Tips for Using a Red Dot Sight On Your Shotgun

A shotgun red dot can give you faster aiming and improved accuracy on the range or in the field. Tactical shotgun sights have come a long way. Rather than being limited to bead, rifle-style notch and blade, or ghost-ring-type iron sights, rail-equipped shotguns can use the latest modern optics. That means you can mount a practical red dot sight that supports your gun’s primary use, whether it’s for competition, putting food on the table, or protecting your loved ones.

Red Dot Optics

Red dot sights use LED emitters to project a reticle onto a coated glass lens. They come in a range of sizes and fit popular handgun mounting patterns, but many can be used on a standard 1913 Picatinny rail through adapters, risers, or rail mounts. Sighting through the lens is an intuitive aiming experience. Align the reticle–often no more than a dot or a circle–with your target and pull the trigger. With proper zeroing and a little practice, a shotgun red dot can help you acquire a proper sight picture faster and get back on target quicker for the next round.

But Shotguns are So Shotgunny?

There’s a myth that red dots and other reflex optics are useless as tactical shotgun sights. As optics technology has developed and shotgun designs have moved further away from your pappy’s bird gun, that’s changed. Red dots are a practical sight for most tactical shotguns and have a strong use case for firearms that are primarily used for hunting or sporting as well.

• Rugged Durability – Our red dot sights use aircraft-grade aluminum housings and have shockproof elements engineered into their design. This not only helps with today’s more powerful handgun ammunition but also makes them more than a match for the beefy kick of a twelve gauge. We’ve tested just about the entire Gideon Line (at once) on a modern semi-suto shotgun with high-velocity ammunition and ended up with the same rock-solid mount security we started with.

• Speedy Target Acquisition – Shotguns are popular defense weapons and hunting guns because they offer versatile ammunition loads that make them effective weapons for fast-moving or dynamic situations. Red dots help make these snap shots safer and more accurate by letting you aim better faster.
• Accuracy – While often referred to as scatter guns, slug and large-game shot rounds (buckshot) need to be properly placed for effectiveness. Shotgun red dots make short-range aiming more accurate, but the Advocate 1X Prism red dot can support rifled slugs out to their 200-yard effective range and beyond.

Installing Your Shotgun Red Dot

If your shotgun has a 1913 Picatinny rail, you’ll be able to install most of our optics easily. If not, aftermarket rails for the most common shotgun platforms are readily available. When installing a rail, make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully, use blue thread locker where appropriate, and include those screws in the screw check tip we’ll be talking about shortly.

Unbox Your Optic

In your box, you’ll find your shotgun red dot along with a 1913 Picatinny rail mount. If your shotgun’s stock is in line with your rail, you may want to get a riser for your optic to make aiming with a proper cheek weld more comfortable. Make sure you have a clean work area and that you’ve verified your shotgun is unloaded. Press the brightness up button on your optic to power it on and ensure it’s in good working order. Take the time to get comfortable with its controls and settings. When you’re ready to continue, hold the brightness down button for three seconds to power it off.

Install the Rail Mount (If Necessary)

Most of our optics are shipped with a rail mount pre-installed, but if you’ve used your optic direct-to-slide already, purchased a riser, or removed the mount to change the battery, it’s time to attach your optic to the rail mounting system. Most optics mount via screws that go through the top of the housing directly into your rail mount. The Mediator ACRO closed-emitter red dot sight, however, uses a similar rail system to attach to its riser or adapter, and the screw for its mounting clamp can be found on the side of the housing. Use blue threadlocker and tighten your mounting screws appropriately.

Install the Shotgun Red Dot Assembly on Your Shotgun

Picatinny 1913 rails are so ubiquitous because they’re easy to use. Loosen the bolts on the side of your rail mount, and then place the mount on the rail, positioning it for comfortable aim. Our reflex sights offer unlimited eye relief, while the Advocate 1X Microprism has a shooter-friendly 85mm eye relief. Before tightening your mount screws, turn the optic on and sight down the gun as you would in the field to verify the position is right for you. Once you’re satisfied, tighten the bolts on your mount, pressing it forward slightly toward the muzzle. This helps pre-load the mount to resist the forces of recoil.

Zero-In Your Shotgun Red DotMan zeroing in a red dot sight mounted to a 12 gauge shotgun

Head to the range with your favorite target ammunition, gun, and the appropriate choke. We recommend starting at close range–no more than 10 yards. Use the adjustable windage and elevation to find toon your sight as you move back from the target. If you’re planning on using rifled slugs, remember that common rifled slug rounds, like the Winchester Super-X, can be sighted at 25 yards, where the slug’s trajectory will rise through the target, and, therefore, also be accurate to 200 yards, where the slug falls back through the X. 

Shotgun Red Dot Tips

• Put in the Range Time – No firearm shoots as many different ammo loads as a shotgun. Whether you’re using iron sights or tactical shotgun sights, you have to take the time to learn how your ammo performs with your gun and choke if you want consistent results.
• Bring a Screw Driver or Wrench – Particularly during the zeroing-in process and the first several dozen rounds, the kick of your gun can start to back out screws. Check your screws–including any used to install your rail, mount, or riser–every magazine or tube for the first 50 rounds, then periodically after that. 
• Turn Your Shotgun Red Dot Off – Our optics have a motion-detecting energy-saving feature that shuts off your optic after 255 seconds without movement but brings the reticle back online in milliseconds with a quick shake. Even in a padded case, the bumps of the road (or lack thereof) can keep your LED on, reducing the battery’s usable service life.
• Choose the Right Reticle – When selecting your sight, think about your expected use. A larger circle reticle may help with placement for smaller shot, like that used for bird hunting. A more precise dot, however, will offer more accurate shot placement with slugs or large shot which may be used for big game or self-defense.

Red Dot Sights for Tactical Shotguns

It’s time to upgrade your tactical shotgun. Get the shotgun red dot you need for better and quicker accuracy at a price you can afford. Order your tactical shotgun sight from Gideon Optics today.