For ol' farts like me, the red dot has been a wonderful invention for things like my Browning target .22. With conventional iron sights your vari-focals have a hard time accommodating rear notch, front post and bullseye 25-50 yds away. My opthomol---- (eye doctor) said to get a weak pair of drugstore readers that will bring the front post sharp; then let the target go fuzzy. It works! However, the Ultra Dot on my Browning puts you back in the competition.

Anybody have a recommendation for a good setup on my 6" K frame .357 (M19) or heavier 686 without really messing things up with drilling, tapping and adding too much weight? Thanks

I use some of the cheap ones and that is what I got - Can't remember the name - starts with a "U" then dot for $125 bucks the the best for the buck you can get. Happy shooting, John

Here is my solution. While they are not inexpensive at about 375 bucks shipped with the mounting plate, they are IMO the perfect answer.



Here is a link to my report on the J Point reflex after purchasing and installing 2 more, one on my 617 and one on my 620. BTW, after getting them sighted in all 3 guns shoot within one inch of the dot from 20 feet all the way out to about 135 feet. That was not the case when using a rail mounted sight, the large offset from the bore axis caused convergence issues that made the system rather sensitive to distance.

Purchased 2 more J Point Reflex sights, range report.

no drill & tap, eh?

Not too many options, I suppose.

K-frame:
Aimtech K-frame side-plate mount
Weaver K/L-frame mount

L-frame:
Aimtech L-frame side-plate mount

(and while we're at it) N-frame:
Aimtech N-frame side-plate mount
(Weaver used to make a claw-type mount for the N-frame, but I haven't seen it on MidwayUSA for a while now...)

Depending on how old your 686 is, it may be factory d&t. Look under the topstrap and see if there are any holes there.

__________________
"I'm your huckleberry."

My old-fart eyes really appreciate the standard UltraDot and they've been working great for me.

A new option that I've recently been playing with is a "Primary Arms MicroDot". It's a $79 knock-off of the $500+ Aimpoint dot. It's got click adjustments for windage and elevation so it's a snap to get sighted in. I've been using it on one of my Model 14's for a few weeks now and have had great results. So far, I'd consider it a strong alternative to the good 'ol UltraDot for about half the price.

Here's what it looks like:

Has any one used the Weaver 401S base on their 617?

I prefer C-more sights on handguns. They have never failed for me.

The base on my Model 14 in that picture is a Weaver 401. It fits/works perfectly. 401S would be identical except that it's silver colored.

+1 for PA MicroDot. I have one on my PC 686 Hunter and love it.

Thanks KMB. I think I'll try it...

I’ll throw another option, that being the Leupold DeltaPoint. It’s a little expensive at $400/$450 price depending on whether you get all the bases or not.

It’ll shoot just about as good as a 2X scope, as you use the tip of the delta for your aiming point. It has no problem handling the recoil from a 500 Smith.

Sure. Happy to help. I have a small pseudo-review on the Microdot, with some pics, here: Primary Arms Micro red dot on my PC 686 Hunter

I think you'll be very happy with it, especially for the price. I am thinking about putting a JPoint sight on my other 686, but the price of sight, mount, and drilling/tapping the topstrap is prohibitively high. I'll probably wait until next spring (tax return!) to get this done.