irons: how far are you willing too take a shot at game

[FrankenMauser]

On a related note--have any of you (I know it's a looks-appeal blasphemy) tried a good unmagnified red-dot? My eyes can no longer focus on irons--but they can on a red dot, and since it's unmagnified and I can use it with both eyes open I think in practical use it's very similar to irons

I've used a few.

I tolerated the one that I had on a Buckmark Rifle. It was tons of fun when combined with that rifle, but it was a super-cheap red dot that wasn't always reliable (BSA, I believe).

I really like the one that I have on one of my ARs now. It's a Burris FastFire III with the 3 MoA dot. And, being a reflex sight, I don't have to worry about turning it on and off constantly.
(When combined with the AR mount, it becomes the "AR-F3" but the sight itself is exactly the same.)

I like that AR-F3 so much that I have seriously considered putting one on my Marlin 336 that's being converted to .444 Marlin. The only reasons I decided against it were: A) I can't put a red dot on a lever gun (yet); it's sacrileges. B) I already have Skinner wing sights.

Technically, it has something like 1.09x magnification. But it's legal as an 'unmagnified' sight everywhere that I hunt.

 

[michaelcj]

I can ring the 9" gong over at the cabin pretty regular at 300yard with every thing from 22LR to 30.06 with receiver sights. BUT……..

With the same Iron Sights, on Live game I limit my self 100 or so.

Even with a scope and the right cartridge my "personal /ethical" limit is about 300yards, and I've never had a situation where I couldn't get closer.

 

[Unlicensed Dremel]

Not very far with my poor eyes. Deer sized game, neck shots, about 50 yards, vitals shot, about 100 yards. If the kill size is larger, add 25 yards (say, 75/125 for elk). Something like that. Maybe a bit more - kinda depends on how much practice I've had..last few years, hadn't practiced much with irons, with hunting rifles.

 

[Hunter Customs]

The only iron sighted rifles I would use for deer hunting is my Savage 99's, at my age I would be hesitant to take a shot at a deer past 200 yards.
As a matter of fact where I would be hunting and using one of my 99's 200 yards would be a long shot, most shot's would be a 100 yards or less.

 

[Kreyzhorse]

Scoped I'm good out to 300 easily. Iron... well I'd guess max at 100 to 125 yards.

 

[TXAZ]

For iron sights, with good eyesight, ~~100 yards.

I want a clean kill. Closer is more likely.

In the event of a marginal shot, I don't want a target so far away that there's a fair chance that I'll lose them.

I don't want to reach out so far that something else might be behind a tree or rock and step out at an inopportune time.

 

[Geezerbiker]

Years ago I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with iron sights so I scoped all my rifles.

Later on I got a 1894 Winchester just because it was a J. M. Browning designed gun. Sure enough I couldn't hit crap with it. Out of desperation, I put on an old Redfield peep sight and now I think I could hit reliably with it beyond 100 yards but I haven't had a place too shoot with it that far in recent years.

Since then I put peeps on 3 more of my rifles. I can do almost as good with peeps as I can with a scope.

Tony

 

[Jack O'Conner]

I hunt the late season here in Pennsylvania with my 45 caliber flintlock rifle. It is fitted with a Lyman receiver sight which is better than buck horns but still less than ideal for my middle-aged eyeballs. My maximum shot is 60 yards.

Jack