Open sights

[JLF]

Have you tried to hunt with open sights, metal, at night?
How did it go?

[HD.375]

i used too alot with a 22lr an standard 'open sights', ......... just recently tried to put down a deer at night after tracking an needed the mate, with the torch to offer some light over my shoulder sort of, so i could see peep an front post...an wher i was aiming?!

as long as the subject is Lit up well, with enough ?ambient? light spreads across your Tool , with no light shining back off the peep/irons then, maybe it might be ok.
but for night id prefer a 1-5 or 2-7 an set it on 2. it just makes the vision much more better-er

[Three44s]

I encountered a coyote while going out to bale hay one morning (4:00 AM). The coyote was about 70 yds away. I was in my farm truck and on high beam. I stopped the truck to open a wire gate, opened the door.

Realizing I was just armed with my 7 1/2” .44 Mag Redhawk and not a scoped rifle, I at first was dismissive of having a way to harvest the predator but with a bit of more consideration I un-holstered my revolver.

I figured not on firing a round but only to “see” what the situation was as it presented itself.

To my surprise the coyote just mostly froze and as a light colored coyote it reflected a lot of light, being on high beam did not hurt either!

The black sights had the right amount of space around the rear sight compared to the front blade and my “test” rest felt very good (2 handed with my hands resting in the door jam).

I pulled the hammer back for a single action shot and lined up the sights. By this time the coyote was fidgeting by pivoting on its rear legs and shifting its front feet left and right as to try and see beyond my lights.

As the bullet reached the coyote it must have been quartering me a bit as the coyote “popped a wheelie” (standing up on its hind feet) and took off.

After I finished baling and the arrival of daylight, I went back to where the coyote stood at the shot.

Blood!

I was 42 years old back then and with a lot of practice going on, I would not try that shot today with my 65 years old eyes and my stingy ways with my components as of now!

Three44s

[BigAlofPa.]

When my dad and i hunted coons. He had a helmet with a spot light attached. And he used a 22 rifle with the irons. I don't think they had illumined crosshair scoped back then. This was in the 70'S.

[Texas by God]

Before we had flashlights on our guns, irons worked better with the Qbeam behind them and scopes with the Qbeam in front.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[Winger Ed.]

I've done it with 22s.
It worked great for us with one person shining a light on the target, and the other off to their side shooting.
Shooting from a dark place into a lighted one is no big deal.

Years ago, our public range had street lights over the berm and target boards.
For a extra 50 cents range fee you could shoot from the darkened benches onto them.
It was great practice for night varmit hunting.

[JLF]

My idea is to go back to making night waits to hunt wild boars. But to my rifle, long ago I took off the scope, because I hunted by day in the forest. For this reason ask the question, before I buy a scope again, I want to see if it is possible to hunt at night with open sights. I am 59 years old and my eyesight is still good.
I had thought about using artificial light, but I don't think the boar will give me time to an exact shot when the light turns on. The only light I have is that of the moon .....

[country gent]

With iron sights shooting from the dark into the light is a plus, it is the ideal. Being in the dark into the light your pupils dilate improving your visions clarity.

[Winger Ed.]

I have decent scopes on centerfire rifles, but if it's not a bright moon out, I can't see much, and it takes forever to acquire a target.

I'm 66, and if I was going to hunt at night in my sunset years, I finagle a way to get a real night vision scope somehow.

[JLF]

In case I have to put a riflescope in my .338 win. mag it will be a Burris Fullfield IV 2.5-10x42, Illuminated E3 Ballistic grid. I hope it holds the recoil.

[JLF]

With iron sights shooting from the dark into the light is a plus, it is the ideal. Being in the dark into the light your pupils dilate improving your visions clarity.
I'm going to practice. Thanks for your advice...

[MT Gianni]

No but I have qualified for handgun with LE Agency at night by the light of my rooftop flashing lights. Headlights were pointed 45 degrees right. I wouldn't recommend night hunting with irons.

[Idaho45guy]

In case I have to put a riflescope in my .338 win. mag it will be a Burris Fullfield IV 2.5-10x42, Illuminated E3 Ballistic grid. I hope it holds the recoil.

What state are you in? What game are you going after? .338 win mag is big medicine, and I don't know of any state that allows hunting of big game at night.

Plus, most states outlaw the use of lighted reticles for big game hunting.

Unless you're a poacher, you might want to take a look at the hunting laws in your state.

[JLF]

What state are you in? What game are you going after? .338 win mag is big medicine, and I don't know of any state that allows hunting of big game at night.

Plus, most states outlaw the use of lighted reticles for big game hunting.

Unless you're a poacher, you might want to take a look at the hunting laws in your state.

I reside in Argentina. In a small town called Alvarez, province of Santa Fe. But I hunt in Chamaico, La Pampa. On the map it is marked with a circle with a cross.
https://i.postimg.cc/t4htkj1f/La-Pampa.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ZW5dYXxF)

The town where I live is marked on the map below

https://i.postimg.cc/85t7w1V1/Santa-Fe.jpg (https://postimg.cc/k6RMgP4Z)

[Winger Ed.]

Plus, most states outlaw the use of lighted reticles for big game hunting.

Unless you're a poacher, you might want to take a look at the hunting laws in your state.

That's how it is here for game animals.

All the other varmints, they're sort of like cockroaches. Nobody here really cares what you do to them.
As long as you don't shoot- from, over, or onto a public road it's all good.
As well as spot lights, full night vision scopes are a real favorite here for hog, cayote, raccoon, and bobcat hunting at night.

[725]

This summer I had my eye lenses replaced with store-bought, thus correcting old man eyesight. Quick & painless surgery, mild recovery time and bingo, I can see again. This year I intend to hunt with open sights. Expecting dawn & dusk issues but I installed an ivory bead on the front and it is pretty good. Time will tell.

[Wilderness]

Have you tried to hunt with open sights, metal, at night?
How did it go?

Australian and other Allied troops in WWII, besieged in Tobruk in North Africa, created discomfort for the besiegers by going out at night to attack them. They rubbed their sights with wax (phosphorus) matches to get some glow that they could see in the dark.

As for the pig, I'd just turn the light on and let him have it, as I have done with torch and shotgun in the past. Be prepared for a running shot, but they don't always run, especially if they are facing away from the light.

If using a scope in moonlight with light sensitive pigs, try shooting without the light. You will see the pig clearly but not the crosshairs - never mind, just aim with the middle of the scope. I have shot them up to 60 yards away like this. If scope is a variable, crank the power up to put more pig in the middle.

Something else that has worked when shooting on baits - carcases and stock feeders - is to rig the setup with a cheap solar powered security light. Surprisingly, pigs will eventually decide that they will ignore the light if the feed is good enough. The light itself is seldom enough to illuminate a shot, but it gets the pigs in a mind to ignore that extra light that you turn on them for the shot. If the position is a difficult one to watch on account of wind direction and where the pigs will come from, the light also allows you to set up some distance away and approach only when the light comes on.

Good luck.

[Idaho45guy]

I reside in Argentina. In a small town called Alvarez, province of Santa Fe. But I hunt in Chamaico, La Pampa. On the map it is marked with a circle with a cross.
https://i.postimg.cc/t4htkj1f/La-Pampa.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ZW5dYXxF)

The town where I live is marked on the map below

https://i.postimg.cc/85t7w1V1/Santa-Fe.jpg (https://postimg.cc/k6RMgP4Z)

Ahh... That explains it.

[savagetactical]

I pretty much used nothing but irons day or night for years and mostly preferred them save for some benchrest shooting and other competitive efforts , as I have aged though Presbyopia has required I have glasses for reading or seeing iron sights clearly and as a result I have gradually shifted to placing optics on my rifles where it is feasible to do so. While I can indeed see the sights fine when wearing my glasses I do not want to be forced to wear glasses any time I want to shoot, for shooting at night when hunting racoon I have found that a red dot seems to be the best compromise for me that way I am not running around with glasses .

Everyone's mileage probably varies on this though.

Another thought is that night vision optics are not necessarily legal for hunting in all locales .

[JLF]

Australian and other Allied troops in WWII, besieged in Tobruk in North Africa, created discomfort for the besiegers by going out at night to attack them. They rubbed their sights with wax (phosphorus) matches to get some glow that they could see in the dark.

As for the pig, I'd just turn the light on and let him have it, as I have done with torch and shotgun in the past. Be prepared for a running shot, but they don't always run, especially if they are facing away from the light.

If using a scope in moonlight with light sensitive pigs, try shooting without the light. You will see the pig clearly but not the crosshairs - never mind, just aim with the middle of the scope. I have shot them up to 60 yards away like this. If scope is a variable, crank the power up to put more pig in the middle.

Something else that has worked when shooting on baits - carcases and stock feeders - is to rig the setup with a cheap solar powered security light. Surprisingly, pigs will eventually decide that they will ignore the light if the feed is good enough. The light itself is seldom enough to illuminate a shot, but it gets the pigs in a mind to ignore that extra light that you turn on them for the shot. If the position is a difficult one to watch on account of wind direction and where the pigs will come from, the light also allows you to set up some distance away and approach only when the light comes on.

Good luck.
Very good idea about the phosphorus, I'm going to put it into practice.
With regard to the use of artificial light, the wild boars in the area where I hunt are highly run by poachers who use dogs and spotlights, therefore at the best reflection of a light they run away. red light, to see if they react.
But I'm interested in the use of phosphorus.
Thank you very much for your input.

[JLF]

I pretty much used nothing but irons day or night for years and mostly preferred them save for some benchrest shooting and other competitive efforts , as I have aged though Presbyopia has required I have glasses for reading or seeing iron sights clearly and as a result I have gradually shifted to placing optics on my rifles where it is feasible to do so. While I can indeed see the sights fine when wearing my glasses I do not want to be forced to wear glasses any time I want to shoot, for shooting at night when hunting racoon I have found that a red dot seems to be the best compromise for me that way I am not running around with glasses .

Everyone's mileage probably varies on this though.

Another thought is that night vision optics are not necessarily legal for hunting in all locales .

In my country the use of night vision sights is prohibited.

[Wilderness]

Very good idea about the phosphorus, I'm going to put it into practice.
With regard to the use of artificial light, the wild boars in the area where I hunt are highly run by poachers who use dogs and spotlights, therefore at the best reflection of a light they run away. red light, to see if they react.

JLF - OK, it's shooting without lights. I tried green and red filters on lights, but they did not make an obvious difference. Peep sights with disk removed are better than open sights. Scope is best of all.

Waiting for boars at night can be really good for the adrenalin. You must try to get them close. Binoculars are essential, since they will reveal a pig more clearly than the naked eye, and even separate a pig from the darkness around him on a moonless night. Once you know the pig is approaching, you must watch his body language. Binos are a BIG help with this. If he stops or puts his nose in the air it is time to shoot. He will almost certainly rush when shot, since shot placement will not be as precise as it would be in daylight, and that rush may take him 50 meters or more. If shooting from the ground - I use a folding camp chair - place yourself where a log or a tree can protect you from the rush, and make sure you are not on an obvious line of retreat. Best nights will be in the week leading up to a full moon. Half moon will be nearly as good as full moon, since it will be directly overhead. Most arrivals will be within two hours of last light. Watching on moonless nights can be even more interesting, and DOES require a light. On a dark night the first indication of a boar may be the startled grunt behind your chair.

[JLF]

JLF - OK, it's shooting without lights. I tried green and red filters on lights, but they did not make an obvious difference. Peep sights with disk removed are better than open sights. Scope is best of all.

Waiting for boars at night can be really good for the adrenalin. You must try to get them close. Binoculars are essential, since they will reveal a pig more clearly than the naked eye, and even separate a pig from the darkness around him on a moonless night. Once you know the pig is approaching, you must watch his body language. Binos are a BIG help with this. If he stops or puts his nose in the air it is time to shoot. He will almost certainly rush when shot, since shot placement will not be as precise as it would be in daylight, and that rush may take him 50 meters or more. If shooting from the ground - I use a folding camp chair - place yourself where a log or a tree can protect you from the rush, and make sure you are not on an obvious line of retreat. Best nights will be in the week leading up to a full moon. Half moon will be nearly as good as full moon, since it will be directly overhead. Most arrivals will be within two hours of last light. Watching on moonless nights can be even more interesting, and DOES require a light. On a dark night the first indication of a boar may be the startled grunt behind your chair.

When I started hunting big game, I hunted wild boar while waiting at night.
My rifle had a Schmidt & Bender 6x42 riflescope attached to it.
Eventually, I decided not to hunt at night anymore, and began to hunt during the day stalking inside the forest, which is why I took the rifle's scope, and at the same time I made the mistake of selling it. Now I also want to hunt at night, which is why I asked the question that gave rise to the post.
With regard to binoculars, I have a Tento brand, 7x50, a show of sharpness, and the behavior at night is also very good.
Today I sent the money for the purchase of a Burris Fullfield IV 2.5-10x42 riflescope, illuminated reticle, and I am going to put a removable mount on it.
This is one of the stables that I used, today it still stands
https://i.postimg.cc/fyj0khfs/apostadero.jpg (https://postimg.cc/y3xNrtGp)

[JLF]

I took this photo in a field hunting south of La Pampa. A wonderful place ...Year 2010
https://i.postimg.cc/L40c0Ztz/DSC03488.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hhTZXv3j)

[FLINTNFIRE]

Years ago I used a ruger 10-22 and a quarter or half mile beam lantern battery light , it would light the whole animal up .

Back in the mid 80's me and a guy I logged with would hike the woods up to a old farm that had been replanted in Christmas trees , and shoot rabbits at night , a lot of fun and those were just old d cell flashlights , first pass you got them sitting , after that it was all running shots .

Funny how low power scopes were great when that is what we had and flash lights that today would be considered junk worked just fine , but as the lights get smaller and brighter and the scopes have bigger objectives and power we would never think of using those older ones .