Best expectations for iron sights!!

Wilson

Wilson

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Getting away from scoped rifles.. was just wondering what would be considered xcellent and down to mediocre for shooting iron sights.

I tend to sight in all scope rifles at 100 but irons at 75yds,

I know cartridge is important i shoot 2 M71's (348),a 35 rem 336 , and a old mauser mannlicher in 30-06 carbine , a NZ carbine 1906 in 303

the Manlicher is most accurate the 71;s close behind...

anyone else use iron sights..:)
 
Myself, I consider that 2" at 100 yards is excellent with Iron sights.
Using a 6 oclock hold.
Better than that, is likely a fluke, unless your eyes are a hell of a lot better than mine.
I used to be able to do 1.5's with a good peep sight, but those days are gone.

Last time we had this discussion it got ugly, be prepared.
 
There's iron sights, and then there is iron sights. At close range anything will work, but as range lengthens the ghost ring and post begins to show it's superiority over a "V" rear sight and bead front. The rear sight blurrs in your vision and can be ignored, and the front sight looks crisp and clear against the target, therefore there is no need for the shooter to adjust his focus between front and rear sight and the target. I've been able to do some good shooting with these out to 200 yards - when I'm on.
 
Most of my hunting rifles have irons on them, and I have no problem at 200 meters.
Competition rifles , however, use a target big enough so it can be seen easily, it is a compeltely different game.

Hunting irons may not be able to put 5 in one hole at 200 on a small target, but they will drop a deer at that distance , no sweat.
Cat
 
Swedish M38 , 6.5x55
Remington 140gr
100yards

I am not a good shooter, with less than a year experience. Although the result below is less than avarage I still enjoy shooting my Swedish.


SwedishM38June1820061-1.jpg
 
There are different levels of expectation here, for example for long distance shooting, a peep sight like that on a Garand or M14 copy, OR Williams or Lyman peep are excellent for distance shooting.

Of course the olympic grade Redfield/Anchutz/Parker Hale iron sights are in a class all by themselves.

And are all certainly head and shoulders above Winchester M94 open factory sights. (buckhorn/semi or full) Hence similar results can be expected of likewise models of large front and rear sights.
(maximum 100 yards in good light)

The large ghost ring sights like the Ashley model are too big for precision work but okay for close in work.
(out to 150 yards with practice)

My personal experiences include taking a deer last year using a 30-30 at 260 yards using Williams "Fooproof"rear peep with "Firesite" small bead on front ramp. As well as 600 yard shooting this past summer in Saskatchewan, using Springfield made M1 30-06 Garand. (prone) 18 inch by 18 inch metal gong.

The deer harvest was carried out with much prior season practice, and this past summer's M1 shooting, was done laying in the dirt, with unfortuneately less practice.
 
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I agree about aperture sights being excellent, and I find myself using them far more than I use a scope, in recent years.

However, I also like open sights as long as the rear is a square notch and the front is a square post, and there's a bit of daylight on either side of the front post. With a 6 o'clock hold, I do almost as well with them as I do with an aperture especially if the light is poor.
 
I hope chuck Hawks is not insinuating i scope a 1939 win Mdl.71. I think a scope on a new rifle is almost a given.
But alsa there are a fair number of us still shootin with iron..albeit peep sights.
For moose with my Browning 71 in 348 I would feel comfortable shooting out to 200 yds(with a decent rest) I has a lyman 66 on it i believe and yes at the range I have a disc in the apeture..guess I'll try hitting a pie plate without it.
For mulies maybe 150yds..
 
I have quite a few rifles without scopes, mostly lever guns. The best I've ever done with buckhorn type sights at the range is around 2 1/2" 3 shot group at a hundred. With apurature sights probaly a little under 2". My consistancy isn't as good nor accuracey of course as with using a scope but shooting with irons is a lot of fun. :) I haven't shot large game this way yet but would feel comfy with most of my iron sighted rifles to 200 yds if the light conditions were ok..
 
"Wilson" :) I just sighted in my 1941 Husqvarna 6.5X55 with one of these...... http://mojosights.com/ I like it. first time shooting without a scope. Very enjoyable to shoot. I do need practise however but I know a deer at 75-100yrds will be down. I know my limitations. Check the sights out. And no gunsmithing:dancingbanana:
 
I have most of the hunt camp as whitnesses to my 300 yard shot on a whitetail. One shot kill. Issue sights with a 96 Swede.
I'd been practicing with it at 400 that year. The old gun has very fine sights. Too damn fine for quick shots, but great for distance.
 
In BPCR competition, shooters use iron sights(peep) to shoot silhouette targets out to 500 meters, they use black powder cartridges(of course), pre 1898 rifles or repros, must have external hammer, shoot the 200m targets offhand and the rest from shooting sticks. These rifles are similar to ones used long ago to hunt buffalo, except now the targets are at known distances!
 
from the sittin position using my no1 mk3 i can shoot 3" groups with iron sights at 100 yards. did this for 4 groups, 3 shots each so it wasnt a fluke. smallest was about 2 1/2".

minute of bear? i say so :D
 
Depending on how fine the sights are.With My Win88 thet has fine sights I was right around 3''.I have few Rem760/7600s that have very course sight as we all know.Lucky for me to get 4'' at 100 with them.This is why I like a scope or a peep on a rifle.i was never real good at shooting open sights.
 
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