IMI Timberwolf .357 pump, red dot or irons?

[geologist]

I just bought an IMI Timberwolf .357 magnum pump carbine. I've wanted one for a long time .

I plan to use this lightweight, takedown carbine as a "grab it from the truck when you go walking in the bush" rig here in BC.

I won't know until I've carried it around a bit and shot it, whether or not I'll put a red dot on it. The angle of the stock is adjustable for either the irons or optics.

If I go with a RD I'm thinking about a Vortex Sparc.

Any opinions or thoughts would be welcomed.

 

[Winchester_73]

How far will you be shooting? Inside 100 yds? Is a red dot worth it for that distance? If you think your shots will be inside 50 yds mostly, I would just go with iron. Since you may need to fire shots quickly, I would not want a closed sight to look through. Plus, if the gun gets used hard, something could happen to the sight which is a little more fragile than the gun itself.

 

[geologist]

Inside of 100 yards. Grouse and rabbits to 25 yards.

 

[aarondhgraham]

Hello geologist,,,

I'm anxiously waiting for a comprehensive range report.

I've been looking at pics of that gun for awhile now,,,
I'll be very interested in reading about how well it works.

Aarond

.

 

[Deja vu]

That is one of my dream guns. I am a little green with envy right now.

I would leave it with Iron sights. At the range a 357 magnum Carbine will be used you dont need any special sights. I can understand wanting them though

 

[tulsamal]

IMO.... that gun just needs some type of peep sight. Anything larger will just mess up the lines. Kill the fast handling which is the whole raison d'être.

Gregg

 

[bamaranger]

peep

Another vote for a peep if easily done. I'm not sold on battery powered sights on a rough use rifle yet, despite the success of the military and the aimpoint. I suspect a cheaper dot sight would not be as rugged either.

My Marlin lever .357 wears a peep.

 

[L_Killkenny]

Open sights if you can use them worth a spit, most can't inlcuding me (aging eyes in my case). On that front I say low powered scope or peep sights. Scope is better and faster but bulkier so there's a trade off only you can answer. Like previous posters I don't like battery powered optics in the field. Not a durability issue it's a battery issue with me.

LK

 

[geologist]

I have handled the "new" rifle and have decided to go with the irons.

At first I thought that I'd have to go with a red dot as I couldn't get low enough to use the irons.

The rifle was like this.

I thought that the stock was in the lowest position but decided to check. It wasn't. After lowering the stock it looks like this now.

And those low buckhorn irons line up instantly as I shoulder it. The setup is just like an anorexic 870 so it feels very natural.

 

[geologist]

The wood is very nice.

I don't like that the action has to be open and out of battery in order to reload.

It has a serious feel to it.

I haven't had a chance to get out with it. It cycles A Zoom .38 Sp snap caps just fine.

 

[geologist]

Got to the range today. I only had 125 gr FMJ SWC .357 reloads. The rifle is setup for 158 gr .357 magnum loads and it showed.

I shot it off the bench with a front rest, no sandbags at 25 yards, slow fire, single loading rounds through the ejector port. I was disappointed by my group but this isn't a target rifle. The lighter 125 gr bullets printed high and left with a POA at 6 o'clock on the small circle.

The .22 group in the black is a warm up group from my SW 17.

I then fired a 5 round group from my 4" Llama to compare to the carbine. I gotta practice more.

Moving out to 50 yards the sights were still printing high. I didn't adjust the sights as I'll wait till I can shoot some 158 gr bullets.

I then shot this 10 shot group at 25 yards, freehand, standing, no sling, rapid fire, the way the carbine was meant to be used. It cycles perfectly, the recoil is negligible and is a pleasure to shoot.