Open sights. yes or no

[ar10ar15man]

REMEMBER THIS IS A LONG RANGE SITE.
even the military agrees simple optics are quicker more precise( for a large target) than iron sights.
I AM JUST NOT A BIG OLD SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY GUY.
move forward

 

[ofbandg]

Iron sights were all anyone used where I grew up. Whitetails in hardwood forests were the main targets and they were most likely moving when you spotted them. As well, many of the hunters were former military and learned to prefer peep sights and shot them very efficiently. The few "rich" guys who bought scopes were looked down upon and teased for their purchases. I never owned a scope until I moved west and discovered big, open country. I still keep iron sight on a few rifles. Lever guns with fibre optic front sights and skinner peeps are hard to beat for speed and stopping power when hiking in the off season. I even keep a couple classic bolt guns, a model 54 Win in '06 and a Husky 9.3 x 62, with Lyman peeps on them I use for spring bear hunting. It makes it more fun. It really feels like hunting when you have one of them in your hands.

 

[Goodtobetheking]

I typically hunt with a 1-8x scope. Since I'm used to low/med magnification, I carry a high quality red dot sight as my backup for scope failure. The red dot's already been zeroed to my rifle and round, of course. It limits long range shots, but to 200 yards everything is fine. I can get consistent "vitals" hits @ 300 with the red dot on the range, but realize that's not actually hunting conditions, so I'd likely pass on the shot unless an ideal set up and simply work closer, if possible. So...I feel prepared but I've thankfully not had a scope failure so can't report on actually using the red dot in the field.

 

[marvee]

A Rem 700 I bought new in 1964 came with open sights as rifles did back then. I took time to sight in the open sights first before the scope was mounted... Three years later on a back country hunt , first morning out I slipped on a frosty Aspen log . Me & the scope hit the ground hard. The eye piece of the scope struck the Aspen log & bent it down & broke the rear lens. The scope was junk. Way back in with no scope fix available I finished my hunt with open sights. As it turned out it was a successful hunt. Without open sights it would likely have been a ruined season. Most all my rifles have open sights. I would feel unprepared to hunt without them now.
A couple years back a younger hunter said he did not want to spoil the lines of his rifle with open sights. Since my rifle to me is a tool that I depend on I was surprised to hear such a comment. Are there others that put looks ahead of function?

My father taught me how to shoot a 300 savage with open sites for one year before I got my first scope, (and still have). Everybody should have to use open sites and peep hole first. My 06 pump has see thru mounts.

 

[Triggerhead Ed]

We started ours out with a Chipmunk when they were about 5 and moved up.
Close targets! Success is important at first then more changing!
I have the 'Munk ready for the new grandson!

 

[Triggerhead Ed]

We use the Savage same size as Chipmunk
Both are wonderful starters for Granddaughters and Grandsons
By all means Keep it simple make it fun

 

[Hespco]

Every new season brings numerous hunters from out of state. They will have every new high tech gadget you can think of. Most have no open sights on their rifles & display poor marksmanship when required to shoot off hand. Simple basic skills are not learned. Most seem to think every shot at game they get will be at 500yds or further. You can do all the long range practice you like. My experience tells me most shots will be at 200 or less. Depending on terrain & vegetation you will be forced at times to make an off hand shots or pass it by. You may have only seconds to do so. Be able to make accurate off hand shots is being prepared. Having back up sites is also being prepared. I have seen hunters run to get in position for a shot, stumble & their rifle go flying & crash to the ground. Have seen hunters pulling a rifle out of a rifle scabbard on a horse, get the bolt handle hung up & drop the rifle 4' to the ground. A loud thud & very likely a scope knocked off. Any one who would want to shoot & check their zero in hunting camp would be run out. To those who wish not to have open sights , that is their choice. Think about walking out of camp a mile or so. You fall & or drop your rifle & damage your scope. On your way back to camp you see game . A legal bull you must pass on. You spent thousands on this hunt. This will haunt you for years.

 

[memtb]

Hespco, Logic and common sense, is totally inappropriate and has no place in these discussions! memtb

 

[Alibiiv]

My go-to rifle is a Remington 700ADL, with a Leupold VX III 2.5 X 8 scope and the original Remington factory sights that came with the rifle; at that time open sights were desirable on a rifle. This rifle has been in the family since 1969-70. Originally the scope was in Weaver detachable rings so it went on and off depending on the hunting terrain while deer hunting in Maine. If it was close woods shooting, then the scope came off, otherwise we hunted with the scope on. The scope also came off it was snowing or if we got caught out in the rain or snow. Today I don't go out of my way one way or the other as to sights, if they're on they're on if not it doesn't matter. For me today my eyes are not what they used to be, the scope is the best way for me to go. When hunting now I bring along an extra scoped rifle and oftentimes a scope that is sighted in for what I am using to hunt with; use Warne rings and bases. The last time I flew out on a hunt in Canada I was using a Ruger 77 with integral bases, brought along an extra scope that was already sighted in for the rifle due the weight constraints for flying in.

 

[colorado burros]

My backup rifle has iron sites. It's my rifle of choice when the weather turns bad.

 

[James L Holzhauer]

Keep the open sights by all means. To me they actually dress the rifle nicely and keeping them has obvious utility

 

[freddogs]

I have scopes on most of my rifles but some came with iron sights and some didn't. I bring an extra rifle & scope on hunts in case of a problem. I only used the extra rifle two times in the last 50 years. The old military rifles I shoot have iron sights and I like shooting them but I don't use them hunting. You have only a few guns that come with open sights now. It's not important to me if they do or don't. I still muzzleloader hunt with iron sights.
Sighted in my 375 Ruger last summer with the iron sights. Then I put a scope on just to add some weight.

 

[Guy M]

Easy enough to have a spare scope, already sighted-in, in a pair of scope rings. In the unfortunate event of a scope failure, dismount the broken scope, mount the replacement, and continue. It takes a few minutes, and depending on mounts/rings, no tools or few tools.

 

[HARPERC]

.......Easy enough to have a spare scope, already sighted-in, in a pair of scope rings. In the unfortunate event of a scope failure, dismount the broken scope, mount the replacement, and continue. It takes a few minutes, and depending on mounts/rings, no tools or few tools......

A laser bore sighter is like carrying one more round of ammo-for mid hunt checks.