[Ammo]

Or rather the lack of.

I'm recovering from a bit of surgery, so to keep me from getting bored, my child bride assigned me the task of going thru a stack of firearms magazines (the kind you read) that I had stacked in my home office, going back to 2003.

That meant, of course, I had to re read all the articles and cut out any, plus re loading data, I wanted to keep.

As I read thru all the tests/reports on bolt rifles, I noticed, with a couple of exceptions, hardly any had iron sights.

I'm talking bolt rifles here, not AR's, lever rifles etc.

I will fully admit, that, with my 60 something eyes, I now need a scope for any real precision shooting at a distance.

The thing that bothers me is that in situations like we discuss, on this site, I feel the need to have iron sites as a backup.

You have this $600.00 ( more or less) rifle, another couple hundred, at least, for a descent scope and you drop the rifle and the scope is damaged.

You have a very expensive club.

Do any of you feel that iron sights are needed on a rifle, or are you confidant enough, (survival situation) in the present day glass to not worry about it??

 

[M38A1]

My 60+ years old eyes can't get a good sight picture with barrel-mounted V-notch sights on the K98k and 1903 Springfield. I can still use the rear peep sight on an AR-15, M1 Carbine, M1 Garand, and 1903A3 out to 100 yards. For anything else, I would probably need a scope to have any realistic chance of hitting something.

That being said, I would still rather have a good military peep sight as rely on a bulky scope that could be easily damaged. I figure there was a good reason the military stuck with iron sights for so long.

 

[timber runner]

lots of places here a scope wont do u much good, cause ur just seeing a patch of hair, with out knowing where that patch of hair is located on the animal, but then u go a mile or more, ur not gonna get closer than 400+ yards to the same animal, so yeah u need both, so that u can see where your shooting at in reguards to your target

 

[rumeryp]

i think that people nowadays should use iron sights. they are cheaper, and if you use them enough you can hit targets better than with a scope in my opinion, to a certain distance that is.

 

[Irishwarlord]

When ever,

I mount a scope on one of my rifles, I use see thru scope mounts, so I will have the Iron sights as a close range primary or back up to scope which can get banged around.

Keep your senses sharp and your weapons loaded and ready.

 

[bladedad66]

Men without scoped rifles managed to settle the entirety of the known world. As I grow older, scopes have found their way onto more and more of my firearms. I still enjoy shooting with peep sights the best though...they just work!

 

[Grinnan Barrett]

I have those older eyes and I prefer the iron sites on a rifle I am going to drag around in teh woods. For anything we shoot down here it is under 200 meters.

 

[Highpower]

I am only 46 but the eyes are not what they once were. I shoot NRA Highpower so I still shoot open sights quite a bit and still manage decent scores. Smaller rear apertures will help clear some of the fuzz that used to be the front sight. Kind of like squinting your eyes makes things clearer.

 

[Jeffrey]

Most "deer rifles" dont have iron sights I think because they are sport guns. If your scope gets knocked off, you just fail to take home the deer. No biggie, you still have food in the freezer. However, combat weapons that are used by armies always have iron sights. This is no accident. Only designated sniper rifles rely completely on glass, and that glass is TOUGH- to the point that most of us cant even afford them. Bolt action manufacturers know that hunters are going to put a scope on it anyway so why bother spending the money to install one?

 

[Herd Sniper]

When you research most shooting distances metal sights make sense. The average infantryman's rifle shot in combat turns out to be about 20 yards. The average sniper shot is normally about 150 yards or so. The average police pistol shooting distance is 7 yards or under. So, your idea of metal/iron sights on a survival rifle is not a bad one at all. I'm soon to be 59 and even my old eyes can use a military peep sight system for the overwhelming majority of my shooting needs. Do I use scopes and red dots? Sure, I do. But I also keep metal sights around just in case...

 

[Cannon Fodder]

When you research most shooting distances metal sights make sense. The average infantryman's rifle shot in combat turns out to be about 20 yards. The average sniper shot is normally about 150 yards or so. The average police pistol shooting distance is 7 yards or under. So, your idea of metal/iron sights on a survival rifle is not a bad one at all. I'm soon to be 59 and even my old eyes can use a military peep sight system for the overwhelming majority of my shooting needs. Do I use scopes and red dots? Sure, I do. But I also keep metal sights around just in case...

I do firmly believe that iron sights need to be present on any battle/survival weapon. As a backup for an optic. I think that a rifle ought to have a good quality optic as a primary sight. They simply increase lethality. After the Army switched to ACOG's in Iraq, the Iraqi gov't started an investigation because so many insurgents were turning up headshot that they thought we were executing them! It just became very simple to decide where you wanted to shoot a badguy as opposed to wether or not you could hit them! I learned to shoot with iron sights, and they have their place as a backup. But they are obsolete. Even at 20 yards, an optic is twice as fast to get on target, and if your opponent is wearing armor, it gives you a chance at a quick headshot.

 

[Vergeltung]

these are the exact reasons that my first rifle was a Mauser 98k. I will practice and learn to get good with it out to 150 yards. I feel then, under almost any circumstances, well prepared.

 

[Nomad 2nd]

I believe in redundancy. Gun Co's see a chance to reduce costs...

 

[Rifleman336]

I am 34 years old and even though I am from the age of glass and plastic. I cringe when I see a scope only rifle. Iron sites is a great idea if one should have a OH, $hit!!! moment that results in the crunch of glass.



Rifleman 336

 

[Peter]

Slick barreled rifles are less costly to produce and besides the average shooter/hunter mounts a scope anyway...At least thats what I've been told.

I prefer a decent set of iron sights (peeps) for most all shooting and hunting applications. It has been my experience that a properly setup peep is every bit as accurate as one needs out to about a hundred yards or so...for the truely gifted that range can be appreciablely extended.

Scopes are great and there is not one thing wrong with going that route...Though in a bolt action that was going to do double duty hunting/survival, I want the option of using either scope or iron signts. I haven't had a set of iron sights fogged up.

 

[SmallGame2100]

Even if a gun has a scope on it, I like to have the iron sights accurate and sighted. I prefer to use them because of the easy use and easy adjusting they require.

Maybe its just me, but I dont like using scopes. Takes time to sight in, I'm very impatient.

Just what I do.

 

[omusoya]

scopes causes a shooter to be dependent with it. I have a buddy who hunts regularly with me. We where shooting my plane jane 10/22 out at 50yds. This guys is a pretty good shot, he also has a 10/22 but he puts a red dot on it. I was shocked by his grouping, he was all over the place. I placed a scope on it to see if it was the gun, nope. It was his shooting with iron sights. For me, iron sights are essential in every rifle. Familiarize yourselves with your rifle with an iron sights first before putting some fancy optics on it..

 

[DesertSunrise]

Some folks carry an extra scope - or even an extra rifle - when hunting. I prefer to have iron sights on my rifle in addition to the scope. For any activity that involves serious social purposes irons are a must. BTW, how many shooters do you know who do not know how to use iron sights properly?

 

[Vergeltung]

I doubt I'll ever scope my new Mauser, but, even if I was to, I want to learn on the irons first. obviously, it takes more skill to be good with the irons......

 

[Matt]

If you really need to have a scope because of your eyesight is bad, get an AR10, mount a scope on the carrying handle and that will leave the peeps open.