What distance for deer with iron sights?
- Thread starter Pistoler0
- Start date
It was about 400 in my 20s and 30s. Lots of practice and shooting High Power with irons helped. Today, I don't honestly know for sure. I have not shot any big game with Irons in the last several years and the last was just past 100 with a 10" pistol in .414 SuperMag. I can still shoot 10" steel at 100 yards with my shotgun and slugs in 3Gun practice and get 1st rounds hits with just a front fiber optic.
So good sights and prescription glasses, maybe 150. But I'd not do it unless I had some range time practice. With a Henry .41Mag incoming, I will get that soon.
My 17 and 19 year old can shoot our Iron sighted .223 into 10" groups at 600 yards, but I can't anymore.
So good sights and prescription glasses, maybe 150. But I'd not do it unless I had some range time practice. With a Henry .41Mag incoming, I will get that soon.
My 17 and 19 year old can shoot our Iron sighted .223 into 10" groups at 600 yards, but I can't anymore.
I don't cut trees over 5 inches without a chain saw and don't shoot animals without a scope. I can kill a deer, moose, woodchuck, skunk, out to 300 yards with a centerfire rifle.
Open sights are about worthless on rifles, except for receiver sights on .22LRs. When I used them we shot rats in dumps as young teens. Fifty feet was a long shot. Receiver sights extended the range to about 50 yards.
American Rifleman tested various sighting equipment from open sights and receiver sights to powerful hunting scopes. All the sighting implements were fastened to a beam on a tripod, so sighting error could be compared.
They found that a 2.5X scope can sight just as accurately as a 25X scope. Open sights were about as accurate at distances under 100 yards. Receiver sights are accurate beyond that but I don't remember how far.
Other benefit of a scope is the light-gathering power that allows a hunter to see/sight better than a person without a scope.
Open sights are about worthless on rifles, except for receiver sights on .22LRs. When I used them we shot rats in dumps as young teens. Fifty feet was a long shot. Receiver sights extended the range to about 50 yards.
American Rifleman tested various sighting equipment from open sights and receiver sights to powerful hunting scopes. All the sighting implements were fastened to a beam on a tripod, so sighting error could be compared.
They found that a 2.5X scope can sight just as accurately as a 25X scope. Open sights were about as accurate at distances under 100 yards. Receiver sights are accurate beyond that but I don't remember how far.
Other benefit of a scope is the light-gathering power that allows a hunter to see/sight better than a person without a scope.
I have shot the biggest number of my deer with sights. About half of those were shot with 12g slugs with standard rifle sights. Average less than 100yds on the wing. My rifle kills I draw the line at 150yds and most of them with receiver sight. I stalk woods and thickets and don’t hunt from stands. My main deer rifles are 30/30, 35 and 30/06. If I was shooting rested at stationary deer, in the open I would go 200yds. There is no doubt in my mind I could hit deer a 300yds but wouldn’t be practical to guarantee a kill shot.
Skilled people with good eyes can deliver some amazing accuracy with iron sights..
The OP's question was about what are my limits? What can I do?
With all due respect for what others have said,I'd have to answer "Talk is cheap" for myself
I'd have to go to the range and take a fresh evaluation.
The OP's question was about what are my limits? What can I do?
With all due respect for what others have said,I'd have to answer "Talk is cheap" for myself
I'd have to go to the range and take a fresh evaluation.
Carl the Floor Walker
Moderator
50 yds is tops. We use shotguns where I live and the vast amount of deer I have taken down have been around 25 yds. Yes, I can shoot open sights now on a target with a rimfire or centerfire to about 100 yds and as a young man could do well on 300 meter targets, but those were "Targets" and never would try on a animal for a effective kill. way Too much risk of injury and not a kill, at least for myself. Heck, even those targets at 300 meters are hard to see much less the bullseye, factor in wind etc. not a easy task.
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100yds.
Be Safe !!!
I live in Iowa and have hunted most Midwest states. Most of my kills have been under 100yds and sight in at that distance. The kill diameter on a Whitetail is about 18". The longest kill I ever maid, was about 125yds. I have also hunted Colorado and Wyoming and most of those shots were over 100yds and always with optics. ......
Be Safe !!!
^This.
I've taken deer around 100 yards but too many times I've had to pass on deer far closer because I couldn't ethically pull the trigger. The last deer I passed on was only 30 yards away but it was in the last 30 minutes of the day and he was stopped on the edge of the field and there wasn't enough light there to get a good sight picture. That's when I decided to go to optics.
I hunt with bow and firearms. I have lighted pins on my bow and a mix of scopes and red dots on my rifles. The only limit on me is my taking too long to pull the trigger, trying to line up that perfect shot. I'd rather let them walk than take a bad shot.
stagpanther
New member
Good question, one I haven't thought about in a while, so I decided to go out and give it a test with my .375 ruger Patriot rifle. It was blowing stink and wind chill was well below zero so I was decked out with hat and gloves--in other words pretty realistic hunting conditions for Maine. I think I could get one where it counts with certainty out to at least 75 yds.
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Beautiful rifle!Good question, one I haven't thought about in a while, so I decided to go out and give it a test with my .375 ruger Patriot rifle. It was blowing stink and wind chill was well below zero so I was decked out with hat and gloves--in other words pretty realistic hunting conditions for Maine. I think I could get one where it counts with certainty out to at least 75 yds.
For medium game?
4"... is bein' fussy.
I use 6", and even that's a little fussy.
Jack O'Connor, known to have killed a few head of medium game, used 8".
Both the Ruger African 6.5x55 and M1 rifle will ring 8" steel at 300 yards all day long from good field positions/sling.
Red
jackstrawIII
New member
Personally... with irons sights... like 50 yards? Maybe? Probably not even?
I don't use iron sights on anything but a plinker 22... so... not much confidence due to lack of experience.
I've tried a few rifles with irons... but the problem is in lower light or tighter woods. I just don't feel like I can see as well. I want to give myself every possible advantage... so I use optics.
I don't use iron sights on anything but a plinker 22... so... not much confidence due to lack of experience.
I've tried a few rifles with irons... but the problem is in lower light or tighter woods. I just don't feel like I can see as well. I want to give myself every possible advantage... so I use optics.
Old School rule of thumb regarding iron-sights and light:
"light's up, sights up" ... light's down, sights down."
You just need to practice shooting with irons in different lighting. But that requires much range time and a significant expenditure of ammunition. Not for the lazy or folks who've got "a lotta quit" in them.
Yes, but there is bow range and bow range.
People regularly shoot 60+ yards in 3D bow competitions which leads me to believe that 100 yards with a rifle and iron-sights, in good lighting conditions, should be reasonable.
I have not taken a deer with iron sights. That being said, I sight in at 100yds and feel I shoot well enough to pull that off. But, my deer rifle has a scope on it and I use it out of habit. Last fall I shot a buck at 30 yds. I didn't even think to use the irons. Went straight to the scope.