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Red Ring Shotgun Sight

Red Ring Shotgun Sight

Swedish shooter P O Ostergren came up with a simple but clever idea using military red dot sights for his inspiration. Conventional red dots project an image (usually a dot) that is used as an aiming point. With no magnification, focus or parallax issues the shooter has no problems with eye relief and can keep both eyes open when they engage the target. The Redring is the same but uses a ring as the aim point. 

Basic?

This sounds basic but when you try it and understand what’s been done and why it makes a lot more sense. The ring is sized so its circumference represents the pattern from a quarter choke barrel at 20 metres which in itself is an education for many. Eye dominance issues are negated entirely, a real boon for those who have spent years trying to shoot with one eye shut; if it’s in the ring then that’s where the shot is headed.  It can also understand the light conditions around the target and adjust the intensity of the light to maintain the brightness at a stable level when swinging from light to dark areas. 

The unit can be fitted to any shotgun with a ventilated rib and slides on and secures by a shim and grubs crew arrangement, it also does not need zeroing. There’s no right or wrong place to put it, but somewhere over the forend above where your hand sits is an ideal spot. At 200 grams the additional weight is not a problem either.

Another benefit is Redring helps to judge range. If you know what a duck or rabbit looks like through the sight at 30 yards then you can tell quickly and instinctively how near it is. If it looks like a small speck then the chances are that it’s too far away to shoot at with a good chance of killing (rather than wounding). 

Applications

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Applications are varied as you might imagine, though I can see some resistance from traditional game shooters etc., which is just the British way. But it could be good for pigeon, wildfowling and rabbit shooting. Likewise it might appeal to Practical Shotgunners as certain classes in this discipline are allowed optics and the Redring is tough enough and possibly well suited.

However clay pigeon is another matter, as the Redring could be considered an unfair advantage. Which is why the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association saw it banned from their registered competitions, even before the first trial unit in the UK went out for field testing.

However to discount it as a useful tool for clay shooting would be a mistake! It works very well especially on incoming or going away targets, simply putting the clay inside the circle guarantees its destruction. Things become a little more complex on crossing birds or speciality targets like battues,  but the principles of shotgun shooting remain unchanged, it’s the picture that is different, having to aim off of the circle edge to build in lead.

Out on the range it was an eye opener. Shooting a round of Down the Line going away targets was remarkably straightforward, while incoming birds or stalling teal were dispatched with ease. As expected crossers did need an element of lead depending on the method used e.g. swing through, pull away or maintained and some very long range birds out at 55 yards plus did take some getting used to until I worked out that they needed 3 “rings” of lead. 

The key is to try to look through the circle at the target and not get too drawn into looking at the ring itself. Once the eyes begin darting back and forward from ring to target and back again then all is lost but in all fairness letting your eyes be drawn to a normal bead and then back to the target results in an equally unsuccessful performance. Left handed shooting posed no real problem, apart from feeling very awkward while some of those who tried it who had been long term sufferers of eye dominance issues found it a revelation.

Although it has been banned from CPSA events for the mast majority who shoot non competitively the sight could prove extremely useful! It helps as a training aid to reinforce consistent gun mounting because if the head is too high then the ring disappears from your view. Add into the mix the added fun factor of breaking a few extra clays and it looks like it could be a hit with the average shot.

For: It works and can improve your game
Against: Expensive and will be seen by some as not British
Verdict: Much more than just a gadget, it will make you shoot betterRedring sight

PRICE: £675

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  • Red Ring Shotgun Sight - image {image:count}

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  • Red Ring Shotgun Sight - image {image:count}

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  • Red Ring Shotgun Sight - image {image:count}

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