r/canadaguns • u/Harrison_Victor • Jun 11 '26

Application / Regulation advice Decent budget Red dot sight recommendations

I’m looking for a decent budget red dot sight to add on my .22 wildcat for some fun plinking. I’d be willing to spend up to 150-200$

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u/Harrison_Victor Jun 12 '26

I’m currently shopping for a S&W 1854 in 44 magnum, I was thinking of rotating the sight on the wildcat and my future S&W. That way I’ll get more value out of the sight than getting an Amazon one

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u/Dummy_Wire Jun 12 '26

That’s not a bad idea. Re-zeroing an optic a couple of times in .44mag though is probably gonna cost you more in ammo than a $50 optic for the Wildcat, so it might be worth it to buy the second optic after the .44.

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u/Harrison_Victor Jun 12 '26

Yeah that is true actually, I’m still hesitant when it comes to .44. The idea of a .357/38 special is also very appealing and the ammo is definitely cheaper

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u/Dummy_Wire Jun 12 '26

My whole collection, basically, is just based around ammo affordability, so I’d definitely recommend considering that.

The optic you bought was like $100 more than a no-name amazon one, but you’ll burn through that extra $100 in your first 100 rounds of .44mag, vs .38sp. Guns and optics and stuff last a while, and gets bought less often. Ammo gets used up fast.

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u/Harrison_Victor Jun 12 '26

Yeah and bulk 38sp is super cheap when compared to .44 especially in a lever gun where you go through rounds like water. I barely use my Mauser M18 chambered in .308 because of how expensive the ammo is, it is exclusively for hunting and doing adjustments, which is unfortunate because I love shooting my Mauser

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u/Dummy_Wire Jun 12 '26

I love my M48 Mauser too, but 8mm Mauser is pricy. I basically exclusively shoot .22lr, 7.62x39, and 12 gauge now, just because I can shoot way more for the price.