Deer hunting with iron sights.

[dusty3030]

As you evolve as a hunter so does what it takes to challenge you. I like peep sights on Marlin rifles when I'm up for a challenge. I've got a .22 and a 38/55 both Marlins both with the same type rear peep sight rigged up and these are just flat fun and accurate for me. I've got multitudes of rimfires and centerfire rifles to choose from; however, sometimes you need a challenge to have some fun! I have harvested 9 so far this year, most with a Winchester 70 featherweight 30-06, 3x9x40 Burris. That is the "eating deer" for the year for my family and some others. Gets to be about as fun as slaughtering hogs sometimes. More of a harvest than an hunt. So I switch out to something different towards the rut when I go buck hunting.

If irons on a hunting rifle floats your boat go for it! Just be prepared to let some walk and it will be hard to get much more than 150 yds range on game. Sure on the range you can shoot irons much further, but field conditions and lighting, especially in the woods greatly cuts that back in "real world".
I would suggest a good pair of binos around your neck, to help tell a 95lb spike versus a 95lb doe, will save you some frustration for sure. Good luck and great hunting!

My little boy's Thanksgiving deer - AR15 with a red dot. Fits him, no recoil, and it works. We keep the shots to 50yds or so and practice a lot. This one was at 55yds, 125lb 5 year old doe, dropped her in her tracks.

View attachment 290748

 

[RobertBrown]

Since I shoot late corrosive ammo (m75 sniper ammo) in 8mm Mauser, I am getting a custom stainless barrel and I am going to cerakote the barreled action. I shoot predators in MI, which is about all we can shoot with rifles and I want to hone my skills with a heavier cartridge, so I figure I will take my coyote hunting up a notch and shoot them with the 8mm mauser. The sniper ammo is cheaper than anything I can reload and I'm sure 1 hit with the 196gr boat tail bullet will be all it takes. I keep the skulls which get prepped in a similar manner to the european mounts for deer. The rifle currently has a light sporter barrel and the replacement will have a varmint profile.

What happened to the Savage 110?

 

[N80]

If irons on a hunting rifle floats your boat go for it! Just be prepared to let some walk and it will be hard to get much more than 150 yds range on game.

I don't think I've ever shot a deer at over 150 yards, even with a scope. I've never hunted anywhere that I could see much more than 150 yards! I'd also be willing to bet that most deer I've killed where under 75 yards. A couple have been at 15 or so yards (nothing but fur in the scope).

I would suggest a good pair of binos around your neck

I don't leave home without my old 8x32 Bausch and Lomb Custom Compact waterproofs. They have served me well for over 20 years. Not as sharp as Zeiss but plenty clear. They've been under water multiple times with no ill effect. Dropped them about 2 years ago and knocked a prism loose. Repaired under lifetime no-questions-asked warranty for free.

My little boy's Thanksgiving deer

Nice! I killed my first deer when I was 9. Also a doe.

Anyway, I'm leaving this up to fate. Put a bid in on a used Lyman 57SMET peep sight. If I win the auction I'll try it out. If not the scope stays on and I watch 'em walk away through the scope instead of a peep sight.:laughing:

 

[dusty3030]

Lots of truth to distance. Most of mine could have been killed with a shotgun!

Rut is on in the mid south, good luck to you! I am up a tree this am myself.

 

[Egon]

I don't think I've ever shot a deer at over 150 yards, even with a scope. I've never hunted anywhere that I could see much more than 150 yards! I'd also be willing to bet that most deer I've killed where under 75 yards. A couple have been at 15 or so yards (nothing but fur in the scope).

Many a critter has been shot at plus 150 yards with an open sight

Scopes were not the norm at one time.

 

[texasjohn]

Now that's technology for you...TBN surfing while hunting, with a photo to prove it!! What, no deer in the photo!!

Lots of truth to distance. Most of mine could have been killed with a shotgun!

Rut is on in the mid south, good luck to you! I am up a tree this am myself.

 

[foggy1111]

Some good posts regarding open sights (and especially peeps) in the above posts. I think post 51 above sums it up well.

The past few years I've been playing with Marlin lever guns. Ive got mostly Skinner peeps installed on the guns in 22 cal, 38/357 and 44 mag. Lots of fun to shoot at our steel plate range.....along with some revolvers. I feel quite good about shots to 100 yards or so with the peeps. But this is under good light conditions and just hitting the plate - anywhere.

When it comes to a well placed shot on big game.....I still revert back to a scoped rifle with 1 MOA of accuracy to get the job done right. Sure, I could kill a deer in the woods with these peep sighted guns to 100 yards or so under good condtions.... .but that buck of a lifetime is sure to show....and he may be 200 yards away in a dimly lit forest.

 

[westcliffe01]

My current rifles are:
Savage 10PC 1:9.25 x20" barrel 223 75gr Match ammo for coyotes out to 400 yards if the wind is not blowing too hard


Savage 12LPV 1:9.25 x26" barrel 243 Win 95gr SST Superformance ammo for when the wind is expected to blow harder or if something nastier than a coyote may be in the picture


Remington 700 "classic" in a Boyds thumbhole stock set up for 8mm Mauser from the factory. Right now at Mc Gowan, getting re-barreled with a match stainless 1:10 twist 21" stainless barrel with a varmint profile all still set up for 8mm Mauser. When I get it back, it will be cerakoted Mil Tan and will be my heavier caliber "learning" weapon firing M75 Yugoslavian sniper ammo with 196gr boat tail bullets.

Deer "Gun" is a Savage 220 rifle barreled shotgun, firing either Hornady SST or Remington Accutip ammo from 23/4" shells. No rifles allowed here during deer firearm season.
Backup if a deer "pops up" at too close a range for the slug gun is a desert eagle 1911 with 5" barrel shooting Hornady critical defense ammo. Should be good at 20 paces.

In addition I have a couple of SKS rifles, one of which is going into a bulpup stock like this:


Then I have one Galil with a bad receiver and a new Galil reciever that I am starting to get the balance of components together on. Also looking to get a Mc Gowan match barrel on that one, since they actually can be quite accurate.
Here is the century POS, looks nice but doesn't work worth a thing.


And that is about it.

What happened to the Savage 110?

 

[dusty3030]

Honest to God I don't know how many rifles I have.

 

[dusty3030]

Come on back please.