Open sights/ hunting with irons

Let's hear from the folks who hunt with open sights! When possible I hunt without a scope as it feels more sporting. Granted, I usually hunt where shots are under 100 yards, but I'm amazed at the number of folks with scopes on their short-range lever guns.

Below is a doe I took last year at 50 yards with a 125-year-old Swiss military rifle with handloaded ammo.

 

I usually hunt with a Winchester 1894 with a peep sight. It's not hard to use out to 100 yards and is light weight. You do lose at least 15 minutes of daylight in the morning and another 15 in the evening. Scopes give a little more time to hunt.

I started last year with a 5 shot Conversion Ruger Bisley done by Jack Huntington..... I missed out on a nice 8 point because I hesitated. No shots fired, but it would have been a nice first kill with that gun.... iron sights of course.

 

The light issue certainly is one drawback. I put white fingernail polish on the front sight post of some of my rifles to help out in that regard. Peep sights are nice when your eyes start having trouble focusing on the rear sight. I'm definitely in that club now and don't know how long I'll be able to hunt iron sights that aren't peep sights. I really need to add peeps to all of my lever guns but I've just been too cheap to do so yet.

 

I love good glass, and bang for the buck Vortex is hard to beat IMO

But I'm old enough that I don't want to drag a damn deer out of the woods anymore, hey it happens. And will hunt birds with a dog until I can't walk anymore. Been whacking tree rats this summer around the house with the .22 and scope set at 10X it is hard to see the sights like I once did. Head shots of course.

But some guns should just never wear glasses. Ever. Like my grandfathers Winchester 94 that is now mine.



Earned my NRA Distinguished Expert medal with a single shot .22 and peep sights in the early 70's. Think scopes aren't allowed for that to this day and hope that is the case.

 

Use a 357 mag pistol with open sights in Ohio......shots are usually under 75 yards where I hunt. 2 for 2 on bucks with the pistol. Shotguns were open sights when used and muzzle loader has a red dot only - no magnification.

I used to hunt with a 99 Savage and peep sights in Pa. when I was younger. Then got a Remington 760 pump for high school graduation in '75....open sights till college graduation in '79 when I got a scope as present. Used the Savage as back up and second day gun when running shots were more likely - I can't pick up a running deer in a scope, never could. To be legal, needed 2 points/one side or a spike 3" or longer (cigarette length) - was relatively easy to distinguish back then with the naked eye.

Now as I am older and eyes are worse - trifocals - I need a scope for Pa. as you need to count points to be legal. Need 3 to a side where I hunt (including brow tine). Ever try to count points on a moving buck through brush and hemlock boughs at 50-75 yards??? I think my newer Nikon scope is a 4-14 power. Actually put it on the Savage and removed the peep. Hated to do this and resisted for years to altering this gun, as it had the peep when my dad first bought it in the '50s. But I hope to kill another buck with it using the scope.

 

I love those Mannlicher-style full stocked carbines. Those guns with iron sights seem to be quite popular in Europe.

 

If you shoot them thru the eyes it prevents pelt damage.

 

I've got nothing against a good scope, and for some applications they are a necessity. I always use a scope for squirrel hunting - it's hard to make those head shots without them. I love hearing stories about guns that are part of a family history!

 

Pistol hunting with iron sights! Impressive! I hear you on the eyesight thing, for sure. I'm in bifocals now. I carry a monocular for checking tines, but then of course you have to swap from that to the gun, which slows you down and increases the risk that you won't be able to make the shot in time.

 

One of my grandfathers other guns was a Savage 99 with the round counter on the side. It was a .250 and some of the ammo boxes back then said .250-3000 on them. Shot a hell of a lot of woodchucks in Pa. with that gun it was great target practice. That one disappeared after he passed away before I could get back home, I was deployed overseas at the time.

 

Cold Iron: the Savage 250-3000 round was the first caliber to go 3000 feet/second, if I recall correctly. Looked years ago to buy one for my daughter as it was a good caliber for smaller people. She only deer hunted 2 days in Ohio (shotgun and muzzle loader), so never followed through.

My Savage has the counter on the side and rotary magazine - no clip - I think the counter goes to 5 + 1 in the chamber.
Gun has the Schnabel for-end, which I love. I think it is a 1951 vintage.....most 99's have a letter after the number, but mine doesn't. This was my dad's first 'real' deer rifle, after using military guns a few times. He got his first buck with it, as did I. My son hasn't scored yet, but college takes priority to deer hunting. Maybe after he graduates I can get him up to camp in Pa. and he can get his first with it, too.

Forgot, it is a 300 Savage caliber - great brush/short distance gun.

 

I love shooting open sights. I almost prefer it to my scopes (I rarely ever shoot outside of 300 yards). I find it challenging and I also seem to learn irons faster than my scopes when it comes to shooting.

 

What do you shoot? Most modern centerfire rifles don't have iron sight options except for leverguns. I have an assortment of old milsurp rifles that are quite fun plus a CZ 527 carbine in 7.62x39 that has open sights and is quite fun for target shooting.

 

This past seasons small 8 point with my Dan Wesson 357. Ohio extended gun season - mid December.

 

Bought my first scoped rifle 2 years ago. My go-to had always been my Winchester 94. It was my dad's and both he and I shot our first buck with it, both at age 25. Actually only bought the new rifle to keep anything from happening to that one in hopes I can pass it down too

 

Management doe with the 375 h&h

 

Great rifles