Sight for a 12 gauge shotgun. Collimator sight - will make shooting more convenient, faster and more accurate. Dimming limits
Which red dot sight to choose for a 12 gauge smoothbore weapon? Fans of 12-gauge smoothbore rifles sooner or later face the choice of a high-quality and reliable sight.
There is no point in installing a large and bulky optical sight on a smoothbore and is useless for several reasons.
Firstly, the firing range of a hunting rifle is small; a fast-moving target is clearly visible through conventional optics, and even better with the naked eye.
And the second point is mass; with its weight it introduces an imbalance into the weapon. Therefore, the choice of amateurs and professionals stops at collimator cameras.
It is light in weight, ideal for short-range targets and quite easy to use, unlike a mechanical one.
It is important to know: basic collimator models can withstand 3800 J, with a Magnum muzzle power of 4500 J and a 12 gauge smoothbore weapon 4200 J.
Advantages
The main advantages include:
- Aim speed. Compared to an open shot, where three marks need to be aligned for an accurate shot, in collimators the rear sight and front sight are already aligned, so the time spent sighting is reduced and it is easier for the eyes to focus.
- Error in distortion. The lenses on red dot sights are simply concave to reflect light, so distortion is minimal. Almost all models on the market do not have an enlargement effect.
- Wide view. When aiming, there is no need to cover your other eye, which is undoubtedly very convenient.
- Thanks to its low weight it is very convenient to use.
Kinds
All collimators can be divided according to the following indicators:
- on energy consumption;
- by type of body;
- by projection;
- by type of fastening on the bar;
- by functionality.
Now let's look at each classification in more detail.
By energy consumption
The most common type of device runs on batteries. Many have the ability to remove the battery without removing the sight itself, without losing the target, which is very convenient.
Self-powered devices are much higher in price and are not intended for hunting, but rather for the army. They have a built-in battery with a large reserve for several years of use. Many devices are designed for use in difficult climatic conditions.
From the type of case
Closed models are installed on large and medium calibers and have several lenses.
They look like a shortened version of standard optics and work in any weather.
They are good in their own way, but they are quite bulky and weigh more than their open counterparts.
Open collimator type. In everyday life they are called “single-lens” due to the number of built-in optical elements.
The size allows you not to cover the sight with the body, and they are light in weight. A very common type of device due to its budget and functionality.
By projection
- Dioptric. Thanks to the simplified alignment of the front sight and aperture, the holes have an increased aiming speed. A large aiming line guarantees shot accuracy.
- Holographic. Used in open type. It is characterized by the presence of a hologram with an applied targeting reticle, which is visualized by a laser beam. Reticles are always visible and independent of lighting. They have a high price segment.
- Collimator. The simplest type of device and reliable in its own way.
By type of fastening on the bar
According to the method of mounting on the bar, collimators are:
- Weaver;
- "Dovetail";
- ventilated strip.
By functionality
By functional purpose they are distinguished:
- tactical (with magnification);
- with the ability to change aiming marks;
- 3With the presence of laser pointers.
Expert advice: powerful recoil also plays an important role in the life of the collimator. Based on this, you should approach the purchase of a scope more consciously so that the chosen model will serve for a long time.
Any type of red dot sight is suitable for a smoothbore; good optics do not necessarily cost a lot of money.
The market for optical sights is represented in a wide range.
Among the reputable brands you can find inexpensive models of Russian or Chinese production, inexpensive models of Russian or Chinese production that will show themselves worthy in “battle”. Basically, sights are produced with a bracket for mounting on an aiming bar. Watch an overview video about the HAKKO BED5 collimator on the IZH-27 and IZH-58 shotguns:
Using an open sight, the shooter achieves the location of three objects on one line, called the sighting line: the target, the front sight and the rear sight. Since, according to the laws of optics, it is impossible to simultaneously keep three objects in focus, it accommodates the eye to a point located on the front-rear sight segment and dividing this segment in a ratio of approximately 2:1. By this he achieves approximately equal clarity of observation of both the front and rear sights. The target is visible blurry. A type of open sight for hunting life-threatening animals, provides faster aiming. A V-shaped rear sight slot and a large front sight with a bright-colored dot are used, which is “placed” into the slot at the moment of aiming. Due to the large front sight, it is difficult to aim at a target beyond 200 meters and therefore is not used in military weapons.
Closed sight
There are several types of similar sights, structurally united entirely in the form of a disk, located in close proximity to the shooter’s eyes, with an aperture hole.
Annular— with this sight, the shooter seems to directly look through the aperture at the front sight, aligning it with the target and instinctively aligning the line of sight with respect to the light spot projected by the aperture onto the eye. This type is superior in many ways to the open sight: the aiming speed is higher due to the simplification of the procedure for combining the front sight with the rear sight (the eye intuitively finds the position at which the stump of the front sight is aligned with the middle of the ring), a large aiming line ensures higher accuracy (the rear sight of an open sight must be located from the shooter’s eye at a significant distance, otherwise when aiming it blurs, which forces it to be shifted forward, sacrificing the length of the aiming line - the ring, on the contrary, should be located in close proximity to the eye, which is why weapons with a ring sight get a longer aiming line), more convenient to aim in low light conditions; The disadvantages include: the rear sight partially blocks the visual field, the time it takes to transfer the sight from one target to another is often higher, in addition, this type of sight is prone to getting clogged. It should be noted that in Russian literature this type of sight is often called “dioptric” - in fact, such a definition is erroneous due to a completely different optical principle used in it.
Ghost Ring- a type of ring sight for use in smoothbore weapons, a very large aperture and a thin rear sight rim. Provides the highest pointing speed at the expense of some loss of accuracy, which is not a critical point in this type of weapon.
Dioptric- a special type of aperture sight, in this version the rear sight completely blocks the view of the eye from the front, and the very small aperture itself (about the size of a human pupil) works like a pinhole camera, projecting an image onto the shooter’s pupil with greater contrast. This type of sight provides the highest accuracy of all possible mechanical ones. sighting devices, the payment for this is big time aiming and difficulties with aiming in twilight and night conditions, it is for these reasons that this type of sight is installed almost exclusively on rifles for target shooting at long distances, and also requires a particularly correct method of aiming.
Holographic sight
The holographic sight is an open type sight, so the shooter does not have to close his other eye while aiming. The large field of view allows the shooter to use peripheral vision and instantly react to an emerging threat. The hologram forms an image of the aiming mark and performs the functions of an aspherical reflector, like a lens in a conventional CP. The holographic aspherical reflector provides significantly smaller parallax errors than a conventional spherical thin lens and allows the sight to be made very compact. Typically, GPs are significantly more expensive than their collimator counterparts, since the hologram can be obtained as a result of an expensive and complex technological process. If the technical requirements are not met, the hologram can distort and decompose bright objects observed through it into a spectrum. It should be noted that the aiming speed with a holographic sight is much higher than with a closed collimator or optical sight, so it is often used when shooting at moving targets.
Recently, there has been a tendency to change sighting devices on smoothbore guns. Standard sighting devices, still installed on most serial hunting rifles around the world, appeared at the earliest stage of the development of firearms, and if we talk about breech-loading weapons, then simultaneously with the advent of breech-loading double-barreled shotguns, i.e. more than a century ago. And a significant number of shooters still use such sighting devices quite successfully. However, recent trends indicate that a lot has changed in this matter, and the sights of a modern gun should differ from the standard adopted one hundred and thirty years ago.
Traditional sights
Traditionally, the sighting devices of a shotgun were only one front sight, usually cylindrical-spherical (European tradition) or spherical (American tradition) in shape. In Russia, guns are produced with cylindrical-spherical front sights (i.e., a full or flattened sphere on a cylinder or cone). In this case, the gun, as a rule, also has an aiming bar. Double-barreled shotguns almost always (with extremely rare exceptions), and self-loading guns and magazines - mainly since the end of the Second World War, although they were produced with a rail before that time. Single-barreled guns most often did not have an aiming bar.
The sighting bar is a very important element of sighting devices for most shooters. With a conventional front sight, only a few shooters do not experience discomfort when shooting from a gun without a sighting bar. The bar and the front sight, versus the front sight alone, significantly increases the convenience, speed and accuracy of aiming.
The sighting bar can taper towards the muzzle (this is the case on most horizontal and a few vertical rifles), or not have a narrowing (this is done on almost all vertical rifles). The bar can be narrow (6-7 mm) and wide (9.5-12 mm). Wide rails are mainly equipped with sporting guns; such rails also often have a white or red narrow stripe or groove in the middle.
The domestic shotgun MP-233 has a wide rail and is equipped with two front sights
My opinion: the width of the bar is whatever you are used to. Personally, I don’t like wide slats, with or without grooves, stripes, but I like the narrow slats. However, this opinion is subjective and, most likely, within the framework of sports disciplines, such wide rails really provide an advantage, since almost 100% of sports shotguns are equipped with them.
The material of the strip is traditionally steel or, more recently, carbon fiber. Plastic is good because it is lighter, and, being not soldered along the entire length of the barrel, does not change its geometry when the barrel heats up from intense shooting. But its disadvantage is its fragility, so on a hunting rifle it can be used mainly on “sterile” hunts, without wading through thickets and other Russian attributes of running hunting.
The first step towards changing sighting devices was that two front sights began to be installed on the gun - a small one in the middle of the bar and a large one at the end. When aiming, they had to be combined. This system has become widespread mainly on American self-loading and repeating shotguns, the Mossberg company especially liked this idea, but other companies (Benelli, Remington, etc.) produce shotguns with 2 front sights. The idea is not bad, but in reality it does not have any advantages over one front sight and a bar, either in speed or in pointing accuracy. Although many users find this system very convenient for themselves. The first domestic shotgun that leaves the factory with 2 front sights is the MP-233.
But a qualitative step forward was made possible by new materials for the manufacture of sighting devices.
What was the main disadvantage of the traditional fly? Low contrast against the forest background. They fought against this by making a fly from brass (yellow), ivory, and painting it white. But these were all half measures. A real breakthrough occurred with the advent of special plastic, which had the properties of optical fiber, i.e. was capable of directing most of the light flux incident on a cylinder (or parallelepiped) made of such plastic from all sides, only along the axis of this cylinder. Because of these properties, front sights made of such plastic are called light-collecting and retroreflective, although the latter definition is incorrect, since it refers to products capable of directing the light flux back to its source. An example is reflective blocks on cars.
An “intermediate” option is flies made of ordinary bright plastic. Recently, very often such front sights are installed on sporting shotguns. They are usually made in the form of a parallelepiped about 20 mm long, with a truncated end facing the breech. For daytime conditions for a shooter, they differ little from fiber optic ones, and shooting at dusk is not practiced according to the rules.
Fiber optic front sights are produced by TRU GLO, HIVIZ and others. They differ mainly in length and method of fastening.
Option 1 - a small (7-10 mm in length) red plastic cylinder, located horizontally at the end and held by a small metal clip. Screws in instead of the standard front sight. The projection shape is a circle, the diameter can be different - from 2 mm to 4 mm. Such front sights are installed on many sporting shotguns.
The front sight on the MP-233 is made of ordinary plastic
The Russian IZH-39 and MR-233 also have similar front sights installed, but the plastic used in them does not have the properties of fiber optics.
The second option is a cylinder or cone extended to 30 mm, often made with interchangeable front sights of different colors. The base of the front sight is made of metal or plastic. With a metal base they usually have the ability to be adjusted, but are usually designed to be installed together with the rear sight.
The third option is a long, 60-80 mm cylinder mounted on a guide, almost always made of plastic.
There is a front sight of this type, produced domestically by PKF Efkon. It's called "Cat's Eye" and costs 3 USD in Moscow. It is a plastic parallelepiped mounted on a steel guide with U-shaped holders. The front sight is attached with a screw to its standard place. The projection shape is square. Initial version was designed for an 8 mm rail (TOZ), later they began to be produced in 2 versions for shotguns from the Izhevsk and Tula factories.
Front sights of the second and especially the third type (long) look noticeably brighter than small ones and allow successful aiming in low light conditions. In general, the longer the front sight, the more light it can collect, and the brighter it will be and the lower the light level at which the front sight will be visible. The longest and brightest ones are visible almost at night, as well as in moonlight.
All fiber optic front sights allow you to subconsciously focus attention on them immediately, even when raising the gun, unlike collimators and conventional front sights. Thus, the process of aiming with light-gathering front sights begins when the gun is raised. High contrast and unmistakable identification allow you to aim much faster than with a conventional front sight.
What are the disadvantages of fiber optic front sights? the main problem such flies (second and third types) - their mechanical fragility and attachment to the weapon. The first type of front sight is made of much stronger plastic, less light-gathering, and is firmly embedded in a metal holder. Since they are fastened in place with a standard screw located in the lower part of the clip, such a front sight has neither problems with strength nor with installation height. When shooting at daytime Such flies are practically in no way inferior to flies of the second and third types.
The fragility of longer flies is due to the considerable length and material of the front sight, as well as the material of the guide, which in the vast majority of cases is made of plastic. However, if you handle the gun carefully, the front sight does not create any problems.
The second problem is installing a front sight on a gun that was not originally equipped with such a front sight. The thing is that the standard front sight is usually very small, and the fiber optic one, in addition to the fact that it itself is often larger than the standard one, is also mounted on a guide. The guide is almost always made of plastic. Since to ensure strength it is necessary to make this guide of sufficient thickness, all together this leads to the fact that the fiber optic front sight installed independently on the gun turns out to be significantly higher than the standard one, and the gun begins to lower, often quite noticeably.
Front sights installed at the factory are practically free from these shortcomings. They are attached with U-shaped holders directly to the sighting bar, without a guide. Or a dovetail is milled into the bar for the front sight guide. Thus, their height coincides with the height of a regular front sight. In addition, a fairly large number of holders are used, literally every centimeter, and these holders are made of steel, not plastic. This significantly increases the strength of the front sight, and, at the same time, reduces, or even practically eliminates, the visibility of the side surface of the fiber optic insert with the left (non-dominant) eye. And this increases the ease of aiming.
The front sight itself of the second and third types, sold separately, can be mounted on a magnet and using a special plastic clip, pre-installed on the gun's rail, and glued with double-sided tape. Almost all of them have a hole in the front for fastening with a screw that is screwed into place of the standard front sight. However, due to their length and the plastic used as a guide, it is impossible to secure such a front sight firmly with only one screw.
The magnetic fastening, if not duplicated by any other attachment, can easily become dislodged when the fly touches the branches. Therefore, such front sights are usually secured with a screw.
A plastic clip pre-attached to the gun allows for easy replacement of fiber optic inserts while maintaining front sight alignment. The fiber optic insert on its own guide is fixed simply by friction.
Both the magnetic mount and the plastic clip have the significant disadvantage that they change the shape of the projection of the front of the bar. Aiming becomes somewhat less convenient due to the fact that at the end, at the place where the front sight is attached, there is an extension that does not fit with the projection of the breech of the rail. As a result, time is wasted on precise combination. And with a high front sight height, resulting from the clip + guide, the sighting bar practically falls out of the aiming tools.
The method of attaching it to double-sided tape is simple, but requires extremely careful installation, since if the fly is skewed and the position of the front sight is corrected and the tape is peeled off, it can tear and stretch out, thereby losing its adhesive properties. In addition, double-sided tape very quickly (a year of operation, or even less) under the inevitable influence of oil and water loses its properties. The author knows of a case where the front sight, glued to double-sided tape that came with the TRU-GLO front sight, fell off and was lost on the third day of hunting, which greatly upset the owner of the gun, since the front sight was not cheap, the hunt was not over yet, and the standard front sight was already available dismantled. You can glue the fly with any strong oil- and water-resistant glue. It should be remembered that domestic adhesives made on the basis of rubber (glue “Moment” and “Super Moment”) are capable of firmly fixing the front sight for no more than a couple of years - later, under the influence of oil, the glue loses its properties. It is best to use epoxy resin. It will hold on very firmly, and neither shots nor use of the gun will change the position of the front sight. There is no doubt that the connection is not as strong as a soldered one, but with normal handling there will be no problems. When gluing a new front sight, I recommend leaving the factory one. The advantage of an adhesive fit is that it is much easier to align the front sight when gluing it, since it is allowed to move while the glue hardens. Also, the adhesive fit is lower than on double-sided tape, which is also important. Naturally, before applying the sticker, you need to thoroughly degrease the surface.
It is by gluing that it is better to install the domestic "Cat's Eye" front sight, produced by PKF "Efkon", on any gun. Thus, regardless of the purchased option for the IZh (6.75 mm) or TOZ (8 mm) rail, you will best attach the front sight to your gun, while the shape of the projection of the front part of the gun will not be changed. We do the following: remove the fiber optic insert itself from the metal guide, and simply glue it with epoxy resin directly to the bar. When using epoxy resin, the effect of changing the color of the front sight is noticed - yellow modifications acquire a greenish tint.
"Cat's Eye" front sight glued to the rail of a Rus gun. Effective and inexpensive
In this case, the height of the front sight almost coincides with the standard height, only aiming will be carried out not at the target, but at the target itself (i.e., the projection of the front sight is the center of the scree). The front sight holds very firmly, since its projection shape is square, and the surface area under the glue is quite large. The fiber optic part itself is made of more durable plastic than the front sights produced by TRU GLO and HIVIZ, and can withstand even light hammer blows without consequences. It is, of course, noticeably less bright than imported front sights, but its brightness is quite sufficient for instant identification. It is visible until late twilight, when hunting is generally possible. I note that the Blaser company began to install a front sight made of such plastic as a standard one on some rifled weapons (say, the R93 in the “Off-road” modification). They are about 20 mm long.
I recommend this “bare” installation of the “Cat’s Eye” front sight on domestic double-barreled shotguns with horizontal barrels. The concave shape with a tapering bar on domestic horizontal sights creates serious problems when installing imported long front sights. None of the fastenings are suitable here, except gluing. Due to the relatively wide guide with a concave strip, gluing with double-sided tape results in a very strong lowering of the center of the scree. The adhesive fit reduces the drop, but you still have to aim at the open rib. True, as for me, I did not consider this a disadvantage, since it turned out that it was more comfortable and faster for me to aim horizontally with an open bar. This is because I’m used to verticals, so even though after training I don’t feel the difference in aiming vertically and horizontally, I still feel more comfortable aiming along an open bar (this way the view is much greater, the barrels cover a smaller area) from the horizontal. The "Cat's Eye" front sight, being freed from the steel guide and lightly filing the lower part for better mating with concave shape straps (however, you don’t have to do this), fits perfectly on the glue and holds firmly, while its height turns out to be equal or almost equal (if without modification) to the standard front sight! In addition, the price of such a front sight at 3 USD is much more suitable for owners of, for example, a trigger sight or IZH-58 than a Truglo for 40 USD. The latter often turns out to be equal to the cost of another gun. When installing, I recommend keeping the old front sight in its place.
The TRU-GLO front sight on the IZH-54 gun is glued to the bar and additionally secured with a screw
TRU-GLO is very bright, but the installation height is too high
You can make a fiberglass front sight yourself using a ruler or other product made from the appropriate material from an office supply store. Similar or similar fluorescent plastic is also often used to make toys and various items. All you need to do is be careful when cutting so that the edges of the front sight are perfectly straight. However, the brightness of such homemade flies will still be inferior even to the “Cat’s Eye” fly, not to mention TRU GLO and HIVIZ.
Fiber optic front sights are available for installation on single-barreled shotguns that do not have an aiming rib. They have a semicircular guide, shaped like the trunk, that is glued to the trunk. Such a front sight is shown in the photo for the third type of fiber optic front sight, photo “c”.
The "Cat's Eye" front sight is also easy to install on such guns by slightly spreading the ends of the U-shaped guide to the sides to better mate with the barrel and reduce the height of the front sight, and securing it to the barrel using "cold welding" (high-strength epoxy resin).
Long front sights slightly reduce the aiming line, but with a barrel length of 700-750 the line decreases by 80-90 mm great influence does not provide.
Often fiber optic front sights are sold as a front + rear sight kit. The rear sight is also made of fiber optics, and most often has a different color or projection size to improve identification.
This is good when shooting bullets, as it allows you to increase your shooting accuracy. The aiming speed with a fiber optic front and rear sight is faster than with a conventional rear sight and front sight. A rear sight is not needed for shot shooting, although with some getting used to it it does not interfere very much, maintaining the constant ability of a relatively more accurate shot when shooting a bullet. However, it should be taken into account that such sighting devices do not provide high combat accuracy due to the round shape of the front sight and the edges of the rear sight, as well as the visible distances between them. When aiming, strict uniformity is not obtained, which leads to a significant shift in the STP. Whether to install a rear sight or not - there are more arguments “against” than “for”. The rear sight, although it allows you to eliminate the decrease in the point of impact when installing a non-standard front sight, but at the same time practically removes the aiming bar from the aiming process. Its installation is partly justified if you often have to fire a bullet from a gun. But the best solution in this case, a collimator sight will be installed, which is much more accurate and easier to aim.
Thus, we have already touched on another type of shotgun sights - a conventional open sight, equipped with a rear sight and a front sight. Such sights are installed on shotguns designed primarily for shooting bullets, the so-called. "deer" guns ("Deergun").
It can also be seen on some police shotguns (for example, Benelli M3T with a folding stock). The barrel of such shotguns is shortened, without an aiming rib. Often these American-made shotguns are equipped with a fully rifled barrel. An open sight is very suitable for shooting bullets, since it can be adjusted along two axes. Fiber optic front and rear sights have been developed specifically for such guns.
The front sight is usually about 20-30 mm long. Both the rear sight and the front sight have steel high base and possibility for adjustment. If a fiber optic front sight is not used, then white dots (paint or plastic inserts) are usually applied to the rear sight and front sight. In view of the aforementioned low accuracy of fiber optic sights, it is recommended that when choosing an open shield sight, give preference to a conventional model with a rectangular front sight and a U-shaped metal rear sight.
Note that the trend is a complete abandonment of conventional sights on guns intended for shooting bullets. Such guns are equipped with a rail for mounting an optical or collimator sight and have a stock shape adapted for such a sight.
Diopter sights
Another type of sight that has firmly taken its place on military and police shotguns is the diopter, or, as it is called in the USA, the “ghost ring”.
As an example, the SDASS TACTICAL pump-action shotgun (see photo).
Diopter sights on shotguns, naturally, have an enlarged aperture, compared to diopters for rifled weapons, about 3-3.2 mm, for the fastest possible aiming. Such a sight is often called a ring sight, although the only difference is the size of the hole. The advantages of such sights are an enlarged sighting line, which is especially important for short shotguns, which are used for combat purposes, as well as the exclusion of one element from aiming - the rear sight. The shooter is only required to align the front sight and target, since keeping the front sight level in the visible ring is done instinctively. The sight, in contrast to the traditional front sight, covers the target significantly less, since the shooter sees only the front sight (which is usually high) on the target. U regular sight the entire bottom of the target is completely covered. This is why open sights are often aimed at the target.
The canonical drawback of the diopter is the low light threshold; it is of little relevance for sights on shotguns. Indeed, using a rifle diopter with a very small aperture (1-1.78 mm) in low light conditions is very problematic. However, on smooth-bore guns the hole has a diameter of about 3-3.2 mm and in low light conditions it is not much inferior to a conventional front sight bar. The installation of a fiber optic front sight greatly helps with the convenience and speed of aiming. Of course, this is not a scope for night shooting, but it is quite possible to shoot until late twilight.
In general, the scope is good, but it is of little use for a feather hunter, since it is designed for shooting at large, not very fast moving targets, and quickly aiming at a flying bird with it is difficult, although it is possible after developing the skill. Therefore, diopter sights have found their niche on shotguns, slug guns and tactical shotguns.
A regular front sight bar still provides higher speed aiming and ease of tracking a moving target.
Diopter sights are now increasingly using bright plastic or fiber optic front sights.
Ring sight
A very exotic design, borrowed from anti-aircraft machine guns. It consists of several concentric semicircles (usually 3), connected by 3 radial straight lines (one vertically, 2 horizontally. The overall size of the sight is 20-30 cm. Made of wire with a diameter of 2-3 mm. Attached to the end of the barrel. Ring sights, mainly homemade, often sold in stores. There is an opinion that with its help it is good to teach beginners to take the correct lead. However, its dimensions and obvious operational inconveniences do not allow this type of sight to become widespread.
A “smaller” version of the ring sight is manufactured by RUEB (see photo).
RUEB"S SHOTGUN SIGHT for $7.75
Collimator sights
Another type of sighting device has appeared very recently, but is already vying for a place on a significant number of shotguns. This is a collimator sight (hereinafter referred to as KP for brevity). In Russia, the main popularizer of this type of sights is Chief Editor magazine "Russian weapons magazine - Gun" A. Vasiliev.
Let's consider this type of sighting devices.
Collimators are divided into:
- Active (powered by batteries, the reticle is visible around the clock) and passive (do not require external energy, but the reticle is visible only during the day and in faint twilight). The aiming mark for passive ones is very dim and low-contrast.
- Through (light passes through the body or meniscus of the sight, you can aim with one or two eyes) and blind, they are also called “stereoscopic” (they project only the mark for the right eye, nothing except the mark is visible through the sight, aiming is carried out with only two eyes)
- Open (one lens) and closed (several lenses, similar to optical, only shorter).
View through an open collimator sight. Dot type sighting mark
The principle of forming an aiming mark on collimators can be LED (the image is formed by illuminating a photo-lithographic plate with an LED) or holographic (the mark is recorded in the form of a hologram and illuminated by a laser).
Collimator sights provide fast targeting. Due to the lack of magnification, they practically do not limit the field of view, since aiming is done with two eyes. An additional undoubted convenience is that a gun with a collimator sight installed fully retains the ability to fire shot at a bird in flight. For some closed-type sights, optical attachments with magnification up to 2.5x are available.
Advantages of collimators.
1. They significantly simplify and speed up the aiming process, since there is no need to align anything, just align the mark and target, and the problem of different focusing of the eye on the target and mark is eliminated, which is very important when using conventional sighting devices, where either the target is visible blurry or front sight. Adding a rear sight makes aiming even more difficult. This makes KPs especially attractive to people who do not have much shooting experience. The speed of aiming and shooting efficiency when using a collimator noticeably increases, this is especially noticeable for beginners.
2. Increases the accuracy of bullet shooting, especially for people who do not have extensive training. Allows you to zero a gun with a bullet with a significant displacement of the STP - the sights have a wide range of adjustment. Which is completely inaccessible to the front sight and is often very difficult or also inaccessible in open metal sights on a shotgun (they are often made non-adjustable).
3. Corrects shortcomings in gun grip, balance, pitch angle, etc. in the usual hunting sense.
4. The aiming mark does not cover the target.
5. Allows you to produce targeted shooting in low light conditions, up to complete darkness, as long as the target is visible. Only a night sight or special optics is better, but they have their limitations.
6. Makes it easier for people with insufficient visual acuity in the right eye (for example, astigmatism, myopia). If the left eye sees better, then it actually becomes the leading eye, the right eye is “leading” only out of psychological habit, and this becomes especially noticeable when raising the gun, when after a moment the sighting devices are already visible with the left eye. The CP, unlike the front sight, allows you to neutralize this drawback, since the aiming mark is not visible to the left eye. When applying a gun, the right eye, although not the dominant one, will see the aiming mark, and the surrounding reality will be visible to the left eye. For the shooter, it will be enough to align the mark with the aiming point to fire an accurate shot. The shooter actually faces an alternative - whether to learn to shoot from the left shoulder, or whether to make a stock with an outlet for the left eye, or to purchase and install a gearbox. I note that in not very difficult cases, when the right eye still sees quite well and initially retains the properties of the dominant eye, the situation can be improved by installing a fiber optic front sight, the brighter the better. In this case, raising the gun can be done with the left eye closed, and only by placing the gun to the shoulder and catching the front sight with the right, the left eye opens. However, the problem is most effectively solved with the help of CP.
Disadvantages of collimators, real or perceived:
1. They increase the mass of the gun and change its balance (the latter, however, is usually in better side), not by much, since the collimators are very light. In the best models this increase is very small and with sufficient heavy weapons such as Saiga semi-automatic devices, it is almost imperceptible.
2. Not cheap (140-150 USD for good domestic ones, 300-500 USD for good imported ones). Holographic ones are especially expensive.
3. Clogging. Any optics requires careful handling, if possible, protection from debris and periodic cleaning in compliance with the rules (not with your finger). Closed collimators can be fitted with transparent caps on both sides to protect the eyepiece and lens. They can be cleaned with your finger. Alas, they naturally significantly reduce the aperture ratio. Pollution is especially important in winter, when you literally cannot take a step without snow falling from the trees. Note that a developed visor in good open collimators (and not just a reflector rim) protects the scope quite well from clogging, while at the same time making it easy to clean the scope. Open sights are also sealed, so closed-type collimators do not have much advantage.
4. Parallax. Any optical system has this phenomenon to varying degrees: if you take any optical or collimator sight, point it at any stationary target(it’s better, of course, to secure it), and then, without touching the sight, move your head, i.e. look at the lens from different angles, the scope will point at different points on the target while remaining stationary relative to it. In practice, this very unpleasant property of optics means that with different stances and methods of holding the weapon, the weapon will be aimed at different points. Parallax is inherent in almost all scopes, cheap and expensive, and the only thing you can do is to choose a scope whose relative error will be subtle, i.e. will be within the desired shooting accuracy. Thus, when choosing optics, you should pay attention to how stable the position of your head is relative to the sight, and what error at the required distance will be caused by your usual movements of your head relative to the sight. Since a shotgun primarily fires shotguns, the problem of parallax is completely irrelevant, and when shooting a bullet, the distance is limited to 100 m, and a good sight at such a distance does not produce a significant displacement, and the spread of hits is a consequence of other factors to an incomparably greater extent. The parallax of a good collimator is 1-1.5 arc minutes, i.e. 3-4.5 cm at 100 m, and when holding the weapon uniformly, it is equal to zero, so when choosing a scope for a shotgun, you can not pay attention to parallax.
5. Alkaline batteries have reduced capacity at low temperatures. It is not recommended to turn off the sight in the cold in winter. It is rational to carry a couple of spare sets of batteries in winter. Good sights have automatic brightness adjustment not only depending on the ambient light conditions, but also on the degree of discharge of the batteries, so the complete discharge of the batteries does not occur suddenly, but will occur gradually, reducing the brightness of the aiming mark, which will allow the user to notice this in time and replace it in a timely manner batteries. Lithium batteries are significantly less sensitive to frost, so even in severe frost (down to -35 C) they will last for several days of hunting. In any case, a couple of spare sets of batteries are inexpensive and completely solve all the problems associated with the cold.
In my opinion, the advantages of collimators significantly outweigh the disadvantages, but, of course, it is up to the user to decide, since a good scope does not cost that little. However, all the shortcomings turn out to be surmountable, and the additional capabilities obtained after installing the sight can bring an extra trophy.
There are also features inherent in installing collimators on smoothbore guns.
Smoothbore guns, especially domestic ones, simply do not have places to install collimators. For imported shotguns, there are both those with standard seats with a Picatinny (Weaver) rail (Benelli M1super90 Practical, Benelli M4), as well as removable linings on the receiver (aesthetically unattractive) or a spare barrel with a welded Weaver rail (for Mossberg, Remington and Winchester) . Among domestic shotguns, only Saiga models have a standard side bracket so far. However, let's hope that soon the guns of the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant (MR-153, MR-133, maybe even IZH-94 and IZH-27) will be equipped with a side rail already at the factory.
The problem of installing the sight is easily solved by installing it on lateral surface pump boxes, semi-automatic, single-barreled or double-barreled vertical shotguns, straps for a side bracket. The work is very simple and can be done independently. You can install a side rail on almost any gun. On guns with horizontal barrels, installing the gearbox is difficult and requires a non-standard approach, but it is possible.
Too many manufacturers do not pay enough attention to the high optical axis in their scopes. Meanwhile, this significantly changes the position of the head relative to the gun, forcing the shooter to lift his cheek from the butt and completely straighten his neck. Often the high optical axis of the scope itself is aggravated by the type of bracket used, which raises the optical axis even more. As a result, the stock (and this is still an important shotgun sight) ceases to participate in the aiming process, and the process itself loses its naturalness. Many manufacturers of sights and mounts do not pay attention to this problem. This indicates a lack of understanding among manufacturers of shooters' needs.
An example of a completely incorrect location of the gearbox is shown in the photo. The shooter even got a bruise on his chin due to the poor grip of the weapon with this collimator position.
An example of incorrect sight installation (OCO) - the shooter’s head is suspended, touching the butt only with the chin
However, there is a collimator sight with the lowest possible optical axis - OKP-1.
An example of correct installation of the sight (OKP-1) - the shooter’s head is in a natural position, the optical axis of the sight is low
When hunting or competing, you must keep your scope turned on at all times. Batteries for most scopes are inexpensive, and it is quite possible to carry a spare set with you. Just remember to turn off the sight when the gun is not in use. Good sights have the ability to see standard sighting devices through the sight reflector, which, if you fail or forget to turn on the collimator, will allow you to quickly hit the target with a standard sight.
The standard sight is clearly visible through the OKP-1 reflector
What should you pay attention to when choosing a collimator?
The most optimal for smooth-bore shotguns are active open sights.
Despite the fact that closed sights can be better protected from clogging by installing transparent caps on both sides, and they are usually made completely sealed, such properties of closed sights as significant obstruction of the sight body, lower aperture ratio and high weight of such models will only be justified when installed on rifle. The above disadvantages are very significant, they significantly change the sight picture and instead of just an aiming mark against the background of the terrain, achieved in the best open models, especially those with a removable protective visor, we get a clear view through the sight, with part of the field of view covered by its body. In addition, due to the significantly greater mass, the balancing of the weapon changes. For effective shot shooting at a fast-flying target, a better picture and lighter weight of an open type sight are preferable.
What requirements should a modern collimator meet:
1. Service strength and tightness. No matter how much we all love our weapons, they always have a chance in the field to plunge into water, snow, sand, or simply receive a strong blow. Therefore, any optics must be (+ this must be guaranteed by the passport) sealed and, if possible, shockproof.
2. Resistance to recoil. Cheap collimators (up to 50 USD) usually cannot withstand the recoil of 20 calibers and above. However, more expensive sights usually do not have any problems associated with recoil (with one exception - no one is immune from defects). You just need to securely attach the sight to the weapon.
3. Convenience and clarity of sight alignment.
4. Minimum parallax.
5. Lowest optical axis.
6. Light weight of the sight.
7. Sufficient reflector size (>30, and much better 35 mm) for comfortable shooting.
How to attach the selected scope to your weapon.
1. The strongest and best fastening is on the side bar. It’s easy to attach the sight, and the zeroing point does not change when removing/installing it. The aiming line of conventional sights in the best scopes does not close. In addition, this method is the most affordable and can be done on almost any gun.
2. You can install a weaver bar or a regular dovetail on top of the box. In this case, it is easy to mount the collimator, but with this installation the standard sight, even if it is OKP-1 under the Weaver rail, is impossible to see. The optical axis with such an installation will inevitably be higher than with a side one.
3. No red dot sights can be attached to the aiming bar, except for the Docter Sight (it weighs 25 g) - a sufficient number of cases of the bar being torn off have been described.
Attaching the side rail to the box can be done on almost any gun. In the photo - MP-153
The rail has a low profile and does not interfere with the use of the gun when the sight is removed
Collimator on a smooth gun in relation to types of hunting
Hunting is different. And talking about the suitability of a collimator for hunting “in general” is incorrect.
Let's consider the following options - running hunting for upland and swamp game, hunting for waterfowl from an ambush (with stuffed animals), for waterfowl in flight (ducks and geese), for animals in a round-up, for animals in ambush, for animals in stealth.
Obviously, the shooting and hunting conditions here are very different; different weapons and ammunition are required. Accordingly, the suitability of the CP will vary.
Suitable hunting for swamp game - a collimator allows you to successfully shoot on these hunts, but increases the weight and dimensions of the weapon. Since lovers of swamp game prefer the lightest possible guns, and even with horizontally positioned barrels, then most often there is simply nowhere to put the CP and it will add weight. Therefore, it is usually not used on such hunts, except in cases where there are vision problems. It seems that on a light semi-automatic machine the use of a manual gearbox would be quite appropriate, although this would not significantly increase the yield on the hunts under consideration due to the “fidgetiness” of swamp game.
Walking hunting for upland game. Since many people prefer to use medium-weight weapons or even chambered for 12-gauge magnum cartridges on these hunts, the increase in mass is not so noticeable, which makes the suitability of the collimator high. An undoubted significant convenience is the ability to accurately fire a bullet, since such a need sometimes arises during pine hunting. The collimator, improving the adaptability of ordinary domestic shotguns and having instant identification of the aiming mark against the background of the forest, allows you to shoot faster. Closed collimators are of little use because they do not provide a sight picture convenient for a shotgun. To the greatest extent, the spread of collimators for these hunts is hampered by the banal lack of seats on double-barreled shotguns. But on double-barreled shotguns with vertical barrels, you can install the bar yourself or in a workshop, thereby significantly “correcting” the shortcomings of the gun’s usability and ergonomics.
Hunting for waterfowl (ducks and geese) from ambush, with stuffed animals and in flight. Due to the lack of need to walk and often twilight shooting, having a red dot sight on a gun will be very useful. It is worth especially noting that it is precisely under these conditions that a collimator is preferable to the best fiber optic flies. A peculiarity of waterfowl hunting is that shooting is mainly carried out at dusk, and the target moves in the direction of the shooter. A good fiber-optic front sight is visible, of course, in open space until late twilight (although it depends on the position of the gun, besides, the domestic “Cat’s Eye” fades faster), but the bar becomes invisible much earlier! There is a way to rub the bar with chalk, but this helps extremely little, and is more of a hindrance than a help - clear visibility of the bar becomes impossible, you have to shoot with an “open bar”. Shooting at the front sight alone, without clearly seeing the bar, is possible only with a 100% stock gun, and at the same time having very developed muscle memory. However, does everyone have such a gun and such training? Skeet shooting athletes - yes. What about the rest? But that's not all the difficulties. Most often, the shooter is positioned during the flight so that the game flies high (and quickly) in the direction of the shooter. Therefore, in order to ensure a hit, you need to take sufficient lead. You can take the lead in such a bird's flight only if you completely cover it with the gun barrels! Thus, aiming at a flying bird is made difficult by moving the aiming point out without visibility of both the aiming point and the target. The collimator, which has an aiming mark “hanging in the air,” does not completely block the field of view and is completely free from this drawback - moving the aiming point in the direction of the bird’s flight in no case shields the target with the gun, allowing you to choose the completely correct lead and even correct a sudden sharp maneuver game (this sometimes happens when a flying bird sees the movement of the shooter raising his gun). Plus, the collimator mark is illuminated and thus visible even in absolute darkness. At the same time, a good collimator has automatic brightness adjustment, which will allow you to shoot effectively when there is a sharp change in the direction of fire - you missed it with a bayonet - you shoot at a carjacker (in one of these directions in relation to the other, lighting conditions due to the moon/sun or sunrise/sunset can be very differ significantly). Manual brightness adjustment can be an obstacle to this.
On the beast (on a raid, ambush, stealth) - the use of a command post is highly desirable. For bears on oats - great, only a night sight or special twilight optics is better.
It can be noted that the CP is best suited for those hunts where magazines and self-loading can be successfully used, but it will not be out of place with a double-barreled shotgun. The CP is the optimal choice for a combination gun, since it is impossible to shoot from a smooth barrel with optics. The CP will allow you to quite accurately shoot a rifled bullet at a distance of up to 100 m, and at the same time leaves the opportunity to shoot a bird in flight from a smooth barrel.
CP for repeating and self-loading shotguns
Russian classic-looking shotguns (MTs21-12, TOZ-87, IZH-81, TOZ-94, MP-133, MP-153, Bekas and Bekas-auto) are best suited for installing collimators on the appropriate bracket on the side rail. With such a rail, you can also use an adapter bracket for a Weaver rail, to which the sight itself will be attached directly (if you have just such a sight). Installing the rail is simple and can be done independently or by a gunsmith.
Only the Saiga and Bekas-Auto models have standard seats (on the Saiga there is a side bar, on the Bekas there are grooves on the receiver, and the box is made of aluminum alloy). Bekas-Auto requires a special bracket for installation on standard seats.
The strap does not interfere with the use of the gun without a collimator and the alignment of the sight is maintained during removal/installation. In the photo - shotgun MP-153
Of the models of collimator sights integrated with a bracket under the side rail, two can be mentioned - OKP-1 and Kobra. The sights are equally reliable and have no recoil issues. The Cobra sight is made with interchangeable aiming marks. However, the Cobra has a smaller diameter meniscus, a noticeably worse sight picture due to the thick meniscus frame, and, most importantly, a very high optical axis height, which requires the installation of a high cheekpiece.
Cobra collimator family
The OKP-1 sight appeared on the market recently, but it can safely be called an excellent sight.
OKP-1 sight on MP-153
This is an open-type sight with active brand illumination, forming a single unit with a bracket for the side rail. The sight is removed/installed without disturbing the alignment. The main advantages of the sight are the minimum possible height of the aiming line, the ability to use conventional sights regardless of whether the sight is turned on or not. Very high aperture and good design housings that practically dissolve the lens against the background of the terrain. The visor, which well covers the meniscus from above from clogging, is removable, and in some models - quick-detachable. The aiming mark is made in the form of a circle with a dot. A simple and convenient solution to two problems at once - accurate shooting (a small brand is required) and fast shooting (a large brand is required). The dot size is 3.76 MOA. The low location of the aiming line - and there is currently no sight of a similar design on the market - is a significant advantage, as it preserves the natural elevation of the weapon and the use of standard sighting devices. No high cheekpiece required. Automatic brightness adjustment.
OKP-1 sight on Saiga-12
The sighting mark in OKP-1 can be changed at the shooter’s request (ring with a dot, enlarged ring with a dot, dot, square). The basic brightness of the mark can also be adjusted (for shooters who do not have very sharp eyesight).
For Bekas-auto, it makes sense to either purchase a closed-type gearbox and not remove it anymore, since you will have to zero the sight again each time (the Bekas aluminum box is unlikely to be able to withstand repeated alternation of installing and removing the sight), or simply install a side rail.
Optical sights on shotguns
The specifics of shooting a bullet from a shotgun are such that, as a rule, the maximum firing distance, with rare exceptions, is limited to 75 meters (and most often it is 20-40m), and the target moves quickly. In such conditions, an optical sight with a high (above 4) magnification is not even useless, but simply harmful. The best effect is achieved by using sights with variable magnification from 1 to 4 with a lens diameter of 20 to 26 mm, called the “Safari” class or sights for driven hunts. These types of sights have a minimum magnification of 1 (Leupold and Docter) - 1.1 (Zeiss) - 1.25 (Shmidt & Bender and almost all others) and are often equipped with an additional projected red reticle (the so-called Flash Dot).
Zeiss 1.1-4x24T Varipoint VM/V
Such a scope from brands is not cheap (about 600-800 USD); for mid-tier optics (Tasco Titan, Bushnell and Burris) they ask for around 350 USD.
In the minimum magnification mode (1-1.25) and with the backlight turned on, the optical sight will work almost like a collimator, but with the peculiarity that its exit pupil is not very large and has a fixed distance. So the image in the right eye, even at 1x, will be different from the image in the left. It takes some getting used to, but even after that, the ease of shooting is noticeably inferior to a collimator, especially the open type. True, sights without a projected mark do not require batteries, and the ability to magnify up to 4 times will allow you to comfortably shoot at a distance of around 100-120 m. It should be remembered that bullets from a smooth barrel usually begin to significantly round the flight path after 70 m, so the gun must be shot with the type of bullet used at such distances. An optical sight for a shotgun does not need high magnification (more than 4x at maximum), but it is useful to have the widest possible field of view.
The disadvantages against a collimator are obvious - much greater mass and cost, significantly smaller size of the exit pupil, the presence of a fixed value of the exit pupil versus an unlimited one, which greatly affects the speed of the first shot, a noticeably different picture for both eyes, due to both the properties of the optics and the obstruction of the sight by the body of the sight. The collimator will not hit the eye with strong recoil (it is further away) and when applied to smooth-bore guns, it easily allows you to shoot shotguns at flying birds, which is inaccessible to optics. All this leads to the fact that a driven sight is inferior to a collimator in terms of speed and ease of shooting at a moving target, and inferior to a 1.5-6x42 class sight in terms of versatility and range of application. A multiplicity of 1-1.25 gives very little in terms of precise aiming, and it is not due to the task of bringing the target closer, but to align the image as much as possible for the right and left eyes.
Thus, when waiting for the beast at the number, if the sight is set to the minimum magnification, then a collimator would be better, as it is more convenient, faster and lighter, and when set to a magnification of 1.5 and higher (i.e. for more distant targets ) it is more convenient to shoot from a scope of the 1.5-6x42 class.
Constant magnification sights (2-2.5x) have some use, but this solution is inferior to pen-class optics (only cheaper) and collimators.
Laser pointers
A type of sight that became popular mainly thanks to Hollywood action films. It is a source of laser radiation mounted parallel to the barrel of a weapon. A red dot is displayed on the target, where the projectile is supposed to hit. Instills unnatural aiming skills - instead of actually aiming, the shooter cranes his neck and tries to make out a tiny dot on the target. When hunting for feathers, its use is practically excluded. It can find some use when shooting a bullet from a storage shed, in addition to the main “normal” sight, if the shooter is sure that this will not scare off the animal (although the beam itself is not visible, the switched on sight from the emitter side in the dark is noticeable from a great distance).
In conclusion, we note that despite the fact that the stock still plays an important role in aiming a shotgun, new technologies can significantly displace the traditional scope. Collimators, significantly improving the convenience of aiming from a shotgun, allow you to shoot faster and more accurately, while expanding the shooter’s capabilities at dusk. For shooting a bullet, the advantages of collimators are obvious. Thus, the established type of sighting devices on a shotgun - the front sight - although it remained as standard, but a new generation of sights - collimators - are increasingly finding their place on shotguns, and we add, completely deservedly so.
Mikhail HORNET (c)
2002-2003
“Even the front sight on a gun gets in the way of a bad hunter,” says popular wisdom. Is the front sight in the way? This text is for you.
The girl from the Bangood store kindly offered to choose a product for review. I rummaged through the pages of the store in search of something that would be interesting for me to write about and settled on this sight, especially since I had long wanted to try out such a device in action. A survey with sighting in a ravine, with a hunt for a hare and a fox, with a wild boar, with shooting right and left could have worked, but central part Russia is covered in snow. Therefore, the review will definitely be boring and perhaps educational. Tests without effects, hunting from the couch and “shooting” at slippers.
Collimator sight
Sights of this type are often called collimators, which is not entirely correct, but it has caught on.
In fact, a collimator (from collimo, a distortion of the correct Latin collineo - directing in a straight line) is a device for producing parallel beams of light rays or particles.
Red dot sights are systems that use a collimator to create an image of an aiming reticle projected to infinity. 
More details
Attempts to make a sight that would combine the simplicity of an open mechanical sight and the ability to observe the aiming mark and the target in the same plane, which was provided by a telescopic sight, have been made for a long time. So, at the beginning of the 20th century, Russian naval officer A.I. Krylov invented the so-called “optical front sight” - the prototype of a modern collimator sight. The sight consisted of a front sight and half a collecting lens, cut along the optical axis. The front sight was located at the focus of the lens, which, in turn, was located between the front sight and the shooter's eye. Thus, the shooter saw the target and the front sight equally sharply, which made it possible to quickly aim at for various purposes. However, due to some inconvenience that arises when using the sight, it is not widely used.
During World War II, red dot sights were used as bombing and small arms sights in aviation. Red dot sights have become widespread as sights for small arms since the early 1980s, when world advances in semiconductor technology made it possible to create high-quality LEDs with low current consumption and a large dynamic range of brightness.
The operation of conventional mechanical sights (sights) is based on a weapon aiming scheme, in which the axis of vision of the shooter's eye must pass through the rear sight slot, the top of the front sight and the aiming point (target). In other words, the eye must simultaneously see three objects located at different distances.
In a collimator sight, radiation from the light source in the sight is reflected by the collimator lens into the observer's eye in a parallel stream. As a result, the observer's pupil does not have to be on the optical axis of the sight; it is enough that it is within the projection of the sight lens along this axis. During lateral movements of the eye, the aiming mark from the observer's point of view moves along the sight lens, remaining at the aiming point regardless of the position of the observer's eye relative to the sight ( Ideally). When the observer’s pupil leaves the lens projection, the aiming mark “hides” behind its edge.
A collimator sight is nothing more than a front and rear sight brought together. It allows you to obtain an image of the target and the aiming mark in the same plane with equal clarity, which greatly simplifies aiming and increases the accuracy of the shot. The shooter does not need to focus his gaze on the front and rear sights; he does not need to combine three objects - the front sight, the rear sight and the target. You just need to focus your gaze on the target, looking at it through the lens of the red dot sight, and move the mark to the aiming point. Aiming can be carried out with either one or two eyes, which creates an unlimited field of vision for the shooter.
Collimator sights for small arms can be classified into: stereoscopic(without sighting channel) and ordinary(with sighting channel).
The stereoscopic red dot sight is not transparent. Aiming with its help is carried out with two open eyes, while using such an ability of human vision as stereoscopicity, that is, the ability to perceive as a single two images observed by the right and left eyes. In relation to collimator sights, one eye sees the image of the aiming mark, and the other the image of the target. The human brain perceives two images as one and creates a picture similar to that produced by a conventional (transparent) red dot sight.
Based on the possibility of pairing with weapons, red dot sights are divided into:
- universal- installed using special brackets on various weapon models;
- specialized- made together with a bracket for installation on certain types of weapons;
- integrated- built into the weapon.
There are collimator sights closed And open types. 
Closed This type of sight has good protection from mechanical damage and negative environmental factors. Disadvantage - larger and heavier compared to open type sights
Open(panoramic) type of sight is compact in contrast to a closed type sight, has a better overview compared to its competitor, but has less protection from negative impacts environment (rain, snow, dirt), and mechanically less protected.
A collimator sight provides better accuracy and high aiming speed - approximately 2-3 times higher than traditional target sights.
Better accuracy is a relative concept. When shooting at a shooting range or shooting range, in conditions of good lighting, prepared places for shooting, and a known distance to targets, a red dot sight does not provide a noticeable advantage in aiming speed.
Sights of this type truly open when:
-Shooting in conditions of limited visibility;
A situation where the target is located in a lighter area of the terrain, and the rear sight and front sight are no longer visible.
-Shooting at moving targets;
When moving or drawing an aiming point, focusing your gaze on two points is much easier than on three.
-Shooting from awkward positions;
Limited visibility, inability to take the correct position, lack of support, non-standard (unusual) position of the weapon, etc.
For a red dot sight to be effective, three factors must be met.
a) The sight must be of high quality.
b) The sight mount must ensure that the MTP (average point of impact) is maintained in all conditions.
c) The shooter must know the ballistics of the ammunition and understand where he needs to aim at each distance.
It is clear that you cannot stick a collimator sight to a gun with chewing gum; the mount must be reliable in order to maintain the STP after many shots, transportation in the trunk on bumpy roads, or accidental blows with a gun during a hunt. There are special devices for attaching sights and other accessories. I'll tell you about one of them.
Open universal base for ventilated sighting rib for CZ Mallard 12/76 shotgun
It is sold in a simple plastic bag, which contains the base itself, consisting of 2 halves connected by four tightening screws, four set screws are screwed into the ends of the base, conical at the end, there is a spare parts kit that includes an hex key and one spare screw. All this is attached to the instruction cardboard. 
Universal mount for a ventilated strip of about 7mm, for vertical and semi-automatic machines. The bar is steel, consists of 2 parts, is inserted into the slots of the bar and tightened with 4 screws, there are also 4 clamping screws for rigid fixation.
The mount does not block the view of the aiming bar when the red dot sight is removed; you can aim without removing the mount. If desired, the bar can be cut with a hacksaw, thereby reducing the weight and size of the fastening by almost 2 times. Initially length 11 cm, weight 80 grams.
Weight 70 g
Weapon model MP-153, TOZ-34, IZH-27 / MP-27
Manufacturer Izhevsk Engineering Workshops
Fixed mounting method
Base mounting type Weaver, Picatinny
Weapon base ventilated rail
Differences between Weaver and Picatinny mounting standards.
Both types of systems have almost identical widths, but there are differences that make compatibility only one-way.
The Weaver plank was designed by William Ralph Weaver. She became a brand business card W. R. Weaver Co., which he founded in 1930.
The "Picatinny Rail" rail is a term that came into the firearms industry from a military standard, its original name was MIL-STD-1913 (AR) which was introduced on February 3, 1995. The title of the publication was "Geometry of a Rail for Mounting Small Weapon Accessories" and this document described all dimensions and tolerances for any mounting system that was accepted for military use. The word Picatinny itself comes from the place where this system was created, Picatinny Arsenal located in New Jersey. MIL-STD-1913 sets the standard for all fastening specifications for production, including length, width, height, angles, and the tolerances that can be made in each dimension. The key feature of MIL-STD-1913 is specified in the specification of the profile and its recoil groove.
What is the difference between Picatinny and Weaver systems? The profile of both types of fastenings is almost identical. Depending on the quality of production, the two planks should be indistinguishable in their main profile. What will really tell the difference is the location of the recoil slot and the slot width (the distance between them). The MIL-STD-1913 (Picatinny) standard is 206" inch (5.23 mm) long and 394" inch (10 mm) center to center. The location of these slots must be consistent along the entire length to comply with the accepted MIL-STD “Picatinny” specification.
The Weaver system has a slot width of 180" inches (4.57 mm) and does not necessarily maintain the distance between the centers of the slots from one to the next. In many cases, the Weaver system has specific characteristics that depend on the attachment with which it will be used be used (i.e. for a small collimator base, one or two slots as close together as possible may be sufficient), so interchangeability may be an issue.At the same time, MIL-STD-1913 must meet the specifications on all products to remain MIL-STD, since for military purposes identity and compatibility play a big role, for the use of different systems on different weapons.
What does this mean for a specific shooter? In short, this means that the weaver system will fit the picatinny in most cases. It will not work in the opposite direction, due to the width of the recoil groove. Picatinny accessories and mounts will not fit the weaver system. There are of course exceptions to every rule (the kit may come with a replacement stop), but the most important thing to remember is that Picatinny does not fit the Weaver, but the Weaver is compatible with Picatinny.
There's a lot of text, I'll try to explain it on my fingers. 
The rail in question has an alternating groove spacing, every second one is absolutely compatible with the Picatinny standard, which makes it possible to attach any accessories or attachments intended for installation on these types of rails.
The annotation says that the bar can be used on other guns besides those listed. In my case (CZ Mallard) it was not possible to do without doping. Firstly, the distance between the ventilation holes turned out to be greater than between the bosses, and secondly, the bosses are thicker than the height of the hole. But with the help of Dremel everything fits perfectly. I pre-wrapped the planks around the sawing points with masking tape; we are excellent shooters, although we have a steady hand, but God forbid..., as they say. 
After adjustment, the bar fits into place like a glove. For fastening, tightening screws are sufficient; I did not need installation screws, since there are no gaps between the parts of the gun and the strap, and there are no movements of the fastening. 
The scope comes in a black cardboard box, which is nothing special, but together with the foam inside it ensures safety during transportation.
Equipment of the compact collimator sight AURKTECH Hunting HD101:
Collimator sight - 1 piece
Hex key 3 mm - 1 piece
Hex key 1.5 mm - 1 piece
Protective cap for the lens - 1 piece
Lithium battery CR2032 3V - 1 piece
Operating instructions (English) - 1 piece
Instructions (English)
Technical characteristics of the compact reflex sight AURKTECH Hunting HD101:
Lens Width: 33mm
Lens Height: 22mm
Magnification factor: 1X (no magnification)
Field of view: 15.8 m at 100 m
Brand color: red/green, step adjustment from 1 to 5
Reticle: dot, dot in a circle, cross, combined
Click price: 1 MOA (2.91 cm at 100 meters)
Mark diameter (dot) 1 MOA
Backlight battery type: CR2032 3V Lithium
Material: Aluminum
Black color
Integrated Weaver bar mount
Overall dimensions of the sight: 82 x 56 x 39 mm
Weight: 112 g
Serves for precise aiming of weapons at medium and short distances and allows you to shoot “offhand” at moving targets.
MOA (Minute Of Angle - minute of angle)
A circle is 360 degrees;
1 degree is 60 arc minutes;
The circumference is 21,600 arc minutes.
MOA is widely used in ballistics in the West; this angular value is used to assess the accuracy of hits, corrections when shooting, etc.
It's understandable: 
Installation on a prepared gun does not cause any difficulties. It is necessary to unscrew the front set screw and loosen the rear one. Place the sight on the base. The front screw is inserted into a groove in the base, the choice of which is determined by the comfortable distance to the shooter’s eye. Tighten.
It is advisable not to mix anything up, otherwise the ducks will laugh.
And the sight is the best, and the mount is reliable, but...
the collimator is backwards 
Assembled:
If you insert the battery (plus side up), and click the reticle switch, look into the scope frame, you will see the following picture:
Remove the rubber protective cap! 
Using the brightness control of the aiming mark, you can set the required brightness (so that it does not dazzle at night and is clearly visible on a sunny day - a choice of five gradations) and color (red, for example, for aiming against the backdrop of brightly lit foliage, or green, for example, for aiming at sunset).
Adjusting the aiming line:
Having secured the weapon in the alignment machine, place the target at a distance of 50 meters and shoot. If the aiming point coincides with the impact point, then everything is fine, but if not, then adjust the aiming mark.
Adjusting the aiming mark:
The windage adjustment of the reticle to the right can be changed using the end screw located on the left side of the "R" sight.
Correction of the aiming mark vertically upward is carried out using the end screw located in the upper part of the “UP” sight.
Adjust and adjust until the point of impact coincides with the aiming point.
For objective reasons, I cannot conduct field tests. It is inconvenient to take video and photos with a scope mounted on a gun. So I removed it and assembled a simple stand from a Soviet stool and a Chinese aluminum vice (they came in handy, damn it!).
This is what the aiming mark looks like through the eyes of the shooter:
I checked the displacement of the aiming point when the eye deviates from the optical axis and the operation of the aiming mark calibration mechanism.
When the viewing angle changes, the mark is held at the aiming point throughout almost the entire perimeter of the lens frame and only at the very edges it sharply moves to the side. A very useful property when shooting offhand.
Well, the last test is to take a hex wrench and turn the adjusting screws.
How and what I twisted and counted.
The distance to the target with the scale is 2 meters. I turned the adjusting screw, counting the clicks, until my mark deviated by 2 cm, and the mechanism clicked 32 times. That is, at a distance of 50 m, the mark would deviate by 50 cm. We know that each click deflects the mark by one arc minute or 1.46 cm at 50 meters. 50/1.46=34.2 arcminutes. I got 32. I think that the difference can be attributed to measurement error. That is, the sight is calibrated, and calibrated quite accurately.
Of course, more spectacular and more demonstrative tests could be carried out in the forest. Which is what I'll do as soon as the snow melts. There will be a review.
Pros:
+ Build quality.
+ Reasonable price.
+ Wide functionality.
+ Easy to install and maintain.
+ All necessary accessories are included in the basic package - no need to purchase anything additional.
Minuses:
- No Wi-Fi to control via the app.
- He doesn’t swim after the duck himself.
Conclusions:
This sight is a clone (or rather an exact copy) of a successful model of the American brand Sightmark (http://www.sightmark.com), which places orders for the production of this development in China. So, with a high degree of probability, both the branded sight and its numerous clones come from the same workshop. Reviews for this model (including non-original ones) are positive, so I think this copy will cope with its tasks.
No feathers to everyone! Remember, a bad day hunting is better than a good day at work.
Smoothbore weapons are preferred by both beginners and experienced hunters. Most shotguns are relatively inexpensive, easy to use, and have a wide variety of cartridges on the market. And, of course, they are suitable for almost all types of hunting (not to mention self-defense). Therefore, such guns are most common among hunters, and the most popular is the 12-gauge due to its greatest lethality. And, despite the fact that in this article we will primarily talk about the collimator for the 12-gauge, everything said for it is also true for calibers of lower power: 16-gauge, 20-gauge and Lancaster calibers (.366 and 9, 6/53), adjusted for recoil energy.
Regardless of the type of striking elements (shots, buckshot or bullets), the main differences between 12-gauge smoothbore weapons and other types of firearms are:
- The most powerful muzzle energy(up to 4,500 J for Magnum cartridge);
- Shortest sighting distance(usually no more than 100 meters for a bullet).
Both of these parameters, due to the simplicity and reliability of the optical design, are satisfied by most collimator sights. And since smoothbore firearms- the most common choice among hunters and shooting enthusiasts is which red dot sight to install on a 12-gauge gun - one of the most frequently asked questions, which our specialists have to answer. In this article, we have collected all the experience in operating red dot sights, collected based on the results of numerous reviews from our customers, mainly hunters.
We have grouped the catalog of collimator sights for smooth-bore weapons by type of mounting on the weapon: using the links below you can go straight to choosing a sight.
If it is difficult for you to choose from a variety of models, below in this article is presented, which is based on reviews of hunters, the number of sales and the number of complaints (or more precisely - complete absence returns for these models). Still, we strongly recommend that you read the article below.
Impact limit
In case you don’t read to the end of the article, we will make the main warning at the very beginning:
Important! Muzzle energy of 12 gauge - 4200 J, 12 Magnum - 4500 J. Basic collimators can withstand 3800 J.
Accordingly, the recoil of the weapon causes a colossal shock load on the sight and bracket. When choosing a sight, first of all pay attention to the muzzle energy of the cartridge, correlate it with the weight of the weapon and the characteristics of the sight, which are indicated in its passport. Despite the relatively low cost of smoothbore shotguns, you need to take the choice of a sight based on impact load seriously: most cheap scope models are not suitable for smoothbore guns. And you definitely shouldn’t order unknown brands (or fakes of famous ones) from China.
At this point, you should separately warn about the dangers of ordering scopes directly from China and the counterfeit products that have flooded the market. Each domestically produced sight is tapped on a stand (like) to eliminate defects. Chinese manufacturers save on technological processes and, if the process chain is not controlled, the stage of mechanical tests is skipped. By ordering from China at your own peril and risk, you lose the opportunity to return the scope, as well as warranty support. This also applies to counterfeit products - here we can give only one recommendation:
Pay attention to the price (famous brands cannot cost a couple of thousand rubles) and information about the seller: companies that have been operating in the optical market in Russia for a long time care about their reputation.
What is the unreliability of such sights? For example, with a collimator sight, a fairly simple optical device, after several shots the aiming mark deviates from the axis of the shot. Hunters have repeatedly approached us with requests to repair such sights, which, of course, is impossible. In the saddest case, the scopes completely “scatter” - they literally lose the lenses...
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In most cases, installing an optical sight on a smooth-bore weapon is pointless (there are special cases when 12-gauge optics would be justified). This is due to several factors. First of all, this is a short firing distance from smooth-bore guns - at such distances everything can be seen quite well, without the magnification that standard optics provide. In addition, when shooting from a shotgun, it will be much easier to “catch a target,” especially a fast-moving one. full review, that is, with two eyes, which is impossible when using optics. And the last thing is the weight of the optical sight, which upsets the balance of the weapon (often very light). As a result, the optimal choice for a smoothbore gun is a red dot sight, which is used when shooting at short distances, allows you to aim without covering your other eye, and is usually lightweight. |
| The photo shows the Hakko Flipup II sight based on the Weaver-IZH-43 |
The influence of the design of 12-gauge weapons, striking elements and type of hunting on the choice of a collimator sight
The collimator sight is better suited than other types of sights for smooth-bore weapons and in particular 12-gauge weapons at all target firing distances:
- 30 meters for self-defense,
- 50 meters for hunting with shot and buckshot,
- 100 meters for hunting with a bullet.
And although the distance range indicated above is approximate, it is primarily influenced by the design of the weapon and the type of striking elements. Weapons and striking elements are selected according to the type of hunting and type of game. And yet, more often than not, a 12-gauge smooth-bore gun is used mainly for hunting summer game (goose, duck) or large animals (elk, wild boar). These are fast moving targets and the speed of aiming at the target largely depends on the viewing angle of the sight. And the viewing angle is better with an open collimator sight...
Open or closed
Regarding the belief of many hunters regarding an open collimator sight that such a sight gets clogged more often than a closed collimator, we briefly note that this is true, for example, during a snowfall. Of course, snowfall or heavy rain are not the best weather conditions for hunting.
You should make a choice in favor of an open sight in case of hunting “offhand”, moving targets or in self-defense; in favor of a closed sight - if the animal does not see you and there is time to take aim: stealthily, in ambush or when hunting with a bullet at a large animal. Additionally, a closed sight has less parallax, making it “more accurate,” which is important when hunting at long range (with a bullet).
The advantage of self-loading smoothbore carbines- this is their rate of fire. To enhance this advantage, it is necessary to quickly compensate for the weapon’s deviation from the target with the powerful recoil of the 12-gauge. And here again the wide-angle open collimator wins.
Without straying too far from the characteristics of collimator sights, in order to understand which ones are better, let’s figure out what other types of collimator sights exist and what criteria should be used to choose one. On our website we talk about the characteristics of red dot sights; here we will consider only factors that are significant for 12-gauge.
Kinds
Collimators are a class of sights that include several types that are perfect for smoothbore guns. They are united by a number of undeniable advantages, which are as follows:
- Fast and easy aiming. Unlike an open sight, with a collimator, the mark combines both the rear sight and the front sight. Thanks to this, aiming becomes easier and faster, as it is easier for the eye to focus.
- Prevents distortion of target dimensions. Unlike an optical collimator, the collimator does not magnify the image; you can aim with both eyes.
- Provides a wide field of view. This is especially important for hunting offhand and fast-moving targets, such as birds.
- Much easier compared to other types. When hunting from the approach, when you have to track an animal, this is especially important. Also pay attention to the weight of the bracket.
Thus, a hunting collimator sight for a smoothbore gun of this type is optimal choice for almost any hunt. It is perfect for a hunting rifle. Such devices are divided into several types:
By type of energy consumption:
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 PFO 1x25 sight, operating without batteries due to the fiber optic front sight. Ventilated strip. |
By type of housing:
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 An open type option is the Pilad 1x30 Weaver. Completely covered with a protective cap. |
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 Closed type option - Pilad 1x20 Avis |
By type of mark projection:
- collimator The design of the tag is carried out on the face, which is located on the front of the device. Externally, the mark can be in the form of a dot, a dot in a circle, a square, or crossed lines;
- holographic. This collimator sight is of the open type and is suitable for smooth-bore weapons. The peculiarity of this type lies in the hologram on which the aiming mark is located, visualized by a laser beam. Conventional and three-dimensional reticles are applied to it. They are always clearly visible, regardless of the light level, and they are always in the center, even if the hunter looks from different angles. Compared to other types of collimators, holographic ones are more expensive;
- dioptric ( for sport shooting, not used for hunting). Thanks to the large sighting line, this type provides maximum shot accuracy. In addition, diopter sights guarantee high aiming speed, since the process of combining the front sight and the aperture-hole is greatly simplified.
By type of fastening
Most red dot sights already have a monolithic bracket with the body. Such a mount greatly reduces the overall cost of the sighting device, especially when the gun is already equipped with a corresponding rail. For your convenience, we have grouped red dot sights by type of attachment to the weapon:
There are usually no issues with installing a red dot sight on a smoothbore shotgun under Weaver - here you just need to pay attention to the length of the bar on the weapon (or the adapter bar), so that it is not shorter than the length of the sight. But for the dovetail and ventilated strip - be sure to measure the width of the strip before ordering! They are different even within the same model ().
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| Pilad 1x42 on Weaver |
Pilad 1x42 dovetail | Pilad 1x42 on ventilated strip |
In terms of internal functionality:
- with the presence of laser target designators (laser designators) - which can be convenient for self-defense at close range or shooting a bullet at medium range, without changing the sight to an optical one or a magnifying attachment;
- with replaceable aiming marks. This option allows you to adapt to the time of day (for example, at dusk), the type of terrain (dense forest or open field) and the type of game;
- with magnification or magnifying attachments (tactical).
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| The American Precision Reflex sight is equipped with a laser sight with an external button | The compact and lightweight Hakko BED-35 Panorama (wide-angle) sight has a MR-02 reticle changing system | Veber Wolf Prismatic 4x32 RGB sight has 4x magnification |
How to choose
- Muzzle energy and recoil resistance. This parameter is always indicated in the scope's specifications.
- Optical design of the sight. Open sight - wider viewing angle, which will be an advantage at short distances, for shooting at moving targets. Closed - better protected and has less paralysis.
- Changing the brightness of the aiming mark - the maximum brightness will “illuminate” the target.
- Sight weight.
Additional technical issues and questions can be clarified by contacting sales consultants in the store when choosing a model.
Rating of red dot sights
To simplify the selection process, below is presented short review models and the best red dot sights with optimal characteristics for smooth-bore weapons:
- Pilad P1x42 Weaver sight from the manufacturer VOMZ.
Pilad P1x42
This option is rightfully considered one of the best. Features include the ability to withstand any caliber. Pilad P1x42 Weaver is an affordable open collimator. Distinctive feature this particular model is that it provides the hunter with a wide view - 180 degrees, which creates the necessary conditions for accurate shooting at moving targets or shooting at a glance. The aiming reticle is available in three types, the reticle is illuminated in three options, and its brightness can also be adjusted. Excellent characteristics and low weight (0.15 kg) make the Pilad P1x42 Weaver the best option For various types weapons. Models for dovetail mounting and ventilated strip are also available.
- American scope for 12 gauge Rubicon, 3 MOA - Weaver.
Rubicon Weaver
An open-type model with compact dimensions and a lot of advantages: a wide field of view, clear image transmission without distortion, a durable aluminum body, manual switching on and adjustment of the brightness of the mark, a simple installation and adjustment process. A reliable choice for mounting on a 12 gauge shotgun. The 3 MOA reticle is perfect for shooting both large game bullets (such as wild boar) and bird shot. The manufacturer Bering Optics has a similar model with automatic switching on and auto-adjustment of the brightness of a larger 5 MOA mark, which is more suitable for birds - OP-LA Reflex.
- Compact closed-type collimator Hakko BED-70 weaver.
Hakko BED-70
Hakko BED-70 is a universal compact model of a closed-type red dot sight. Can be installed on any Weaver based weapon. The 4 MOA reticle is best suited for medium to large game at 200 meters and closer. The advantages include the presence of 11 gradations of brightness, the absence of parallax up to 100 meters, light weight - only 100 g, and a simple battery replacement process. The sight does not allow water to pass through and is waterproof. Traditionally for Japanese Hakko sights, the sight has a lifetime warranty.
- Collimator.
PKU-2 is a closed-type sight and closes the rating of red dot sights. Of the models presented in the rating, PKU-2 is cheaper than its Japanese (Hakko) and American (Aimpoint) counterparts, but is not inferior to them in terms of characteristics: resistance to any caliber, high resistance to damage. Compact and lightweight - its weight is only 0.14 kg, the sight is practically not felt on the gun, making its use especially convenient. Has over durable housing- made of aviation aluminum. There is a possibility of adjusting brightness - 12 gradations. The model is suitable for use in the most extreme conditions, as the temperature ranges from -40 to +50 °C. Separately, it should be noted that the sight is mounted on a Weaver sighting rail. PKU-2 is a worthy choice for smoothbore weapons.
Other types of sights for shotguns
Most likely, you no longer have doubts about the type of sight. And, despite the fact that the red dot sight is indeed better than other types for all firing ranges from 12-gauge smoothbore weapons, for special cases other types of sights can be used, for example:
- laser or a combination of laser + collimator - for self-defense (at short distances, indoors);
- optical - for people with low vision, sports or amateur target shooting;
- night vision - obviously for use in the dark.