10 replies to this topic

[lukem]

just want to get some feed back on having iron sights on a gun. im thinking of buying a .308 bolt action, havn't decided which one, but it is important to me to have iron sights on whatever rifle i buy. im new to hunting so forgive me if i sound uninformed. do most rifles come with iron sights, or have an iron sights option? can you put them on after market? any replies will be greatly apreciated. before you ask, i am planning on putting a scope on whatever rifle i buy, in case that has an effect on your answer.luke

[BullsEye]

Iron sites are great for back up. Honestly I don't have any on my large caliber rifles but Ruger makes a bolt action with iron sites called the Gunsite Scout rifle. Its on sale at Turners in LA. I personally prefer glass on my guns but thats just me.

[Divernhunter]

Most bolt action rifles do not come with iron sights. Some can be ordered with them but few are. Not sure of the reason you must have them but if you put a good scope(read Leupold) on it with good rings/bases you will never need any other sights. If you think the see-thru rings and open sights are a good thing then you are showing that you have no expierence and are a mis-lead newbie. I have carried a back-up rifle for years but never needed it. I have loaned it to friends who thought their other brand scope was better until bad weather(usually) "broke" it. I also learned years ago that the flip-up scope caps will cost you an animal sooner or later. I also believe in the KISS princple. So no AO/side focus/50+ objective lens or wild magnification scopes. There is little(read none) big game that a 3X9X40 or 3.5X10X40 or at the most 4X14(approx)X40 will not work well for. Varmit hunting is another story as is match shooting. I have killed alot of big game over the years.However to each his own. Thsi is My 2 Cents

[dangerranger]

I cant see well enough at handshake range to shoot with iron sights anymore. I can use apiture sights tho. you look through them not at them. up untill about 20 years ago all rifles came with open sights, but with most people scopeing their rifles now most makers are saving the cost of the sights. they can be added to any rifle tho. but the cost is about the same as a mid priced scope.

[lukem]

thanks for a reply divernhunter. i know that a scope is almost always going to work better than iron sights, i simply want them on there in case my scope breaks, (yes i realize that most good quality scopes can take a lot of punishment, but you can't be to careful

[BullsEye]

I remember shooting an enfield at 500 yards with iron sites and hitting the pie plates in SLO off of the 1. They don't hurt to have on a rifle. As far as iron sites being for mis-lead newbies or no experience I call BS. Plenty of people do fine with iron sites. Dangerous game hunters seem to do well with iron sites. Even our military has back up iron sites. I have seen scopes bent in half from a mule getting a little excited and also have seen people lose their zero on scopes when they dropped their rifles. If your in the woods and something happens to your scope you will be prepared with the irons, it definitely wont hurt having them.Take a look at CZ rifles. They have a lot with iron sites and from what I understand they are superb shooters too. http://www.cz-usa.co...ategory/rifles/

[Frank]

Well, in my nearly 50 years of hunting, I have never needed iron sights. Ever! Plus depending on the rifle & scope/mounting system, it may be very diffificult to near impossible to even see your iron sights. And are you going to have the tools to remove a damaged scope while out hunting? Also, a scope could be difficult to remove out in the field, with no support, how badly damaged & how much glue on the screws etc. As DH points out, put a "Good" scope on a Good set of rings & mounts & your odds of ever needing iron sights are slim to none... with none being the more likely! Anyway, in my experience, iron sights has to be one of the most over rated items on a "hunting" rifle.My Frank

[clampdaddy]

I am a firm believer that anytime you go on an extended hunt either your rifle should wear a set of iron sights, or you bring a spare rifle. Been there done that. Once while helping a guy drag a deer, a third guy that was packing our rifles took a spill and the leupold that my rifle was wearing broke his fall. Luckily for me, pre '64 Winchester 70's came with a nice set of irons and I keep one of those little leupold torx wrenches in every hunting pack I own. There are a few guns that still come with iron sights but not many that come with a GOOD set of iron sights. Remington and Ruger bolt guns came with a pretty good set of irons but it seems like they are being omitted for the most part on standard rifles. I think the open sights on the Browning BLR are probably the best on a current production rifle. The rear sight is low profile enough that they won't be broken by snagging on anything and a scope can be mounted without them getting in the way.

[BlueDevilMan]

just want to get some feed back on having iron sights on a gun. im thinking of buying a .308 bolt action, havn't decided which one, but it is important to me to have iron sights on whatever rifle i buy. im new to hunting so forgive me if i sound uninformed. do most rifles come with iron sights, or have an iron sights option? can you put them on after market? any replies will be greatly apreciated. before you ask, i am planning on putting a scope on whatever rifle i buy, in case that has an effect on your answer.luke

I agree with a couple others, get a scope.I have been hunting for many years, mostly varmints, and have never had glass on a rifle until recently. Have been shooting mostly 22LR, 22-250 and a 223 but rarely shooting beyond 200yds. My most recent favorite being a mini 14 with factory sights. It is certainly fun and challenging hitting a squirrel with iron sights at 75+ yards (at least for me!) with any of those calibers. Not having much big game experience or making long varmint shots 200yds+, I would suggest a scope is essential and iron sights basically not useful at those ranges and I don't think you will be shooting often with a 308 at under 200yds.I mounted a 3x9/40 Nikon on m14 eventually as I was trying to get more consistent hits in general but especially at the longer ranges and it has made a difference. Also in the midst of purchasing a Savage 22WMR that did not come with sights. In researching/shopping for this purchase I found very few models with sights available so I am also looking for a scope to mount on this rifle (likely a Leupold which will go on my m14 and the Nikon swap to the 22). I am a convert, glass is the only way to go.

[clampdaddy]

Iron sights are of no value if the shooter doesn't take the time to become proficient with them. To some folks they are only good out to 75 yards, to me they are good for taking deer and larger sized game out to around 300 yards, to some guys they can be deadly at 500 yards. All I'm saying is don't knock 'em until you've properly learned to use 'em.

[lukem]

thanks for the reply. admittedly i am not planing on using them as my primary sighting method, but i feel that having a back up option is good when you are staring at that huge buck and your scope unsighted itself when you dropped your rifle.