open sights vs scopes

[nachogrande]

I'm kind of surprized to see so few open sighted guns being used, and how many large scopes especialy the 50mm objective lenses I've seen. if youre a 50mm tell me why , is it the light gathering or field of view? unless you are night hunting I've had no trouble with enough light even at dawn & dusk & I usualy use a 1x4, or a 1.5 x 5, and have probably taken over 50% of my game at last legal light. now back to open sights, I've found that once the season starts & the hunting pressure builds any decent bucks are in deep brush/cover by day only coming in the open at night ( unless totaly in the rut and chasing some hot doe punanni ) , so why not more open sighted guns? I can get on target on a close ( under 30 yd ) running shot faster with a scoped 1x4 or 1.5 x 5 ( on the lowest power only ) than with open sights, but my eyes aint what they used to be, when I was younger Iwas faster with open sights. am I missing something ? whats your case for the larger scopes? I've got a couple of 3x9x 40's, and a 4.5 x 14 x 40mm but rarely use them. get back to me thanks N.G.

[Skunk Ape]

I use a raised scope with see thru open sites. Unless I'm sitting on a stand with really long shots I used to use a .270 with a 3x9. I sit until I can't see my hand in front of my face. Most of my still hunting is over after the first 9 days of season,after that I strictly dog hunt. I made my kid shoot his first deer with open sites,the next few were with scopes.

[Iluv2hunt]

I believe in learning anything from the ground up, ie: learning to shoot open sights before you get to shoot a scope, longbow before a re curve, stick shift with before an auto,,
For me, I just feel more comfortable with a scope.
As far as objective, once you go 50mm, you will never go back...
It is like night and day, literally

[Skunk Ape]

I bought a cheap 120.00 Bushnell Trophy scope. 3x9x40 with the circle reticle for my BP and I liked it so much I bought another for my .358. It really brings in the light at dark,and is very easy on my eyes.

[Cr0ck1]

believe it or not i shoot better with iron sites.

[Skunk Ape]

I used to be a crack shot,but after hitting 40 my eyes are not what they use to be.I have trouble focusing. It's really tougher shooting my bow over 20 yards. I still hit good with Iron sites at targets,but picking off running game is getting tougher.

[Cr0ck1]

its funny you say that.. i thought it was just me.. anything over 20 yards through my peep starts to get blurry and hard to focus on..

[nachogrande]

I'm hearing you about the eyes bro, as a kid 18-30 I had 20/10 vision and could spot a squirel or grouse at about 100 yds, hit a beer can at 50 yds with open sighted pistols and open sighted rifles to 100 yds, now at 52 I cant even read my watch without my specs, sucks getting old don't it. I agree 100% learn from the ground up open sights before scopes, my longest deer kill ever was with an open rifle sighted mossberg 12ga mdl 500 combo.

[Skunk Ape]

When I'm shooting my bow at targets I can't see the target thru my peep.I even use a large peep site. ANd when A hog hits the road I just can't get on it like I use to. You only have a split second when they are being run.

[Cr0ck1]

i wear glasses and if your sweating it either foggs up or gets wet.. sucks.. lol

[nachogrande]

I'm farsighted now, without my specs I can see the target and not the sights, with the specs I see the sights and not the target. we are starting to sound like a bunch of old fogeys now, next we'll be talking about our medicines and difficulty peeing or pooping.

[Iluv2hunt]

That is part of my problem. I naturally shoot right handed. so shooting a rifle I have a hard time focusing on the front sight because of my vision in that eye. Over the years I have learned to shoot left handed. I am left eye dominant.

[kemster99]

i shoot a 3x9-50 mm Bushnell. 3200 elite on my .270. I love it. especially like on my lease, I hunt the bottoms sometimes, it gets dark in there quick. but can still see through that 50mm.

[nachogrande]

yeah hellbilly thats what I'm talkin about, brush so thick you couldnt fall down. still cant figure out how those big bucks get their antlers thru it so fast and so quiet. what action and caliber do you use. plus if the weather is rainy/foggy or your moving thru a slippery swamp I'll tend to use open sights more

[nachogrande]

mines a winchester xtr lever 375 cal, and I reload hornady 220 grain flat points. don't want to use any pointy bullets in a tube mag. not such a great selection of flat points in that cal . I'll have to look up those evolutions, thanks for the tip.