Best Sighting Option Ele Double Rifle

[wildwilderness]

I am putting together a Double Rifle for Elephant in Zim next spring. I have a Sabatti 470 NE with Ken Owen’s that he regulated at 60 yds.

What sighting system should I use? Possible day or night shots.

My eyes are OK, only wear reader glasses (1.75x) so far

 

[Pondoro]

A low power scope with a red dot..in a swing mount.. I have that on my .470 Krieghoff..

A red dot is fast..and crucial if/whe hunting ele at night..

 

[wildwilderness]

A low power scope with a red dot..in a swing mount.. I have that on my .470 Krieghoff..

A red dot is fast..and crucial if/whe hunting ele at night..

Please provide more details- I am not familiar with a swing mount?

Also which scope do you have?

Pictures of the setup?

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

A RMR mounted as low as possible is about as good as it get.

Elephant should be taken at 50 meters or less, a lot less.

Lon

 

[IvW]

Ghost ring similar to the ones availible from Heym double rifles.....

 

[zephyr]

My Ele's have all been inside of 20 yards keep it simple and shoot the Express Sight that is on the gun

 

[Hunter-Habib]

I like wide V backsights and an uncovered ivory bead foresight.

 

[Don Hinton]

I used a Burris Fast Fire 3. Very quick to acquire target. Shot elephant at 30 feet
Don

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Red dot takes the guess work out of sighting a double. Low.

 

[Pondoro]

Please provide more details- I am not familiar with a swing mount?

Also which scope do you have?

Pictures of the setup?

My scoped .470.. Leupold 1.25 - 4 VX red dot in a swing mount. My rifle was prepared for a swingmount from the factory..dont know how much it will take on your Sabatti..

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

What is the best sighting system for a double rifle for elephant hunting?
This question or something similar is asked every couple of weeks...

Below are threads and posts that I've provided information toward sighting systems.

Something people may overlook is if a scope weighing one pound or more is mounted on a double, it may likely change the regulation of a double. This is something one must consider when considering adding a scope to a double.

I think that the EAW Pivot Scope mounts are outstanding! If a scope is required, pull it out of your backpack (or the one a tracker is carrying for you...) and snap it into place. The down side is the mounts with installation on a double rifle costs $2,000 or more. Scope not included!
https://www.newenglandcustomgun.com/products.php?cat=380

Iron/metallic sights are easy to use for most applications, providing the shooter can focus on those sights and still see the target! If a shooter needs reading glasses, chances are this is hard to do.

Reflex or "red dot" sights provide a single sighting plane like a rifle scope without magnification, worries about eye relief, or adding significant weight to an otherwise fast handling double rifle.

First is a link is to a long thread on red dot reflex sights

Red Dot & RMR Sights For Dangerous Game Rifles​

Thread 'Red Dot & RMR Sights For Dangerous Game Rifles'

Feb 5, 2023

Red Dot and RMR Sights for Dangerous Game Rifles

Above photos are Trijocon SRO on Heym 88B

I have been contributing information concerning Red Dot and RMR Sights for Dangerous Game Rifles on a couple of other threads that some AH members may have missed. I figure that this information warrants its own thread, so here you go!

Warning, this isn’t an article about every sight available. I am not a professional writer, as evident my often lack of editing! Nor do any manufacturers send me stuff to use so that I will give them free advertising. Rather, this is...

• Mark A Ouellette
• Replies: 109
• Forum: Articles

• 

Second it a link to a short thread on

Red Dot Reflex Sight, Low Power Variable Scope, Or Metallic Sights???​

Thread 'Red Dot Reflex Sight, Low Power Variable Scope, Or Metallic Sights???'

Feb 16, 2024

There is a lot of discussion about using a riflescope on a dangerous game rifle (DGR) for close shooting. The options are instead using metallic sights, or a red dot reflex sight. The following are my observations based on substantial shooting experience and a couple trips to Africa. I am still learning Africa hunting but will share what I've learned about optics.

I have Trijicon SROs and RMR models mounted a third of the way down the barrels of doubles and a bolt action rifle. These are exponentially better than metallic sights for anyone who needs reading glasses. I remember Jack...

• Mark A Ouellette
• Replies: 9
• Forum: Articles

• 

Post on sighting systems:

Post in thread 'Red Dot /RSM for Dangerous Game'

Apr 9, 2024

Looking for advice. I am planning a future DG hunt for cape buffalo. The platform will be a Winchester model 70 Safari Express. I am not overly pleased with the open sites and am interested in adding a red dot /RSM? Any recommendations? Brand? MOA dot? battery? What do the experienced cape buffalo hunters ...

I posted this in February...

Red Dot Reflex Sight, Low Power Variable Scope, Or Metallic Sights???

There is a lot of discussion about using a riflescope on a dangerous game rifle (DGR) for close shooting. The options are instead using metallic sights, or a red dot reflex sight. The following are my observations based on substantial shooting experience and a couple trips to Africa. I am...

www.africahunting.com

There is a lot of discussion about using a riflescope on a dangerous game rifle (DGR) for close shooting. The options are instead...

• Mark A Ouellette

• 
• 

Post in thread 'Red Dot Only for Buffalo'

Jun 14, 2024

My Heym 88B in .458 Win with Trijicon SRO with 1 MOA dot.

With her we've taken lioness at 50 meters

A running warthog at 5 meters

Buffalo cow (cull) at 100 meters

Giraffe (cull) at 106 meters (my lovely wife hamming it up with my Heym)

Wild-e-beast at 150 meters

So, yes a red dot reflex or prism sight is as accurate as the rifle and marksman. That is as long as one can get the dot small enough for really precise aiming. Add to that the astigmatism that age gifts to us older guys which makes a bright red...

• Mark A Ouellette

• 

Post in thread 'thats why I dont like doubles (have one)'

Feb 16, 2024

the reserve gunner has a scope on top again and that at 15 paces

If it is a true 1X at the lower magnification with an illuminated dot, good for him!

I have Trijicon SROs and RMR models mounted a third of the way down the barrels of doubles and a bolt action rifle. These are exponentially better than metallic sights for anyone who needs reading glasses. I remember Jack O'Connor writing 50 or 60 years ago that when a man needs reading glasses it's time for him to buy a riflescope. Great advice!

I also have Aimpoint H1s mounted on Accuracy X target 1911's and a Pardini .22 for...

• Mark A Ouellette

• 

 

[One Day...]

The pluses and minuses...

Iron sights
Nothing to break.
Nothing to snag.
Do not loose zero.
Fastest.
KISS.
Must have decent eyesight to see the front sight.

Red dot sight
Light.
Relatively unobstructive.
Beware, small reflex sights are not always bright enough for the blazing African sun on light backgrounds...
No risk of injury under recoil.
Great in low light.
More intuitive for folks who have not grown up shooting iron sights.
Bring (and always carry) spares batteries!

Scope
Beware of the recoil and the dreaded "scope kiss".
Must be a 1x at the lower end of magnification.
Must have super strong / factory mounting due to heavy recoil.
Detachable mount highly advised (mandatory?)
Integrated red dot / center reticle desired.
More intuitive for folks who have only shot scoped rifles their entire life.
Beware, illuminated reticles are not as bright as a designated red dot sight.
Heavy.
Certainly changes the balance of the rifle and the POI when attached/removed.
Likely changes the regulation of the rifle (group size).


My personal view is that a scope does not make a hell of a lot of sense on a .470 designed to be shot within 50 meters, but does make sense on a .375 flanged or on a .500/.416 when used at 150 yards; and I see no downside, and a lot of upside, to having a reflex red dot that can be attached/detached in seconds in the field. I had Krieghoff mount a Leica Tempus on my .470 K Gun.

PS: A thumb screw is hard to manipulate once really tight (which it must be), and it catches on bush, shirt, etc. I prefer to carry a mini Allen key at the bottom of one of my belt pouches (plus one in the gun case).

 

[rookhawk]

I am putting together a Double Rifle for Elephant in Zim next spring. I have a Sabatti 470 NE with Ken Owen’s that he regulated at 60 yds.

What sighting system should I use? Possible day or night shots.

My eyes are OK, only wear reader glasses (1.75x) so far

The best option technically is an optic. 1-4x or 1-6x with illumination. Why? It enhances light gathering and gives you a quick point of reference. (usually set at 1x)

The second best option is an RMR, providing faster target acquisition than iron sights, plus illumination, plus no parallax with what-you-see-is-where-it-goes. If the dot is cockeyed and up/right of center, makes no difference, that's where the bullet is headed.

The third best option is iron sights with a front pop-up oversized night bead so you can shoot it like a shotgun if you need to react to a charge.

The problems with the above advice are as follows:

1.) Aesthetics. Most people do not like optics on double rifles because of the "look". Same for RMRs.

2.) Rapid target acquisition and precision of optics and RMRs is reliant upon a perfect stock fit and custom mounts/rings to get the optic in position for an instant shot without any seeking or tiling of head. That's no joke, we're talking about $3000-$6500 optic and mount arrangements, or $1500-$2000 RMR and mount arrangements on top of a perfectly fitted stock.