Backup open sights

[Rob]

############xdelete############

 

[D-Man]

I’ve carried and hunted with open sighted 30-30’s and 303’s but many many years ago.
Even knocked over a couple decent deer with those rigs.
Question is how many of us have pulled off a defective scope and completed a successful hunt with open sights?
I have some scoped rifles that still carry the original open sights. Ruger 1A’s and Ruger RSI’s but otherwise I take the open sights off Remington 700’s / Sako’s / Winchester M70’s.
Never in decades of hunting have I ever had to take off a scope and revert to iron sights.
I know some place priority on having irons as a backup but for me it’s a non issue.
Tell me about using them as a backup in real hunting conditions.

Just wondering why you remove open sights from any rifle, even if you will always prefer to use the scope.....

 

[OkayShooter]

A picture of the "home made" rear aperture sight on Finn Aargaard's first 375 H&H (picture stolen from somewhere on Internet - possibly / probably previously posted on CGN):

I've done the home made rear sight plenty of times on old 22's. They're easy to make.

 

[Ganderite]

I prefer to hunt with a low to medium power scope. Never had an issue. However, I always bring a back up rifle with good irons. Several times I have switched to the back up rifle because the heavy falling snow was a pain with the scope. Twice the back up was lent to someone else who had a rifle problem.

 

[DOUGLAS D]

Just wondering why you remove open sights from any rifle, even if you will always prefer to use the scope.....

Two reasons.
First I dislike seeing my front sight in my scope.
Second I dislike pulling a rifle out of a gun boot and ripping up the liner with a fishhook front sight.
As mentioned I have rifles that I would never pull the open sights off but I have just as many that I removed gladly.

 

[Spruster]

Two reasons.
First I dislike seeing my front sight in my scope.
Second I dislike pulling a rifle out of a gun boot and ripping up the liner with a fishhook front sight.
As mentioned I have rifles that I would never pull the open sights off but I have just as many that I removed gladly.

am a newbie and learning ... didn't know you could see the front sight thru your scope .
and the gun boot you using is ripping insulation type liner they quit making , I think ..
why not change you gun boot

 

[crazy_davey]

Enough chirping. Back on track please.

 

[Rob]

am a newbie and learning ... didn't know you could see the front sight thru your scope .

It's handy to use the front sight to quickly align the scope reticle...but only works with low-power scopes.

 

[track]

Most of the time I bring a backup rifle when I go on a hunting trip, just incase an incident occurs and knocks the allignment of my scope. After decades of hunting, with and without a backup rifle, no incident occured. Therefore, I never required to use open sights. Now that I said that, I'll be extra careful this year. LOL!