sighting in a rifle with open sites

MPFD

MPFD

Active member
I've got an old rifle that I wanna shoot through the buck horns for quick sight aqusition, and faster follow up shots. It says in the Op's manual that the rifle came from the factory sighted in for 100 yards. How would you guys sight the thing in if it needs to be fiddled with? I haven't shot it open sights yet, and I hope is still set up from the factory, since the previous owner had a scope of it. How would you try to shoot it open sights? At a 100 yard range, 50 yards, or what? I know I'm not gonna be able to expect any groups at 100 yards open sights, but it's a .280 rem and I'm pretty sure it will kill deer (maybe some hogs someday) out to 150-200 yards MAX with buck horns.
 
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Quote: I'm pretty sure it will kill deer (maybe some hogs someday) out to 150-200 yards MAX with buck horns.


Depends upon your eyes
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. You should be good to 200 yards on a 6" vital zone of wt deer. I would probably sight in 3/4" high @ 50 yards first and check it @ 100 (should be 3/4" high there also and 3" low @ 200, but shoot it at all ranges to be sure. This is for a 140 gr. bullet @ 2800 fps. if your sights are 1/2" above the bore.

Another thing to take into account is that only ten thousandths of an inch movement of your rear sight will move the bullet 1moa or about 1" @ 100 yds, 2" @ 200 yards. Only you know how hard you can hold under field conditions.

Regards,
hm
 
If you have trouble with the buckhorn getting good groups,
put a receiver rear sight on it. that's how I setup all my iron sight guns. I like a Lyman globe front also.
 
After the last two years of shooting my deer at less then 50 yards I think I will be good to go with this setup. I sometimes hunt with a group of guys that run deer with blocking shooters, toward the end of season for management purposes. I think that open sights will allow me to get on them quick when they are moving and have better ablility for follow up shots. I am using a 7400 Remington in 280 that I bought from a member here. I have several good deer rifles with scopes, I just wanted this rifle for that type of hunting. I think it could also make for a fast/fun hog rifle... From what I've heard about the accuracy of the Remington semi auto's I think keeping it scope free will be less frustruating also.
 
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Originally Posted By: MPFDI've got an old rifle that I wanna shoot through the buck horns for quick sight aqusition, and faster follow up shots. It says in the Op's manual that the rifle came from the factory sighted in for 100 yards. How would you guys sight the thing in if it needs to be fiddled with? I haven't shot it open sights yet, and I hope is still set up from the factory, since the previous owner had a scope of it. How would you try to shoot it open sights? At a 100 yard range, 50 yards, or what? I know I'm not gonna be able to expect any groups at 100 yards open sights, but it's a .280 rem and I'm pretty sure it will kill deer (maybe some hogs someday) out to 150-200 yards MAX with buck horns.

It may help to shoot at 25 yards first to make sure your rifle is hitting in the ball park, then move the target back to 100 yards to fine tune it. You may just surprise yourself at the groups you can still achieve with open sights. I have a Rem. 700 in a .222 that has see through scope mounts on it that allows me to shoot either open sights or scope. I can shoot 1 inch groups with the scope but can still shoot 1 1/2 to 2 inch groups on a benchrest using iron sights. There's a mental barrier to overcome if you are used to a scope because you don't see your target looming as large, but once you get used to your open sight I think you'll find that you can still shoot pretty well.
 
It will strictly be used for hunting once its POI has been verified. My scoped rifles see a little bit of range time, I want this gun to be for killing purposes only. A bad day at the range with one of my favorite rifles can ruin my confidence with that gun till I get nice print from it again. But then again I can go kill a coyote, take the gun to the range the week after and find my zero isn't spot on, like I want it. Accuracy is all relative I guess, and medium game sized hunting rifles are more forgiving then some might think...
 
My open (iron) sights, I 'zero' at 25 yards and then verify them at 100 yards, with a minor fine tune if necessary...

Most of them are heavier caliber than predator/varmint calibers and don't have the effective trajectory adjustments that I can get with an optical sight, so I have to build any field adjustments into my mental sight pictures.. but then that animals I might be using them on are larger in size anyway..

Here, in Missouri, it would be a rare shot that would take a deer past 100 yards and 35-40 yards would be more likely... I once had an old Marlin hex barrel 30-30 that was really good out to 200 yards with buckhorn sights but have never had the chance to prove that..as I led the deer just a few inches too far..and I've never tried one at that range again.... "Zero'd" at 25 yards allows me to put my desired PoI just on top of the front sight at 35-40 yards..
 
After you get that zeroed in - go shoot some groups at 300 yards with your Remington semi-auto and open sight combo. You might just change your mind about 300 yard shooting with that rig. Besides, that isn't what it is for right? It's for those fast breaking shots up close. BTW, a large aperture receiver sight (peep) is much faster and considerably more accurate than those issue open sights. Something like a Williams Guide receiver sight would work well if you screw out the aperture and throw it away, shoot through the opening left and you'll now have a "ghost ring" sight. Ghost rings are lightning quick and twice as accurate for folks who know how to use them. My favorite timber rigs are a Remington M7600 pump .30-06 and a Marlin M1895 .45-70, both wear receiver sights with large apertures and have a flat faced gold bead up front. They’re poison on game in the timber! I use a Marlin M39A .22LR with a Williams Fool Proof receiver sight for small game and practice for the big bores. It is a good system.
 
Yeah I don't plan on any long range shooting with this rig. I'm just trying to get a feel for what people think the cartridge is capable of. I'm sure a scope is a better method for long range shooting. But with this rifle I like light, fast, and up close. Thats what I had in mind when I bought another gun I didn't need...
 
Originally Posted By: GCAfter you get that zeroed in - go shoot some groups at 300 yards with your Remington semi-auto and open sight combo. You might just change your mind about 300 yard shooting with that rig. Besides, that isn't what it is for right? It's for those fast breaking shots up close. BTW, a large aperture receiver sight (peep) is much faster and considerably more accurate than those issue open sights. Something like a Williams Guide receiver sight would work well if you screw out the aperture and throw it away, shoot through the opening left and you'll now have a "ghost ring" sight. Ghost rings are lightning quick and twice as accurate for folks who know how to use them. My favorite timber rigs are a Remington M7600 pump .30-06 and a Marlin M1895 .45-70, both wear receiver sights with large apertures and have a flat faced gold bead up front. They’re poison on game in the timber! I use a Marlin M39A .22LR with a Williams Fool Proof receiver sight for small game and practice for the big bores. It is a good system.

A big +1 on the ghost ring rear aperture!
 
Originally Posted By: GCAfter you get that zeroed in - go shoot some groups at 300 yards with your Remington semi-auto and open sight combo. You might just change your mind about 300 yard shooting with that rig.

I agree I was really speaking for the round more then the gun. It shot 1.5 inch groups with a scope, and factory corelocks.

Originally Posted By: GC Besides, that isn't what it is for right? It's for those fast breaking shots up close. BTW, a large aperture receiver sight (peep) is much faster and considerably more accurate than those issue open sights. Something like a Williams Guide receiver sight would work well if you screw out the aperture and throw it away, shoot through the opening left and you'll now have a "ghost ring" sight. Ghost rings are lightning quick and twice as accurate for folks who know how to use them.

Right I want it to be a quick site/rapid fire shooter. Where do I order one, and will it screw down to my rear tapped mount holes?
 
FWIW Actual tests have proven scoped bolt actions are more accurate and quicker for follow up shots on both standing and moving targets at close range than open sighted lever guns.It takes time for the eye to work out the POA,rear sight,front sight alignment.I would recommend going with a low power scope.
 
Just remember MPFD, you move the back sight the way you want the bullet to go. The front sight, if you need to do it goes the opposite the way you want the bullet to go. In other words if your point of aim is on the bulls eye and the bullets are hitting to the left 4 inches, then you move the rear sight to the right. If the bullets are hitting 4 inches low then you move the rear sight up. Just thought I'd throw that in there to save you time.
 
There are some valid points about a very low mounted low power scope being as fast... maybe faster than an open iron sighted rifle. A well practiced rifleman with a properly mounted and chosen scope sight can be very quick with a scoped rifle. Regular open iron sights are less precise and it does take some time for the eye to attempt to align the rear and front sight with a target. In fact, that is impossible and something is going to be blurry – usually the target takes the slight blur. That is the beauty of the aperture sight, just look at the front sight and lay it on the target and press the trigger. With a properly setup aperture you don’t even realize that you are looking through the rear peep opening and the eye automatically centers the front sight for you, so all you need do is focus on the target and the front sight. For me personally the peep is faster than a scope at close ranges and fast moving targets. I use a fairly large rear opening, at least .150” and a 1/16” gold bead front sight and it is just like shooting a shotgun; see the game, put the bead on it and press the trigger.

If you were interested in a peep for you Remington semi-auto since that model isn’t drilled and tapped for a side mounted sight like the excellent Williams Fool Proof, then you almost have to look at the Guide Model sight. Here is a link for that sight…

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=16154/Product/_WGRS__RECEIVER_SIGHTS
 
I deer hunt with a rem 742 and despite all of the negative "jamington" press there is out there about these rifles, I like mine alot. I have a low power variable on mine. It is a 1.5-4.5 bushnell elite shotgun scope and it is good for woods at 1.5x and it can make some range on 4.5x. Having said that, I'm on the side that says iron sights are faster because you never have to break your view of the target to pull the rifle up. With any scope no matter how low of a power, you have to do that. Lower powers are just faster at re-acquisition of the target. If I didn't have a huge open ridge that deer like to cross on the property I hunt, I would go with iron sights but I feel like that is a handicap on the longer shots. I've taken a couple of deer at 325 and 290 and passed on even longer shots Basically with iron sights on a .280, you have a cartridge that can out-shoot your eyes. If you don't think you will ever shoot past 150 yards, you'll be fine. But, when you see that huge buck at 300 and you have open sights, You might change your mind. Perfect, in my mind would be a 1.5-6x. Good Luck!
 
Ghost ring sights are pretty dang fast. I think its a toss up between my 1.5-5 vx3 and ghost ring. The notched rear sight style is slow.

I been shooting the 1.5 with both eyes open. It sort of makes it like irons where you never lose sight of the target so that is fast. if you go over 2x though both eyes open is not so good.
 
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