Peep sights on a BLR

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wilbur007

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I was out hunting this fall and missed a shot on a nice buck. I was using a bolt action rifle that I've used plenty of times before. I always take it out in August and make sure it's zeroed in with my hunting ammunition. I tested the rifle on paper afterwards and it was shooting about 12" high - obviously the scope had been knocked out of alignment somehow.

I don't have a lot of time for hunting and once September hits I don't have the opportunity to go out and verify my rifle's accuracy right before I go hunting. I'm thinking of making the switch to iron sights while my eyes are still good. (I'm in my mid 40's and I know what's coming...) I think there's less chance that iron sights will be mis-aligned.

I have a Browning BLR and the iron sights on it are okay but I've heard that peep sights are a little better, particularly when aging eyes start to catch up to a person. Most of my shooting takes place in northern Saskatchewan with shots ranging from 3 yards to the occasional 150 yard shot.

Does anyone have feedback about putting peep sights on a BLR? Skinner sights seem to be popular right now, so if anyone could chime in about how they work for hunting, I'd appreciate that. Am I silly to consider switching to peep sights or are they just as likely to be knocked out of place?
 
Skinner has a page dedicated to Browning rifles on their web page. Once you've mounted the receiver sight, you have to fire a group and see how high it impacts with the factory front sight in order to do the calculation for the height of a new front sight blade.
 
A good scope mounted properly in good mounts should be rock solid dependable. That would be my first choice by far for my primary rifle.

wilbur007 said:
Am I silly to consider switching to peep sights or are they just as likely to be knocked out of place?
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You're going to see your next big buck at almost dark at about 150yds and be sorely ticked you don't have a scope.
 
Skinner sights are quality and Andy is a pleasure to do business with , on my blr I went with a bushnell reflex sight and it works great and if it fails you can remove it fast and use your irons or peep
 
I have seen a nice solid rear sight that sits in a scope base type mount.

My M94 carries a Williams foolproof. The advantage of this sight is that the bridge can be removed. When it is re-installed, it slides back into the vertical dovetail and stops when it hits a set-screw at the correct zero distance. By removing it when not in use, the bridge does not get bent.
 
A steel tubed 3X scope should be almost indestructible on your #1 rifle, and in most situations, better than a peep sight.

When I go hunting, my main rifle has a scope. My back up rifle has a peep, and i use this for pouring rain or heavy snowfall when a scope is a pain.

It is also a back up if something happens to #1.
 
Peeps can be excellent for reasonable ranges. But they are not a substitute for a decent optic at Mid or Longer Ranges.
I wouldn't be shooting at anything over 50 yards with peeps or open sights. Just my comfort level.
My Rule - If I can't hit a tennis ball with any given sights at the range I'm going to shoot an animal, I don't use em.

My BLR's have the fibre optic front and I'm really confident with them.
 
This is all really good information. Thanks everyone. I need to spend some time at my favorite gun shop discussing scope mounts. (And maybe peep sights too...)

I know I don't want to miss like that again!
 
Fixed 4X leupold would be a good bombproof piece of glass for a rifle like that. I used to run a VxII 1-4x20 on my 1895 and I never touched it after zeroing with chosen load. That gun never got babied and went everywhere.
 
wilbur007 said:
This is all really good information. Thanks everyone. I need to spend some time at my favorite gun shop discussing scope mounts. (And maybe peep sights too...)

I know I don't want to miss like that again!
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What did you have for scope and mounts at the time of the great disappointment?
 
SuperCub said:
A good scope mounted properly in good mounts should be rock solid dependable. That would be my first choice by far for my primary rifle.



You're going to see your next big buck at almost dark at about 150yds and be sorely ticked you don't have a scope.
Click to expand...

SuperCub said:
What did you have for scope and mounts at the time of the great disappointment?
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Exactly my thoughts/opinion op, SuperCub is spot on.

My only additional comment is, as I've aged, I've relied on a scope more and more. My eyes don't work as efficiently with irons now as they did in my youth. And the thought of a big buck @ last light without a scope to gather light, well... You don't want to miss the opportunity to take a shot for lack of a scope...

Cheers
Jay
 
Ganderite said:
A steel tubed 3X scope should be almost indestructible on your #1 rifle, and in most situations, better than a peep sight.

When I go hunting, my main rifle has a scope. My back up rifle has a peep, and i use this for pouring rain or heavy snowfall when a scope is a pain.

It is also a back up if something happens to #1.
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This ^ My back up is a Long Branch No4 sporter , it was zeroed when I got it 40 years ago ........ it still is .
 
Wondering if xs sights make anything for browning . Something similar to the ruger gun sight rail with peep would be great where can have peeps and a scope mounted in same rail. If possible to buy a rail could drill and tap and add a peep
 
I was using a Savage Lightweight hunter as a rifle. Scope is a Bushnell Elite 4200 with Weaver rings and bases. It doesn't get babied and it's never been knocked out of alignment before. I'll have to spend some time using it in the bush this spring and see if it knocks out again.

I'll probably muck around with iron sights on the BLR and see what that works like. I hear everyone who has chimed in about scopes in low light and/or with aging eyes. Perhaps a smaller scope is what I need.

Thanks again for all of the feedback. I'll report back in the spring when I know more.
 
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