Making my way to irons

[Ontario Hunter]

The 22 is a Browning T bolt with no front or rear sight unfortunately.

That is surprising. I never figured Browning to be too cheap to put sights on one of their 22s. Not to worry. Nothing a glue stick and duct tape can't fix.

 

[rdog]

I love open sights. But I’m 57 years old and need readers now. However, I can still shoot groups between 2 and 3inch at 100 yards with a peep due to only needing to focus on the front sight that I can still see clearly. If you haven’t used an aperture sight don’t worry about the peep and focus on the front sight your brain will center it automatically in the peep and you’ll only mess up worrying about it.
I got a nice surprise when my wife gave me a new 458wm in the Winchester Safari Express for Christmas and I discovered that I’m able to shoot it well with the factory rear leaf sight. Well enough that I plan to take it next safari without a scope.
I spend a lot of time dry fire practicing and like the “range comparison chart” attached which can be found online and when viewed from only 5 feet is supposed to accurately represent the size of game at 100-500 yards. I also have found when shooting for groups at ranges past 50 yards to forget bullseye holds and instead use a large black circle and a six o’clock hold indicated by the arrow on the attached target.
One thing worth mentioning is an aperture sight is tougher to use for moving game than a rear leaf and a larger ghost ring is advisable if hunting game that you’re likely to only have a moving shot on.

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What a Wife!!!! Lucky man.

 

[R eight]

I have decided that 2024 will be the year of open sights for me. I have very limited experience with them, and none while hunting. So, this is the start of a journey.

I will see how comfortable I get at the range before heading to the field. However, I am inspired by articles like the one below. And, I find carrying my rifle without a scope is a joy. My 308 Norma Mag has a pop-up peep. For hunting up north I don't get many really long shots anyway. And, getting familiar with irons will allow me to get the most out of the express sights on my 400 H&H.

Precision With A Peep: Using an Aperture Sight - A Tale of Two Thirties

It is universally believed that you must use a good telescopic sight when you want to get the most in accuracy from your rifle. Precision shooting from the bench requires the minimization of aiming error, which will make differences in group sizes due only to differences in the load or the gun...

ataleoftwothirties.com

I would be interested to hear from folks about how they practice with open sights and how successful hunting is.

This is how I practice with the irons on my.416 Rigby. Plenty of banter with the mates too.

 

[Rule 303]

This is how I practice with the irons on my.416 Rigby. Plenty of banter with the mates too.

What was that you said to the narrator, that you should shot the narrator?

 

[Challer]

I maintain iron sights on my R8 barrels just cuz, that said I have a Blaser red dot that works great as well as an EOS holographic sight that corrects for parallax - the dot can be anywhere in the window and the dot is still the target.

Also the .75 X 6 Z8 also helps greatly with corrected vision.

Only other trick I’ve learned is to have a set of distance only glasses even if you need biofocals or progressives. That fixed my last problems.

 

[PCC600]

I love using iron sights. Either express or peep sights . Key is to get in close and practice a lot . A few open sight pics. From left to right - 500NE double with diamond front sight , very easy to see. Buff taken with open sights RSM 458 Lott. Some pigs taken on the run using a 450 Rigby PH with open sights. My 416 Rigby Big Game with excellent peep sight. While I have rifles with quick detachable scopes every rifle I own is fitter with iron sights .

 

[Hunter-Habib]

All with iron sights.

As a young man growing up in South Bengal, we all observed the following rule from the old timers:
"Optics For Hills
Irons For Jungles"

The first time I ever used telescopic sights on a rifle, was for hunting lion over bait in Tanzania (1978).

 

[Altitude sickness]

Peeps have always worked better for me than traditional buckhorns. But especially now with needing glasses up close. Excluding RMR and scopes.
In order of preference and accuracy

It’s a peep
Than Blaser style irons or NECG masterpiece

 

[PCC600]

sgt_zim, I believe NECG offers front sights in different colors. Also check out Brownells. I purchased a green fiber optic front sight from them for use on a lever gun. Talk to someone in their "Tech" Dept.

I fitted a 3 point diamond . It cost A$90 ( about US$60 plus cost of some glue . Sounds extravagant but it is not . Way better than fibre optics and cheaper. Here it is on a double rifle.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I love using iron sights. Either express or peep sights . Key is to get in close and practice a lot . A few open sight pics. From left to right - 500NE double with diamond front sight , very easy to see. Buff taken with open sights RSM 458 Lott. Some pigs taken on the run using a 450 Rigby PH with open sights. My 416 Rigby Big Game with excellent peep sight. While I have rifles with quick detachable scopes every rifle I own is fitter with iron sights .

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Can we see a photo of the bottom rifle from above. I'm curious how that rear sight is attached.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I fitted a 3 point diamond . It cost A$90 ( about US$60 plus cost of some glue . Sounds extravagant but it is not . Way better than fibre optics and cheaper. Here it is on a double rifle.

Who makes that diamond sight?

 

[PCC600]

Hope these first 2 photos help . The peep sight is fitted onto the cocking piece . The third photo shows the rear express sights all fold down so as not to obscure vision of front sight when using the peep . The peep works really well on moving targets .

 

[PCC600]

Who makes that diamond sight?

Me . Just the original sight with a small diamond glued on . I got the idea after seeing diamonds fitted to double rifles imported into Australia which had come from the old armories of Indian princes .

 

[spike.t]

Grew up running around the hedge rows with a .177 air rifle then a .22 air rifle...both barrel cocking ones....put thousands of pellets through them....go get one and shoot it as much as you can....as no noise means even more than a .22lr ....Will get you used to iron sights fast

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Hope these first 2 photos help . The peep sight is fitted onto the cocking piece . The third photo shows the rear express sights all fold down so as not to obscure vision of front sight when using the peep . The peep works really well on moving targets .

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Interesting. One would think that a peep mounted on the end of the striker would lack stability, but I guess not. What kind of glue did you use to attach the diamond to front sight?

 

[Velo Dog]

Grew up running around the hedge rows with a .177 air rifle then a .22 air rifle...both barrel cocking ones....put thousands of pellets through them....go get one and shoot it as much as you can....as no noise means even more than a .22lr ....Will get you used to iron sights fast

Once again I am in agreement with you Spikeman,

I too spent my sordid youth with an air rifle, instead of playing ball games with the “normal” boys (monkeys squabbling over a coconut).
Fast forward a hundred years to now.
These days I live on the outskirts of a city and so, I cannot fire powder burning guns, without negative legal consequences.

However, even though I only have a tic more than one acre here, my house is in a forrested setting.
And as such, I am able to shoot air powered guns on my land, as much as I wish.
As you have pointed out, practice with an accurate air rifle is good practice.
It totally beats no practice at all.

I am blessed to live about 2 miles, perhaps 3 kilometers from a real rifle range as well.
However, ammunition have become oppressively expensive and hard to find.
Furthermore, I resent having to stand in amongst the backwards baseball hat and trigger slapping nitwits.
Therefore, I don’t shoot real firearms as much as I’d like to.

Your air rifle suggestion is golden and I have been suggesting same to people for several years now as well.

Cheers,
Velo Dog.

 

[PCC600]

Interesting. One would think that a peep mounted on the end of the striker would lack stability, but I guess not. What kind of glue did you use to attach the diamond to front sight?

Rigby were famous for this type of peep . Have seen the same system on H&H , Fraser and Gibbs rifles . The glue was Araldite . Well known over here .

 

[R eight]

What was that you said to the narrator, that you should shot the narrator?

You’re as deaf as me.

 

[Rule 303]

You’re as deaf as me.

What did you say, speak up.

 

[Nhoro]

Another air rifle shooter here. I had a springer and my younger brother still has his Daisy pump gun. That is still acurate, our sons have competitions at christmas etc. We shot as kids every few days, offhand with open sights. All my rifles have open sights, all zeroed. My lott only has open sights and I keep my skills up with an airgun. I recommend buying a springer airgun with open sights. To shoot a springer well, you need to aim well and have a good follow through. It will make your rifle shooting bettter. A 22 lr is good as well.