Does anyone use open sights anymore?

[Dom]

I have open sights on most of my rifles, with quick release rings on the scopes. When on the hunt , one little slip & your scope can be toast. Reassuring to me to have back up open sights.

[muskeg13]

While I have scopes mounted on some rifles, most of mine are outfitted with a receiver sight that accepts the Merit adjustable aperture. As long as I can still see well enough to use them, I prefer shooting with receiver sights mounted as far to the rear/close to the eye as possible. Bolt hunting rifles with scopes also have Redfield bases mounted as a back up. My rifle/sight inventory includes Redfield Series 70 and 80, Lyman 57 and 38, Williams Foolproof, Marbles, Pacific, Parker-Hale, MVA, Pedersoli, various military receiver sights and a few others. I have a few real "open" sights on several antique military rifles, a M94, and of course all handguns. In my opinion, this is the finest sight you can mount on a rifle:

[Sam Sackett]

Levers, all iron sights. Pumps & bolts, scopes. Iron sights are under 100 yards anymore. Things are getting pretty blurry.

Sam Sackett

[Bazoo]

I shoot irons whenever possible. I just don’t particularly like scopes. They offer a lot of advantage for low light situations.

[Harter66]

I learned to shoot irons , taught my kids to also .

I lived and hunted "the far west" most of my life , irons didn't cut it for big game. If you've never hunted above the tree line you can't understand . It wasn't sniping it was just a reality that 300 yd might be the only shot you got during the 16 day 1 by tag only hunt you entered the lottery draw for in April and got notified in June of the September, October, or November hunt . I always had in mind that I could trip 2 hours from the truck and lose a whole days hunt . My last "long hunt" rifle had a twist of Leopold mount with a Williams adjustable rear and a flip up tab peep fixed to the rear of the base . They gave me the potential of 300 yd fortunately the only place I used them was the range . Nope not a set up I'd use except the last weekend on the afternoon hunt back to the truck .

Living in "the green hell" 150 yd is a long shot of legendary proportions at 57 even with glasses my vision remains such that peeps , Vs and Us are still useful and I don't see me not using them where I don't expect over a 100 yd shot.

I shoot a lot of shotguns so irons are just natural to me .
I ain't scoping a lever gun.
I even have a peep to put on the M70 06' and Gew 98 275 Rigby .

[GregLaROCHE]

This post originated because my son asked me if I had any advice on a mono or bipod for his Marlin lever gun. I couldn’t picture a bipod on a lever gun so I suggested other ways to improve his accuracy, one of which was using the sling to help brace for the shot. When I looked for an example on YouTube, there wasn’t one showing a the sling, without a scoped rifle.

I agree that practice is the best way to improve. The idea of getting an air gun is good. I’ll pass it on to him. I can remember once one of the major gun manufacturers offered a set of identical rifles. One was a high powered hunting rifle and the other was chambered in 22lr for practicing.

[M-Tecs]

I use whatever is best for the application or rules. I've shot iron out to a 1,000 yards with Service Rifles, match rifles for NRA Highpower/Palma and BPCR. Properly focusing on the front sight is problematic for most.

[jimb16]

I have glass on five. The other 30 are irons or peeps.

[725]

For me, buckhorns are just OK (I've been spoiled by scopes and the attendant accuracy). A step up are peep sights. Lyman traditional are dandy as is the "Skinner Peep". Front sight choices are dependant on the environment. What's good in the deep woods isn't necessarily good in the desert. So mix the locale he'll be in with the selection of front sight / rear sight. At least, that's how I see it.

[frkelly74]

I have several ar rifles with scopes, two are old weaver steel scopes and those work. Two have dot sights with no magnification which I really don't care much for. I have one that has original aperture and post which I was used to from my 50ft 22 qualifications when I was a teen. I made Distinguished Expert by the way. If you have a rifle that just has that picatinny rail what are good solid iron sights to use. I would also like some open sights of some sort for an AR pistol. Simple and strong is what I am after.

[Cast10]

I’m 62.
I have a new Miroku Winchester 1894 in 38-55.
I have just installed a new Williams FP sight. I can tell you, I can see through that peep sight real good. Front sight needs to be replaced for more heighth, but that small brass bead is the thing. Haven’t shot it yet, but that peep sight is good for me.

[D.Bullets]

A few years ago.

Nice

[BadgerShooter]

When I'm hunting in the woods, I use a ghost ring peep on the 45-70. Works great. I think in the woods, you shoot game in spite of your scope. I have used scopes in the woods and have killed game, but I find the 45-70 and a 350 grain paper patch bullet at full Marlin pressures and my peep sights works the best for me. A long shot in the woods for me is 100 yards. Hunting on the open marshes or fields, glass is hands down better, but don't discount iron sights.

[freakonaleash]

All my lever guns have open factory sights and/or peeps. Front bead sights help me a lot. All of my schuetzen rifles are scoped. I shoot scoped guns far better.

[Winger Ed.]

Something I put on my new Henry .22 is those fire sights with the colored fiber optic 'threads' in them.

I'm an open sight guy, and I really like them.
The front sight is one color, and the rear is another.
Target acquisition is instantaneous as is sight alignment even in poor light.
It reminds me of shooting a shot gun where you see the target, then pull the gun up a sight on it all in one motion.
For a well aimed shot, I think they are a little quicker than a (internal) red dot or even a laser dot.

[35 Whelen]

This post originated because my son asked me if I had any advice on a mono or bipod for his Marlin lever gun. I couldn’t picture a bipod on a lever gun so I suggested other ways to improve his accuracy, one of which was using the sling to help brace for the shot. When I looked for an example on YouTube, there wasn’t one showing a the sling, without a scoped rifle.

I agree that practice is the best way to improve. The idea of getting an air gun is good. I’ll pass it on to him. I can remember once one of the major gun manufacturers offered a set of identical rifles. One was a high powered hunting rifle and the other was chambered in 22lr for practicing.

There is so, so, SO much more to shooting than most people realize. I was blessed a dozen years ago to have participated in local High Power matches and have a couple of mentors that taught me how to shoot. That includes how to properly use a sling to help steady a rifle. I just THOUGHT I knew how to shoot until these guys started helping me.
As to your son- if he can't find a local range that has High Power competition, I think the Appleseed shoots are probably a good way to go.

35W

[Bazoo]

A lever action 22 rifle is bout the best thing a big bore lever gun fancier can have. It will afford lots of practice and fun.

One of the things I've figured out is, not all irons shoot the same. A cheap 22 with a square blade front and a flat top rear is more accurate than a round bead front and semi-buckhorn rear because you can get a better, more consistent sight picture with the former. Marlin bead and buck sights are decent though and I can shoot them okay. Finer sights are better for precision aiming. A 1/16" bead vs a 3/32 bead is more accurate.

Some though are not as good, like what came on my '70 made Winchester 94. I changed the rear out for a Marbles semi-buckhorn and my accuracy improved, then there was another great improvement after I reversed the white diamond so that it was facing forward. The sight picture makes a lot of difference, so I suggest trying different things if at first things don't jive.

Another thing I've learned is that the target makes a big difference. A plain cardboard backer with a fluorescent aiming point is what works best for me so far. EZ2C targets are pretty dang good too. Having the aiming point be large enough to see for the distance you're at is very important for accuracy. Trying to see a 2" circle at 50 yards vs a 4" circle, will cause eye strain and thus, not so good of marksmanship.

Marksmanship basic practice and dry firing daily helps build muscles to be able to hold steady from the field positions.

[Larry Gibson]

The proper use of a sling for shooting with a lever action having a 2 piece stock is not recommended. The tension of the sling can warp/bend the barrel enough to seriously alter the zero. This is most noticeable with a receiver sight or scope mounted on the receiver. With the rear barrel mounted sight it is not noticeable with light to moderate sling tension.

[huntinlever]

The proper use of a sling for shooting with a lever action having a 2 piece stock is not recommended. The tension of the sling can warp/bend the barrel enough to seriously alter the zero. This is most noticeable with a receiver sight or scope mounted on the receiver. With the rear barrel mounted sight it is not noticeable with light to moderate sling tension.

I think I might have seen this also discussed in Jeff Cooper's Art of the Rifle? Been a long time and in a move many books have been misplaced.

[huntinlever]

A lever action 22 rifle is bout the best thing a big bore lever gun fancier can have. It will afford lots of practice and fun.

One of the things I've figured out is, not all irons shoot the same. A cheap 22 with a square blade front and a flat top rear is more accurate than a round bead front and semi-buckhorn rear because you can get a better, more consistent sight picture with the former. Marlin bead and buck sights are decent though and I can shoot them okay. Finer sights are better for precision aiming. A 1/16" bead vs a 3/32 bead is more accurate.

Some though are not as good, like what came on my '70 made Winchester 94. I changed the rear out for a Marbles semi-buckhorn and my accuracy improved, then there was another great improvement after I reversed the white diamond so that it was facing forward. The sight picture makes a lot of difference, so I suggest trying different things if at first things don't jive.

Another thing I've learned is that the target makes a big difference. A plain cardboard backer with a fluorescent aiming point is what works best for me so far. EZ2C targets are pretty dang good too. Having the aiming point be large enough to see for the distance you're at is very important for accuracy. Trying to see a 2" circle at 50 yards vs a 4" circle, will cause eye strain and thus, not so good of marksmanship.

Marksmanship basic practice and dry firing daily helps build muscles to be able to hold steady from the field positions.

My son's load is developed and ready to go, so I'd like to try (yet again), to see if I could conceivably use a Skinner. I did find a 6" bullseye with a red center was much more helpful than the sighting in targets I use with scoped rifles. But I felt 50 yards was about it. Now I wonder if the trouble might be because the red center is so small. Maybe trying a plain backboard with a 4" red solid circle?

The other thing is that he's got the Skinner, but with a bead front, which he likes. I think a flat Patridge style front would be far better.

Appreciate the thread Greg, sorry for stealing a bit of focus for my needs. Good luck finding a good solution for your son.