I'm just curious how many of you actually use hoods on your front sights when hunting and how many of the PH's you see with them on their rifles. I have mine off, since I just changed the front sight ramp and blade out, and am not sure I am going to bother keeping it on there, not to mention it will really show up in the scope (fixed 2.5x Leupold).

How much trouble does the front sight cause you all when hunting and how much does the hood help/worsen this? I hunt here in the Sierras where it can get thick and have a couple of rifles that still have the tall military blades on them and have not had a problem that I can think of with it getting caught on something.

Thanks.

Red
PS
Any time somebody wants to post pictures of their rifles to help explain things that is cool!

I have taken the front sight hoods off of all my rifles. It just seems to get caught on brush and doesn't seem to add much utility in my opinion. For fast sight aquisition it justs distracts the eye.

I've taken mine off..... (IMO) they're just a bloody nuisance.

The only time I left one on I wound up losing it. They're useless and distracting, unless you are breaking rocks with your front sight.

I am not using any hood.
My Sauer 202 front sight is a sprung blade which collapses into its socket when crushed.
A really fine device, making sure that the front sight is always suitable, which is not the cas of the fragile ancient meatball-shaped front sight.

I leave the hood on my 375H&H "light rifle" which has a Luepold 1.5x5 in Talley QD's as the primary sight. I does not get caught up much at all, at least that I've noticed when I'm carrying it. The tracker carries this rifle if we're after buff and I carry my double rifle (when after ele it stays in the truck). I have found that the hood has been bent up pretty good, but the blade and bead have been protected, just as designed.

I do not use a hood on my double rifle, where the express sights are the primary sights. But, except the few time I've switched rifles for the 375H&H, I'm the one carrying it.

I have found that with just a little bit of practice with a low power scope and you quickly learn to ignore any view of the barrel and front sight. The cross hairs are relatively far above this stuff and the cross hairs and target are sharp while the barrel and sights are blurry. I'd bet 10 rounds and you won't notice it unless you try.

Take your pick depending on the circumstance,

JPK

Scoped or in transit (4x4 or 767) it stays on as it protects the front bead. If I'm hunting with the irons, it goes in my pocket.

Rich Elliott

I leave em on ALWAYS on my .375 and .416 Safari Express. I don't use a scope on either. I know they have protected the bead in the case, the blueing was worn right off the hood in one case, when TSA did a lousy repacking job. I don't notice it at all when I shoot, but I think it actually helps center the bead faster.

I should add that I tried and liked NECG's front hood that has cut outs on the sides to let in light. This might be the idea hood for a rifle that wears a scope. I think it is.

JPK

I'm with Loboga. I left the hood on my M70 in .375HH and installed an XS ghost ring rear. The front hood not only protects the front sight, the hood ring actually shows up very well in dim light -- this is something to do with the ghost ring and my right eye, I'm sure -- and works very well to put the bullet in a 4 inch circle within 100 meters. In any case, I epoxied it to the ramp so it wouldn't come off in the brush and I always have along a spare. Wouldn't leave home without my front sight hood.