Thread: Who still uses open sights ?

I used open sights on the lever action until three years ago, but with failing close-up focus and no longer pig hunting I put a scope on it.
All my rifles with scopes still have their iron sights, except the Bergara that never had them.

I use open sights on my competition guns.

Used to love the fold up Magpul MBUS sights on my AR till it went on a permanent holiday with the government.

I find V I dont do very well with V sights but with aperture or ghost ring sights I'm bang on!

Originally Posted by outlander

I have a new Rossi 44 mag that shoots a metre high at 100 metres! Where would I find a front and rear set of Skinners for it these days?

Does adjusting the rear blade height not help?

I put a TRS25 on my rossi 44. love it

Originally Posted by outlander

Along with the magazine tube, or just run the tube alongside the new bent barrel? Side by side, as it were.

Bend the bullets to match the mag creating an awesome new wildcat

Big fan of irons here. KISS.

Originally Posted by outlander

I have a new Rossi 44 mag that shoots a metre high at 100 metres! Where would I find a front and rear set of Skinners for it these days?

@outlander

Skinner Sights

He is a good guy to deal with, and they ship to NZ for very reasonable rates, US 12 last time I used them.

Originally Posted by ebf

@outlander

Skinner Sights

He is a good guy to deal with, and they ship to NZ for very reasonable rates, US 12 last time I used them.

Bloody good sights too.

Originally Posted by ebf

@outlander

Skinner Sights

He is a good guy to deal with, and they ship to NZ for very reasonable rates, US 12 last time I used them.

I tried Skinner a year or so ago and they weren't shipping internationally. I don't find the same quote on their ad this time, so obviously they do now. Do import permits apply and do the old sights merely knock off and these fellas slid on directly? Thanks ebf.

Originally Posted by aetchell

Does adjusting the rear blade height not help?

I put a TRS25 on my rossi 44. love it
Attachment 141117

The rear sight is fully down. It was suggested that sliding the ramp out completely dropped it back on target at 100m. Does the TRS25 fit in the rear sight dovetail once the sight is removed, without gunsmith intervention?

Originally Posted by northdude

Bend the bullets to match the mag creating an awesome new wildcat

Wonder if bending the sizing die would save the effort of bending the rounds before loading. I'll heat my die up in the vise right now and see how I go...

I use Iron sights when I can,but unfortunatly thats not early morning or late evening for me any longer.

I find Rifles just carry better without a scope.

I have Recknagle swing off mounts on my 8X57 along with Recknagle open sights.Its a nice combo as you have the option of carrying the scope in your pack.

Only have open sights on my 303, bringing able to see rear sight , front blade , and target doesn't happen these days unless I use low powered glasses ,e Ben then it ain't the best.

Originally Posted by Ben Waimata

Personally I think the aperture military sights are the best sights available. If the aperture is small enough and close enough to the eye it is essentially parallax free (at least at usual iron sight ranges), making it a very easy and fast aiming system. I have the same problem as you, all optics get knocked out of line when used for normal farm work. My last shooting with my old SKK was a classic stuff up (which I admit too here for the first time), twelve deer at about 80m, SKK with a nice 30rd loaded mag, red dot on top (just been sitting on ute deck), couldn't hit a thing. I had check-sighted it in about 3 days earlier and hitting reliably within 3cm at that range which is fine for pest control. Previously I had lots of problems with the 10/22 scope getting knocked out of line, but this SKK red dot stuff up was the one I will remember. One of the 12 deer stood and watched me shooting at her, until after about 15 rounds I gave up, watched her run off. Iron sights only for me for farm pest control use!

Having said that I am at the age where close vision is declining noticeably, so perhaps I will need to revisit this in future.

I think we are on the same page , and the whole knocking the scope off zero is a real world problem .
It’s not just a cheap scope or rings problem either , there is something about the vibration , knocks and rattling around in a vehicle over extended periods of time that effects even quality optical gear and mounts . Bouncing around in a vehicle is a heap harder on equipment than carrying it around and the associated bumps that happen in a normal hunting situation.
I can honestly say that in 15 years I’ve never had to resight in my iron sighted ute rifles because of them losing zero.
With scoped rifles it isn’t an everyday occurrence, but it definitely has happened more than a few times.
My Farm / Ute guns never see the inside of a padded gun bag or case and the most love they get is a blast off with the compressor and an occasional dose of Ballistol when I remember or feel guilty .
I suppose now that I think about it this thread should have been titled “ who uses a Farm rifle and what sights do you use “ because 95% of my hunting is done with scoped rifles .
At the end of the day iron sighted rifles are tough as nails and have a place in my tool box

Originally Posted by norsk

I use Iron sights when I can,but unfortunatly thats not early morning or late evening for me any longer.

I find Rifles just carry better without a scope.

I have Recknagle swing off mounts on my 8X57 along with Recknagle open sights.Its a nice combo as you have the option of carrying the scope in your pack.Attachment 141123

Wow nice rifle .
You are absolutely correct about the carry aspect of an unscoped rifle .

I use open sights on pistols but have a special pair of glasses for that (no good for any distance). I just cannot reliably see a rifle front sight these days so all my shooting rifles have scopes. I use my 8x Leica rangefinder for glassing.