I have rifle hunted for years but I'm just getting started handgun hunting.My question is what do you feel your maximum range is with open sights on whitetail deer?I'll be hunting hardwood thickets so I'll not have many shot over 40 yds.

Welcome to the forum Krankie!

If you practice, I think you will find your limitation. I have NO problem shooting with iron sights out to 100 yards. But I have shot with iron sights a lot.

What is the handgun you intend on using? Have you thought about putting a scope on it if you are worried about the iron sight?

Duane

for most 40 to 50 yards on deer sized game is what the shooter is able to do.but as stated by Duane more is possable with practice.the only way to realy answer this question would be to watch you shoot at various distances.

Welcome to HH, krankie.

Everyone's limitations will differ according to their choice of weapon, their practice habits and just their personally set limitaions. If your maximum range is gonna be around 40yards, due to terrain or vegetation, then with practice you should have no problems with iron sights at that distance....did I say with practice.

Another welcome Krankie!
I'll join the others in saying that at the ranges you mention, with practice, iron sights should be fine.
Another limitation not mentioned is your eyes! I'm 50 now & notice a BIG difference in what kind of sight picture I can get. When I was younger I did a lot of IPSC, steel plate,etc shooting & an 8" plate at 50 yds with good sights was not a problem at all. But, with my bifocals it's hard for to shoot well with iron sights anymore, so while I don't need magnification I do need a good aiming point. The answer for me is the red dot type sights.

One word of warning... Handgun hunting is addictive!

My limit is going to be somewhere between 50 and 75 yards depending on how well I can see the target and what the light levels are like. I usually always have a scoped gun too for the shots that don't add up with irons.

Welcome Krankie!

Of all the deer I have taken with iron sights the farthest was 67 yards. With the scoped 480 I did take a charlie at 78 yards. That's about my self imposed limits with each sight on revolvers.

With a perfect rest 100 yrds with a 7.5 inch barrel.
Offhand, 50 yrds.

There is nothing wrong with open sights if you have good vision and it is no problem to shoot 500 meters with them. The sights are not the problem at all until you get old.
It depends on you alone and if you can hit deer at 100 or 50 or only 25, those should be your limits. Ethical hunting is first based on what you can do.
When I was young I shot open sights better then a scope and shot tiny targets at 300 and 400 yards from Creedmore position with a revolver. Now I don't know if they are on the gun sometimes. I have gone to the Ultra Dot for deer.
But the same question holds, how far can you hit reliably?
No matter what, even if I can shoot deer at 100 with a lot of practice, I still like them as close as I can get them. I much prefer 20 yards!
If you have good vision, it is not the sights that limit range, it is you and how much practice you have. Base distance on that alone.

Thanks for all the input guys.I limit myself to 40 yds when I hunt with archery equipment.I have found that is the range I'm capable of making clean kills.My next task is to find that range with my handgun.I will still try and coax those critters in as close as possible though.To me the woodsmanship is as big a part of the hunt as anything else.Thanks again for the advise.