on the high end for those longer precision shots. I only wish they didn't all have 24mm objectives as that doesn't bode well for low-light hunting at dusk/dawn. Amazes me someone hasn't come out with a 1-8x36mm yet.

As always, you gotta get the right tool for the job you wanna do.

[WestLoCo]

Thank you all. You given me a lot to think about.

Initial articles made red dot sound like people shot better with it, but as I do more research and talk to people, it seems that many end up returning to scope.

When you go skiing the ski manufacturers have "demo" days where you can try demonstration models to "test drive" the skis. Wish the scope and red-dot manufacturers did something like that.

[J.Baker]

I recently set my buddy up with one of the Primary Arms 1-6x24mm scopes with ACSS reticle system for his MSR10 Hunter in .308 Win. and he's super happy with it. Took him out to the range to sight in on Christmas Day and once we had him dialed in he was shooting 3/4 to 1-1/4" groups at 100 yards with ease and he's not an avid shooter (only rifle shooting he's done in the last couple years has been his Guard qual's down at Camp Atterbury).

Told him to dial in 4 clicks and move out to the steel plates at 200 that vary in size from 8" down to 3" and he had no problem running them. Then he discovered that the 8" plate fit almost perfectly inside the horseshoe part of the reticle so he was able to do some fast shooting with consistent consecutive hits. He was more excited than a teenager making it to second base for the first time.

Lots of 1-6x and 1-8x options on the market now with similar reticle designs so there's something to fit most everyone's taste and budget and IMO they're probably the best suited optics for the AR/MSR platform unless you're specifically setting one up for long range varmint hunting or target shooting.

[big honkin jeep]

Holo style red dots are great for speed, they just dont work so well for "aim small miss small" If you're trying to put one into a 6-8" vital zone on a big game animal they'll work. If you're trying to put one in the smaller heart at distance or plug a smaller varmint then not so much. As Jim stated several optics also come with various lighted reticles and small "target" style dots that can work well for these applications if that's what suits you.
I'm with you on the test drive idea. When checking out a scope the lighting in a gun shop or looking out the window during "business" hours isn't exactly crack of dawn or dusk lighting. Im thinking the bigger outdoor shops like BPS and Cabs ought to put up optical resolution charts and eye charts all the way across the store and maybe in a darker corner from the scopes so you can tell more about them.

[dice]

I have trs 25's on a shotgun and two carbine rifles. It's as good a red dot as a red dot needs to be...... afterall, it's a red dot.