Iron sights going the way of the Dodo bird?

[osallent]

I was browsing one of my local gun stores today and happened to notice a worrying trend for an old-fashioned shooter like me. It seems like a lot of modern bolt-action rifles and some semi-automatic rifles don't have iron sights. I had never really noticed this since I am into military surplus rifles and civilian rifles that are 50-100 years old. Have iron sights really become that unpopular? I know everyone puts scopes on rifles now-a-days, but I would think a good pair of iron sights would be indispensable, specially if you are hunting and happen to bust your scope when you need it the most (Murphy's law).

Am I really that badly out of date, or does anyone else find the disappearance of iron sights rather annoying? I have nothing against scopes. I've shot plenty of rifles with scopes.

 

[Win_94]

Am I really that badly out of date, or does anyone else find the disappearance of iron sights rather annoying?

I didn't like that on my new bolt action rifle either... supply and demand.

 

[FrankenMauser]

If I plan to scope the rifle, I doesn't bother me. I do prefer to have the option, though (without buying a special model, or special ordering the rifle).

However, I've been looking for a nice "International" rifle for the last year, or so. I want an intermediate cartridge in a short action rifle, with iron sights and a Mannlicher stock.

The problem is:
Two of the manufacturers that offered appropriate rifles didn't put iron sights on them, as standard equipment!
The rest of the rifles are:
A: Ugly, stupid rifles that were not well thought out before being assembled.
and/or
B: No longer in production.

(The only one that still mildly appeals to me is the Remington 700 version. However, the price is stupidly high, since the rifle is only available from their custom shop.)

 

[Ideal Tool]

Hello, osallent. You are a man after my own heart. I too love the old quality Redfield and Lyman irons that used to grace the old classic rifles. Sadly, the classics are gone, and the junk they now pass off as iron sights..it's no wonder the younger guys are turned off by them..most never new the precision built into the old sights. Even though I'll never see 55 again, I can still shoot with precision using the old vernier tang & windgage fronts of my single shots. Best of luck!

 

[Yung.gunr]

Just bought a .22 and I was sure to get a model with the iron sights but it is drilled and tapped if I do decide to put a scope on it. I'm a young guy but I like the idea of starting with the basic iron sights before thinking about a scope. My only problem is that although I do have 20/20 vision I still can't see the target as far away as I would like to. This would be the only reason I am thinking about getting a scope in the future.

 

[ltc444]

express sites

I love iron sights. Had a Voree mauser in 243 with express sites. Mounted it with a 3 x 9 scope and tip off mounts. Was extremely at short range and fast shooting situations. Sold it a few years back and still regret it.

I am most accurate with my M-1 Garand and its standard military sights.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Well, why should the majority support the minority in paying for sights they don't want. That sort of goes hand in hand with supply and demand.

 

[Kreyzhorse]

Seems tacti-cool is all the rage now. I don't mind having no sights on a hunting rifle as I'll scope it anyway. My unscoped rifles are mil surplus rifles and they all have iron sights.

As far as handguns go, I don't want any thing but iron sights. Don't want any fiber optics or any thing else.

 

[Old Grump]

Same as you but my iron sights now tend to be aperture sights because the old eyeballs are having a problem with notch and bead or post. Somehow to an old dinosaur a gun just doesn't look complete without iron sights.

 

[Vince44]

Eyeballs ain't what they used to be so either I shoot iron sights with glasses or a scope without. Got lasik so it's 20/20 distance, but up close I need glasses consequently the rear sight is a little fuzzy while the front sight and target is clear.

 

[gearhounds]

Nothing builds confidence in a firearm like shooting targets with open sights; I can remember shooting a 2" group out a JC higgins-Marlin 30-30 at 100 yards with the factory irons (bench and sandbagged of course), and more than a few 1" groups at 50 yards with my old (now gone) Marlin model 60.

That scoped shooting is more accurate is undeniable, but iron sight shooting is a skill that must be utilized to fully appreciate what a longarm is capable of if the need arises.

 

[Sefner]

I'm still in college and I prefer shooting iron sights to glass when I'm just shooting for fun. I've probably shot more iron sights than lenses come to think of it.

The White Death used only iron sights.

 

[MLeake]

I prefer to have the backup option.

I have iron sights on my scoped 700; I have flip-up sights on my EOTech'ed AR.

However, I do wish that of those hunting-type rifles that do offer iron sights, that more of them would be peep or ghost ring rears. I don't really care for buckhorn types.

 

[spacecoast]

Usually everyone (but me) shoots with red dot scopes at the bullseye pistol 900 competition on Saturday mornings. I realize that I could probably get an easy 20-30 point boost immediately with a red dot, but I am a purist and like doing it the old fashioned way (and with a revolver to boot). No batteries to wear out/corrode, few worries about sights out of alignment, and I think iron sight alignment discipline makes me a better shooter. I might feel differently in a few years but for now I know I still have long way to go to get the most out of myself and my guns with iron sights, and even so "handicapped" I am steadily moving up into the middle of the pack score-wise.

The all-time bullseye record was shot with iron sights in 1968.

 

[COSteve]

Irons are actually a ton of fun to play with. I recommend that even the younger shooters give them a try. Yes, they require a bit more skill but the satisfaction is well worth the effort. Even though I'm 63 and the eyes aren't that good any more, I've noticed that I'm moving towards peep and tang sights and away from scopes.

A small aperture held close to your eye increases your Depth of Field dramatically. Even with my eyes, a .040" aperture tang sight held 2" from my eyes provides for a sharp and clear front sight and target. With regular sights you can gain the same effect by looking through a small aperture attached to your shooting glasses. I made mine from black electrical tape. The DoF increase is astounding!

So much so that I removed the scope from my AR middy.

However, my long range (over 300 yds) A4 still wears one.

My favorite rifles at this time are my M1 carbine with it's peep sight.

And my newest find, my 357mag leverguns. I've got 2 Rossis; a 24" rifle with tang rear and globe front as well as a 20" carbine with stock sights.

I shoot them both at 200yds with ease and the rifle performs well for me even out to 300yds.

 

[Poodleshooter]

If irons are available, I get them. I recently bought a .22 bolt action sporter with iron sights, just to be able to have them for backup. I try to equip my ARs with backup iron sights. My only remaining military sporter (a Garand) is shot only with irons, as are my blackpowder rifles.
However I am under no illusion that I can shoot better with irons (even a good NM peep) than with a scope. The peep sights that can shoot as well as a scope (tang peeps, the Lyman #57,etc) are usually more fragile than a scope of equal cost. To me, irons are a backup sighting system. They are the spare tire of rifles. It's important to know how to use them well, but there are better options for superior performance in most cases.
For me, irons are for shooting competitions and for extreme close up game shots with a .22.

 

[gaseousclay]

I know there are a few manufacturers that put iron sights on their bolt guns, so I don't think they're going away. I also assumed that any company that produces lever guns will always have an iron sight installed

 

[jmr40]

Been livin' under a rock for the last 30 years ain't ya. Very few bolt guns have had iron sights on them since the 1980's Most guys who use scopes were removing them to make scope mounting easier anyway.

Not really a probem. I've had irons installed on bolt guns when I wanted them. You can get a much better set of irons installed than what would have come from the factory anyway, For about the cost of a cheap scope.

 

[SPUSCG]

None of my guns can shoot far enough for a scope to matter. That said my next rifle im looking for a scoped .308 bolt. Irons and scopes both got their uses.

 

[EdInk]

I like iron sights. At the very least, I would want them as a back up to whatever optic is on a rifle.