Iron Sights vs Scope for BC Hunting

mosinmaster

mosinmaster

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Hi,

I have a Husky 8mm Mauser that I want to use for hunting. I'm wondering whether I should use the stock irons which are 100, and have flipup 200 and 300 m sights on the rear sight. I feel like hunting in BC is usually in the forests or pastures/meadows/farm fields etc. and shots are going to be usually within 200 yards. With an 8x57 round, I could probably hit things easily using the irons (paper plate size). What do you think? It'd make the rifle light, quick, easy to handle, and cheaper. What kind of group size should I have at 200 yards to be good for hunting using irons?

Or should I just scope it because with a Husky and the 8mm mauser, the potential for range and accuracy is worth it?
 
It's up to you, personally I practice with my iron sighted rifles at the range until I can reliably hit the 200 and 300 meter gongs in a variety of shooting positions that I may find myself using while hunting in our woods.

I also reload so I can be sure of having premium bullets available as well as having the point of impact match the zero of the iron sight.

Currently my hunting rifle is an H&R handi rifle in .243 with a bushnel trophy red dot on it. Shooting with both eyes open, sight zeroed to 100 meters.

Bottom line is practice, with your rifle and get to know it.
 
Calum said:
Bottom line is practice, with your rifle and get to know it.
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Excellent advice.

OP, the only way you will know if you can hit at 200yds is to try it and see. I hunt with my M1 Garand every year and have shot two deer with it so far. The area I hunt generally offers shots at less than 100yds and I don't find the iron sights any handicap at all during the daylight hours.

This year I shot a mulie doe at a paced 208yds with the Garand and that is at the outer limits of my comfort zone with the iron sights. Conditions were perfect and it was a standing broadside shot. If the light had been going or something else not quite right I would have passed and tried to get closer. Only you can figure out if the sights will work for your eyes under field conditions.


Mark
 
For my usage I find in the bc bush the irons work great. I have 2 8x57's and find theu dont need a scope. It's personal preference but years ago irons were the hunter standard....
 
I have set up several rifles that I can swap out the scope and go only with iron sights or ghost ring sights.

With my Marlin 1895GS 45-70 using a XS Sights low Weaver backup ghost ring sight I can put 6 350gr Swift A-Frames into 6" @ 150 yards.

My 21" barreled Rem 700 LSS when I have its Leupold VX111 4.5-14X40mm scope removed and mount a XS Sights tall Weaver backup ghost ring sight I group 3 shots into clover leaf groups @ 50 yards & 2" groups @ 100 yards.

I use this rifle when set up like this for animal defense so have not shot it beyond 100 yards with the ghost ring sights yet but I know that one trip to the range and I could be shooting it beyond 200.
 
If the rifle is never going to be used beyond 100 yards, iron sights might make sense. But for me, a scope will be on any rifle I own except for special cases.

A scope of the proper power is the fastest way to shoot accurately at close range; it is the most accurate sight system at longer range; it is invaluable in poor light situations. In short, a scope is the best sighting system for a hunting rifle.

I think a hunting scope should have a lowest power of no more than 2X, and 1.5X is better. I have found no need for anything over 6X or 7X at the high end of the variable range. If you get a good quality scope of the appropriate power range, you will never regret it, and you will make many shots you could not make with iron sights.
 
Last month I showed up in hunt camp in Africa with the only hunting rifle I use at present, my Ruger RSM .375 H&H wearing iron sights only (as I always shoot it). I was immediately asked nervously if I brought even just rings, as they could supply a 1" scope. A 168 yard shot off hand on a 500mL water bottle on their runway brought smiles. My response about my brother and my shooting on the runway that day (he nailed a water bottle first shot as well off hand at 100 yards, just prior to my shot) was, "We're Canadian." :) Irons are part of our hunting here, for sure, same as the Boer PH's we hunted with.

Iron sights are superb for hunting, and in my opinion the best choice for 200 yard and under hunting. You get the full picture, and can see your hit even in full recoil with a .375 or bigger. I'd limit the range to where you can no longer hit a 6" target every time. The best advice in this thread is to go to the range, try it, and see where your limit is, the sights themselves are perfect for hunting it's all up to the shooter. Shoot from field positions, not a bench, such as using your backpack, crossed sticks or a 'Y' stick etc, off the bench gives no indication for how suitable your skills are for hunting. Good luck. :)
 
Depends where you're hunting in BC, and what your comfort level is. Personally I have a rifle with irons, and others that are scoped with 3-9's... Also tend to hunt with the scoped models, but if I was going into some thick timber spots I would take the irons. As stated above, I also believe that practice is the key to effective use of any tool....
 
High quality scopes are great in low light conditions

Ardent said:
Last month I showed up in hunt camp in Africa with the only hunting rifle I use at present, my Ruger RSM .375 H&H wearing iron sights only (as I always shoot it). I was immediately asked nervously if I brought even just rings, as they could supply a 1" scope. A 168 yard shot off hand on a 500mL water bottle on their runway brought smiles. My response about my brother and my shooting on the runway that day (he nailed a water bottle first shot as well off hand at 100 yards, just prior to my shot) was, "We're Canadian." :) Irons are part of our hunting here, for sure, same as the Boer PH's we hunted with.

Iron sights are superb for hunting, and in my opinion the best choice for 200 yard and under hunting. You get the full picture, and can see your hit even in full recoil with a .375 or bigger. I'd limit the range to where you can no longer hit a 6" target every time. The best advice in this thread is to go to the range, try it, and see where your limit is, the sights themselves are perfect for hunting it's all up to the shooter. Shoot from field positions, not a bench, such as using your backpack, crossed sticks or a 'Y' stick etc, off the bench gives no indication for how suitable your skills are for hunting. Good luck. :)
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I've never hunted or shot in Africa but I know that they have more light than my part of Canada in autumn.
The ability of a high quality scope to capture huge amounts of light is the reason to use a scope for hunting.

I have one scope which is so good that it gives me at least 10-15 minutes more hunting time than using iron sights, it's almost a night vision device ;)

Alex
 
Fifty years ago or so.:p

During my time in uniform with the Canadian Army, shooting with some rifle teams.
I was able to hit the 24" Bull at 1000 yards with some regularity.
First with the Lee-Enfield, later with the FN rifle.
And ALWAYS with iron sights.
I shot better with the old bolt gun, than I could shoot with the new-fangled FN.

Now i'm old, and my eyes are no longer capable of using iron sights much past 50 yards or so. Although I still use iron sights, on any bush carry/defense gun.:)

For me the solution lies in low-power (less than 4X) scopes with BIG objectives for lots of light gathering ability. Of course I also limit the distance at which I will take a shot.
I'm only a meat hunter, and I can't pack the meat very far anymore.
Long shots mean packing meat.

If you are fortunate enough to have the use of an ATV, please disregard the meat packing bit Eh!:D
 
stay with open sight. Im from bc where our hunting is out in the open, pastures, clear cuts and etc. I have my German k98k sporter with peep sight and i took out all of my game with it this year. furthest shot was 140 yards on a black bear and still took it out. So i would prefer open sight. The open sight is better then the scope when a animal is running, easy to align the sights.
 
mosinmaster said:
Yes you can make the connection. Iron sights at night... it can be done somehow. They did with their bolt action rifles.
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I'm a huge proponent of irons and take all my big game over them, but I would disagree here. I've tried using irons right at dusk, it's hard, and I'm lucky enough to have 20/10 vision. The grunts in WWII just plain missed, and as another mentioned above, had illumination flares available.
 
I have a sporterized Norwegian M1912 carbine in 6.5x55 that I take hunting with me as a truck gun. At 50 or so meters with iron sights, this thing is scary accurate!
 
Hunting with irons is a neat experience and adds something to the hunt in my opinion. If you practice and can hit with them, and have the kind of eyes you need, then go for it.
 
Installing a fiber glow site to ones iron sights may help some in low light conditions. At least that's what I have discovered over the years.
 
I use TOZ-122 308 with Irons as my ATV hunting rifle. I hunt Costal BC, never had a shot more then 200m away. Irons are good for most costal BC
 
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