to scope or not to scope

Longranger

Hi all, the mods will probably kill me for starting this but I'll chance my arm! I was out bunny bashing this morning and one of the lads brought his new 455fs 22lr and after we got a few we had a short hunting session with his rifle using the iron sights. Before anyone takes my head off, we are all well fit to shoot with them so were not taking pot shots. Is it just me or does hunting with iron sights feel so much more natural than using a scoped firearm? What do ye think?
LR

deerhunter1

Longranger wrote: »

Hi all, the mods will probably kill me for starting this but I'll chance my arm! I was out bunny bashing this morning and one of the lads brought his new 455fs 22lr and after we got a few we had a short hunting session with his rifle using the iron sights. Before anyone takes my head off, we are all well fit to shoot with them so were not taking pot shots. Is it just me or does hunting with iron sights feel so much more natural than using a scoped firearm? What do ye think?
LR

I used too always shoot with open sights for bunnies in the early days, top shot too I was:cool:;). The old eyesight is fading but it is the way to go if you can, more pleasure and skill, also if you drop/bang the rifle the sights do go off.

German pointer

Just bought a new CZ 452 lux with iron sights and will mount a scope on raised mounts so as to use both. I am well capable of using the iron sights in fact the iron sights was the deciding factor in buing the gun. just awaiting the licence

Hibrion

Iron sights can be great fun. If you know your rifle and how well you can shoot it, you should have no problem. I had great craic using the irons on my 30-30 for driven boar this year. I was the only one there without a scope, but I was at no disadvantage.

Longranger

I know how ye feel lads, its a great sensation, just you and your quarry, with two little bits of pointy steel between you:D I just brought it up as I haven't done it since around christmas when I got rid of a couple of charlies for my mate with a 6.5 swedish using irons. The next week we went culling goats and I nailed one at about 200 yards. A bit overkill but a fantastic night out. I'll definitely use them more now.

Longranger

Hibrion wrote: »

Iron sights can be great fun. If you know your rifle and how well you can shoot it, you should have no problem. I had great craic using the irons on my 30-30 for driven boar this year. I was the only one there without a scope, but I was at no disadvantage.

Now THAT sounds like my kind of hunting trip:D

It wasn't me!

Nothing wrong with irons for hunting as long as you're within your limits. Certainly once you're comfortable and holding on vitals they'll give you enough information to kill stuff. As Hibrion says, for stuff like the driven game or anything up close and personal, it's probably better than any magnification. Much simpler and faster. Personally, I know I pull the trigger faster and more instinctively when I'm standing with irons. Wouldn't take a long shot, but the scope is too much information feedback for me to shoot standing, but I'd rather have it for any other position if I anticipated shooting past about 150 yards or so.

Hibrion

Another thing to note with the iron, is that if an animal is behind some loose cover, it can be difficult to get a clear shot, whereas the extra magnification allows you to pace your shot with more confidence.

cookimonster

Iron sights and scopes could be seen as two different disaplines imo. The shooting principles holding, breathing, trigger pull and release etc are the same but sight pictures are a world apart. Fine cross hairs and a high degree of zoom allow shooters to count eye lashes or water marks on the desired target, where as a standard iron sight will cover the average rabbits head or bulls eye at 50 yrds. I started my shooting at the age of 10 shooting an old air rifle and then moved up to a 22 savage semi auto all over iron sights. The old fella made sure I mastered my shooting using the iron sights on targets as well as hunting. The open sights where definitly better for snap shooting or moving targets. Eventually I got my own 22 Brno and altough complete with a fine set of mauser style sights I shot exculsively with a scope. After recently inheriting another 22 Brno I stripped off its scope and shoot it over the iron sights which gives me great sadisfaction plinking and target shooting.