Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Can some of you guys post some pics of how your open sighted 22's shoot

Marlin 1897 Cowboy
Federal Lightning 40gr LRN

The CB seems to love this stuff and shoots it a little faster (+20 fps avg) than the box says.

bsa, I'll jump in here. Your original question didn't specify the type of .22, so it could be anything from a garden variety factory sporter to an olympic rifle with precision iron sights. The context seems to favor the former.

My sense is that iron sights are underrated in this age of scopes. I shoot BPCR silhouette, both iron and scope classes. As my eyes have aged along with everything else, I prefer scopes. However, with the advent of the scope class, those in the BPCR game found that there really wasn't that much difference in scores. It would seem that scope scores would be higher, after all there's a reason BR shooters use high powered scopes, but there really hasn't been that much difference. Of course those rifles use precision tang sights, and have a long sight radius.

Going back about 40 years to when I shot muzzleloader matches, there was some mighty good shooting done with notch rear and blade front sights. Five shots in about 2 MOA weren't uncommon. Here's a pic from 1976 of my son and a match winning target shot at 100 yards with a .50 cal. Hawken and round balls. He was 8 y/o, and now he's at bifocal age himself. That last shot at 9 o'clock would have been center if it weren't for my missing a wind call. Just shows what can be done with iron sights.

Those were good days.

Steve's pics of that great old Stevens are a pretty good indication of what a good .22 can do at 50 yards with iron sights. Gotta love those vintage single shots.

Paul

Paul, I left the question that way on purpose. That way, many people with different experiences could comment. As all have been great examples of that. Damn, that marlin 1897 cowboy would be one to watch out for (sleeper for sure). Paul, thanks for posting the pic too. Brings back memories of my bud and I shooting Jackrabbits in northern Nevada with a 50 and 54 cal hawkens. Great times for sure. Take care, bsa.

Nice rifle Steve! This isn't 50 yds but I usually shoot at 100.I could cover 7 out of 10 shots with a quarter. Did this when I first got the gun and haven't played with it much since.

CDI--Thanks for the compliments on the rifle--was my Dad's gun so it's in the family forever. Took me 30 yrs and the internet to find out what it really was.

Some old guns still amaze me--I have a Rem 597 with a VQ bbl. and I can get .33" out of it with a 20 power scope, and here's a nearly 80 year old Stevens that can get .56" with iron sights no less, although that was back in the day when Stevens rifles were right up there with any rifle. Also have a Savage 99 lever gun (my second actually)both in 300 Savage from 1953 and 1954, and that thing will put 3 shots in .7" at 100 yds. with factory ammo and a 4X scope. Yet it seems that gun mag. writers still get all worked up over $1000.00 bolt guns that will shoot to under an inch? Go figure!

I see you use SK Jagd Std + too--that and Wolf MT are my favorite mid range 22 ammo's.

Can't quite make out all of your pic--what is that rifle? Seems to earl for a Win. 52?

It's a Winchester 52. I have about 10 Winchester 22's that are all older than me.That is my oldest, a 1927 model, and my "newest" is a 1956 model. They are all very accurate. I know some of the current production 22's are good too,but these older ones appreciate in value instead of depreciate. Can't beat the craftsmanship either.

25 yards......CCI SV. Looks like a scope but is a Redfield Olympic aperture sight w/tube.

By the way everyone, I should say the Rem 597/VQ bbl. will do the .33" with Wolf MT, it takes Eley Tenex to do .5" in the old Stevens (both 5 shot groups at 50 yds)

Nice 52 as I said before---Soon as I get up to speed on my pistols, there'll be a Win 52 and maybe a Rem. 37 or 40X in my future. I like the old ones too, though I do have some new ones.

Win 67, bought used for $6.00 in 1946... only gun that is simpler is a zipgun, crudest open sights around, shot using reading glasses to see the front bead. Yeah, high and left but that has been fixed. Just wonder what it would do with a driver who could see....

I have very few pictures of 50 yard targets I've shot with open iron sights, but I do have this 100 yard target to share. It was shot with my Marlin 925 & open iron sights from the bench with the aid of only a sling. 25 shots total.


This next target was shot prone from 25 yards with the aid of a sling and the Marlin 925 with open iron sights. Again, 25 total shots.


I've got my Marlin 80 DL with aperture sights doing about the same as the picture above of the 25 yard open iron, and I expect it'll tighten up (which it did this morning using the CCI Blazer). Had some nice tight groups.

I may not be as accurate with iron sights, but I never get bored shooting with them. I seldom ever take a scoped rifle to the range anymore - however I keep 'em around in case I get the itch to shoot 'em again.

I guess I'm just one of those folks who has shot open iron most of my life, spending at least 36 years now shooting fixed open iron sighted muzzle loading rifles. It's just hard for me to warm up to scopes, but they have their place as well.

It'd hurt your feelings and then you'd start whining all over again.

Fingers crossed!..................

I won a new CZ 452 Special in a match back in October and here is a pic of the results of our sighting in session on Halloween Day. No ten shot groups as requested in the lead post but several fives. This is a fine rifle and those CZ open sights are the best.

What targets are those? An NRA A-23?

I don't have any pictures, but my best ever 5 shot prone group at 50 yards would fit under my pinky fingernail. I don't have large hands. The sad thing was that it was centered on the edge of the 10 ring. I kept dialing in windage, but couldn't cut the X.

Typically, I was shooting about 192 or so for four bulls on the 50 yd reduced ITU target. This was outdoors in 15 mph wind, prone, not benched. I'm pretty sure the 10 ring is under 10 mm in diameter. The rifle is an Anschutz 1807, ammo is just RWS Match (not R50). I've not used this rifle seriously in almost 20 years now though...

But don't take just my word for how well those Annies shoot - make Stick tell you what he's able to do with his Model 54.

Scott

P.S - Always with irons.