I posted but it didn't take so I'll try again...
I find it absurd that a good iron sight shooter couldn't make a killing shot on a buffalo at 200 or even 300 yards with his iron sights, just like he could with a scope..that is one big target btw...
I have shot many plainsgame and a few buffalo at 150 yds. to almost 200 yards with irons..I don't know who started the rumor that you always shoot buffalo at 25 yards thats just BS..Lots of buffalo are shot at extended ranges and no you can't always get closer..Few however are shot at over 150 but I have shot several at 200 and the furtherise was a stepped off 225.5 yards and that was my only instant in the dirt kill on buffalo. AJ Van Heerden PH, called him the Teapot bull, said he just tipped over on his nose like a teapot...:)
I am of the opinnion that a lot of these posts are by individuals that have actually never really tried irons and have made no effort to learn and are just talkin off the top of their head...I think they would be very surprised just how accurate iron sights can be if properly sighted in and with the right combo of front and rear..My preference is a V with a post that I take flush to the top of the V much like a pistol is used, its fast and accurate, every bit as good as a receiver sight...It is an old Texas Ranger trick, and thats why they were so deadly..
One other thing that comes to mind is for off hand shooting or running shots simply because one tends to grab at the trigger as the crosshairs come floating by the target with the damn magified wobble, so you yank the trigger in anticipation, and you miss. You cannot see this wiggle with irons. It works very well for me...An example of this I was at a big bore shoot in Oregon several years ago wherein I won 7 second places but no firsts shooting my iron sighted .375 against scoped rifles as I thought the whole shoot was iron sight only and had no scoped rifle to shoot. I was satisfied with that. I touched both of my shots on the running Lion at 100 yards, but an inch out of the 6 inch bull that was marked in with pencil and I couldn't even see it, but they were Lion killing shots...One of our posters here on 24 hr. and on AR was there, He has killed a large number of elephants with his iron sighted double rifles. Jim Brockman of Brockman Guns was there and Jim is an excellent iron sight shot. They both shoot very well indeed.
I am very comfortable with irons to 200 yards and beyond that would prefer a scope but wouldn't be totally anal about it..I would use what I had...
I suggest all the nay sayers, get out and have some fun, sight in there rifles just like they do with the scope, then practice a bit and add another deminsion to there shooting..Its fun guys, you will enjoy it, and be better for it.
