Handgun Hunters...Scoped or open sights?

C

capitan-d

New member
i currently own a .357 gp100 and debating weither or not to put on a 1x red dot scope that i have laying around. do most of you use scoped or open sights?

thanks,
devin
 
The choice really depends on how well you shoot with open sights. I have a 2x scope on my primary hunting revolver, but also like to go open sighted every now and then. Scope gives you one visual plane to sight on rather than worrying about iron sight alignment. But, scopes are not as fast as iron sights, so if you hunt thick areas, you might consider iron sights. My philosophy, have one of each! Consider something a little bigger than the 357 for the next gun.
 
I hunt hogs with mine and use an Aimpoint(9000SC) red dot site. I take all my shots from within 40yrds. Even a 2X scope is too much imo.

Target aquisition with a red dot is super quick. Also I hunt hogs mostly at dawn, dusk, night. Red dots are ideal for this. Scopes just don't hack low light.

I have a SW 686P 6". I have never had a hog go more than 50yrds after a shot. I use Buffalo Bore 357 hot loads 180grn.
 
thanks for the info guys. i talked to a salesman at sportsmans warehouse and asked him the scope question. he said he guesses about 90% of guys in iowa hunting deer do it with open sights. reasion being a lot of the deer in handgun range are moving. think im going to try it for a while with iron sights. well see how it goes. as far as getting a bigger gun. im 19 now and was only 17 when i got my .357. if i could have afforded a better/larger weapon it would have surely been a s&w .44 magnum.

devin

btw, nice guns king. keep posting pics guys!
 
If you do go with an optical sight down the road, N4ZBOT is on the right track--especially for moving targets. Go with a red dot or a zero magnification scope.
 
For a .357, I'd stay with open sights, if only because you'll maybe be less likely to take a shot beyond the 50-75 yard range of a heavy-loaded .357. At least, that's what Paco Kelly calls the effective range. I'd not take a 75 yard shot on game with any handgun, because I'm not a good enough shot yet.

+1 for a heavy bullet on top of a lot of powder for hunting with the .357. If you can find Paco Kelly's ".357 Heavy" article in the google archive or somewhere, read it.

--Shannon
 
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