Handgun Hunting Afield

While I do not consider myself new to handgun hunting, the use of a red dot is new to me on the handgun side. I have messed with a number of red dots on rifles, but even with some basic concealed carry training, I still haven’t gotten comfortable with using them full time.  Once I can at least match my splits AND accuracy, I will be sure to change them all over.

The optics I normally use.

That being said, from a handgun hunting standpoint, I really like using various scopes for the level of precision and confidence I have using them.

My eye sight is good enough that I can still see clearly at dusk, even with a smaller objective lens. Have I considered using a red dot? Sure! I just have a couple issues. I have pretty bad astigmatism that is slightly corrected using contact lenses, but finding a dot that is clear enough to allow the level of accuracy I like is tough to do.

Red dots I have tried.

So far, I have only dealt with a couple of handgun red dots that were good enough but are in the $600-700 range. I have a couple contender barrels with cheaper red dots but I found myself not using them very much out of frustration.

A while back, every handgun hunters friend, Roy Yager, had shown to have a good bit of experience with the Ultradot MatchDot 2 in both red and green. After reading his experience, I was intrigued and reached out to see what the fuss was about. He kindly offered to let me try the red and green version. Given I am new, I elected to just try the red since I wanted to change as little variables as I can while experimenting with new toys.

Impressed.

I quickly became impressed with the dot. I usually shy from the tube styles because I thought they were all a tad heavy, but this one shocked me. Weighing in at 5.1 oz, it weighs the exact same as the “micro” dot I had on my contender barrel before.

Just as quickly, I could tell lens clarity is as good as it gets, and even with the various powers, dot sizes and reticle options, all were better clarity than I have seen and at under half the price of those with similar quality.

Mounting.

The instructions for mounting were initially not my favorite. My background in design engineering caused my OCD to light up when I read them through. The part that mentions to secure the scope to the rings by “tighten all four Allen screws evenly for a snug fit” and “add an additional ¼ turn” doesn’t do it for me. I tend to rely on my trusty calibrated torque wrench to get the rings set just right. After a call with a technical specialist at Ultradot and a quick round table discussion, I fully approve how this works. Just follow the instructions.

Ultradot features.

The MatchDot 2 has options for a 2, 4, 6 and 8 MOA dots and 2 reticle options. The first reticle is a circle dot style reticle featuring a 55 MOA outer ring and an 8 MOA center dot. The second is combination circle dot adding cross hairs measuring 80 MOA flanking a circle measuring 30 MOA and a center 2 MOA dot.  

I will be honest; my heart sank when I saw how the reticles change. The knob on the left side shows all of your options, and this is mechanically connected inside to where, as you rotate, you can see the swing of the reticle go across the lens. In all red dots I have tried this on, it never works, there always seems to be some sort of wiggle or misalignment that tremendously throws off the accuracy downrange. I knew Roy spoke highly of the durability and accuracy of the scope, and it passed my clarity test, I knew this is the feature that needs to be tested on my next range trip. Could the MatchDot 2 hold zero while swapping between reticles?

I mentioned before that I had a couple contender barrels that I don’t use often so I picked up my 6” .357 mag barrel that was given to me years ago that began my addiction with handgun hunting. It installed in minutes and I headed to the range the next day.

At the range.

Even with the incredibly bright sun, finding the dot was quick and easy with the various sizes and brightnesses. I can appreciate that the brightness options turn off and on as you rotate the dial so you can turn the dot off when not in use, but just one click brings you back to your last setting. I noticed that with the longer body, compared to a micro dot, I could pick up the dot much faster. As Roy said, it’s like looking through a scope, it’s easier to get yourself aligned properly behind the glass. It took all of 2 shots to get it close and I moved to the 25-yard line.

It worked!

Using a simple bag rest, I tested the reticle switch and took one shot using each. I did skip the 2 MOA dot because I personally could not quite make it out, purely a personal thing. That’s ok, it shows a good reason for having options. I took one shot for each reticle and as I switched between the choices, I could feel the very affirming click that the dot was secured in its mechanical resting point. While I do blame myself for the shot in the top left, every shot proved to be consistent, not only between shots, but between settings. My confidence in this dot grew immediately and I quickly moved on to practicing other positions and supports without worrying about what the dot is going to do.

I tend to hunt the swamps and thick woods, so a 50 yard shot is likely for me. Fellow HHA writer Jake Kitzman already proved it’s strength and accuracy at 100 yards on his Magnum Research BFR in .475 Linebaugh, so I trust it will be no issue when I practice my different shooting positions at 50 yards. I say my next range trip as I follow up with an apology to Roy. I may have lost the Allen wrench that it came with and I also lost all my Allen wrenches in my recent move, so it looks like I will have to keep your red dot for at least this deer season. Sorry my friend!