Hey All,

Just wondering if there's any other iron sight hunters here. When not toting my .308 around, I like to hunt with my Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 mag, 4 5/8 barrel with Garrett 310 Hammerhead rounds. I'm getting ready to put on a HighViz front sight for a bit more contrast. The 4 5/8 has no means of attaching a scope or red dot so I couldn't use one even if I wanted to. Which I don't. I've been a competative pistol shooter for a long time and have no problem shooting 50-100 yards with a pistol. I see a lot of folks love scopes on their handguns, but to me, that's just like using a short rifle. Just looking for other's thoughts and opinions on the subject.

I've been looking around the site for a while but just registered. Looks like a lot of great info. I'm in San Antonio and always looking for a place to chase hogs or deer if there are any locals who want to meet up!

Thanks!

Tattoo...I currently haven't settled on a scope/red dot option so I have stuck to the iron sights for now. I do like the simplicity of it and the ease of carry.

BIG difference, your rifle has a shoulder stock which is an unfair advantage comparing to a HAND gun, a whole different approach. I don't really like scopes on handguns for several reasons, but do have a couple with them. I prefer a dot, either tube or reflex. With age those sights get harder to line up as you will learn.

Which of the two do you prefer on a revolver and why?

I don't care for scopes on revolvers either. The long eye relief messes me up. That said, I do like a red dot -- simple to use, quick to pick up, great in low-light, etc.

I use both - I prefer one in each hand but will shoot which ever one lines up quicker with the target.

For size, the reflex:

For speed, the tube:

And for longer ranges, the scope.

Them's Pretty! Do I remember right from another forum that the holster is an edge custom?

Actually tha holster on the Bis is a Hunter model that I cut a slit in the top of for the top strap. The price was right ;-)

I do have one revolver with open sights but they are of this variety:

Tattoo - I like them all

I have scoped revolvers, unscoped revolvers, and as of this year, one with a reflex-style red dot (which was previously unscoped). Not to mention the scoped single-shots...They all get to play, depending on the hunting conditions, anticipated shot distances, etc. Of course, these well laid plans rarely work out that way. Or just whatever one calls out to me when I open the safe

Welcome to HH!

I use ironsights.I tried a scope and a red dot and niether suit me,but I am different.Whit can shoot pretty good with that dot thingamajig but it screws with my head.I used a scope some here and there but I find irons quicker,and shoot irons better than using scopes or dots.Off a bench to check accuracy I have used a scope,and a few hunts but everything I own now wears plain irons.The only thing you give up is a little shooting light,but when it's that late does it really matter?

Can you tell me where you got the ghost rings. I've been trying unsuccessfully to find one for my Taurus 44.

I don't think anyone has come out with one for the Taurus' as yet.

Thanks Rod,
That's what I thought since I've done a lot of looking.

I use scopes, red dots and iron sights, and like to alternate from time to time, just to keep it fresh. I can still make iron sights work from time to time, even at my advanced elderly state:





[IMG]

Very well said...

500WE...is there anything you haven't shot?

I also agree with the "Big difference" in a rifle & a handgun (as stated above). I hunt only with handguns. However, due to my youth (read "lack thereof"), open sights are not as precise as I desire. I can hit OK out to 50-60 yards with them, but after that it is much more difficult. I get few shots that close.

Thus, I do not hunt with open sights. I have both scopes & reflex sights on my hunting revolvers. However, I am not above blasting away at a varmit or a vermin with anything I can get in my hand.

"... which is an unfair advantage comparing to a HAND gun..."
I don't want to start any fights, but I dont' think it is "unfair", I just think it is wrong to compare the two. Some folks like to shoot with high power scoped rifles. Some like bows. Some do the Black powder stuff. I have black powder gun. Hate it. It ain't wrong, I just don't like it. I found a bow on the side of the road a few years back. I priced it at Cabelas, the way it was set up, on sale, $950. Didn't do a thing for me. I traded it (after putting two adds in the paper and giving every pawnshop 'round a copy of the add) for two shot guns. I just like things that go boom, but don't need soap and water to clean. I understand that stainless steel and synthetic stocks are "better" in the woods, but I like wood and blue steel. That's what I like, so that's what's right for me.
That said, I usually carry two pistols. One iron sited that I hold (.44mag s/w) and one scoped T/C for the longer shots. I got cought holding the T/C this year when a doe came real close. I was trying to see who might be behind her, and she almost walked over me. Really, she got within 10 yards of me. She spooked out to 20 and I shot her, but at that range, thru the scope, all I saw was fur. I should have had the iron sited revolver and I would have shot her cleaner. I hunt for the freezer, not the wall, but I hate to shoot one poorly, and always pet and thank them when I put them down. But that's just me. What works for you might be different.
Safe hunting,
Dogsbreath

I have had all three at one point or another. As a matter of fact I have all three sight options now. In my Contender days I used scopes and IMO they are the only way to go on a Contender barrel. I still use irons on my older small bores. I do have a recently aquired Ruger MkII Gov target that is wearing a 4x Leupold EER. The only other scoped gun is my Remington 760 in 35 Whelen. My SBH has a Truglo reflex on it. Its the first relfex I have personally owned on a handgun and its very fast and easy to use. The Bisley will be an iron sight gun only.

Lots. But I hope to keep working at it.

Amen to that sentiment!

Bull elk, .454 Casull.


Buck Mule Deer, .454 Casull.


Buck antelope, XP-100 7mm-08.


More (mine & others) posted elsewhere on this sight, if u look around...

I shot my deer this year with irons and before I got serious about handgun hunting I used to shoot varmints strictly with iron sights. I guess I've only killed 3 deer with irons and everything else has been scoped. I prefer irons for their simplicity and quick target aquisition but I'm having problems with presbyopia which most of us do when we hit middle age. Being a revolver builder I also prefer the classic look of irons. I still have some guns with irons and I've found the shorter the sight radius the easier it is for me to shoot irons but my primary guns now all have scopes. I've played with red dots off and on and will be using them in the future but my days of iron sight shooting is numbered. I even took out my Marlin 1895 LTD in 45-70 with a Williams peep sight on it and I can't shoot it as well as I could a couple years ago because i couldn't focus well enough on the sights.

Very, very nice Gregg.

Very nice, Gary!

I love open sights and is what I always used.
Then one day there was a leprechaun in the woods that stole the things and did not leave any gold coins for me.
I hate scopes unless a handgun is shot from a rest plus they are too dark early and late to see through so I went to red dots. It is purely being able to see anymore.
If you have good vision, open sights are as accurate as anything else you can hang on a gun, capable of extreme precision.
But now the little fool smokes a pipe next to my gun and blows smoke on the sights!

This is what I USED to do with open sights. I was shooting my single shot at this chicken at 200 meters and picked up my .44 SBH and shot it twice.

I shot this red hog back in 2007 or thereabouts with an SRH in .454 with iron sights.





Sorry I didn't get this one mounted. Haven't seen one this color again since.

No kidding. I've never seen one that color.

Yeah I've killed one red one and they are definitely cool

An iron sighted revolver is one of my favorite ways to hunt

wyote - pretty country out there.

not with a handgun and it's hard to see from the quality of the pic but this is my one and only hog and he was the same color, just a wee bit bigger.

I use both, depends on were i'm hunting and what i'm hunting.

I turn 50 next month, and every year that goes buy it's getting harder to focus on those irons. I love iron sight so i'll keep shooting them as long as i can.

Very nice pics, Wyote.

What did he weigh, Rod? My red hog went just over 200-lbs -- hard to see from the photos. They just don't grow 'em real big in that part of Florida! Where did you take that hoss?

I do a little iron sighting......















It's a little tougher, but alot more rewarding!

He was high fence but he went 750lbs he has one broken tusk and the assistant my taxidermist had screwed up on it so it should be a little further down but with the broken tusk he had 21"'s of cutters. I took him off a private ranch here in oregon. When I hunted there the trophy hog was 500.00 and my trophy aisian buff was 2500.00 and now the pigs are 1500.00 and the trophy buff go up to 15k. I don't think I'm going back anytime soon which is too bad it's the only exotic ranch in the state.

Kral
What cal did you do that armadillo with?