Red dot sight for possum shooting?

Cool beans 👍🏻
Let us know how it goes with the heavies and plotting ur trajectory 👍🏻.

Hi Kiwi,

I’ve drawn up what I think best shows what I’m trying to explain.
But again, I’m not an expert on anything and this is just from my own experiance.
I’ve just used example distances in the diagram, you will have to work out at what distance your pellets from your gun reach the top of their arc before they start dropping. Every rifle and pellet combination is going to be different.

But in the diagram, if u zero ur scope at 30m, any target from 25m out to 35m you will hit, with just one point of aim. Just point and shoot! I’ve also found that most (not all, but a good majority) of the pests that I encounter are around this range.

But if u zero your rifle at 15m, u will only be accurate at 15m because ur pellet is still climbing at that closer distance. At 10m u will be low, and at 20m u will be high.
U will of course have a second zero (which I haven’t shown on the diagram but would be at about 37m in this example), so at 15 and 37, dead on, but any other distance u will need to know the distance and know your hold over or under.

For me personally zeroing at the top of the arc is the most practical and easiest way to do it, but everyone will be different 😉.

“No contest really and the pellet drop is the same, although it would be nice if the red dot had a mil-dot reticle rather than the doughnut to make it easier to cater for that.”

That’s it, 100% 👍🏻.
Sounds like the red dot is definatly a better option for your eyes 👍🏻
If you are happy with only one aim point, you can have confidence in knowing that your rifle will be deadly accurate at that distance. And if you have the skill of being able to judge distance, you can learn to hold over or under depending on how far away your target is.

Just as a little extra, (I’m no expert on these things, but from my experiance) your pellets trajectory will have a “flatish” spot at the top of its arc, where it has almost stopped climbing out to where it has just started dropping.
That “top of the arc” area will cover a distance in length from 8 to 15m depending on the speed of your projectile.
If you can work out at what distance your pellet reaches the top of its arc, and zero your red dot there, you have given your self a range of 8,10, maybe 15m where you will be dead on target, as apposed to zeroing at only one specific distance where your pellet might still be climbing.
I hope that all made sense? I know a diagram would help! If it doesn't make sense let me know and I’d be happy to try explain it again using examples and maybe a diagram 😂

"Where as usually an air rifle would need an aim point for 10m, another one for 20m, and probably another for 30m because of the big ark in the trajectory."


Edited by KiwiTR6 - 15 Jun 2023 at 9:11am

Hi Kiwi,
Air guns don’t push pellets very fast, even PCP’s are still comparatively slow compared to a powder burner.
The slower velocitys mean more of an arking trajectory, like a rainbow, where as a faster powder burner will shoot a flat trajectory, like a laser beam.
The red dot sight only gives you one point of aim, perfect for a flat shooting projectile out to 30 or 50m.
Where as usually an air rifle would need an aim point for 10m, another one for 20m, and probably another for 30m because of the big ark in the trajectory.

Something I remembered seeing on YouTube - such a great resource!