Does anyone use open sights anymore?

[35 Whelen]

All firearms without free floating forearms are susceptible to changes in POI when too much sling pressure is applied. Moderation and trial and error should be used.

36W

[BRatigan]

I'm 66 and only use open sights. I use Skinners on my 94 Sporter and all of my other levers use stock sights. It works for me.

[FergusonTO35]

I use scopes on most of my deer rifles because I can't really hit anything beyond 100 yards without one. Also, a scope presents a much better sight picture in dim light when hunting gets intense. I took the biggest deer of my life in very dim light with a little Weaver 1-3x20 atop my 336. Placed the slug precisely where it needed to go and he was lights out. That was a hoss of a deer, and I think that with sights it is much more likely I could have made a fatal shot but he still ran off the property.

[Winger Ed.]

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.

The shooting sports is the only competition where I've seen competitors go to great lengths to help each other.
I asked a guy one time why that is.

He told me they want you to be at your absolute best, and not have any excuses
when the scores come in and they beat you like a rented mule.

[huntinlever]

The shooting sports is the only competition where I've seen competitors go to great lengths to help each other.
I asked a guy one time why that is.

He told me they want you to be at your absolute best, and not have any excuses
when the scores come in and they beat you like a rented mule.

[GregLaROCHE]

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.

This is something interesting to consider. I never used the sling on my Marlin to steady my shot. Most were plinking or fast impulse shots. I have used the sling in full wood stocks before to improve my shots, but when hunting, I would always find something that I could use as a steady rest.

[buckshotshoey]

I have 2 AR15's, they are the only rifle that have scopes. The rest are Winchester's or repo's, and one by one they are getting the rear sight replaced by Marbles Bulleseye sight's. Makes a world of difference. Only one thus far has had the front sight changed to a fiber optic sight.

I have this on my Henry 45-70. WONDERFUL sight.As long as I'm wearing my glasses that is. Farsighted, and hard to see a good front sight picture.

[Shawlerbrook]

I use open sights on some of my old leverguns, but stay very selective on shots taken. On some newer levers I have peeps, but mostly hunted with newer scoped Marlins.

[indian joe]

All the time in competition, and some hunting... He wants to get better accuracy, get a cheap .177 air gun and shoot standing for 20/30 minutes a day, in 30 days he will tighten his grope by half, in the next 30 days he will tighten his grope even more, continue every day and see the improvement..... Shooting is an acquired skill, to stay good practice is needed. With a .177 airgun a box of 500 pellets is say $5.00, a box of 20, 45/70 is what $70.00 ???

this !!!!!!

[murf205]

I really prefer open sights on lever guns but my eyes think it is a terrible idea. Fiber optic, better-peep sights better still-low powered scope-I can see what I am doing. Whatever it takes to keep us old geezers shooting!

[Texas by God]

I shoot a 510 Remington .22, an M1 Carbine, a Winchester 94 38-55, and a Krag 30-40 with open sights.
Only the .22 has barrel sights.
Shooting from the sitting position, I’d be confident at 100 yards in good light with the centerfire rifles above.
But I LOVE scopes!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Noah Zark]

I'm 66 and only use open sights. I use Skinners on my 94 Sporter and all of my other levers use stock sights. It works for me.

I'm 68 and do the same. All lever, single shot, semi-auto, and boltgun rifles except one bolt and three Ruger #1/#3 rifles have open, receiver, or Lyman #2 style tang sights, with off-white (almond) painted front beads or blade bevels. Most receiver and tang sights are without any screw in insert. The exceptions, a sporterized Swede 96 and the Ruger single shots all wear Lyman All American scopes with picket post and crosshair reticles, 2.5x each of them. This IS "PA Wilds" woods country; you don't get 100 yd plus clear shots in these woods except on clear cut rights of way and shooting ranges.

People at the range are astonished that I can hit targets / gongs from 50 yds to 400 yds without a scope. My daughter has a .223 Saiga AK that she can hit the 400 yd gong with the factory AK sights 27 or more times per 30 rd magazine on a stack of blocks on the bench. 15-18 yrs ago when in HS, she shot that AK and hit the 400 yd gong 28 times, flabbergasting three of her male classmates struggling to hit a target at 100 yds with a scoped 7.62 AK. In their defense, the scole was in a top cover mount, notoriously unstable.

Noah

[Winger Ed.]

People at the range are astonished that I can hit targets / gongs from 50 yds to 400 yds without a scope.

It's always a hoot to be at the range with kids.

I can usually hold 4-6-7" at 100 with cast in a standard, rack grade Springfield M1A, and a little better with a 70s era Colt .223 AR.
Triangle hand guards, old school sights, and no forward assist. I shoot Hornady factory seconds 55gr. with around 3/4 of max. Win 748.

Some are out there with the latest and greatest optics on a fancy new age AR-- and usually keep most shots on paper at 50 yards.

They sometimes ask, "How do you do that"?
I'll start off telling them, "It's like Dustin Hoffman said in the old movie, "The Little Big Man".
During his 'gunfighter phase' Wild Bill Hickok taught him to use 'squint eyed concentration'.

If they want to learn to shoot better, I'm more than glad to tell 'em what I know.
If they don't,,,, ahhhh,,, that's OK too.

[samari46]

I'll be 77 come October so will be putting some scopes on my lever actions. And will be adding scopes to a couple cast bullet rifles. Old age and iron sights for is not a good mix. Frank

[1Papalote]

I shoot open sights a great deal as my truck/fence checking gun is a Marlin Cowboy.
I prefer a front sight dovetailed into the barrel. Mk42 gunner and I agree, flat square topped front sight. Skinner makes mine.
Ramped front sights and beads don't work for me. Add the silly hood and it works even less.
Rear sights, Marlin rear folding( there are at least 3 styles) work best for me.
If a peep, LYMAN. No Williams FP, 5D or anything else Williams. Bad experience with bases and zero customer service.

Barrel length has to be be 24" or less for me. I've owned at least 2 1895 CBs, l can't see the front sight clearly on the 26"er . I'm 64 and wear glasses.

Standing on your hind legs and shooting takes plenty of practice of which I take little, opting to lean on a post , tree or vehicle when able. I need the stand up and shoot practice.

[dverna]

I really prefer open sights on lever guns but my eyes think it is a terrible idea. Fiber optic, better-peep sights better still-low powered scope-I can see what I am doing. Whatever it takes to keep us old geezers shooting!

Yes...use what works in your application and with your eyes. Just because your buddy shoots irons well, doesn't mean they are the right selection for you.

Scopes are what I gravitate to. I even mounted scopes on my CAS rifles for testing loads because I can shoot better groups with a scope.

In some areas there are antler point restrictions, and a scope is almost a necessity.

[huntinlever]

Yes...use what works in your application and with your eyes. Just because your buddy shoots irons well, doesn't mean they are the right selection for you.

Scopes are what I gravitate to. I even mounted scopes on my CAS rifles for testing loads because I can shoot better groups with a scope.

In some areas there are antler point restrictions, and a scope is almost a necessity.

Agreed. It is still fun to at least try to use the peep on the range (just spray painted 4" "pepper red" centers on paper plates, per a good suggestion from Bigslug), but I can't see hitting the deer big northwoods ever again without my 2.5X - 20 on board.

Good point on your last sentence. Of course western distances can be much longer, but that's the first thing that came to mind when I read your comment. Same with thick brush, though - many times I was glad to be scoped for that very reason up north.

[VariableRecall]

In my situation, my limitations have greatly influenced what I use on rifles and handguns. I've got a serious case of myopia and astigmatism, which means that red dots, holos, and other fancy non-scoped optics are not a good option for me. This also limits the kind of irons that work well for me. Due to which areas of my glasses focus best at close range, any irons that are on a low bore axis and at shoulder height, like a buckhorn sight, are very blurry and uncomfortable to use. I've got trouble with tight aperture and traditional target sights as well. The AR style ghost ring works best for me with irons on a rifle, as it has enough standoff from the bore to shift my glasses into a more comfortable and better focused place. Primarily, I use scopes on rifles mainly because it's my best option when the alternative is going to suffer in accuracy.

However, with handguns, it's just about anything goes. Since I'm able to raise and lower the height of the sights to my heart's content, I can keep the sights clear and at an optimal focus between them an the target. Also, due to my inability to see red dots and holos well, any of those newfangled optics are off the table. I really just work with what works best for my eyes in each category.

[45DUDE]

I do off hand better with a good sling wrapped around forearm and a 4 power good scope. I like peep's but light matters. I have open- scope and peep's on 20 or so rifles. To me a 4 power is faster recovery at a longer distance. I have glasses for safety reasons but don't have to use them.

[Iron369]

I have a couple antique firearms with open sights. Everything else gets a scope, dot, magnifier, or some combination of them. I feel like there is absolutely no reason to not use every and any advantage possible to shoot as accurately as my skill level and my equipment allows. I think it’s important to know how to use iron sights, but other than simplicity, they have no advantage.