Open Iron Sights

[Steal2B]

What do members here find to be their confident distance limit for shooting with open iron sights?

Who here exclusively uses optics beyond 100 yards?

I have been infrequently shooting long guns since most ranges I frequent are limited to handguns, or .22 at short distances.

Yeah, I know it is a perishable skill but at my last range visit, I was suprised to notice that at 200 yards with open iron and peep sights I was not confident I had decent shot placement, but after going up to the target I found every round was a 9 or 10.

I had even less confidence at 300 yards although I kept all my shots in a nice circle smaller than a paper plate or about desert plate size.

This getting old crap stinks, but the alternatives really suck. I am not sure if I lost perspective, or if father time is playing with my eyes. I thought my results were fine but I did not feel like I was aiming as small as I remember.

 

[Eddie Gunks]

I shot irons for years in 3 gun. (Not precision shooting). I did very well.
I switched to optics to getbetter prize table offerings. Magnified optics is awesome. Basically if i can see it i can hit it.

now my vision is going. So irons is much harder now.
But i believe shooting irons all my life has made me a far netter shooter.

 

[TMC]

25 to 100 iron after that scope beyond 300 I say a prayer befor I pull the trigger. Hitting the target now is half the battle it's the long walk to and fron the target that kills me. The club frowns on driving my car to the targets

 

[Steal2B]

25 to 100 iron after that scope beyond 300 I say a prayer befor I pull the trigger. Hitting the target now is half the battle it's the long walk to and fron the target that kills me. The club frowns on driving my car to the targets

LOL. I get it. At 200 yards I found that I can walk up as fast as I can get in the truck, stop at the gate/flag, open the gate / raise the flag, and drive to the target frames. Beyond 200 yards, not so much. I think I had 15000 steps on my fit bit but that included the rail trail dog walk.

 

[TMC]

Wouldn't so bad if they had a bench to sit on between frames. I like 200 for the challenge but it takes me so long to go up and back members on the line get pissed . I have breathing issues so I rest alot and a 308 at 50 - 100 is a waste of ammo

 

[TMC]

I bought a camera system this summer but haven't had time to get t the range 500 yards

 

[Airborneguy]

I zero all of my rifles at 100 yards with iron sights. Well whichever have them. I’d go further if I could but my range is only 100 yards. I’d probably feel confident to 200 still.

 

[dubleuhb]

I just put a Williams peep on my deer rifle, swapped out the front for their fiber optic sight. Haven't shot it yet, but before that, with the standard Remington rear blade 100 yards max. I mostly still hunt now so most of the time I can't see 100 where I hunt.
I am going to try some longer range once I get it back together.

 

[Robin]

I still shoot my muzzleloaders with iron sights. There are things you can do to help with old eyes. Sucks, but that is the way of it. Unless they come up with a gun that will penetrate six feet of dirt and maintain some degree of accuracy, I will stop then.
Robin

 

[Podmonkey]

With a small aperture and a fine front post I still find irons to be a precise sighting arrangement. I am confident out to 300 meters on a man size target.
I had no trouble at all, in good conditions, at hitting the Army pop up targets at 300. I actually find a good set of iron aperture sights to be better for precision than a red dot.

 

[TMC]

Old eyes bigger target ( borrowed from the 1000 yd post thx )

 

[Marine Cpl]

Realistically, 300 is about the most for a man sized target to consistently hit it.

 

[Robin]

Not if you're a young man! 500 is easily doable!
Robin

 

[Mosinitis]

I shot iron sights out to 600 yards. Went distinguished with them and made presidents 100. This was when the rules allowed iron sights only. Palma shooters still use iron sights out to 1000 yards. Not your typical iron sights, Special match sights.
How well you can shoot iron sights depends on one's age. Visual acuity starts going down hill at 35-40. At 50-60 it starts being a challenge to shoot irons, especially post sight. NRA and CMP rules were changed in 2016 and now we can use a scope in most shooting disciplines.
The simple answer to op's question is use a scope to shoot if you need reading glasses to read.

 

[Jmac00]

I put Skinner Alaskan Sites on my 1895 45-70 I can get 4 different apertures for my sites, I love these iron sites

 

[Podmonkey]

There are people out there hitting steel silhouettes at 1000 yards with iron sights. Though I consider that to be borderline superhuman. Can be done through.

 

[dsdmmat]

On occasion I shoot my AR308 out to 300 yards with irons. I can kill the 6” steel plate out there 50-60% of the time.

 

[seezur]

I feel compelled to shoot irons in NY because I just can't get a quick and repeatable cheek weld with a lot of the optics and rifle combos. For hunting/long range rifles I'll use a scope, but for rifles like the SCR, Saiga or Mini I'll only use irons. I'm not a great shot with irons but then again I don't spend a lot of time or effort on rifles. I try to sight in at 100 yards with irons. After that I think a low power optic, maybe 1-3x, is very useful.

 

[Acer-m14]

The simple answer to op's question is use a scope to shoot if you need reading glasses to read.

yep .. only irons i can use is on the mosin .. its so freakin long i can see the front post LOL ..

and the only other thing i could say is wish scopes would allow the objective lens to to be a focus too not just for parallax ..

with needing reading glasses and shooting with out them .. sure i can get the cross hairs nice n crisp with the eye piece focuse , but then the target is fuzzy .,. a few twist on the objective lens fixes that ..

 

[Mosinitis]

yep .. only irons i can use is on the mosin .. its so freakin long i can see the front post LOL ..

and the only other thing i could say is wish scopes would allow the objective lens to to be a focus too not just for parallax ..

with needing reading glasses and shooting with out them .. sure i can get the cross hairs nice n crisp with the eye piece focuse , but then the target is fuzzy .,. a few twist on the objective lens fixes that ..

Reading glasses and proper shooting glasses are not the same, different amount of correction. The only reason I brought up reading glasses because they are a sign that one will have a problem focusing on the front sight.

 

[Mosinitis]

I feel compelled to shoot irons in NY because I just can't get a quick and repeatable cheek weld with a lot of the optics and rifle combos. For hunting/long range rifles I'll use a scope, but for rifles like the SCR, Saiga or Mini I'll only use irons. I'm not a great shot with irons but then again I don't spend a lot of time or effort on rifles. I try to sight in at 100 yards with irons. After that I think a low power optic, maybe 1-3x, is very useful.

There is a a learning curve to make optics usable for all shooting positions, especially for rifles like the AR. It limits the choice of scopes and mounts that can be used. Ones you set it up correctly, it's a great improvement. If you are setting it up just for one position or bench shooting, that makes it simpler. The easiest thing to do is to seek advice from people who are doing what you are planning to do.

 

[S&W Fan]

I’m comfortable with iron sights out to 100 yrds. After that I now need to use optics.

 

[Phauxtoe]

i am oldish and need reading glasses, not to drive yet!
i am a Hardcore Iron sights guy!
200 yards standing with a sling, i hit 20 out of 20 on a 18" black circle. Prone recently i have shoot out to 500 yards with all hits in a man sized target.
all you have to do is be able to focus on that front post!

on a recent appleseed i shot better with peep sight than i did with a scope! its what you are used to and train with!
I always say "yes you can hit what you can't see!"