Wondering if anyone here still hunts with a bolt action rifle, one chambered in a modern, "flat shooting" cartridge, with only open sights? I'm not talkling about a mil-surp, or a dangerous African game rifle. But rather a run of the mill big game bolt rifle for deer, elk, ect.

It seems the first thing I do after I acquire a new bolt action is decide on the scope that will go on top. I've scoped all my bolt actions. But I have a couple that just seem to be perfect without a scope. I have a Sako 85M Black Bear .30-06. The open sights on that gun are just about perfect for me. The heavy 20" fluted barrel makes it an exceptionally handy rifle. I've had three different scopes on it, and it never has appealed to me scoped the way it does scope-free. And I have a Ruger MkII Express in .270. Same thing. The scope just seems to detract from from the handiness of the gun. The open sights are nearly perfect.

Just curious who here prefers a bolt action with open sights and no scope?

My eyes are about 10-15 years past such an option. I used to carry around a Remington 700 ADL with open sights in my youth. I could hit a 2 liter bottle at 200 yds with it pretty consistently but never found a deer to cooperate while I was carrying it. I liked the simplicity of the open sights.

My eyes have gotten to the point where scopes are mostly needed, too. I'm been really appealling to V express sights. Both my Ruger and Sako have express sights. I can still see these well, particualy the Sako sights.

Looking back I have only seen one hunter in the woods with scopeless bolt action rifle. Tons of lever actions though

Killed my best buck using a J.C. Higgins M50 with a Williams Foolproof receiver sight and a homemade front. Those Foolproofs are discontinued, and Williams only has the target knob ones in stock for the FN. the jury’s still out on how I’ll equip the one that’s due in tomorrow. The comb height will figure in. It has only a front ramp, no rear sight like many older FNs.

I did until I turned 50 and the eyes didnt work so good, its all scopes now. Did my first African Safari with iron sights...on a .300 Winchester.Sounds stupid but it was flat shooting enough that there was no need to guess where to hold. If the bead didnt blot them out, aim right at them. If it did blot out the vitals, the animal was too far IMHO. Simple system, Resulted in 7 one shot kills. My last safari with iron sights...7x57...







and a British .303

I do have a Heym 98 in .308 with a nice set of irons on the barrel, but like a Sako .243 I used to own, the stock comb is too high to use them comfortably. Maybe post-war Germans’ faces were thinner than mine? Anyway, it’s wearing a 2.5x Leupy, the next best thing.

Just an 03 and 03A3 or 2 and a couple of SAKO'S.

Yes, I have a Husqvarna 9.3x57 that I use with open sights and a 35 whelen with an aperture sight.

No

None of my bolt rifles have sights

The only thing I have a scope on presently is an inline muzzleloader, everything else is irons now. I've just come to like the handling and simplicity of sights, and phased out all my scopes over the past few years.

They're mostly levers, but there are bolts in 308 Win and 222 Rem in the mix, too. The 308 isn't drilled and tapped for bases, so it's never worn a scope. The 222 was actually the last one I eliminated the scope on earlier this year.

I totally get the feel and preference for running an iron sighted rifle. Do I use one? Heck yeah. I own two such implements. One is an Ruger scout 308win and the other is an Ruger compact 338RCM with its 20" barrel. That 338RCM is my favorite hunting rifle ever. Perfect size and weight. Handles like a wand with irons.

Bad news is that this year my eyes have changed and I can't see the sights clearly with my glasses anymore but I'm able without my prescription lenses.

I have scopes on my bolt actions

"I have a Sako 85M Black Bear .30-06. The open sights on that gun are just about perfect for me. The heavy 20" fluted barrel makes it an exceptionally handy rifle. I've had three different scopes on it, and it never has appealed to me scoped the way it does scope-free."

All my bolt guns have scopes. But if I needed one without a scope, I cant think of a better one than the Sako posted above.

My old eyes wouldn't work good enough for me to use open sights on a hunting rifle even if I wanted to, so all of my bolt action hunting rifles have scopes. I do have an open sighted 10-22 that rides with me in the UTV, as well as a couple of AR's that are open sighted. I can shoot good enough with them to do what I need to do.

I dont believe I even own a bolt with open sights anymore. I never scoped my very first centerfire rifle which was a marlin levergun 336 30/30.
Once I got into bolts and scopes I guess never considered a open sight set up.

The first 5 or 6 deer I killed were taken with open sighted rifles, a 303 Lee-Enfield, and Marlin 35 Rem with peeps. Funny thing was, I'd been using a scope sighted 22 rifle for years, and knew how much better a scope was than open sights, but I still ended up using open sighted deer rifles. All that changed when I started using a scope on my 270 and 243. I do have a Model 700 30-06 with a set of open sights on it, but I don't use them, as the rifle is scoped.

Sometimes local deer hunting using Mannlichers fitted with receiver sights. I can still manage an aperture with bead, but notched sights became a no-go at about age 50. When traveling to hunt, it's always a scoped rifle, and the back-up to the scope has to be another scope.

I have my 9.3x57 that has irons and my 760 270 that has a skinner peep. That’s about all I have without sights. I have a 7600 35 Whelen that may just get a set of Skinners as well. Jury is still out on it.

I'd have to go through them to get an exact count, but very few of my bolt guns would work well with open sights. Majority of them have had the stocks replaced with lightweight synthetic stocks. Most of those stocks have very little drop in them....they'd be tough to use with open sights.

I have a couple of lever guns set up with ghost ring sights and I really enjoy them.

I really appreciate the sights, short length, and overall feel of this gun. The sights work well, even for my middle aged eyes. They are high enough that I can easily line them up even with with higher comb.

My eyes ruled out open sights for hunting many years ago, but a recent acquisition has me going retro. It is a Winchester M54 in 30 WCF. I managed to get a Lyman receiver sight on it and, with a properly sized black bullseye at 100 yards, I can shoot it pretty darn well. I know that lining up a deer will be much harder to do, but I want to kill a deer with it so badly that I am willing to wait for that perfect opportunity and pass on all the rest.

A couple of years ago, I was deer hunting on a farm in Maryland with a fairly-accurate rifled-bore open-sights 12 gauge with sabot slugs (because I didn't have a straight-walled-cartridge rifle). Given my eyesight capabilities, I had to pass on a couple of shots in the 75+yd range that would have been easy with a scope for me.

I've got a Leupold FXII 2.5X mounted in medium height Optilock bases/rings on that Sako now. While not technically quick detach, it's easy enough to loosen the base screws and take off and put back on as needed. But it still detracts from the handiness of the gun. I was thinking of getting a Henneberger mount for a Trijicon RMR that would allow me to mount the sight on the integrated rail ahead of the ejection port.

Henneberger HMS Trijicon RMR, Sako
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/760859-REG/Trijicon_RM56_RMR_Mount_for_Sako.html

If we're excluding mil-surp (love me some Lee-Enfields), there's a 98 stalking rifle most likely brought back by an anonymous GI in my accumulation I'll hunt with second weekend pretty often. It's not as accurate as it was when I bought it 25 years ago for some reason. In the woods of the Driftless Zone it does a good job, though.

At 67 my eyes still work but could be better, no line bifocals look thru the bottom, irons are clear ,target fuzzy. Look thru the top, rear sight fuzzy frt and target pretty clear. Rules are still the same aim for the ctr of the fuzzy. As I said before I have more than a few iron sighted rifles levers, pumps, single shot falling blocks, frt stuffers and bolt guns. I can still connect on 1000 yd 4 moa targets with tang sights on my Sharps 1/2 the time but they are steel and there is no wounding loss. Only you can make the decision to take a shot or turn it down. This spring I picked up a mint older L61R Sako in 30-06 with the original 100/200m peep on it as well as the little box holding the original scope rings. The rifle is a pleasure to handle and shoot. I am pretty damn sure their is a buck out there for me and that Sako without a scope on it...mb

Only one, this 8x57.

I’m old now, but even when I was a young man and growing up reading jack O’Connor, I started using a 4x scope on my newly purchased Ruger m77 chambered in 270 win. I have deer hunted with an unscoped model 94 in 32 win special and a British Lee enfield but only before I bought the Ruger. However, since 1973 or 74 I’ve always used a scoped rifle. For me, scoped is far superior as a hunting tool for the hunting I do. YMMV

I have an R.F. Sedgley in 3006.

How about part time open sights? My primary 9.3x62, .375, '06, and .416 Taylor all wear Talley QDs with and I use the peep sights on them quite a bit, to the point that every year I shoot about half my deer with open sights. The majority of my deer shooting takes place at less than 100 yards, and often at deer on the move and/or odd angles. A rifle with the scope off carries much easier in thick brush or open timber, and for the type of shots I get the peep sight is certainly equal to and in some cases superior to using a scope.

Agreed. Where I hunt, it's thick and most of my shots have been well under 100 yards. And a scopeless rifles does cerry better in the woods than a scoped gun. And I also think a compact'ish scopeless bolt action carries better than a lever action.

One of my deer hunting partners has used a Ruger RSI International tanger in 22/250 for 20 years. He uses it like it was an open sighted 30-30.

Always have had poor eyesight and I disagree with several posts
in my personal experience.

Opens are fine on a range, but I just can't see well enough to use
them in the woods. Real close, they are better for me. But at 50 yards
in some brush, I need the scope to put it together. Just can't see
well enough. In the open, it's easy.

It went to Africa in 2012.

Those nice receiver sights are fast disappearing. I’m looking for one right now, and according to Lyman, the one listed for Mausers, the 57 SME, doesn’t fit FN factory d&t. The Foolproof is no more and the holes for the rear mount aren’t the standard 1/2”, so the WGRS-FN won’t fit either. I have a line on a Foolproof, so have my fingers crossed. Meanwhile, I have a 2moa red dot on the receiver ring ala Wild Boar Fever. That worked very well on another one and gives a nice sight picture, but isn’t the look I want and adds about 5oz I’d rather do without.

I shoot a lot of deer at close range in woods. One of the biggest pro's for me with a scope has more to do with being able to see twigs or limbs to avoid them. In a lot of 50-75 yard shots it's more important to me than seeing the deer for placement.

Ingwe, those are a couple of fine looking rifles. Really like the looks of your classic .303.

I generally hunt with open sights. But for the most part use lever rifles. (Like 1895 Wins). But my 54 Win, Oberndorf B and all 3 Krag Jorgensons have open or peeps.

Although I don't hunt in rain or snow, after the storm passes generally freezing fog sets in on the timbered slopes around here, making close shots closer. Pretty hard to beat the Savage Model 1920 in .300 Sav with the bolt peep and gold bead front. The tang safety is damn quick too. Under those conditions, I find a scope to be a handicap.

I had a CZ-550 FS in 7x64 that was a pig to carry with a 2.5-8x36 mounted so I got a NEC aperture which made it seem 5# lighter and much more responsive.



A 1903 with a Redfield sight that's a joy to carry for woods hunting. My Bubba Sedgley.

Still tote this Win. 54 carbine around in thick stuff. Its in 30 Govt. Redfield sight.

I do not use open sights only on my bolt actions.

I have shot a bunch of small game with open sighted 22's. I have practiced a bunch using open sights with a 338-06, 375 H&H, 416 Remington, and 404 Jeffery.

Shot a couple of deer with a Model 71 and peep sights. Also with muzzleloader and open sights.

Love that carbine! Mine is a rifle in 30 WCF, not nearly as handy but I need every extra inch of my barrel to help my eyes out. Long sight radius and the Lyman receiver sight allow me to have hope that I can use it on a deer (as stated earlier in this thread). It is a dedicated cast bullet rifle and I will try very hard to take a deer with it next season.

Nice rifles gents!

Not with a bolt but going to try some with a savage 99 in 32-40

Pappy348, I sent you a PM with a possible solution for your "new" FN
Feel free to contact me as posted. Not looking to peddle anything, just trying to help. I too am fond of these guns and iron and/or receiver sights.

Got an 03A3 set up like that , on a NRA 100yd target can still get 2” groups with it .
Got some loads worked up with 150 partitions.
Hope to get another bucket list thing done with it this year .
Also a Savage 340 in 30-30 that needs meat .
Have to shoot them without glasses or use eye pal .
That eye pal is the stuff , had one of those mechanical doo floppy’s that fit glasses with a suction cup , worked very well too , but it’s lost amongst many things O put up so I wouldn’t lose it 😎
Kenneth

I suppose the krag doesn't count...





-Jake

If it's a hunting gun it counts. Great looking rifle. .30-40 is a great round.

Been a long time since I did, but I have. Kind of feel like doing it again with a pre '64 Mod. 70 this year and either the factory sights or a Lyman peep type setup.

Its fun, but I have to expect to pass on an opportunity or two I might not have with a scope.

They count in my book! Even when someond carves a 10 oint buck's head on the stock back in 1934....

I have an old pre-1900 '98 in 9x57 that gets a couple of annual woods visits. I've yet to christen it myself, but I'm not a great shot with irons & the right situation hasn't presented itself yet.

Another krag with a 7 point

1903 Springfield 35 Whelen with peep and big front sight. Shooting irons on game is practice and trust the hold game. We don’t need to count hairs to cleanly kill game. The center of the vitals and a clean trigger break.
Mauser 98 ‘06 with big square post and peep.

Dont even own a bolt action with irons. All mine are scoped, mostly with lpvos nowadays as ive found 1-6 or 1-8x scopes suit my hunting style. If im going to hunt with iron sights its a lever gun

I do, have an American version of a British Stalking rifle, pre-64 model 70 in 270 Winchester, it sits in a slim trim stick of English walnut, a very old Lyman receiver peep with twilight aperture does the guiding for 150gr npt's, cool little hunting rifle.

My Krag has been out a time or too. Have not got a shot off hunting though.

Beautiful Krag.

Love these threads.

All my rimfires wear irons exclusively, but only one BG rifle without a scope, a 760 with Williams peep. Perfect big woods gun.

Gotta be one of the nicest krags I've ever seen.

Thanks for the kind words on my Krag. Great old rifle, it is very accurate with 180gr bullets, wish when I take it out we would get a chance to kill something. 😎

Yes, beautiful Krag !

When I was young and starting out hunting I had two rifles a Marlin 336 in 30-30 and a Remington ADL 243 both iron sighted. I sort of liked the 30-30 better because it always exited but I never lost one with the 243. I had a bunch of really fast one shot kills but I had an equal number of deer run 50-80 yards. With the 30-30 it seemed they always moved a bit but not much. Anyway at under 75 yards I could hit exactly where I wanted using not so perfect irons. In later years my designated iron sight rifle was a shortened and hacked M96 Swede. I hacked it my bad it was a nice looking rifle. It shot great with everything but especially 140 grain Hornady's. Stock rear sight opened up a bit and squared front site. Shot a 14 point Mulie with it. 140 yards over some tall sage brush hit him in the neck. Nowadays I am thinking of putting a red dot on one of the bolt guns. I really like scopes better now. I hunt more open country now and I really don't see the sights like I used to.

I've really been considering putting an Aimpoint micro on my Sako 85M Black Bear. There's a mount that slides on the front dovetail. I think it would be great for close range. Like this...

Exactly what I was thinking. Though my rifle will be either a 7x57 or a 308 in mauser actions. The 308 would be great for this.

I took my “new” 1952 FN to the range Monday wearing the Sparc 2. I bore-sighted it at home, so it only took six shots to get it zeroed. The last four went into 1 1/2” at 50.


Hope to have a receiver sight on it shortly for a dual setup.

Used to. Now irons and peeps bother me. Last rifle that I had was a couple Marlin SBL's and a 458 lott.

Can't use them here in MI where I hunt so I regretfully got rid of them.