Does anyone hunt with their iron sights?

im4flight

im4flight

New member
I was talking to a military friend of mine who seemed surprised i was using a scope on my AR. He said they (marines) would qualify with just the iron sights out to 500yds. And that most of them were using just the iron sights out to 800 - 1000yds? Any of you guys have experience doing this? Hunting like this? Would be interested in hearing pros and cons.

Thanks,
 
Iron sights work fine for shooting at round bullseyes even at 1000 yards. Many competition shooters can actually shoot better scores with irons than with optics. However, for hunting non-round animals and moving targets, optics are so much better. Irons should not even be considered for hunting.

Jack
 
I use irons in thick cover when shots are going to be less 100 yds and sometimes a bit more when required. Takes a bit a practice to maintain good accuracy. A lot of shooters never learn or have never properly sighted or have learned to shoot with their iron sights. This is a big mistake in my opinion. Everyone should be able to shoot reasonably well with their irons. I feel very comfortable hunting w/ my iron sights as most of my firearms in my early days of hunting were all military versions with just the irons. Of course, If using irons I use my prescription eyeglasses these days ....getting older sucks
frown.gif
 
I grew up shooting handguns so am very comfortable with iron sights. But I can't us mine with the scope on. I have a fixed handle, and once you throw the adaper rail on, and then the rings, there is just too much stuff in the area to focus well, especially in low light conditions.

I actually prefer iron sights because it is easier for me to focus more quickly on my target. That being said I really haven't tried them much out past 200yds, or on moving targets.
 
Id have no problems hunting with iron sights. I shot with irons exclusively until a few years ago. Never really had to shoot past 100 yards.
 
I can see my iron sights just fine, it's when the target gets past 100 yards that I start having problems focusing on that front sight and still recognize what I'm supposed to be aiming at...

A deer, coyote, or most other animals blend in with the background too much for my eyes anymore..

I still like taking my old Marlin lever action out though..
 
Wouldn't iron sights be better on running shots? I would think you would have quicker target acquisition than trying to find the target(say a coyote) in the crosshairs.
 
Nothing wrong with iron sights. Qualified many times with iron sights and never hunted with a scope until I was an adult. However, a big target is much easier to perforate than a small target.
 
Whether iron sghts or quality optics, one should use what they are comfortble with, and more importantly, to ethically dispatch whatever they are hunting.
 
I agree, we all should be able to shoot with irons if we need to. That’s where rifle training should begin because you never know when you might be back to the irons and in some situations it might even be preferable. My AR is set up with backup irons for that very reason.

That said I certainly don’t think trying to hunt a coyote at ranges in excess of 250 (anything over 100 for my tired eyes) yards with an AR equipped only with iron sights is going to be very efficient for most of us, because there’s a difference between hits and precision hits. Precision hits at range require optics for most of us.

As for the military using irons, while this might have been true prior to 2000 there’s been a big move to the use of various types of optics for combat arms. While not all of these have magnification they are all designed to place rounds on target more effectively than with the use of iron sights alone. So even those Marines who train with irons might be using some type of optic in combat.
 
Originally Posted By: cpd1501Wouldn't iron sights be better on running shots? I would think you would have quicker target acquisition than trying to find the target(say a coyote) in the crosshairs.
No. Target acquisiition is faster with a scope of lower power. The reason being that you do not have to acquire both a front and rear sight, just the crosshair.

Jack
 
+1
Quote:Target acquisition is faster with a scope of lower power

Watch some of the guys that shoot action rifle competitions with EO-Techs or 2x scopes and have trained themselves to shoot with both eyes open...

All you have to do is look at your target and then bring the optic up and in line with where you are looking...moving from one target to the next, or following a moving target, is just like pointing your finger..You just have to lead the same as with iron sights...
 
Sometimes it is not only the optics that help you shoot,..it helps you distinguish what you are shooting at, and through,... as many times brush can be seen through a scope that may not as well be seen with an open sight.
Of course if you are shooting a .30 cal,..the Marine can go ahead and shoot through it. A small bullet will not do so well.
We are not shooting man sized targets here usually, and the goal is to make clean kills.



I can qualify with open sights, however, I prefer good optics for hunting.
 
Originally Posted By: Jack RobertsOriginally Posted By: cpd1501Wouldn't iron sights be better on running shots? I would think you would have quicker target acquisition than trying to find the target(say a coyote) in the crosshairs.
No. Target acquisiition is faster with a scope of lower power. The reason being that you do not have to acquire both a front and rear sight, just the crosshair.

Jack Don't we just mount the rifle the same every time and only concentrate on the front sight? My rear sight is drilled so big it might as well not even be there.All that said I'll be hunting with a scope every time.(old eyes)
 
Originally Posted By: OldTurtle+1
Quote:Target acquisition is faster with a scope of lower power

Watch some of the guys that shoot action rifle competitions with EO-Techs or 2x scopes and have trained themselves to shoot with both eyes open...

All you have to do is look at your target and then bring the optic up and in line with where you are looking...moving from one target to the next, or following a moving target, is just like pointing your finger..You just have to lead the same as with iron sights...


It takes awhile to learn it but that is how I shoot, even when using open sights I shoot with both eyes open. It took me about a month to get the hang of it with my Eotech and scopes at less than 4X , the hardest to learn was my handguns with open sights that took about 6 months to master. Now when I am hunting I have excellent peripheral vision that allows me to see my game better and also see what may be happening outside the view of my scope.

I would recommend everyone try it, I shot for many years with 1 eye closed I wish I had worked on both eyes open shooting sooner.
 
Do you still shoot with your dominant eye... with both eyes open? Assuming that is true, how do you train one eye to focus on the sights or the scope and the other to focus on everything else? I know apache pilots have to do it, but I have never understood it.
 
Originally Posted By: im4flightDo you still shoot with your dominant eye... with both eyes open? Assuming that is true, how do you train one eye to focus on the sights or the scope and the other to focus on everything else? I know apache pilots have to do it, but I have never understood it.

I focus on my target and then just bring my rifle or pistol up until I see my sights on my target. It is easier than you think, don't even concern yourself about which eye you will use, when you bring your gun up it will be automatic and your dominant eye will take over. The only way I think folks will really struggle with it is if they are not shooting with their dominant eye, I know a few guys that learned to shoot right handed only to find out they are left eye dominant many years later.

I still struggle to shoot with two eyes open using a scope if it is dialed up over 4X , for some reason it makes my eyes water.
 
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