Sports vs Hunting, Which Is Best?

It’s not unusual for me to get requests to compare two sights.

Sometimes I get requests to compare Vortex Viper Red Dot Sight and Vortex Strikefire Scope, somedays I get to compare bow sight and handgun sights and if things get really crazy, every once in a while, I get a request to compare sports sights and hunting sights like I did last night.

I reply to them and try to quench their thirst with points and logic. But these requests doesn’t seem to stop coming. That’s why I thought why not write about it and settle the comparison once and for all.

Now, before I tell you what I think about the comparison of sports sights and hunting sights, I should remind you what do people think when they hear Sports sights and Hunting sights and what I think about them.

What is Sports Sight? – What people think & what I think

Let me start with what people think when someone mentions Sports sights.

Well, there are some misconceptions about Sports sight. First of all, some people consider archery sights or bow sights like Sports sights.

I can understand why they think archery sights are sports sight.

Archery is a sport and bows are hardly used in war these days. So, it’s obvious that they might fall under the category sports.

Another common thought on Sports sights is – they are cheap. Cheap as in cheap quality, not price.

I also know the reason why people think that way.

To them, the math is simple. Sports sights are for sports. So even if they are poor in quality or not precise in target acquiring, the consequences are not severe whereas, in war and combats, you can’t think of missing a shot. So, the stakes are high in war and combat compared to sports. That’s why people think sports sights are cheap in quality.

Now, let me blow the bubble for you.

If you ever met a true Olympics level athlete, you know how competitive they can be. They are more than willing to pay to a good amount to have a pro-level sight because they don’t want a sight to come between them and their victory. So, sports sights are not cheap in any way, not in price and definitely not in quality.

So, what are sports sights?

Well, in a broad sense, all of the misconceptions or thoughts on sports sights are both correct in a sense.

First of all, I also consider bow sights or archery sights as sports sights. I know that they are not the sights we usually think about when we hear “sights”, but technically they fall under the category.

Also, I can’t deny the fact that sports sights are comparatively made and handled less carefully than professional shooting gun sights. But certainly not to a degree that people think.

You might not even notice the slight margin.

And some recognized manufacturers don’t even keep that margin.

What is Hunting Sight? – What people think & what I think

Now, let’s talk about what people think of hunting sights.

The previous misconceptions are persistent for hunting sights.

Some people consider bow sights to be hunting sights because of the same reason. They assume precision in hunting is not as important as in combats and war.

Also, there is another group of people who think hunting sights are only gun sights because by hunting they only mean hunting deer or wild boar, etc.

However, there are some hunters who like to hunt smaller birds or animals like a duck. These hunts can be done using a bow sight. So, in that sense, bow sights can be categorized as hunting sights.

But I still consider the gun sight (i.e., red dot sights, reflex sights, prism sights, rifle scopes, proper bow peep sight, etc.) as hunting sights and I think bow sight and archery sights should be separated as a subcategory under sports sights.

Do you really need a comparison between Sports sights & Hunting sights?

Now that you know what sports sights and hunting sights are, it’s time to get to the topic that you came for.

First of all, let me answer the question in the heading/subtitle.

The answer will be “No”.

Because – to be honest, there is no such solid category of sights called sports sights or hunting sights. All the gun and bow sights that I have talked about are actually called Outdoor sights.

Yes, some manufacturers use “Sports and Outdoors” or “Hunting and Outdoors” for the marketing but none of them uses only “Sports” or “Hunting”. Even if a few of them do, they mean outdoors in general with the term “Sports” or “Hunting”.

So, there are no solid categories for sports sights and hunting sights in the market. That’s why you don’t need or you can’t compare sports sights and hunting sights.

Buying Tips

I might not be able to give you a clear winner in sports vs hunting sights but I can definitely share some tips on getting the best sight for hunting or for archery or sports, whatever you want to call them.

This goes without saying but at first, make sure the sight is compatible with your firearm. Even though sights is usually compatible with most of the model of a certain range of firearms, there might be some exception.

Let’s say you need a handgun sight. If the design, structure, and construction are pretty basic, then you won’t have any problem installing any sight that’s targeted for a handgun. However, if your model just came out and the overall shape or structure is somewhat unique, then you need to do some research before buying.

Secondly, make sure the sight is suiting your needs. If you need the features of reflex sight then don’t buy a red dot sight just because it says “Best hunting sight” in the marketing material. Your needs can be different from the group of people they are targeting.

Also, remember to pay attention to small details like reticle size, shape, color, etc.

In the features and accessories department, these sights have a lot of options. So, don’t get confused. Focus on your need and you won’t have to think about sports sights vs hunting sights or which of them are best.

Remember, all that matters is your needs.