Iron sights vs low powered optics

algonhighlands

algonhighlands

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Good day folks,

But of a noob question here but just looking for some insight between running the iron sights or running some low powered optics.
The forest in my area is pretty dense and a likely chance of no shot being over 50-75 yards. I have an old 30-06 with iron sights, but it is drilled and tapped.
Figure I'll need the base, mounts and optics?

Thanks in advance.
 
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If you can mount your scope in QD rings you can have the optics with magnification and better low light performance AND irons for up close or in the wet.

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Iron sights require you to line up three things, front sight, the rear sight and your eye ball on the game. With a scope it's just the eye ball and the crosshairs on the game. That advice about saving your money for ammo was spot on. Besides, scopes are boring.
 
I have scoped, iron sights, reddots, peeps and apeture sights. Try Iron and if you dont like it, maybe try a RDS or a 2.5x scope. You can get see thru bases, that you can still use irons, but have an optic mounted.
 
I like irons, I got my black bear this year with my 8mm06 with iron sights at 75m! Irons are good and simple, that said a red dot or a fix 2.5, 3 or 4x would do great and keeping things light and simple. A 1.5-4 would also be a good choice, but a bit heavier and pricier for the same quality!
 
I am a big irons fan, but also hunt with a 1-4X scope.
I leave it on 4X beause when it is turned down I see the front sight.
Even a 6X is low enough for a uick shot in deep brush mst o the time.
My main hunting rifle has QD rings on it so I can take the scope off however if I know I will be spending time in the deep stuff, otherwise I leave the scope on as My eyes are getting bad.
My drilling has open sights only as does my 6.5X54 MS with its peep sight.
Cat
 

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Picked up a Krieghoff SXS in 30R Blaser in 2013, had it built with regular irons on it, has interchangeable front inserts on it, white bead, also truglos. It has a swingoff Recknagel mount, can use a Zeiss V6 1-6x24 on it, mount also has an insert for using a Recknagel peep on it, and I had a Leupold Deltapoint mount modded to work on the peep mount. Figured I'd build it to be as versatile as possible. At the moment I have the Deltapoint 2.5 on it, works like a charm to 300 yds for me. The Zeiss in probably the clearest scope I own in lower light, but, on that gun, I'm not a big fan of the handling with it on there, not that it's bad, just bulky and heavier with the scope. And as that was setup for a 300yd max gun, the Deltapoint is all I really need, battery comes out from the top, which is why I bought the Leupold, and the 2.5MOA dot is adequate for 300 yds, use top, ctr and bottom of it for the yardages., not hard to find and line up, daylight bright.
 
downwindtracker2 said:
Iron sights require you to line up three things, front sight, the rear sight and your eye ball on the game. With a scope it's just the eye ball and the crosshairs on the game. That advice about saving your money for ammo was spot on. Besides, scopes are boring.
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So does a scope; your eye, it's alignment with the scope and the scope with the target. As others have said, in close cover at those ranges, I would stick with irons, but make sure they are visible. A dab of florescent paint on the front and a bit of a different highlight for the rear notch.

If you have a quick shot to make in thick cover, struggling to get a full field of view (parallax) can cost you the shot. Not an issue with irons.

Another option might be a ghost ring sight. Very quick to point.
 
I found that a fixed 3x is great, I have a m8 3x on my 458 win mag and a few 4x too and love them they are good to 100m easy and ok to 200-300 for hunting purposes !
I find with open sights that if they are not at the perfect spot on the rifle in relation to your eyes they can be a pain in the but, also some shape or rear sight just don’t cut it and some are great to use!
I would even consider a 2-2.5moa red dot but I never used/owned one so I’m not super into buying one to try out!
 
In this part of the Canadian Shield, we have the same shooting ranges as you. I use a 2.5x fixed power with a #1 or #4 reticle with their tree-trunk thick reticles as my Senior Citizen aged eyes can no longer pick up the reticle in even a duplex scope in broad daylight [if there is such a thing in the Black Spruce], much less at first or last light when the animals are on the move.

My $0.02 Cdn.
 
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