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Accessories BSA Stealth Tactical Dot Sight with laser and tactical flashlight: Part 1

BSA Stealth Tactical Dot Sight with laser and tactical flashlight: Part 1

by B.B. Pelletier


The BSA Stealth Tactical Dot Sight is a sexy-looking unit!

And now for something completely different. It’s not an airgun at all, but an optical sight system with a lot going for it! The BSA Stealth Tactical Red/Green/Blue Dot Sight with tactical flashlight and laser is a unique optical sight that gives more sighting options with greater innovation than I have ever seen. I will try to do it justice in this report.

It’s not cheap
The price of $136 is bound to put off a lot of potential buyers, but perhaps if I tell the whole story some will look a second time. And, a second look is warranted, for this is no bargain-bin dot sight. It’s a well-engineered system, containing a dot sight with three different-colored dots, a laser and a tactical flashlight in one comprehensive package. And, speaking of the package, let’s begin there, because the box this thing comes in is enough to warm the hearts of most shooters.

Ammo can
Inside the heavy card lithographed box is a metal container styled like a military ammo can. If you’ve ever served in a military organization, this container will seem familiar, because the military often packages expensive field equipment in rugged containers like this. The can opens like any ammo box ever produced, revealing the sight and its supporting parts inside. I know I would have lots of uses for that container after the sight was mounted on a gun.


The sight comes packed in a padded metal ammo can.

The sight is a unitized cluster that contains a three-color dot sight, a tactical flashlight and a red laser. The flashlight and laser run on button batteries, so don’t use them indiscriminately. They are there to be used, but the batteries don’t have the life of the much larger CR123A batteries found in standalone units.

Weaver base required
The unit includes an integral Weaver mount with locking crossbars to prevent movement under recoil. Factor that into your purchase plans. Because I’m still recovering from a hernia, I plan to test the sight on an AirForce Talon SS that has an 11mm to Weaver adapter, but the sight would also work perfectly on one of the new Benjamin Trail-series rifles that has a Weaver base built in. If I could cock a springer, I would have tested it on a benjamin Trail rifle that has the Weaver base built-in.

What is a dot sight?
A dot sight is like a scope, but with a few important differences. First, most dot sights do not magnify the target at all. Because they don’t, they have a wide field of view that’s well-suited to the quick acquisition of a target. Hunters love them for that.

Dot sights are similar to scopes, but instead of a vertical and horizontal crosshair they use a single dot located in the center of the optical package. The dot represents the intersection of a vertical and horizontal reticle. The motion of the erector tube moves the dot around so the sight can be zeroed, the same as it does for a scope. The dot is visible only inside the sight. No one other than the shooter can see it. It doesn’t project outside the unit like a laser light beam. A laser is like a flashlight with a coherent light; a dot sight is like a scope but with a dot instead of a crosshair.

Multiple colors
Dots can be any color, and by changing the color they may be more visible in certain light situations. This device has a choice of three different colors — red, green and blue. A single rotary knob lets you select the color you want and vary the intensity. The intensity is important because, as the dot gets brighter, it appears to grow in size. The larger it is, the less precise when aiming. With the BSA sight, each color has three levels of intensity, and there’s an “off” position between each color. As the knob is turned, you get a light in three levels, followed by an off, then a different color light followed by another “off” and so on. The knob can be rotated completely around without stopping.

Lens covers
The BSA sight has a unique set of lens covers, front and rear. They’re built right into the unit, so there’s nothing to lose or carry separately. Simply twist the outer ring on both ends of the sight, and an iris opens and closes to protect the lens. I like the convenience of this kind of lens cover, and I wish scopes had it, too.


The integral iris lens covers are always with the sight and never get in the way. I really like them!

The laser
Why put a laser on a gun? Well, it can be used as a close-range sight of sorts. You can align where the laser shines to where the pellet strikes and have a quick means of sighting. Simply put the dot on a target and pull the trigger. There’s been so much use of this in movies over the past 20 years that I don’t need to elaborate further.

To make this possible, you have to adjust the laser to the point of impact, and that can be a difficult thing to do. I’ll test this aspect of the sight in my report. I’ll attempt to adjust the laser to be on target at 10 yards, which is a perfect distance for it. You use a laser in conjunction with an optical sight by adjusting the laser for ranges at which the sight is not adjusted. So, I’ll zero the dot for a 20-yard first point of impact and the laser for a 10-yard had zero. In other words, the pellet will not be zeroed at any range other than 10 yards. That way, I’ll have the gun zeroed from about 8 yards out to 40 yards, because the amount the pellet will be off-target at the interim distances (the non-zeroed distances of 10 yards, 20 yards and perhaps 34 yards) will be a negligible pellet’s diameter away.

The tactical flashlight
This feature seems less valuable to me than the laser. I understand it’s there for the coolness factor, and that in a combat or tactical law enforcement situation a flashlight may be just the thing you want. For a hunter, it’s less useful. Yes, hunters need flashlights, but they don’t need flashlights that operate on button batteries and have a useful life of an hour or less. I’ll test this to find out what the life really is, because there’s no literature that comes with the sight. You need a flashlight that works with a beefy CR123A battery, so you have sufficient illumination time. Still, it’s there and I’ll test it.

Do we need a unit like this? Well, that’s more up to the individual shooter than it is to writers like me. To the man who wants a good dot sight for hunting, if this is a good one then, yes, he needs it. To the man who calculates the pennies he spends on pellets, I’d say this sight is a bit too pricey. Other dot sights might satisfy his itch just as well. I’ll be testing it for functionality, not for its “worth,” which only you can define.

Remote cables
You need remote switches to operate a sight like this. There are switches on the unit that can turn it on and off, but for the laser and flashlight there are also coiled cables that allow you to position a pressure-sensitive thumb switch to a spot on the gun stock where it’s more convenient to operate. It’s your choice to use the cables or the switches that come on the unit.


You can install these remote cables anywhere you like on your gun. They make operation of the laser and flashlight faster and easier.

95 thoughts on “BSA Stealth Tactical Dot Sight with laser and tactical flashlight: Part 1”

  1. B.B.

    While I don’t have any use for a red dot, I have to say that this offering provides just about anything that you could want if you do want a dot sight.

    Weaver only mounts may be the biggest thing that I see as a shortcoming.

    The built in iris lens caps are handy. I am forever misplacing lens caps, and find that having them built in is great. Not as fast and easy as removeable caps, but you don’t lose them.
    I have the Stealth Tactical in 4-16x on my 97K. There are a few things about it that itch me, but not when it comes to the functional part.

    twotalon

  2. B.B.
    I have a friend who tried mounting a laser on his RWS 350 Magnum and it proved useless as it would not hold zero.
    When you are finished, can you send it to Mac to test on the RWS Diana 350 Feuerkraft? It would be interesting to see how it holds up under the stress of a magnum springer.
    Thanks
    Pete

      • Also, a lot of pest hunters are using lasers as close-range sights. I have a friend who kills thousands of pigeons under freeway overpasses and along telephone wires. When he drives up he just puts his laser on the bird if it is closer than 15 yards. That way he doesn’t need to stick the muzzle out the window of his truck. He uses a Talon SS for this.

        B.B.

    • BB: While they sure are cool, those lens covers might have issues in outdoor use. I would imagine that dust ,humidity , and cold (frost) could play hell with the iris type covers. I my opinion ,I would say that they could be a poor choice for actual outdoor use as in hunting (for instance it is sunny but 5 degrees out here right now), which would negate their covinience over pop up lens covers,Robert.

  3. At least you can remove the laser and flashlight… and the sides have weaver mounts for other accessories… might prove handy if you have a preferred alternative product to mount. I think that’s a great idea for the red-dot.

    Now – does the dot stand up to critical use on a PCP?

      • Critical use – means more than a 10 shot group and a thumbs up on the product being fantastic… Critical means proving the laser+dot sighting is accurate at x yards, firing 100-200 cycles, maybe changing temperature, and confirming that the laser+dot is still on target with zero shift.

        Why PCP? because it has a similar stress on these optics as a rimfire and 556 center fire – something the manufacture would likely have accounted for.

        Your comment “or do you mean something other than rugged use?” is a fair assessment. I doubt this product will last on a 1000fps+ springer. I guess you do too. Would you be willing to put the product to the test on a 350 for 250 rounds?

        • g. austin,

          No, I won’t mount the sight on a 350. What would it prove? If it broke everyone would say, “I told you so.” And if it survived, 250-350 shots wouldn’t have been enough.

          I once tested a Leapers TS scope on a Beeman Kodiak for 800 shots. Another writer tested a different one on a 505 Gibbs elephant rifle. Both our scopes held up. And people still criticize the scope. Both our reports were published in Shotgun News, but you can read an article about my part of the test here:

          /article/They_asked_for_it_Leapers_scopes_July_2005/23

          I am not Underwriter’s Labs and I don’t have the time for that kind of testing. Sometimes, when manufacturers go overboard on their claims, such as calling cheap pellets target pellets, I will test the heck out of them. But for the most part, I test the equipment the way most airgunners will probably use it. And I don’t see a lot of dot sights being bought for RWS Diana 350s.

          Now, as for your criticism of the number of groups I shoot, I guess the only way to resolve that will be for me to print more of the groups I shoot in my reports. Whenever I test for accuracy I always shoot a lot more groups than I show. But since this is a daily blog and not a monthly feature article, I don’t show them all, nor do I publish comprehensive tables of all the results. I don’t have the time to do that and still get a blog out every day.

          But for this sight, I will publish many of the groups that I shoot. Since I will probably shoot several hundred shots, I still won’t show them all.

          As for 10-shot groups being not an accurate indicator of performance, I am one of the few gun writers in the world who does use 10-shot groups. Most use five-shot groups and several get away with three-shot groups. The statistical difference between a 10-shot group and a 30-shot group is very small, when compared to the difference e between a five-shot group and a ten-shot group.

          I have an idea. If you want to get a better look at this subject, why don’t you do a test of group sizes and give us a guest blog about your findings? I would be glad to publish whatever you find.

          B.B.

          • You know, BB, when you went to 10 shot groups, I personally felt it wouldn’t make much of a difference for me. The 5 shot groups you used to publish gave me the information I wanted – whether the rifle would group or not. The size of the group, I knew, wasn’t overly important for ME as I could either shoot as well as you or not as well as you (you being in this case a generic competitor and not necessarily BB).

            Now we get to compare all rifles for 10 shot groups but things still stay relative, to my way of thinking. That is the results should still support which rifle shoots better regardless if a 10 shot group is used or 5 shot groups.

          • BB. You’ve taken my comments personally and worse still as a negative comment on your testing methodology. I hope you reconsider my text as simply expanding upon what “critical” means when you thought I was joking.

            If you say in a report that you’ve run 100-200 round through it and it never lost zero – people will believe you.

            Relax a little bit.

            • g. austin,

              Okay, I’m calmed down. Thanks.

              But can you please explain to me more of what it is that you are looking for? I want to test everything like it will be used, but in doing that am I missing something?

              Does your comment about shots 1 and 150 going to the same place refer to a scope maintaining its zero over a long string? I have written a few reports about why zero points move, and scope shift is pretty rare, in my experience. But zero points do shift because of eye placement from shooting session to shooting session, extreme temperature differences, changes in the hold that affect vibration patterns–even on CO2 and PCP guns, believe it or not, and other variables. Cant can even cause a shift in aim points.

              Can you elaborate on what you would like to see me do?

              B.B.

              • In the end – I’m easy going… When testing a gun you’re testing for hold, accuracy and a number of other factors… the reliability is a given from good manufacturers.

                Optics are a different beast entirely… Your review today is fine… but if you’re going to test an optic you’re left with the uncomfortable decision of how to test reliability… an optic that doesn’t hold zero is useless… An optic with significant parallax at back yard distances is a problem. An optic that doesn’t work on a springer is worth knowing. So… an optic has a lot of problems during a review because it can be mounted on anything and can be shot at many ranges.

                BUT – answering your question – a “critical review” of this optic should check it holds zero for the laser *and* the red dot for the same range for 100-150 cycles…. not all of those cycles need to fire a pellet (PCP / Pump / CO2)… but the action should be worked and maybe a temperature shift (shade to direct sun) to be sure the dot is predictable and repeatable in it’s behavior. That’s a “critical review”… if you don’t go to those lengths then add assumptions and caveats so buyers from PyramydAir are open minded.

                I use a Burris Timberline magnum center fire rated scope on my Talon SS for 16 months and had zero shift over 20F->105F temperatures. It is so reliable I will buy another for my next gun.

                One last thing – all equipment has a failure rate probability distribution known as the bathtub curve. You have a high infant mortality and then a reasonable middle life followed by old-age failures. If an optic fails to make it out of “infant mortality” more than once you should simply walk away from that product on your gun…. So a PCP test is about as good as it gets for equipment – if it survives infant mortality then it should be a reliable optic for those PCP users. If it fails then it’s junk. Hence – if it passes a critical test on PCP then it’s worth considering for many low power spring users and PCP/CO2 users.

          • Further – your 10 shot groups are great to test accuracy – best in the industry… I was indicating that the knowledge that shot 1 and shot 150 land at the same place when testing a new sighting system is important.

    • I can tell you that in a tactical situation (think close quarters battle), a dot sight has the advantage since there is no magnification and you can (and should) keep both eyes open for situational awareness. It’s very quick to get on target, plus dot sights are typically light and short, increasing maneuverability.

      They are not, however, meant for precision shooting, especially at range.

    • Alan,
      I can give you a first hand answer on dot sights. I participate in a monthly firearm bowling pin shoot at the local range. The objective is to shoot down five bowling pins spaced a foot apart at 25 feet as fast as you can. The winner of the event has always been near 3 seconds. My fastest time so far has been 4.23 seconds. Last week I entered four events and placed 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th out of 20 entries.

      I use an American Tactical green dot sight. It’s not a tube shape, more of a domed shape sight. Target acquisition in four seconds like that with a scope would be very difficult. It’s very fast and hard to miss with a dot sight. I use a .22LR Ruger MkIII 512 but there are other classes including large bore and small bore auto and revolver. In the winter we use a rubber like target that is a bowling pin silhouette but in the summer we use actual bowling pins.

      You may think open sights would be even better still, but most of the other shooters use open sights and so far I’ve out-shot all open sighted guns.

      -Chuck

  4. I wonder if the ND3 would mount on the side of this dot sight. Then you could ditch the flashlight, site the laser in for one range and the dot for another and go rat shooting at night.

    ka

    • KidAgain,as a fellow overgrown kid that has an ND3,it would mount……but not with the supplied mount that is adjustable.That one was designed to mount to your 1″ scope tube in sidecar fashion.
      The bad thing about abandonning the ND3 adjustable mount is that there is no Weaver mount out there that would allow precision alignment.Using the laser focused out so as to be broad enough
      to light the subject,you give up brightness quickly.When used with magnification,the system works excellent.Vermin have no chance! You could use a 1″ tube to join the adjustable mount to a Weaver
      mount,but it might be a little wonky looking and not very stable…but the rats wouldn’t be laughing,
      or the Nutria or ‘coons,coyotes or hogs!

  5. I’m reposting this here in case people don’t get the RSS feed and don’t look back at yesterday’s comments. The topic is “who are the Cardews?”

    I think it’s a tough experiment to do, but I can also think of some much better ways to have done it. I think I would have threaded the muzzle to accept an O-ring seal and a thin mylar diaphragm. Then I could have pumped out the barrel without the difficulty of doing it inside a plastic bag. Then I would have tapped into the compression chamber, evacuated it, and bled back dry nitrogen. Again, now plastic baggie and much more shot-to-shot consistency. The pellet would have gone through the diaphragm w/o much loss of energy.

    When I said something like “strange conclusions,” I really meant “likely wrong.”

    And yes, for decades they’ve been the only authors publicly trying to do science about air gun physics. And they did the work on a self-funded shoe string budget. But I have to believe that the top engineers at the major air gun factories have a lot more reliable experiments and computations under their belts. You don’t make tack drivers or big-bore air arms without knowing how to optimize the design for a given performance.

    • Thanks for re-posting Pete. The Cardew data and their general influence on air gun literature and testing (at that time) is still an interesting saga. And the younger Cardew now owns a watch shop? Well… if it’s a true British watch shop, I guess the precision instrument correlation to finely made airguns is there somewhere?

  6. It looks good so far. BTW, has anyone ever looked at setting up a remote switch without a cable? I would think it’s possible but may cost too much $ to do. I have used Red Dot sights on a .22 for rabbit hunting. It’s really fast and easy to use on running rabbits.

    Mike

  7. This question is probably more appropriate to yesterdays blog…but it is still sight related.
    They’re way more money than I would probably spend on my sights for my Umarex Colt…but what about tritium sights.
    Do they suffer from the same disadvantages as fibre-optic?
    Enquiring minds want to know 😉

    • CSD,

      No, tritium sights are not a disadvantage, because of how they are used. They are minute-of-bad-guy sights–not precision sights. Fortunately, they way they are installed, you can use the sights as target sights when in the light.

      B.B.

  8. B.B.
    Greetings! I’ve been off the air for a while, but always lurking… I got an Beretta 92FS and I have been busy trying to figure out how to shoot the thing straight.

    This sight seems to be most appropriate for an all-purpose carbine or something like that. Maybe the Beretta Cx4 Storm for example? (either the 9 mm or the airgun) or a .22LR S&W AR? . Correct?

    Also. $130 for a FB124, no front sight(rear sight is there and ok), bluing in fair shape, breech seal in good shape. Stock with dents and some scratches. Aluminum replacement trigger. Internals would likely require all the work you have described previously (replacement of seal and spring, who knows…) Sounds expensive, doesn’t it?

    T.E.

      • B.B.
        I shoot pistols pretty good, especially the .22 Mark III and the Makarov. With the 92 FS I can shoot single holes all day, but they are low and left. I thought it was the sights but a couple people told me this always happens to people unexperienced with its grip. I then adjusted my grip and I can shoot dead on but not as consistently. I am getting there though

        T.E.

        • Tunnel Engineer, are you talking about the Beretta firearm? I shot a rental once. Great gun. I believe that the Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU) gunsmiths them to shoot into an inch at 50 yards.

          Matt61

  9. BB, although you commented on the $136 price as “putting off” some buyers, I think it’s a darn fair price for what you get (assuming the actual red dot is clear and precise).

    I like the ammo-can too.

  10. I have the BSA laser sight, laser only. I have not had it on a springer, but I love it on my 1377 w a stock. Hip shots, belly shots, arm pit shots. It sure is alot easier to get off a quick shot w/o having to get all things lined up.

  11. WHAT !!!

    /product/bsa-optics-illuminated-red-green-blue-dot-sight-laser-flashlight?a=3361

    Above says it was $900.00, and now $136.00 !!! Is that correct?? I may just get one to resale. lol

  12. If this new BSA tactacal dot sight is anything like the economy BSA dot sights it should do just fine. I’ve had two of those for several years now,one on a Beeman P1 and the other on a P17, both hold zero very well and make shooting a pistol all the way out to 25 yards a real pleasure.
    Loren

    • Yup, found him in Marsing, Idaho, about 30 miles south/south-west from my place.

      It’s basically farm country out there so “Guido” picked a good spot to hide initially…sorta?

      Let Snookie and the gang at Jersey Shore know that uncle “G” won’t be home anytime soon! Forward his mail to Leavenworth, Kansas.

      Oh a wise guy eh?

      • Hey Brian, thanks for asking.
        Things here are pretty good considering we’ve had the most snow this year since the mid 80’s. I have a 5 foot fence on my property and in most places only the top 5 or 6″ are visible.
        So all the shooting lately has been indoors (I have a 10yd range in my basement).
        Getting to know the Colt (umarex) nicely…I really like it.
        But I have a dirty little secret. Last year my boys each received the BAM AK clone for doing well in school.
        Oddly enough, as rough as they are they seemed to hit much harder than my other ‘Canadian’ guns (meaning 500fps). So I borrowed a friends Chrony and they are hitting at just under 600fps. I asked my supplier and she verified that the paperwork supplied by BAM says there under 500…but hell, if they put lead in all that paint on childrens show…they sure aren’t going to the trouble to respring a $100 gun.
        Anyways…the point of all this?
        I ordered (and received last week) one for myself. The boys both told me I couldn’t use ‘their’ guns…so I anted up.
        It may be cheap…it may be finished roughly…but they are a whole lot of fun.
        And not an ounce of plastic to be found.

        • BAM does it again, but this time in a good way. Are you making any progress on purchasing your own AK? Was it the CZ 58 that you wanted? That’s quite the firearm from what I’ve read. I myself have pretty much fallen in love with the Arsenal AK in 7.62 X 39. There’s actually a California-legal version. There’s a YouTube video of a guy hitting a plate offhand at 230 yards with it; as I read his numbers this was equivalent to the performance of his M4–all with open sights.

          One can do a lot of things with action figures in the snow you have.

          Matt61

        • That’s cool…! And despite the bad rap on the Chi-com guns, I am having way too much fun with AR2078 version of the TF79 from Archer Airguns in upstate NY. The $ to Fun factor is pretty high.

          Glad you are well and that your boys have taken total ownership of their BAM-BAM guns.

          Snow on the East Coast and Canada has been crazy this year as you noted. Just the opposite for us in Idaho, 30 and 40 deg F days and no snow since Christmas.

          Always enjoy hearing about your kids interest in airguns.

        • Another thought… who knows which pellet weight the Chi-factory chose to get that <500 fps certificate? Does Canadian law prescribe the pellet weight per caliber or otherwise? Seems that the UK FAC law makes reference to a nominal weight, about 8 gr I think, in .177 cal. to set their 12 ft lb limit.

          I give you a lot of credit for staying active on this blog while we (down here) all blather on about .357 cal / 1000 fps PCP rifles and shooting coyotes and such! Must make you want to drive down to Buffalo or Rochester and do some shooting with the big toys!?

          • Brian…gotta admit I have more than a passing interest in the Rogue!
            My whole plan has been that as soon as Callum (my youngest) turns 10 we will graduate either to powder burners (as you mentioned I have a real hankering for the CZ58, and now a 70 series 1911) or magnum air guns.
            In my opinion my boys are very safety conscious…the first thing they do is grab their safety glasses and ear protection when we shoot. They know all the ‘rules’…but they just aren’t at the point where they follow them by rote. Just the other day we were in the basement, my youngest heard the cat meowing at the door and he swung his gun around in an arc that interesected where his brother was standing.
            I just want to be sure that they have this down pat before the big stuff is purchased.

            As well we’re at the stage where sometimes the things I want take a back seat to their stuff.
            The oldest started archery this year and turns out he is quite good at it. Started out with a cheapie Canadian Tire bow (our version of WalMart) that we quickly found out was crap. So blew the wad, or so I thought on a $200 recurve set with a 20lb draw.
            Turns out he’s shooting in the top 5% of his class and last week they asked him to participate in an upcoming competition. Anyhoo…he’s been shooting indoors at 20 yards. We said of course he’d like to enter…only to be told by his instructor that the competition was outdoors at 30 and 50 yards and that his current bow would not be powerful enough.
            Priced out a new bow…$400 without sights…OUCH.
            But hey…it’s important to him, he’s good at it and it’s way cheaper than hockey 😉
            And his brother will get the current bow.
            And daddy doesn’t get his CZ ;-(
            Oh well…every parents lament, I quess.
            I jokingly tell them that if they weren’t so damn loveble I’d put ’em out in the back yard and let the wolves raise them…but they’re not buying it.

            • CBSD Nearly any sport or hobby is cheaper than Hockey! The sticks, the armor, the jerseys, pants, skates…stop me before I spend the first $1000 and then…they grow out of it in 2 years! Thank god mine are grown up now!

              That CZ will come your way and the 1911 too. We are having too much fun to stop buying stuff, eventually anyway.

              My interest in the Rogue is it’s modular potential. I’m hoping Crosman is thinking that way too? Barrel/caliber changes seem to be a no-brainer for that rifle and I think a .30 caliber or even a heavy.25 would be the “bomb”. Imagine getting 50+ full power shots with a .25 cal 40 gr pellet!

              • Brian,
                Didn’t get a chance to read yesterday’s blog until this AM! Yes, modular and scalable are always a great combination for efficient manufacture. Crosman has a history of producing second generation products that really are different and/or improved from the first release.
                Lloyd

            • CBSD,
              I just had a fish fry at my house tonight and I can attest that my grandkids would eat the wolves. I think your kids would, too. So you’d better think of something else.
              -Chuck

      • I agree with essentially every word in AmRifleman review of the IZH-46M. I like mine a lot. But a little more praise of the trigger — not just its adjustments — would have been warranted. It has the feel and crispness of my best high-end match guns.

        • Pete,
          I agree about the IZH-46M trigger. I am using the trigger as it was set upon delivery. I even sent my gun in for repairs and it came back with the same trigger settings. The trigger of mine is most likely set too light but I have not experienced a crisper trigger. It has a very light and short first stage and if I’m too excited I’ll fire it too soon. I must conentrate. There is absolutely no creep. Absolutely love it! I’m shooting at an NRA pistol target and am getting at least 16 out of 20 shots in the black at 10m. You see, I’m not great by any streatch of the imagination, but you should have seen my beginning results. It was the opposite. I don’t know where my peak is but I do know I’m not there, yet.
          -Chuck

    • Which is why I’ve had one back-ordered for some weeks now…

      (I blame the NRA… They’ve influenced three purchases in 30 years… The early 80s Daisy 953 with all the accouterments of the current 853 except the fancy barrel [and my mind seems to insist the advert implied an L-W barrel… When did the 853 become a standard product?]; the Gamo NRA-1000… and now the Baikal)

  13. I’m a big fan of red dot sights. They won’t necessarily make you a better shooter, shooting fundamentals still apply, but they do have a lot going for them.

    First, B.B. mentioned he was worried some might be turned off by the price of $136. There are cheaper red dots out there, but it’s common for many to run in the $400-$700 range and more. So if this turns out to be a quality optic the price is not that bad.

    Also, dot size and intensity(see above) is important. I did some digging and it appears the dot is a 5MOA, meaning at 100 yards the dot would appear to be 5 inches, at 50/2.5, at 35/1.7, at 25/1.25, and at 20/1. But that doesn’t tell the whole story, the intensity can make the dot appear larger or smaller than it is. So it is important to always have the dot’s intensity set as low as possible. Plus, the higher the setting the faster the battery goes down.

    One of the big benefits to using red dots is your target and your sight are both in focus at the same time. As we all know with open sights your front sight is in focus, but the target isn’t.

    They are fast to get on target and most of the ones I have used are more forgiving with parallax issues than scopes.

    While some would argue you can not make precise accurate shots with a red dot that is not necessarily the case. The military qualifies with 2 and 4 MOA dots at distances of 300-500 meters. For hunting and fast shooting they are ideal. I haven’t gone this far (above my pay grade), but there are some folks out there that use the top and bottom of the dots as aiming points at different distances.

    I haven’t noticed what type battery this red dot uses, some red dots have really good battery life others not so good.

    Another major benefit I have found with red dots is they make shooting easier for folks with older or poorer eye sight like me.

    Bub

    • Bub, I do like the BSA RGB (red-green-blue) $39 model that I got at Cabelas. It’s on my Crosman 2240 pistol and as you noted, it’s darned accurate! For me, I think my mental block (with red dots) is the partial hidden view of the bullsyeye at 10 or 20 meters that plays tricks on my mind cause, when I shoot from a bag on rest and cover the bull with the dot, bang! it’s in the ten ring! Guess I have to “let go of the dark side Luke” and trust my Yoda like instincts?

      • Brian, I know exactly what you mean by the mental block. The reality is at a distance of 10 to 20 meters the dot is quite small. In fact a front sight post is often larger than the dot. The problem is us and the way we perceive the dot as being larger than it really is. Over time it gets easier to ignore. The important thing is to be consistent with dot placement and accuracy will follow. Bub

        • Bub,
          That’s exactly the process I follow on the bowling pin shoot. We shoot two handed, unsupported. I know the dot is not precise but I have a 3 inch window. If my dot placement is in the “sweet spot” I know I’ll get a knock down. I don’t even wait for the pin to move before I go to the next one. If one is still standing after the last shot I’ll go back and shoot it again. Happens but doesn’t happen too often. My wasted time is acquisition of the first pin. We start rested with the barrel pointing down. When the horn blows: up, acquire, shoot, move, shoot, etc.
          -Chuck

    • Almost all the “oriental” IR scopes and Red Dots use the CR2032 Lithium battery. Find e’m everywhere, Walgreens, Radio Shack, Wallyworld etc. About $2 each-ish.

    • I need to see what I’ve got mounted on my Ruger Mk II… Besides the 11-position reostat, it has a switch that cycles between “small” and “large” dots (ignoring the expansion caused by raising the intensity), a + marker, and some forth image — maybe an o shape.

      I think I stuck the cheap BSA red dot on my unused shotgun… After all, the dot only has to align with center of shot pattern, not a slug barrel.

      I don’t see those pressure switches being much use on a spring/air, if one is using that loose hold for accuracy, pressing on a switch [I’m presuming these are momentary contact and not toggles] would change the hold.

      • {Talking to myself}

        Quick google found it…

        Bushnell Trophy multi-reticle 1×28: 3MOA dot, 10MOA dot, cross, 65MOA circle with 3MOA dot; 1/4MOA clicks (according to the text, but the specification page on the same site indicates 1/2MOA)

      • Wulfraed,
        I really don’t know if my dot scope has a size adjustment. Something I need to find out. What I see is a connecting double dot ( I’m near sighted and it’s maybe three feet away). I put it in the center of the traget and hope for the best. I’ll bet if I could tone down that dot I could get rid of that Gemini effect.

        I agree about the pressure switch on a springer, however, humans are great at adapting.

        -Chuck

    • Another thing to look for… my dot scope is automatically turned off and on by light. It automatically turns off when it is dark as when you put the cover on it or put it in a case. Likewise, it automatically turns on when taken out. Save much drain on batteries when you forget to turn it off (which I do all the time with my illuminated reticule scopes) but isn’t much good for night shooting. Who shoots at night with a dot scope, anyway?
      -Chuck

  14. Slick product today. I remember that I bought my Walther Nighthawk for all of the gizmos contained in today’s product, and the result? I never use them, just the bare model for instinct shooting. Of all the devices, the flashlight is most puzzling to me. As I understand the doctrine, one is supposed to sneak up on the enemy in the dark with the light off. Then, once obtaining a dominant position, you hit the light and take action. But that would destroy your own night vision for any threats remaining. It hardly seems worth it.

    Also, I don’t think that any study has been done on how all of these accessories affect shooting performance. One guy’s Arsenal AK went to hell with the addition of a small rail. I expect that with all of the devices people like to hang on the AR-15 that its fabled accuracy would go completely out the window. And on that subject, another interesting test would be to compare the accuracy of the AR-15 with the Arsenal AK under the same conditions, that is without the super-expensive machining, high-powered scopes and handloads. I expect the accuracy difference would shrink to zero.

    Also, I just learned that amidst the huge craze for piston modifications to the AR that is consuming an inordinate amount of money from both manufacturers and shooters that this all a complete waste because it’s already been done. The word is that because of proprietary rights and some stinging criticism of the unreliability of the direct impingement gas system, Eugene Stoner himself designed a piston-version of his gun called the AR-18. It works great and received particularly favorable reviews from the IRA…. This design is also the basis of the highly successful G-36 assault rifle used by Germany. So, why on earth reinvent the wheel? It looks like this is about to be done by the new U.S. Army trials for a rifle to replace the M-16. This will be an appalling money pit when the answer is immediately clear. All they have to do is adopt a version of the AK just like the army copied the Mauser with the Springfield 1903 or adopt an AR-18. The ways of industry and procurement are mysterious indeed.

    Victor, I’ve been thinking about your comment about the wobble area and trigger squeeze and now understand the point about the sequence or priority between the two. In the early days, I tried to squeeze the trigger in response to the wobble and it rarely worked. Now, I try to get the trigger sequence right without worrying too much about the wobble and more often than not, the wobbles cancel out and I land dead center. It’s actually astonishing how accurately the rifle shoots with this technique even with all of the movement of the reticle.

    I’ve also struck out in a new area of research. The idea is to use the eyes to control the reflexes and subtler movements; maybe this is an outgrowth of my attention to follow-through. Seeking for a suitable image and visual for this process, I’ve come across…”the full Bill Clinton stare” that came up in the M. Lewinsky investigation. It works….

    Do you shoot pistols? And, as it says in the film Officer and a Gentleman, “I see you’ve had some (martial arts) training.” What have you studied? One fundamental point about the kiai shout that I’ve learned is that it should not originate in the throat which will issue in a scream but from the abdomen. And here is where you get the breathing and body control you are talking about. It is also more effective. The best demonstration of this that I had was when substitute teaching for junior high school kids. After a long day, they burst out into nasty hyena laughter which I particularly abhor about something stupid and cruel, so I roared out “Quiet!” with the mechanics of the kiai shout. It seemed to happen automatically and reminded me of a description I read of a dog’s growl building from the stomach and exploding outward. It silenced the kids instantly, but irrepressible as they were, not for long. They adopted a connoisseur’s pose and took to observing that that yell certainly rated pretty high among they ones they had heard. Legend has it that a correctly executed kiai shout from an adept could knock someone over like a physical blow. And I know of one eyewitness testimonial of a kiai shout sprung on an unsuspecting subject that left him a gibbering idiot for hours.

    I agree too about the kata/forms. I originally detested them and scored miserably in competition where my attitude was probably evident. But over time, the practical stuff has gone to the side and I practice almost exclusively the forms which are not only supremely practical in a fundamental way but also very enjoyable, healthy, and aesthetic. They really do contain the essence.

    Brian in Idaho, interesting about the razor blade technique. That takes us back to knife sharpening with my Japanese master’s three finger test for sharpness. Against this involves placing the pads of three fingers on an edge and sliding them ALONG, not across the edge. The idea is that faced with imminent destruction, the finger tips get real sensitive to the sharpness and for truly sharp edges will simply refuse to move.

    Matt61

    • Matt61,

      Yes, I do shoot pistols. Pistol shooting really helps one to see this prioritization of trigger squeeze and follow through, over wobble area. 1. Refine trigger squeeze. 2. ALWAYS follow through. 3. Allow your wobble area to be what it is for a good while. I was almost tempted to say that “wobble area is your friend”, but then after thinking about it, realized that A) that sounds stupid, and B) it isn’t entirely true. A better way of expressing it is “wobble area is truth”. Another fundamental element to pistol shooting is sight alignment versus looking at the target. If you recall what I said a few days ago about one of the goals of shooting, namely, executing trigger squeeze such that it does not disturb your sight alignment? Well, a common mistake among pistol shooters is that they want to look at the target. Your wobble area will keep you in the right general area (provided that you’ve established a “natural point of aim”), so you really only need to focus on not disturbing sight alignment and follow through. Looking at the target can throw you WAY OFF. I’m glad that you’ve realized the importance of execution versus wobble area. That’s a critical thing to know.

      Yes, I studied Okinawan Karate. Yes, your kiai should NOT originate from the throat, which is why I first established the lesson of inner core strength, which is through tension and breadth control. Know this, and do this right, and your kiai will have better purpose. Yes, kata IS the way towards perfecting Kumite (fighting). It really does contain the essence. FORM IS EVERYTHING! Only through Kata do you perfect; form, kime (power and focus), and body control (muscle memory) over a complex set of movements. Form is fundamental / foundational. But not only in Karete, but also in shooting. I find it almost amusing that so many try to take shortcuts with your education, including Bruce Lee. He criticized traditional formal training, and yet, like every other master, got there like everyone else through traditional formal training. It seems that there is an ocean of “get rich quick”-like schemes out there.

      Yes, Brian in Idaho’s description of the razor blade technique is very interesting. I think it’s a very good analogy! Your analogy with the three finger test is also good. The point being that eventually you reach a level of sensitivity that your level of focus changes.

      Victor

      • Victor, your are right about not watching the target. However, in a close range (CQB) situation you can’t help it, you will look at the target. Even so, if you are well practiced it won’t matter, you will do fine. You and Matt61 are also right about Kiai. I used it for years while working as a Corrections Officer. My marshal art, Tae Kwon Do.

        Mike

    • Matt,
      I think there has been an alarming increase in the number of people interested in guns lately and they don’t know anything about them and the industry is taking advantage of them with all these “bells and whistles” to impress them. I’ll have to admit, all those grooves and knobs are very impressive. The way I see it, marketing is the main thrust, not usability.
      -Chuck

  15. Matt,

    Procurement is often screwed up by our Congressional Representatives and Senators looking to claim as much monry for their districts/states as possible. Think of all the times the Department of Defense has said they did not need something, only to have the “smarter” folks in Congress tell them they were getting it anyways . . . .

    Alan in MI

  16. Has anyone tried the UTG Deluxe Tactical Green Laser Sight? It looks good but some of the comments I have read about it had concerns about the quality control. Some seem to work great and others not.

    Mike

  17. BB,

    I am delighted to learn that there’s an optical sight, with the ability to project a dot in blue. I’m 50 years old, near-sighted and colorblind. Regarding this last trait, like most colorblind people, I can see plenty of color, but just not as well as most people. In particular, I have problems with red/green, and I suspect that’s why I’ve had trouble contrasting green/red dots on optical sights that I’ve tried. On a Benjamin Marauder as a rifle for dispatching backyard rats around twilight and after dark, do you think this BSA Stealth Tactical Sight might be the ticket?

    Lorenzo

    • I think you are going to run into problems with this setup.

      First, the sight (dot) does not project a beam of light on the target. It exists only in the sight and is superimposed onto the image of the target within the sight itself. You could compare that roughly to a scope with a lighted reticle. The light from the dot or reticle can blind your low light vision.
      I know from experience that lighted reticles are only useful under a very limited range of lighting conditions. You have to get intensity just right to make it work.

      The laser is red, so that would be a problem. It is also offset to one side, so your POI will constantly shift both up and down and left and right with changes in distance.

      If the flashlight part of this sight is bright enough, it may work OK with the dot if you keep the dot intensity pretty low. This will vary with distance for night hunting. You may run into problems with light too bright dot too weak or light too weak dot too bright. It may end up as a balancing act between existing light, distance, flashlight brightness and dot brightness.

      I am sure that you could score at least some kills , but have no idea what range of distances and settings would apply for your situation.

      I used to do a lot of night pesting a long time ago with open sights and a flashlight. It worked pretty well. If I was going to do it now at any distance other than very close, I would hang the brightest LED flashlight I could find in a set of scope rings on the bottom side of my TSS.

      twotalon

    • Not sure how R/G colorblindness would affect it, but historically, blue has been the most difficult spectral color to perceive and focus upon. It takes a pretty bright blue to match the apparent brightness of a yellow-green.

  18. Lorenzo,

    I agree with twotalon about his comments concerning the sight being reviewed here and would like to amplify his recommendations on pesting at night. I’ve got a SureFire LED on the bottom rail of my Talon SS. The scope on the top is the Leapers Accushot 3-12 X 44 30MM Tube from PA (SCP3-M3124AOMD-A). There is also a 20mW lazer on the top rail. Depending on the distance you’ll be pesting at determines how the lazer and scope and sighted in relative to each other.

    Bruce

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