I know this has to do more with deer than turkey but hey this is the general forum right? lol One of the recent posts caught and redirected my attention. All these new rifles come factory without iron sight. Now I'm just 22 but I grew and learned how to use iron sights, until I bought my own rifle two years ago. I have buddies who brag about making these miraculous shots, and my response is always the same....Can you make a clean kill at 100 yards without a scope? Didnt think so, shut up. It really bugs the h*ll out of me that all these ppl call themselves great shots but cant shoot iron sights, which just ticks me off more about the new guns not coming factory with iron sights. My dad always told me that if i could shoot iron sights then I could shoot a scope, just the same as if you can drive a stick you can drive an automatic. And I thank him all the time for taking the extra time to teach me how to shoot iron sights instead of taking the easy way out and saying put the crosshairs on the vitals and squeeze. Does anyone else agree or am I hopelessly venting alone lol.
I too learned to shoot with iron sights, I was an adult before I ever had a scope on my rifle.
I too learned to drive a stick first.
I Agree IN FULL!!! I laugh when ppl swear they cant shoot deer more than 200 yards. When out west, the average deer shot is 350 to 400 yards. And I've been around old timers that dont even think twice about taking that shot with Iron sights with an old 30/30. Now those guys are a dying breed my friend. Heck I know I can't take a shot like that unless its with a 30-06 or .308 and conditions are perfect lol.
Model 94 Winchester 30-30. What I learned to shoot with and still use unless I'm using my 30-06 with a scope but would not have changed a thing when it came to learning to use iron sights.
I learned on an old J.C. Higgens single shot 22
All I got to say,and I say it with respect, Enjoy your eyes while you got em youngster.
It really makes no difference to me what kind of sights a guy uses to aim his gun. Whatever gets the job done. Is someone who uses a scope, exclusively, a poorer shot because of it? Is he less of a man? I think not. Sooner or later, a scope will be the only way you will be able to shoot a rifle, so why wait until your eyesight demands it? Most people do start with open sights, because that is what's on most B.B. guns. It is what's on most .22's. Learning to shoot with open sights is a good thing, but I don't think classifying them as wussies, if they don't, is as logical as you make it sound..Mike
All my guns are scoped now. One reason is law school has wrecked my eyes. Another is the fact that it allows me to make better shots, even at closer ranges. A low power scope on my 30-30 was just the ticket. I can pick through brush easier and shoot in low light in the woods. I swore I would never scope my muzzleloader, but I realize now that I was really limiting myself.
All my guns from my turkey gun right up to my .308 are scoped. Just personal preference.
I also learned to shoot iron sights.But now i have scopes on all my guns except my turkey rig (i refuse to put a scope on a shotgun,shouldnt need a scope on shotgun,unless its a slug gun, just my opinion),theres alot of people that do on there shotguns i dont think no less of them its just my personal prefence.As far as rifles i learned with a 30/30 with iron sights and used it up until getting .270 and it had a scope on it.But i still can shoot iron sights. :icon_thumright:
If a feller can shoot well with a scope, then he should have no problem doing the same with iron sights...unless his eyes can't focus the three points. A scope won't magically stabilize your hold, steady your trigger pull, or make the bullet fly any straighter. Most iron sights are junk anyway.
I have to go with the "failing eyes" crowd. I can remember sitting on a creekbank a few years back staring down the barrel of a Marlin 336 at a young buck feeding in the national forest where I hunt. He had no clue I was there and was in no hurry to move through the woods. Arkansas had just passed a "3 point rule" where a buck has to have at least 3 points on one side of his rack to be legal. At around 60 yards away, I could not tell if he had an eye tine that would make the third point on his rack. (Don't even start with the "you can't grow big deer if you shoot the little ones" argument... this is public land that get's pressured.) I stared through the semi-buckhorn sights at that deer trying to grow an eye tine out of thin air... hoping he was a legal deer. After probably 5 minutes of looking down the barrel, I could feel obvious eye strain. I pullled my head off the stock and looked around. My eyes would not focus. It was like they were crossed. I have to admit that I was quite worried I had done permanent damage to my eyes. As I could never determine with certainty that he had an eye tine, he walked. That experience was enough for me to realize the value of a scope on a rifle. I use fiber optics on my turkey gun, but my muzzleloader and rifles are scoped. My .357 is at the gun shop now being drilled and tapped to be able to hunt with a 2x scope. My eyes aren't what they used to be, but I'll be dogged if that is going to put me on the couch during hunting season.
I too learned with iron sights, BB gun, pellet rifle, Remington pump 22 and an old Winchester 30 - 30 lever action long barrel. All that is left is the 30 -30 and I cant shoot it anymore with open sights but I will not ruin it with a scope. Deer rifle and one of two shotguns are scoped. I think the lack of using iron sights to start with is a short change like only being able to drive an automatic transmission, IMHO. Good post.
:fud: :fud: :fud:
Quote from: LX_Trkyhntr on July 17, 2011, 04:36:15 PM
I too learned to shoot with iron sights, I was an adult before I ever had a scope on my rifle.
I too learned to drive a stick first.
x2 :icon_thumright:
I won't buy a gun if it don't have iron sights on it
I learned to shoot on irons, only shot them for years.
That said, the rifles that I use a lot all wear scopes, some are 1-3x20, 2-7x33 or the occasional 3-9x40. I do not understand why it makes a difference how I make my shots so long as I make them. I have never looked at someone and said you know you suck, get a scope on that rifle!
I have a place at my house that I can stretch out to 620yds, it is much more enjoyable to hit the steel with scoped rifle at 620yds than it is to miss with open sights. I know, I tried it. I work my loads up for accuracy and it is much easier for me to know I am being accurate with a scoped rifle, I guess that means I can't shoot.
Even my lever rifles have scopes, eek!
(http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss29/Tom_Foolery_74/IMG_0437.jpg)
(http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss29/Tom_Foolery_74/P1010641.jpg)
Muzzleloaders
(http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss29/Tom_Foolery_74/Pics001.jpg)
Bolt rifles too
(http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss29/Tom_Foolery_74/11-21-09358Yote11.jpg)
Y'all are wussies. I'm an instinctive shooter. ;)
True. But we don't miss!!!! :lol: :z-guntootsmiley: :toothy12: :fud: :smiley-char092:
Quote from: stinkpickle on July 21, 2011, 11:03:57 PM
Y'all are wussies. I'm an instinctive shooter. ;)
I seen them do that on tv once, they had a rifle with no sights or a scope, just a slick barrel. They were picking off people like crqazy at long range. I tried it and I couldn't hit anything, my instincts suck!
:z-guntootsmiley:
I shot my first buck with a Winchester Model 1886 in .45-70 using iron sights. That was my Uncle John's rifle. When I got my first rifle a Winchester Model 70 in .30-06 the first thing I did was put a Bushnell 3X on it. Remember that this was in 1959 before variables. The old saying "you can only shoot as well as you can see" is so true. And yes both my turkey shotguns wear scopes!
I learned to shoot with iron sights and used to have really good eyes and thought I could shoot as good as anyone I ran accross. My eyesight is still better than 20/20, but not nearly as good as it used to be. Scopes allow me to be a better shot.
The important thing is new hunters learn to shoot and enjoy the outdoors. The equipment used is ever changing. There was a generation that thought using a lever gun with center fire cartridges was soft rather than a flint lock. I haven't rifle hunted for deer in over five years. I do it with a bow. Some hunt with recurves or long bows and might think my modern bow is a sissy way.
I say it doesn't matter what weapon you use, if it's legal and you enjoy the outdoors, more power to you.
Tom Foolery, nice 1895! With that kind of power, you gotta be sure not to get too close to that scope. :) I've got a nice crease in my right eyebrow from putting a scope too far back on a SMLE.
My Dan Wesson .357 just got drilled and tapped for a scope mount this week. These are supposed to be some of the most accurate handguns made, but the sights on mine moved enough to make accuracy impossible (also noted by the gunsmith that drilled the gun). I plan on mounting a 2x scope on it and hope to get a chance to break it in this fall.
I also have a Marlin model 336 in .35 Remington waiting for one more payment in the back room of a local gunshop. This one will be topped off with a Simmons 3x9 that I took off a .30-.30 I had on loan for several years.
I have never taken a shot over 100 yards on any game. The places I have to hunt seldom produce shots longer than that. If a scope helps me make quicker, cleaner kills and make identifying game as legal easier, that's all the reason I need to use them.
lightsoutcalls, thanks for the comments. I really like the little 1895G. I have several loads from 405gr Cast at around 1200fps to 350gr jacketed at near 2000fps. It's wearing an m8 Leupold 2.5x20mm, it has plenty of eye relief. The Marlin 336 with the deer is a .35 Remington. It wears a Weaver v3 1-3x20mm.