With hunters slinging tighter shot columns farther downrange than ever before, it’s time to get your turkey gun’s sighting system up to speed, and these hard-use red dots will do it
by Rob Reaser
Let’s cut the naysayers off at the knees right now.
“Are red dots…or any other type of optic…necessary for hunting turkeys with a shotgun?” some may ask with a smirk.
Absolutely not! Grampa didn’t need anything more than a burnished brass bead on the end of his scattergun and he killed more turkeys than I ever will. In fact, no one who has even a rudimentary understanding of sighting down a shotgun barrel needs an optic to make the feathers fly.
Nevertheless, things have changed quite a bit over the last several years. The increased use of decoys, hunting from blinds, and fanning (where safe to do so) puts birds somewhat closer than traditional run-and-gun style hunting ever did. Now factor in improvements in turkey loads that, combined with carefully selected chokes, have led to denser shot patterns. The result? With birds coming in closer and ammunition shooting much tighter, careful aiming is more critical than ever.
Then there is the use of tungsten shot (check out the sidebar at the end of this roundup), which has seriously changed the game in the turkey hunting world over the last five years or so. With its ultra-dense, hard-hitting, and far-reaching payload extending shot opportunities 20 to 30 yards beyond the traditional norm, precision aiming is absolutely necessary.
For all these reasons — and likely several more — wise hunters have increasingly adopted red dots for their turkey guns, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a turkey gun from any of the leading shotgun manufacturers that doesn’t include from the factory a mounting system ready to accept an optic or at least that comes with a drilled and tapped receiver.
Choosing a red dot for your turkey gun can be something of a challenge when you consider the slew of optics on the market today with prices ranging from “Don’t waste your money” cheap to “What is it made out of…platinum?” expensive.
To narrow down the discussion, we’re going to look only at enclosed emitter red dots. We are using the term “red dot” as a generic descriptor of electronic reflex sights but know that most of these optics are also offered with green emitters.
Why enclosed emitters versus the more common open (single lens) emitters typically used on handguns? Consider the usage. Turkey hunting can be quite the combative sport. Running through the woods to set up on a vocal gobbler, crawling on knees and elbows across an open field, the mix of rain, mud, and snow that typifies early spring across most of the country…these make for tough living for hunting gear. How much more so for an electronic optic?
Generally, enclosed emitter red dots are built a bit tougher, with a unitized, machined housing that can withstand the hard knocks. Further, the flush viewing lenses (front and rear) of enclosed emitter red dots prevent buildup of debris, mud, and snow, making it easy to remove such gunk with the swipe of a finger. That is not to say that the more common single lens, hooded red dots won’t work on a turkey gun. They absolutely will. But for maximum durability and service on a hard-use field gun, the enclosed emitter red dot certainly stacks the cards in your favor. Also, having the emitter sealed from the elements, there is no chance that snow, a splash of mud, or anything else can obscure the emitter.
With that said, here are some of our top picks of enclosed emitter red dots that are ideally suited for turkey guns. Just know that, as with most electronic optics, fitting one to your shotgun will likely require adding a Picatinny or Weaver-style rail to your gun’s receiver (unless your gun is already equipped with a rail) plus an adapter mount to interface the optic’s footprint (screw hole mounting pattern) to the mounting rail. An exception to this is the first optic on our list.
Vortex Shotgun Enclosed Micro Red Dot
Vortex knocked it out of the proverbial park this year with the introduction of the company’s all-new Viper Shotgun Enclosed Micro Red Dot. We did a full review on this little gem a few weeks ago and came away sold. While this unit hosts all the standard features we’ve come to expect in a modern electronic optic, such as easy-adjust buttons to control the menu and reticle illumination, motion activation, auto-shutoff, and water/fog/shockproof construction, the optic’s claim to fame is its mounting system.
As you can see, the emitter housing and mounting base are made from a single piece of machined aluminum with multiple holes and a long slot for screw hole mounting. This design offers a two-fold benefit. First, the holes-and-slot configuration allows for universal mounting on most shotguns (and some rifles) with receivers that are drilled and tapped at the factory. If you can coordinate at least two mounting holes with your shotgun, you’re good to go. Second, this design eliminates the need for adding a mounting rail to your shotgun and finding a compatible adapter plate to interface the optic and the mount. That allows the optic to be placed as low as possible to the bore axis for optimal eye alignment and a natural cheek weld.
The Viper Shotgun Enclosed Micro Red Dot is offered in two reticle styles: a single 3 MOA dot or a multi-reticle version with a 3 MOA dot, 32 MOA circle, and a 65 MOA circle.
- Footprint/Compatibility: direct-to-receiver mount
- MSRP: $429.99-$499.99
Burris FastFire E
Another enclosed emitter red dot hitting the scene in 2025 is the FastFire E from Burris. Part of the growing FastFire family of red dots for pistols, carbines, and shotguns, the FastFire E housing is machined from a single piece of aluminum and comes with a wide 22x17mm viewing window. Two models are available — green or red dot — both with a 3.5 MOA reticle. Soft touch buttons across the top of the housing control the menu functions and illumination setting, of which there are eight daylight and two night vision options. Windage and elevation adjustment comes 1 MOA per click.
As enclosed emitter sights go, this one is quite streamlined, with the battery compartment presenting only minor relief from the chassis. The CR2032 battery powering the FastFire E offers a 60,000-hour life span to support the unit’s “always on” status.
Look for a full review of the new FastFire E in the coming weeks.
- Footprint/Compatibility: ACRO-to-Picatinny
- MSRP: $420
Steiner MPS
Known for their military- and LE-grade optics, Steiner’s MPS red dot is a tough, compact sight with enhanced sidewalls (think “armor plating”), making it a solid choice for aggressive turkey hunters. The all-metal construction incorporates a recessed front window to further protect the forward lens and to reduce glare potential. We’ve used the MPS on pistols, centerfire hunting rifles, and SBRs, and are impressed with its solid construction and reliable performance.
Both objective and ocular lenses measure 21x16mm, making for an expansive, both-eyes-open sight picture. The 3.3 MOA dot can be adjusted for six day and two night illumination settings via the raised buttons located on the side of the chassis. Powered by a CR1632 battery with a 13,000-hour life span, the MPS has an auto shut-off that kicks in after 13 hours.
Regarding environmental protection, this red dot stands tall. It is water pressure proof and impervious to rain, snow, and dust intrusion, so no matter what spring gobbler season throws your way, the MPS will hold its own.
- Footprint/Compatibility: ACRO-to-Picatinny
- MSRP: $632.99
Holosun HE509T
With its rugged titanium, nitrogen-purged housing and sleek profile, Holosun’s HE509T enclosed emitter red dot is a versatile unit as comfortable on a shotgun as on handguns it was made for. The 509T is a multi-reticle optic that includes a precise 2 MOA dot and a 32 MOA circle, plus the two can be used in combination. Operation is straightforward, with side-mounted buttons providing adjustment through the 12 light intensity levels — 10 day and two NV.
The 509T is one of several Holosun optics that features the company’s Solar Failsafe system. This is a solar receptor integrated into the top of the housing that provides power when there is sufficient ambient light. It also has an auto feature that automatically adjusts the reticle light intensity depending on the ambient light available to the solar receptor.
- Footprint/Compatibility: RMR-to-Picatinny
- MSRP: $505.87
Crimson Trace HRO
So, you like rolling turkeys with shoulder-busting magnum loads? Crimson Trace has your red dot right here — it is the HRO, or Heavy Recoil Optic. Crimson Trace developed this unit specifically for the heavy pounders. It’s built like a tank to withstand recoil and is IPX7 waterproof rated. Additional features include a fully multi-coated objective lens and side access battery tray. Weighing 8.5 oz. with the battery installed, the HRO is a good deal heftier than typical enclosed emitter red dots, but that’s to be expected given its design intent.
The HRO’s reticle is a 2 MOA dot adjustable to 12 brightness settings. A motion sensor turns the unit on while the auto shutoff feature activates after 8 hours of operation to conserve the 50,000-hour battery life. The optic can also be turned off manually if desired.
Because the HRO was developed for use primarily on rifles, the unit secures directly to a Picatinny rail, so no adapters are required for mounting.
- Footprint/Compatibility: direct-to-Picatinny
- MSRP: $409.99
Aimpoint ACRO P-2
Aimpoint’s ACRO P-2 hits all the requirements for a reliable turkey gun optic — simplified design and robust construction capable of submersion down to 35 meters. If you want an optic that will easily lick a torrential spring downpour, this is it.
The ACRO P-2 hosts a 3.5 MOA dot adjustable to six day and four night settings. At 15x15mm, the aperture is a bit tighter than some of the optics presented here, but quick sight picture acquisition presents no problems for this non-magnifying, parallax-free sight system. The CR2032 battery has a 50,000-hour runtime and is easily changed via the side battery compartment.
- Footprint/Compatibility: ACRO-to-Picatinny
- MSRP: $599
Trijicon MRO
A variation on the typical square-profile red dots featured here is the MRO optic from Trijicon. MRO stands for Miniature Rifle Optic, so the pedigree for this one begins with long guns rather than pistols. As such, its tubular-style housing offers familiarity for a shotgun application.
The MRO has several features that endear it to the turkey hunter, including a large 25mm objective and 1/2 MOA adjustment per click for fine-tune zeroing. Topping that list is the rotary illumination dial located at the top of the housing. We like this big-time because it makes scrolling through the 2 MOA red dot settings much easier when wearing gloves than does a pushbutton interface. There are eight day brightness settings and two NV-compatible settings. Windage and elevation adjustment come via sub-flush adjusters, so there are no caps to lose and no way to accidentally lose your zero. Another plus: the MRO mounts directly to a Picatinny rail with the included MRO low mount.
- Footprint/Compatibility: MRO low mount (included) to Picatinny
- MSRP: $658
TSS Loads for Turkeys
Most turkey hunters don’t use it (yet), most turkey hunters are talking about it, but all turkey hunters sure want to give it a try. We’re talking, of course about Tungsten Super Shot — the hands-down best load ever developed for turkeys.
For those of you hanging way out there in the Back Forty who aren’t familiar with TSS loads, here’s the back-of-the-napkin rundown.
Tungsten Super Shot are pellets made from a tungsten alloy with an 18.1 g/cc density. In other words, it has more weight per cubic gram than lead, copper, bismuth, or steel shot. Weight, as you know, is a key variable in energy transfer. The heavier the projectile (given equal velocity), the more energy (think penetration) is transferred to the target. In short, tungsten shot hits way harder and penetrates the target media deeper than any of the other shot materials just mentioned (again, assuming equal velocity).
Score one for TSS. And it doesn’t stop there.
Tungsten shot is also hard (7.5 on the Mohs hardness scale). That’s much harder than lead (1.5), bismuth (2.25), and copper (3.0). This makes tungsten pellets less subject to deformation as the shot column propels down the barrel and through the choke, resulting in greater uniformity and tighter shot columns.
Score two for TSS. But wait…there’s more.
Because of the incredible density of tungsten and its resulting high energy transfer capabilities, smaller pellet sizes can be used. Where lead, bismuth, and copper loadings demand larger pellets in order to retain sufficient downrange energy for effective penetration (such as #4, #5, or #6 shot), tungsten shot as small as #7 and #9 is effective for turkey. That means more pellets on target and increased odds of fast, decisive kills.
This year, I’m trying out some TSS loads from a veteran-owned company out of Mississippi called Apex Ammunition. These are hand-crafted, made-in-the-USA shotshells that are truly “boutique” loads in every sense of the term.
Apex Ammunition offers their TSS turkey loads in everything from .410 up to 10-gauge. Cartridges are available in 2 3/4-, 3-, and 3 1/2-inch. You can also find loads with single-size pellets (e.g., #7, #8, #9) as well as blended loads that include #10 shot to “fill in the gaps” for maximum pattern density.
I tested two Apex loads in my Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag (12-gauge with the factory full choke). The ammo used was Apex Turkey Tungsten Super Shot (3-inch, 2 1/4-oz., #9 shot, 814 pellets, 1190 fps) and Apex Mossy Oak Greenleaf Turkey TSS (3-inch, 2 1/4-oz., blend of #9 and #10, 1,096 pellets, 1190 fps). Following standard protocol, I set the pattern board at 40 yards.
The results were impressive. To measure the pattern density, I eyeballed the shot column core and captured an 8-inch circle. Next, I counted the number of pellets in the 8-inch circle. The results were:
- Apex Turkey Tungsten Super Shot #9: 220 pellets/8 inches
- Apex Mossy Oak Greenleaf Turkey TSS (#10 and #9): 230 pellets/8 inches
That, dear reader, is serious gobbler medicine. And with patterns this dense at 40 yards, you now see why good sight alignment is so critical and why a red dot is highly recommended on your turkey gun…especially if you plan to use TSS loads with maximum choke.
