#349 | Red Dot Sights for Turkey Guns with Greg Maher

Birdshot Podcast

Nick Larson

Sports, Science, Wilderness, Nature, Leisure, Hobbies

4.8 • 969 Ratings

🗓️ 17 April 2026

⏱️ 68 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode of The Birdshot Podcast, host Nick Larson sits down with Greg Maher of Meadow Creek Mounts for a conversation about the practical shift from traditional beads to optics in the turkey woods. They dig into the engineering behind rib-mounted sights, the "equalizer" effect of a red dot on gun fit, and why seeing more of the bird is a significant advantage when the shot counts. Greg Maher is an engineer and a lifer in the turkey woods with over 20 years of experience. After identifying a need for better optic placement on shotguns that weren't originally drilled and tapped, he launched Meadow Creek Mounts in 2020. Based in South Carolina, Greg is a dedicated public land hunter who has pursued turkeys in over 20 states, bringing a perspective focused on gear reliability and the "why" behind every piece of equipment in his vest. Expect to Learn: Why a red dot acts as an "equalizer" for head position and consistency in the field. The technical differences between open and enclosed reflex sights and how they handle the elements. Why mounting an optic on the rib provides a superior field of view compared to receiver mounts. A practical "one-shot" method for zeroing your optic to save on expensive TSS ammunition. How to use a bore laser and a reference sheet to ensure your zero hasn't shifted during travel. Episode Breakdown with Timestamps: [00:02:46] – Greg Maher and Meadow Creek Mounts in a Nutshell [00:07:02] – From Beads to Red Dots: The "Aha" Moment in the Woods [00:15:39] – The Engineering of Rib Mounts vs. Receiver Mounts [00:21:47] – Understanding Reflex Sights, Astigmatism, and Reticle Options [00:31:32] – Battery Life, "Shake Awake," and Avoiding "Amazon Specials" [00:40:55] – Step-by-Step: Zeroing and Patterning for Precision [00:50:07] – Greg’s Personal Setup: The Mossberg SA-20 and Hand-Loaded TSS [00:56:41] – Red Dots for Wingshooting? [01:00:27] – Perspective on "Slams" and Returning to the Spring Woods [01:04:36] – Where to Find Greg and Closing Thoughts Follow The Guest, Greg Maher: Website: https://meadowcreekmounts.com/ Email: Greg@MeadowCreekMounts.com Follow the Host, Nick: Instagram: @birdshot.podcast Website: www.birdshotpodcast.com Listening Links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/17EVUDJPwR2iJggzhLYil7 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/birdshot-podcast/id1288308609 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkIF3w6P9rkuciwX-jEMG3g SUPPORT Use Promo Code | BSP20 to save 20% on https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/app Use Promo Code | BSP10 to save 10% on https://meadowcreekmounts.com/ Use Promo Code | BS10 to save 10% on https://trulockchokes.com/ The Birdshot Podcast is Presented By: https://www.onxmaps.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'll now hand you over to my best man, Eddie.
0:04.0	Wow, wow, wow, second time's a charm, eh, Billy Boy?
0:08.0	Oh God.
0:10.0	Substitution, courtesy of Paddy Power, embarrassing Eddie, makes way for sensible Samuel.
0:15.0	Cool, that was close.
0:16.0	You might not always pick the right starter, but your sub can still deliver.
0:19.0	Because with Paddy's Super Sub, your bet rolls over to the player coming on. Paddy Power. Valid on selected leagues and markets only.
0:24.9	Pre-match and in-play bets on qualifying player outcome selections only. T's and Clusions apply.
0:28.6	18 plus scummelawrware. Dotting. When you go to Aim at a Turkey, you want his head sitting
0:32.4	right on top of the bead. Well, if he were to duck down, you might not see, you know, you're, you block out almost the
0:37.9	entire rest of his body by the barrel in the bead. So getting that dot floating out in space allows
0:43.2	you to, you know, pull it down on his wattles and squeeze off and you can still see if he's
0:47.5	about to move or something like that.
1:00.0	Yeah. Good, really? Good girl, sweetie.
1:14.9	That's a big bird.
1:21.0	Wow.
1:23.8	Hey everyone.
1:24.8	Nick Larson here, host of the Birdshot podcast, the show that brings you conversations, stories, and traditions from all across the uplands.
1:32.3	The Birdshot podcast is presented by Onyx Hunt and supported by folks just like you via our Patreon and community.
1:38.5	If you want to stay up to date and not miss any of our upcoming episodes, be sure to subscribe and follow the show in your podcast player or on
1:44.5	YouTube wherever you're listening or watching today. Tap that button for me. Thank you for doing so.
1:49.1	And with that said, let's get into today's episode of the Birdshot podcast, everybody.
	...

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