Thread: Open sights

I had the scope off the 22 a year or so ago but was in need of a rabbit or two. So off I went, after missing a few home I came. Seems the eyes aren't up to them buckhorn thing's. I just couldn't focus on the three different points.

Aperture sights are awesome. I have almost more iron sighted guns than with optics now.

Originally Posted by Wirehunt

I had the scope off the 22 a year or so ago but was in need of a rabbit or two. So off I went, after missing a few home I came. Seems the eyes aren't up to them buckhorn thing's. I just couldn't focus on the three different points.

Align the sights and target, but focus only on front sight. Physically impossible to focus on more than one plane. You want the target to be in peripheral vision, but focus on front sight.

Originally Posted by ebf

Align the sights and target, but focus only on front sight. Physically impossible to focus on more than one plane. You want the target to be in peripheral vision, but focus on front sight.

+1
Using the Aperature sights, Focus on the front sight, Place the front sight on the target and the eye will automaticaly center the Rear sight for you.

I use a 6 o'clock hold for all my open sighted Rifles.

My Old Man hunted his entire life with a DMW Rifle in 300 savage fitted with an aperature sight.
He was very successfull with this Rifle and would shoot out to 300m with confidence.

He purchased this Rifle new in 1952 and retired it two years ago.

I have shot this Rifle on the range at 100 and 200m and with the aperture sights it's more than accurate enough to confidently hunt with at ranges under 300m, although one may be a bit dissapointed if punching little tiny groups in paper is the objective.

Using the aperature sights is like rolling the clock back ten years vision wise.

I like them.

Cheers
Pete

I found I lost the rear ghost ring when hunting darker bush now use notch rear and hiviz front sight,works well.

Doesn't make much difference if your eyes focus on the target or on the front post, so just focus on the target.

That way, especially with old eyes, at least you'll see ONE thing clearly - let the reader understand. (<:

Open sights? We're not living in the 1800's...

And wooden stocks can also go to hell.

Originally Posted by Frodo

Open sights? We're not living in the 1800's...
And wooden stocks can also go to hell.

I grew up with open sights. I hunted with them and did quite a bit of target shooting. I can't recall the exact diameter of the bullseye ring on the traditional 200 yard targets, but it wasn't unusual for folks to get a 'possible' with every shot in the centre ring at that distance using aperture sights. (Was it 8 inches or bigger ? ... maybe somebody here will remember). I recall my uncle bringing along his old long Martini Enfield to the range one day. It had a fairly coarse foresight and a shallow rear vee. It was the type of rifle you can pick up and feel really comfortable with. I hit the center ring with my first shot at 200 yards and I've been in love with that rifle ever since.

I've hunted with both aperture and vee sights. When I was a teenager I used an old Long Tom .303 with a vee sight. The foresight had a bit of a cant and I got the occasional misfire. But I also got game with it. I can never be sure how far my furthest shots were, but I remember one deer I dropped with one round of fully jacketed ammo at a decent distance that my dad estimated to be around 180 yards (and he was pretty good at estimating having been an artillery officer and a life-long hunter).

I also missed with open sights at very short distances. Dunno why for sure, but I think buck fever and the use of target shooting technique may have been factors. With target shooting I was into careful breathing and squeezing. I think my hunting accuracy and success improved later on. With hunting, I feel it is good to get an instinct about when it is the right time to 'pull' the trigger as the foresight hovers across the target. But everyone is different. The only chamois I ever shot at was lying in the sun about 25 yards away. I lay down, shot... and missed. It got a heck of a fright though. Another time my dad had taken me and a friend out. We were driving along when we suddenly spotted a deer just a few yards away. We got out of the car and both of us opened fire as it trotted off. None of our shots connected. We were both top target shooters at college at the time. Very sobering, and it was good the rest of the team wasn't there to jeer.

I love simplicity and reliability. When I pick up my open-sighted rifle I can generally get a good idea if the sights are where they should be. But I can't do the same with a scoped rifle. To me open sights help to keep things more instinctive and I can have a good field of view looking over my rifle. I'm sure I'd improve with practice, but it is often a heck of a lot quicker to locate the animal using open sights compared to a scope. And I don't like having to 'baby' my rifle because it has a scope on it. If I want to crash through bush or clamber down a rock scree, it is good to be able to toss my rifle from hand to hand as I reach for trees to keep my balance... and I've found that scopes can get in the way.... or get caught up in vines etc.

Having said all that though, I do own a good centrefire with a scope. And if I am going hunting when I really want to do all I can to ensure that my investment of time will be successful, I would generally opt to take that scoped rifle. Scopes are far better for very long shots and in low light. But when I'm out exploring or hunting with no pressure to bring meat home, my preference is to carry a sleek, sturdy rifle with open sights.

The rifle in the picture is a Lee Enfield that has been converted to shoot the 7.62 x 39 cartridge. This particular deer was shot at a relatively close distance, but on another occasion I did get another deer at a comparatively long range with this rifle. I don't know how far away it was exactly, but I held my sights near the top of the deer's back and the bullet went through the heart. Taking a long shot like that was a bit risky, but it was my last day away hunting and we were leaving the area that afternoon. I guess the more you use a particular rifle and set of sights, the better you can become at making a quick decision about where to aim and whether or not to take the shot.

G'day bomber !
It good to see an oldie thread brought out again.
I've used a target aperture (PH 5A) on my 303 for hunting.
Having used them before that indoor smallbore I found it pretty instinctive and got good results. Shot my first deer from about 150 yards with it. However other goat bomb ups weren't always very successful. I glued a bit of copper electrical plug over the foresight because I'd been told gold was the go to colour for a foresight.

Then I moved up to a 4x32 redfield scope and that was just fantastic. Sometimes I have gone back to the aperture and too right the gun is soo light and easy to carry !

Nowadays I find although the foresight is sharp the animal is a blurred smudge in the distance and it's pretty hard to hit one beyond 100m let alone place a shot.

Take into account that your ability to identify your target is quite limited with open sights. A small pair of binos can fix that.

10/22 is away now having front sight fitted so I can use a ghost ring type setup on it.have had it scoped but really like the balance and stock fit when using opens.

Thoroughly enjoy using them from time to time. Really like the fact they don't fog up or need covers and don't mind a couple of knocks. Am really keen to get some Skinner sights for my rossi 92 but nobody seems to want to bring them in etc

If you have a Rossi with safety catch( dummist idea ever) there is a neat aftermarket peep sight that screws into safety catch threads available from a guy in the states.

That is exactly the model I have if you mean the funny little twisting safety? Wouldn't happen to remember the name of it?

That's the sort of feedback I was after @7mmwsm did you have to go through the process of the import permit etc?