Click the READ MORE below to read our article and video link for this weeks episode on Tactical Optics for Shotguns.
Tactical Optic Options for Shotguns
by Jessie Indracusin
Background
Various viewers have been asking about different sighting options for Shotguns for use in both Tactical and Skeet shooting. Suprisingly there are actually very few options that are viable because of how shotguns are setup, very low to the barrel. So we are going to cover two popular optics and my recommendations on them.
Aimpoint Micro T-1
The Aimpoint Micro T-1 is a very popular Red Dot system for use in a variety of situations. I recommend these optics for anyone need a high quality red dot scope for a VERY low application. Examples of this is mounting on a Semi-Automatic compact carbine, pistol or in this case a tactical 
shotgun. The profile of this optic enables its use in a variety of situations. Why this optic is so ideal for shotguns, depends on the use case scenario.
When you have people doing a Tactical Shotgun course, the goal is to be able to acquire your targets as fast as possible. How Red Dot scopes have been used in all other areas of shooting, so holds the case for Shotguns. To be able to bypass the iron sights of a shotgun and use a simple Red Dot instead, makes all the difference in speed to target. This will mount on any standard flat top rail (picatinny rail). The Tactical Shotgun I use, a Winchester SX2 variant, has this rail to allow for quick mounting of the optic without any special mounts required. Click the picture to the left to buy this optic from our Store Front.
For me, personally, I don’t like shot gun sights at all. At the end of the day, I always tend to ignore them all together when I shoot, just trailing the top of the barrel with my eyes. The Micro T-1 changes all that for me. This is something you should serious consider if you have a tactical shotgun.
C-More Railway
The C-More Railway system is a popular sight among competition shooters. The C-More Railway system allows it to sit on top of any standard railway system. You have different options for the C-More Sights as far as picking a very specific size of dots. Aimpoints variations are normally
either 2 or 4 MOA. C-More gives much more flexibility if that is something you care about. You are able to replace the Diode in the unit to increase or decrease the Dot Size. Look at the following chart provided by C-More:
S
DISTANCE (yards) D
O
T
I
Z
E
25 50 75 100 150 200 300 2 .5 1 1.5 2 3 4 6 4 1 2 3 4 6 8 12 6 1.5 3 4.5 6 9 12 18 8 2 4 6 8 12 16 24 12 3 6 9 12 18 24 36 16 4 8 12 16 24 32 48 SIZE OF DOT (inches)
The way to read the chart is as follows. If you picked a Dot Size of 6 and were shooting at a target that was 100 yards away, it would cover up 4.5 inches of the target (the dot would). I personally like smaller dots but depending on your application, a larger dot may be better with a C-More sight. This is most common in competitive pistol shooting when engage short range targets.
I will cover C-More’s in probably more detail sometime in the future, but the are excellent open sights giving you maximum visibility for peripheral view. This makes them a personal favorite for Skeet shooting. Where as my preference for Aimpoint is for Tactical shooting, I tend to like the C-More for shooting clays.
Closing
Regardless of which of these two optics better suites your needs, they are both excellent options. I do like the battery life a lot better on the Aimpoint, but for non-life threatening target shooting, it doesn’t really matter too much if the optic is dead on a C-More for me. I just need to put a new one in.
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