What type of sight do you prefer on your big bore rifle?

Why?

Thanks guys.

Question:
What is your sight of choice on your big bore rifle?

Choices:
Express sight
Ghost Ring sight
Red dot sight
Scope

 

Express Sights.

But...

On rifles 40 cal and under I like a scope in a QD mount.

Even on a double rifle.

And my British 450/400 is so fitted.

I like express sights, but my big bore is a double rifle. If it were a bolt I would choose a ghost ring sight.

Also, for a medium bore like a 375H&H or 9.3x62 with a scope (which ought to be in QD mounts), the express sights make the most sense to me. Just take the scope off and wade into the thick stuff. The Talley and similar ring sights have great appeal, but unless they are the sort that lie flush under the scope ring and are instantly deployable when the scope is removed, present another opportunity to need it and not have it with you.

Sometime, probably still a half a decade or more away, I'll need to figure out how to make a ring sight work on a big bore double, as my eyes get older.

JPK

It depends on what and where I am hunting as well as the caliber. On a 375, I uuallly use a scope but I don't take it into the Jesse for elephants. On my doubles, only wide V open sights. Any other is "Blasphemy".
On my 458 pre-64 mod-70 Lott I used both a scope and open sights, depending on conditions.

465H&H

I voted for the express sight, but a ghost ring peep is as good or better..I don't use a scope much on buffalo, Hippo. elephant, and maybe Lion also, but the use of irons always depends on the terrain more than anything else...On Leopard I have always used a scope.

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

Pleas keep it coming.

JPK
I have read in some of the older hunting books where the "proper British Gentlemen Hunter" would have the rear sight moved farther foward on the barrels of his double as he got older.

That is one thing I do not like on most Westley Richards doubles, the rear sight is too close to the rear of the barrels for my eyesight.

I have also found, the lower to the rib the express sights are the more accurate I am when shooting fast.

Doesnot matter if I am shooting at point blank range or out at 100+ yards.

I find I can pick up a target quicker with a low power scope (1.5x) than I can with open sights, probably due to familiarity. I opted for a 1.5 - 5x Leupold with Talley QD mounts to hedge my bets. I really like my NECG Masterpiece rear sight though, so I practice with both scope and open sights off hand.

Chuck

I got a Williams peep sight on my .458 X 2" American rifle. I also used a 2.5 power scope, in Redfield mounts, on it. Either one works fine for me.

Ghost ring w/ fiber optic front on the .458.

Single-blade express on the .470.

Scope w/o open sights on the .375. Haven't settled on a scope yet; I bounce back and forth between a 1.5-5 Leupold, a 2-7 Leupold, and a Weaver K4.

All three systems work.

On my 416 I use a scope 1,5-5X and a peepsight. But only uses scope - peep as "back up" if scope fails..

On my 577 Tyrannosaur I use a ghost ring peep.

Expresssights + one standing for me please

Express sights are the most traditional. But a large aperture rear ghost ring with a square front post with a white line is the fastest and most instinctive iron sight that can possibly be used on a long gun.
A ghost ring if set up right with a large rear aperture is a fantastic sight in low light conditions and it is unbeatable on fast moving targets. There is nothing faster at close quarters either.

But they simply don't look right on a double.

Express sight .........They are tough ... They don,t Break ,they don,t freeze shut with snow like a peep , even a ghost ring does ...,,, If the rifle is fitted to you the sight aligns pretty automatically ......

For me a peep sight belongs on a model 71 winchester , or on a 94 winchester ...

scope for much of the hunting........ express sight for fighting ...

A good, low powered scope.
My sight is bad enough that I have trouble with irons, even a peep.
A scope solves that problem.

I think that kind express a view are very intuitive and quick to make up to the time from a shot of emergency. My Ceska brings some of this type with three leaves.

Oscar.

I went with the express sights. But my preference is quick detatchable scopes with express sights on .416 and below. Express sights only for job specific stopping rifles. This is based on my ability to absorb and recover from recoil. Rodney.

I have a Ceska and as I said what I use to raids by wild boars, I have not thought about putting an optical viewfinder, so I use open, because in Spain it is normal to have a dump a few meters and the aim should be to make rapid, almost instinctive. For my other rifle I have a Bushnell Elite 3200 in 3-9x40, the rifle is a Remington 700 of the 338WM

Greetings and care with nougat,

Oscar.

I took two rifles to Zimbabwe just two weeks ago, gosh is it just a week ago I was in Africa? I had a CZ in 450 Dakota with a Leupold 1.5-5X in Talley QD rings. I took my 550 Gibbs with express sights, but did not get to use it.

JMHO

Rich
Buffalo Killer

I voted scope, cause with my old eyes they are much more accurate. I have a 2x7 Leupold on my CZ 550. in QD mounts. I do like the express sights but not for longer range.

On my 458 Lott I have a Burris Scope 13/4X5X30

It does everything I want it to do.

I find I can acquire targets faster with a ghost ring and would prefer it for anything that might decide to charge.

But I'd probably still run a scope on a smaller big bore.

When I first started hunting 25 yrs ago,I didn't want anything else but a scope.For a long time,the most important thing,was coming back with something.Lately,I feel that unless I shoot the game with open sights,I would rather come back with nothing.It's not a question of which way is better,but which you stand for.

On my up coming hunt my PH wants iron sights on my heavy rifle and a scope on my plains game gun. But he also wants my heavy sighted in for 50 yards and my plains game rifle sighted in for (quote)"100 yards or so". I've been shooting iron sights for many years and feel comfortable with them. I like express sights on my big caliber guns.

I guess as far as a light rifle, I've always sighted my scoped 270 in for about 2.5" high at 100. I shoot a 150g A-Frame at 3000 fps. It puts the rifle dead on at 25 yards and 250 yards and never more than 3" high in between. I think 100 yards or so is too close to sight in almost any scoped rifle.



Chuck

Here's mine:
.458Lott = Leupold 1.5-5x Illuminated Circle-Dot reticle.

.416Rem = Same as above

.375H&H = Leupold 1.75-6x Heavy Duplex reticle

1 in Warne quick detachable ring mounts

2 & 3 in Leupold QR mounts and rings so they can be removed in the bush and for cleaning. Hey, they really do return to zero.

Being bolt-rifle trash, I prefer a low powered (1.5-5or6) variable with QD mounts and a ghost ring. If I had a double, I would go with express sights.

I have always been better with a scope, but I have never gone after something with teeth.

My big bores vary, with the .470 NE double rifle carrying express sights with a factory installed front fluorescent red sight, and the .375's and .458 Lott's all carrying Leupold DG scopes.