The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Handguns => Topic started by: alfsauve on January 18, 2013, 07:55:44 AM
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Went to Adventure Outdoors yesterday and couldn't get near the gun counters. "HEY folks, it's Thursday mid-afternoon! What are you all doing here?" To give you an idea it's about 250' feet of counter space. Rifles and shotguns on the wall and pistols in the counters. There wasn't much going on at the optics-gunsmithing counter so I looked there and finally got a clerk to help me out. Rather than run up and down the displays I asked him to look in their database. Nope they didn't have any of the guns I was looking for. And I wasn't looking for anything exotic, two bolt actions, a Ruger 22/45 and a S&W 686 SSR. (Just a side note the store has almost no Ruger semi-autos, but plenty of Glocks and other pistols, as well as a big selection of ARs. ZERO rimfire ammo. A whole end cap totally empty. I did pick up 440 rounds of 7.62x54R for $100 while I was there.)
LONG STORY SHORTER: I was drooling over the Aim-Points and C-Mores ($450+) in the display case when I spied a small, very neat little red dot, the Bushnell First Strike. And it was ONLY $140. I asked to see it and was instantly impressed. Single reticle (5MOA dot). NO switches or dimmers. Picatinny rail mount build in.
(http://www.bushnell.com/getmedia/5f2e251f-2f32-4b52-b153-717348a33f3a/730005_FirstStrikeRedDot_cmyk.png?width=640&height=640&ext=.png)
The also make a high-rise version for AR mounting.
http://www.bushnell.com/all-products/rifle-scopes/trophy-red-dot/first-strike# (http://www.bushnell.com/all-products/rifle-scopes/trophy-red-dot/first-strike#)
So I snapped it up. It was actually introduced a year ago (probably made the 2012 Shot Show news), but hey I'm slow.
Very neat package. I've tried many of the <$75 and haven't been impressed. I want simple, rugged and reliable. I don't want changeable reticles as I feel they cause a loss of zero. I don't need infinite adjustable brightness. This scope has a photocell that adjusts the brightness. NO on/off Switch to go bad. When you put the cover on it turns itself off. (don't loose the cover!) Can't find any specs on battery life. I'll add that to this post down the road when I've owned it for a while.
With all the cheaper reflex sights, I can clearly see multiple dots. Probably both a symptom of muti-surface reflection and multiple dot images from the cheap laser assemblies. With this one I can only see a single dot. YEAH-h-h-h-h-h.
Mounts great on my Buckmark (if you only have 3/8" grooves you'll have to get an adapter for Picatenny). I'll take it to the range today. I'm thinking this is the minimum entry level if you want a decent red-dot. Don't waste your money on the cheap ones. Still it's 1/3 of the price of the next level up.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MEjCo5Lalkw/UPlTaiCXTiI/AAAAAAAAvgY/bZNai057H28/s881/IMG_7863.JPG)
Sorry the picture quality is a little (a lot) substandard. I was in a hurry this morning. RANGE DAY
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So evidently I'm just a little ahead of the curve. The shooting wire just carried Bushnell's Product Announcement this morning.
http://www.shootingwire.com/story/279432 (http://www.shootingwire.com/story/279432)
Bushnell Offers Hunters and Shooters Versatility with First Strike Reflex Electronic Sight
Overland Park, Kan. - Bushnell Outdoor Products, an industry-leader in high performance sports optics for more than 60 years, has introduced a new electronic red dot sight for handguns, rifles and shotguns. The First Strike Reflex is a versatile electronic sight for hunters and shooters alike.
Lightweight and compact, this point-and-shoot sight allows marksmen or hunters to quickly acquire targets. With unlimited eye relief, the First Strike Reflex is not only easy to mount on a variety of firearms, it is a highly adaptable sighting system for handguns, turkey guns and modern sporting rifles.
The First Strike Reflex features a 5 MOA dot with an automatic brightness adjustment that quickly adjusts to variable light conditions. Fully waterproof and designed to withstand heavy recoil, shooters can count on the First Strike Reflex to be a durable, high-performance electronic sight.
The sight features a built-in mounting system that quickly attaches to Weaver-style bases or Picatinny rails. The First Strike Reflex is available for an MSRP of $219.95.
Retail ~$140
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I's a good looking sight but I question it's value on rifles. http://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/bushnell-first-strike-reflex-electronic-sight/
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These have their place. I'm not going to the sandbox, I'm going to the range. I think we tend to mall ninja ourselves to death sometimes, thinking we want the "best". We don't ask "The best for what"? I will use my next red dot on a pellet pistol to shoot iguanas and possums in my yard and punch paper. I ain't taking it to war. So, a good enough and accurate piece is what I'm looking for. We shouldn't turn our noses up at this stuff, as a lot of the time its good enough for who its for if we're honest with ourselves. Just my .02.