Lately most mid caliber rifles come with no sights. When I buy a rifle I take it out and shoot from the hip (literally) into a backstop for a few rounds to make sure they function, then the rifle sits for a year till I get the money together to buy a good scope. Iron sights I can use any time and carry behind my seat without breaking something. Even the budget rifles require the cost of the rifle extra to be able to shoot them with a scope.
Am I the only one who wants Iron Sights?
- Thread starter beenthere
- Start date
too many choices!?
New member
probably
I just don't use mine if I don't have to
I just don't use mine if I don't have to
Last edited:
ksstargazer
New member
Gd
When I found that I am just as accurate with iron sights on my Garand as I am with a scope, I removed my scope. I often shoot with guys with scopes and outshoot them with my iron sighted milsurps. I can understand the value of a scope at long shots or in low light, but at 100 to 150 yards, I can do just fine with iron sights. Hunting deer in heavy brush, a scope is a disadvantage to me.
When I found that I am just as accurate with iron sights on my Garand as I am with a scope, I removed my scope. I often shoot with guys with scopes and outshoot them with my iron sighted milsurps. I can understand the value of a scope at long shots or in low light, but at 100 to 150 yards, I can do just fine with iron sights. Hunting deer in heavy brush, a scope is a disadvantage to me.
Well a good cheap alternative while saving up for a scope might be a red dot. Even cheap ones $30 do okay. Are a bit easier to use than iron sights. Now they still have the disadvantage of scope for sticking a rifle behind the truck seat. But buy one and use till the money for a scope is in.
At least for those you buy without sights.
At least for those you buy without sights.
Sights
I appreciate the comment on the reddot etc, but the point I was trying to make is I don't want anything sticking up in the air on top of my rifle. For me it makes a rifle awkward to carry and cluttered in appearance. It makes it so I can't comfortably use an inexpensive gunsock to cover it.
At $40 per drilled and tapped hole or finding someone to mill a slot, plus finding a sight which will fit the contour and height required for the barrel it becomes quire a chore.
Scope users used to have it a lot easier when all rifles came with sights. Drill and tap 2 holes or some rifles came already drilled and tapped from the factory. Rings and scopes fit anything etc.
Today, the rifle manufacturers can't even tell you what aftermarket sights might fit their rifles. Williams and Lyman cant keep a sample of every rifle and barrel-action-caliber on hand to recommend the correct sight. The only thing that comes with sights are the very cheapest 22s or the brown bear and up calibers.
I'd be happy if I could just call Marlin, Remington, Savage etc and say what Williams, Lyman, Redfield should I buy to fit my rifle?
I appreciate the comment on the reddot etc, but the point I was trying to make is I don't want anything sticking up in the air on top of my rifle. For me it makes a rifle awkward to carry and cluttered in appearance. It makes it so I can't comfortably use an inexpensive gunsock to cover it.
At $40 per drilled and tapped hole or finding someone to mill a slot, plus finding a sight which will fit the contour and height required for the barrel it becomes quire a chore.
Scope users used to have it a lot easier when all rifles came with sights. Drill and tap 2 holes or some rifles came already drilled and tapped from the factory. Rings and scopes fit anything etc.
Today, the rifle manufacturers can't even tell you what aftermarket sights might fit their rifles. Williams and Lyman cant keep a sample of every rifle and barrel-action-caliber on hand to recommend the correct sight. The only thing that comes with sights are the very cheapest 22s or the brown bear and up calibers.
I'd be happy if I could just call Marlin, Remington, Savage etc and say what Williams, Lyman, Redfield should I buy to fit my rifle?
FWIW I teach my kids to shoot with iron sights first...then let them move up to scoped rifles...kind of like teaching them to work a manual transmission first before moving to automatic transmission. This broadens them a bit I think. Also, I like iron sights for their toughness, and though I prefer a scope for hunting (easier to see at dusk, and easier to place shots right where I want them) the iron sights are a challenge that my friend and I find fun as we try and hit those distant metal plates...
Your question (and many of the answers above) don't really say the key thing...which is..."for what?"
Long range hunting with modern rifle? Scope
Brush gun/dangerous game rifle? Open, express, ghost ring
Most military, MBR style rifles? Irons
Long/short range old-timey rifles (e.g., my Sharps)? Irons -- or more specifically my globe/tang aperature sights
CQB? reflex or ghost ring
And as was said above, teach kids to shoot on open sights first, aperature second. Red dot and scopes can wait until they've mastered front sight, breath control, trigger control
Long range hunting with modern rifle? Scope
Brush gun/dangerous game rifle? Open, express, ghost ring
Most military, MBR style rifles? Irons
Long/short range old-timey rifles (e.g., my Sharps)? Irons -- or more specifically my globe/tang aperature sights
CQB? reflex or ghost ring
And as was said above, teach kids to shoot on open sights first, aperature second. Red dot and scopes can wait until they've mastered front sight, breath control, trigger control
Nope.
I may scope a rifle, but I want to shoot it with irons first to get an idea of what it will do. If the scoped performance won't measure up I get a good idea of where to start looking for the problem! I also like having a backup in case the scope goes south.
In my experience, scopes do not help you shoot more accurately under ideal conditions. I've shot several sub-moa groups with iron sighted rifles. Scopes WILL help you under less than ideal conditions or when your target can not be seen with the naked eye.
I have only one rifle without open sights and have passed on purchasing rifles that don't have open sights in the past.
I may scope a rifle, but I want to shoot it with irons first to get an idea of what it will do. If the scoped performance won't measure up I get a good idea of where to start looking for the problem!
I also like having a backup in case the scope goes south.In my experience, scopes do not help you shoot more accurately under ideal conditions. I've shot several sub-moa groups with iron sighted rifles. Scopes WILL help you under less than ideal conditions or when your target can not be seen with the naked eye.
I have only one rifle without open sights and have passed on purchasing rifles that don't have open sights in the past.
NH AR Shooter
New member
I've always prefered Iron sights, but as I get older my iron sight range has been getting shorter, so there are going to be more scopes in my future. As it stands now, every rifle I own has iron sights.