Which rifle with iron sights do you refuse to scope?

Steyr-Daimler-Puchs Mannlicher Schoenauer HK .308. With my vision I need an optic with adjustable focus. Can't see irons and target at the same time. So I sold it rather than drill/tapping this original gun - there was another option but dang expensive.

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Scoped rifles are where its at for me these days. Recently I bought another HK in 7x57 with vintage quick detach scope already on it. This could be 'the one'..

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My levers are unscoped and son's CZ 550 FS in 30-06. He doesn't want it scoped and hunts with it out to about 100 yards. He can shoot less than a 2" group at 100 yards offhand so figure he's okay.
 
Off the top of my head...

M98 9.3x62. Not drilled, why would I?
Winchester Model 71 because, well, I don't want my wiener to fall off.
Browning 1885 45-70, for obvious reasons.
Merkel 140AE 470 Nitro
Shiloh Sharps 45-70, though if I lived somewhere with access to BPCR Silhouette my tune might change.
Remington Rolling Block 45-70 because you should have one rifle with irons for BPCR.
And, if I ever get off my ass and finish rehabbing it, my Model 94. Even though it's a Post 64, scoping a Model 94 feels offensive to me.

I think that's about it. I've got a Pre64 M70 in 30-06 that doesn't wear a scope because it's basically my spare '06 and it has irons so why bother?
 
To add, I have become a purist as it relates to the Brno mod 21, and have learned to use those sights for normal hunting ranges, plus I don't have the heart to bend or replace that lovely butterknife handle.
 
I've got a nice pre 64 Win 70 featherweight in .30-06 I'm considering leaving un-scoped.

Also, no scopes on any of the '94's in .30-30 taking up space in the lock-up. ;)

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NAA.
 
BigUglyMan said:
Off the top of my head...

M98 9.3x62. Not drilled, why would I?
Winchester Model 71 because, well, I don't want my wiener to fall off.
Browning 1885 45-70, for obvious reasons.
Merkel 140AE 470 Nitro
Shiloh Sharps 45-70, though if I lived somewhere with access to BPCR Silhouette my tune might change.
Remington Rolling Block 45-70 because you should have one rifle with irons for BPCR.
And, if I ever get off my ass and finish rehabbing it, my Model 94. Even though it's a Post 64, scoping a Model 94 feels offensive to me.

I think that's about it. I've got a Pre64 M70 in 30-06 that doesn't wear a scope because it's basically my spare '06 and it has irons so why bother?
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Ya, I've got one of these that isn't DT, being a 70 year rifle it just feels wrong to touch it at this point
 
Any rifle designed with iron sights stays that way, but ESPECIALLY anything with historical provenance that you'd bubba changing anything like that.

And even a historically-accurate WWII sniper scope was from the primitive dawn of optics, so very interesting but not as good as 21st century technology.

Only a modern rifle designed to be wearing an optic (and free of legacy iron sights) should have one, and then you get the full advantage of all that working together.
 
Thread should be... "which rifle did you scope without removing the iron sights" lol

All my rifles have irons even if scoped... I like the ability to use the rifle in both configurations.


The one gun that will never wear a scope is my Remington 760 30-06. I inherited it from my Grandpa it was his favourite rifle.

Wasn't a fan of how it handled with the scope on it... So I removed the scope and installed a Williams WGRS aperture sight... much better!
 
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I only have two rifles at present that do not have scopes. Both are new Miroku manufactured Winchester M92. A .44 magnum rifle that wears a tang mounted aperture sight and a .357 mag carbine that wears a receiver mounted aperture sight. Most original open sights are useless at any distance for my aging eyes. It's aperture sights or scopes for everything.
I do have QD mounts on my Merkel .450-40 3" double barrel rifle and my Sako .375 H&H. If I needed to follow a wounded dangerous animal into thick cover and shoot at rock throwing distance, their unusually good iron sights would serve OK for that purpose.
 
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My old Winchester Model 69A does not have the grooves, so cannot mount an optic...but don't want one, as the one I learned to shoot and hunt with as a kid was the same, and I could knock over empty shotgun shells at 100 yards with open sights all day long.
The other two that will stay scopeless are my Winchester Model 94 Big Bores in 356 Win and 375 Win. As will the the non AE Model 94 XTR in 30-30, which I just gifted to my daughter, so that she has a saddle gun, and to teach her to shoot irons in a centerfire rifle. (Will start her off with the 69A to get used to irons)
To date, the Lipsey's Edition Ruger No.1 RSI in 257 Roberts has not had a scope mounted (nor been fired); if we do shoot it, it may just stay scopeless.
 
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