• Watch Out for Scammers!

    We've now added a color code for all accounts. Orange accounts are new members, Blue are full members, and Green are Supporters. If you get a message about a sale from an orange account, make sure you pay attention before sending any money!

Best red dot for Benelli M4 Shotgun

houndog

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
May 6, 2005
552
419
Recently bought a Benelli M4 shotgun (actually a Turkish clone) and am looking to add an optic. Haven't even picked the gun up, and currently have a Trijicon MRO that might try (took it off an AR I recently sold, so I already have it), but I'm thinking there may be better options. Although I really like the MRO on AR's, I think it may be too high for the M4, even if I put it on a low mount. I'm wondering what other people are using. RMR's? Aimpoint T2? Eotech? Holosun/Sig? Obviously will need to stand up to the recoil of a 12 gauge and ideally be priced under $500.

Uses would primarily be a fun range gun, maybe to try at 3 gun matches and as another option for home defense. I suspect I will be shooting mostly 00 buckshot, with maybe the occasional slug for 50-100 yard shots.
 
Look for something with a 6 or 8 moa dot. I have nothing to offer as far as specific manufacturer. Just don't buy a $50 red dot at Walmart.
 
I use a cheap Bushnell brand rmr knockoff on my roachnelli. Works good enough for me. They make replacement top rails with rmr footprint built in as well if you're interested in that. I don't see the use in upgrading a cheap knockoff shotgun but it works well from what I've read.
 
Picked up a salient arms m4 with an sro and felt it couldn’t get any better than that. It was easy to get on , even for the first time. Glad it wasn’t for sale or i woulda bought it.
 
Picked up a salient arms m4 with an sro and felt it couldn’t get any better than that. It was easy to get on , even for the first time. Glad it wasn’t for sale or i woulda bought it.
Yeah the salient M4 is a work of art. The agency arms one isn’t too shabby either.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jgunner
I have used Fastfire iii, Docter, RMR on my M2 and Dad's M4 with no problems... any good dot will do
 
Had an RMR on mine but it took enough of a beating that I swapped it with an old T-1 that I wasn't using. Both work really well, but the T-1 feels more rugged.
 
I’m running a RMR Type 2 adjustable with a 6.5 MOA dot in a Sclarworks mount.
I’m happy with it.

Hard to go wrong with a T2, though.
 
I am running a Holosun HE509T mounted to a Botach Rail (BS-BM4H509T) on my Benelli M4 clone (Toros T4). The HE509T currently co-witnesses with the OEM sights.

Note the HE509T has distortion at ~1.05 -1.1 magnification. It's not a deal breaker for me since I don't plan on using it past hallway/house distances. I still need to put more rounds (Slugs/Buckshot) through the whole setup to confirm it is fit for HD duty.

I went with the HE509T solely due to Aaron's testing at SageDynamics.
 
On my Molot I use the Shield sight with a center dot and rings around it, so you can calculate the spread.

Check their website for details.

Otherwise I've been using Aimpoint H2 9 MOA, not sure they make it now.
 
Technically there is very little rated for 12ga recoil, but I've heard very good feedback with the Sig Sauer Romeo 3 series

Anything that survives several seasons of USPSA competition on a pistol slide will easily survive any shoulder fired arm's recoil.

The G forces that a reflex sight sees while riding on a pistol slide are enormous.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Guthwine
Why not?

Buys a turkish Benelli knockoff, what best to put on top than a chink Trijicon ripoff?
Well, time will tell on the TAC12. Parts are supposedly 100% interchangeable with the M4 and from what I've read initial reports have been positive. While it's true they haven't been around long enough that people have put 10,000 rounds through them (although mfg. does have a video of someone doing precisely that) this is not a gun I'm going to be running that hard. For better or worse, I have a bunch of guns, so even though I generally shoot twice a week (plus regular trap shooting) no one gun gets used that heavily ... except the trap gun which I've put 10,000+ rounds through over the last couple of years and was bought used so who knows how many rounds total.

In any event the TAC 12 was $600 OTD, vs. $1600-2000 for the Benelli, so worth taking a flyer IMHO.

Thanks for recommendations. I'm probably going to start with the Trijicon MRO just because I already have it, and it's not on any rifle. I own/have owned a Sig red dot and a Holosun. Like both of them and I think they could probably hold up to 12 gauge. The Aimpoint T2's are obviously great, but pretty pricey. Interesting no one has mentioned Eotech. I generally prefer 2-4 MOA dots, but that's primarily for AR's. Not sure how a big dot would work for me since I have an astigmatism, which already makes the smaller dots look like a blob.

Once I pick up the gun and get it set up I'll try to get to the rang,e put a couple of hundred rounds through it, and post a quick right up, since there has been some interest in how the Turknelli's perform and there's not a lot of info. yet. Might even see how it handles a couple of light trap loads.
 
I gave up on the red dot thing for my Benelli M4. I did change out the front white dot for a Chevron from a company called Blitzkrieg of all things. It seems to help me focus on the front sight, is relatively cheap and there doesn't seem to be any way to break it.