open sights

Do any of you shoot open sights? What is the longest shot you have taken? What is the longest you would take on a deer?

I shoot open sights on my MK85 54. I have a XS Sights front and a Williams FP rear. I shot a buck at 75 yards last month. I would be completely comfortable at 120 with open sights on a deer.

When I was in the Corps all those years ago part of our qualification course was 10 rounds at 500 meters on a 12 inch bullseye. Back then I had no trouble putting 10 in the black. I know that it sounds crazy but the mind (training) is more important than perfect vision when shooting open sights.

One big added bonus is how wonderfully handy a good rifle feels in the hand when it doesnt have a scope hanging of of it!

I don't own a scoped ML'er. It's perfectly legal here but I enjoy iron sights. Having said that I don't use the issue sights. I use Williams WGRS, Lyman, and XS peep sights with post (sourdough) front sights. I also agree with everything Dutch said in his post. Most people are afraid of iron sights having really only used them on a pellet gun or .22 RF in their youth. The farthest I ever shot a ML'er at a deer was 75-80 yards but I would have no problem out to 125.

Dutch said:

......One big added bonus is how wonderfully handy a good rifle feels in the hand when it doesnt have a scope hanging of of it!

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So true! Me i just wish i could see the front sight with my old eyes. Alas i cannot, so my handy hunting rifle, has a 1X scope on it.

Ron I hear you on that one. I have a 1x nib in the safe waiting for the day I need it. But I am fighting it as long as I can.

ep427 said:

Do any of you shoot open sights? What is the longest shot you have taken? What is the longest you would take on a deer?

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1,000yd long range high power rifle matches, for the longest shots using iron sights, and in my youth, when my vision was crisp, I was known to shoot deer in the 200yd range with a bead front post/peep rear combo. Now, I try to keep hunting shots with fixed sights under 100yds, but with good conditions and a good presentation, I may push to 150yds or so. Practice much further, which makes the under 150yd shots easier, IMO. Have an eye doc who is an institution within the shooting sports community, so his prescription corrections have greatly extended my fixed sight enjoyment.

The longest shot I took with my White ML using a Williams Peep sight was at about 100yds. At that distance the front sight covered most of the deer.

117 yards at a deer two years ago during our ML season. TC Impact with factory fiber optic sights.

Emrah

90 yards is the longest. Done with a T/C Renegade with a T/C Hunter Peep sight and a standard Renegade front sight. I would try a 100 yard shot if the conditions were right and the deer was worth it. But with my eyes, I am closing that distance more and more it seems.

I approach this topic from a somewhat different direction. My first ML, an Omega X7, came equipped with a peep sight. I decided to mount a scope to develop loads and get experience and I hunted with the scope for the first two or three seasons. My hunting is almost entirely in fairly heavily wooded areas, a shot over 50 yards is very rare.

I practiced at the range during the off-season with the peep sight to get confidence with my ability out to 75 yards or so. Then I ditched the scope entirely and went with the peep for hunting. My success was pretty good. My ranges from the stand were a little less but my shots were clean. Then something happened. I took a 40 yard shot at a broadside standing doe, going for a double lung. When the smoke cleared, she moved off, out of sight. I re-loaded, waited about 10 minutes, and got down off the stand. At the point of impact I had a good amount of blood and started tracking. It became evident that the doe was not dead and I was pushing her. Long story short(came back next day to continue tracking), I did not recover the deer. I do not know for certain why my shot was bad - I had a rest, she was standing still, the shot was not rushed, and well within my range - but my best guess is I hit a twig or something.

I've learnt that even with 20/20 vision, the naked eye simply cannot pick up every twig and stick in heavy woods, even in moderate distances of less than 50 yards. Test this yourself by looking into the thick stuff, first without magnification, then with binocs, it's surprising (at least to me) what can look like a clear shot is really a case of threading the needle through the bush. So now I use a 4x scope for my woods shooting, not because I am inaccurate with open sights, but to make sure my sightline/bullet path is clear.

I shoot open sights on my encore it just feels right without a scope not heavy.

I use a 2 step square notch rear sight designed for 177 yd. matches at friendship the upper shoulder is dead on at 177 yd. I have taken two deer and a bear at 179 to 188yd. the deer were in the open corn fields of IL and the bear was across an open swamp in Canada. A 54 with 120 or 130 grains will shoot a decent group at that range but you need a sight reference in order to do it and if there was any wind I won't try it.