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Any hunters just using iron sights?

HKslave

Sergeant of the Hide
Full Member
Minuteman
Apr 4, 2022
197
184
NC
Are there any hunters out their that shoot game with just irons on a high caliber rifle? If so what kind of rifle in what caliber? And if its an AR/ flat top receiver type rifle what kind of irons are you using?
 
Nothing like a good set of peeps in the rain and snow. Express sights on a 35 Whelen, 338 WM and 375 H&H. Peeps on 45/70. Someday i will shoot a few deer w a 5.56 once i move to a gun friendly state.
 
While not a big caliber but I shot a doe with my 300blk 8” barrel with suppressor and plain ole magpul flip up sights this last year, she went about 20yds and dropped
 
While not a big caliber but I shot a doe with my 300blk 8” barrel with suppressor and plain ole magpul flip up sights this last year, she went about 20yds and dropped
Word thats the kind of setup im working on right now.
 
I was a little skeptical from what others were saying about using that caliber but with the 110 v- maxes they worked great, the shot was about 50yds
 
I was a little skeptical from what others were saying about using that caliber but with the 110 v- maxes they worked great, the shot was about 50yds
yeah it seems like from a stand or blind in the woods unless you are looking down a steep hill most of the shots are achievable with no magnification.
 
I was a little skeptical from what others were saying about using that caliber but with the 110 v- maxes they worked great, the shot was about 50yds
As in I see hunting vids of dudes shooting dear from about that far away using 9 or 16 powered scopes and it seems like overkill
 
Yeah I’d feel comfortable using them out to 100yds or so with a different gun I don’t know how well my 8” barreled pistol will do that far but it wasn’t an issue at 50
 
you got the plastic mbus right? have you ever dropped them by accident or anything? if so did they hold up alright?
 
Can’t say I’ve ever dropped it with them flipped up but they do feel fairly sturdy I have several sets on some other ar’s as well, I had my 300 blk and ar-9 pistol out this afternoon and both have them, they have held up well and seem sturdy enough for my use.
 
976A438B-1795-4A85-AD28-6368CF3706E5.jpeg


Third animal I ever killed with irons, the first was a doe with a flintlock and the second was a doe with the same Sharps in the picture. All shots were 120 yards or less.

I typically hunt with a scope, the places I hunt range from 10 to 500 yards so irons aren’t the most practical except in limited stands where I know a long shot won’t be required.
 
View attachment 7850596

Third animal I ever killed with irons, the first was a doe with a flintlock and the second was a doe with the same Sharps in the picture. All shots were 120 yards or less.

I typically hunt with a scope, the places I hunt range from 10 to 500 yards so irons aren’t the most practical except in limited stands where I know a long shot won’t be required.
Wow thats an impressive kill Quigley down under
 
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Popped this little tasty piglet in the face with my iron sighted 45-70.
That rifle has killed its share of animals over the last decade.
A4FB190A-5CB3-458C-9425-DF024C52F809.jpeg

I only use irons on my muzzy.
A CAR-15 style rifle is my walk about rifle on the property I spend time on and it just uses carry handle irons.
 
Yes, but less and less. Breaks my heart that I spent to many years and so many dollars assembling an accumulation of rifles I can no longer shoot. I can still shoot them at the range under good conditions, but it's a whole lot less fun and I sure can't hunt with them. The open iron sights I can still hunt with have wider rear notches and bright front bead or fiber optic front sights. Aperture / peep / ghost ring sights still work okay, but a bright or fiber optic front bead is a huge help.

I missed out on a buck this muzzle loading season right at dusk because I didn't feel confident in my sight picture (what I could make out of it) to take the shot. It was, just as typing all this is, very depressing.


The iron sighted AR upper that I have for hunting has a fairly open rear peep and a fiber optic front sight, don't recall the brand off hand.
 
.375 win. Short range deer hunting.
Edit (Sorry not semi auto) win 94 bb.
With 250gr ish NOE cast bullets.
 
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cas6969-I don't know your age/situation at all, but maybe get your eyes checked for cataracts. I had cataract surgery to replace the lenses in both eyes about a year and a half ago. I had about given up on ever being able to use irons again and had installed scopes and red dots on just about every rifle I shoot. I required extra illumination for any up close work and couldn't shoot a pistol for shit.

Now it's like I'm 20 yrs old again and can clearly see the target and irons at the same time
 
When hunting in the USA I mostly prefer iron sights. They're a lot easier to deal with in the dense wooded areas I hunt here. For hunting in South Africa, it's a lot more open ground than here so I pretty much only use scoped rifles. I don't like optics other than red dots in close in situations and don't need glass inside about 200m.
 
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I use a beat up old TC Hawkins 50cal. With the stock sights. I have shot 2-3 inch groups at 100 off a bench, but mostly shoot it free hand. Lots of practice free hand at various ranges at black powder rendevous makes for my being the most accurate all around with that rifle. 2 does down with it, both dropped like a sack of hammers. 50 and 25 yards, double lung broadside, and front on, throat and spine below the white patch on the throat respectivley. .490 round ball with 70 grains of FFF on both.
A twisted part of me has thought the sig cross with a set of Ultradyne C4... "peep"???? Sights would be a very interesting, lightweight experiment. I dare someone to try it haha