I'll ask this question here, because there are probably more iron sight shooter's, but this question is not limited only to DBL rifles.


What maximum distance do you feel comfortable shooting game animals (not paper) at with iron sights (can be flip-up rear sights, but not peep sights)?

The reason I ask the question is you see additional flip-up rear sights for ever increasing distances and I was wondering what is the realistic maximum distance one can consistently use these things.

Historically one can tell an INDIAN DR from an AFRICAN DR. Or, indeed, any other rifle from the pre-WW1 era.

African rifles were often sighted out with a ladder sight to 1,000 Yards. This was NOT as some sources say for use "in event of war" or indeed for shooting at a single animals.

Other rilfes also would have the same sight arrangement. I used to have a Ross .280 sighted in such a way. Leaf x 3 to 400 Yards. Ladder to 1000 Yards.

No, they were for using for meat gathering. A herd of wildebeeste would be shot at from say a thousand yards with three or four rounds.

The herd would then be followed up and the beast that had been hit used for meat.

In India, of course, this wasn't done, so an Indian rifle will never be seen with these long range sights.

Don't forget, of course, that even fifty years ago we were used to wider open spaces and accustomed to seeing longer distances.

As to me I trained with a military No4 ("peep" sight) and was happy to engage individual man sized targets out to 300/400 Yards.

With a "notch" sight as long as I knew that I had estimated the range ACCURATELY and was confident in the capability of the rifle I would be happy to take an animal out to 200 Yards in open country. At which my group size would be, in my prime, 6".

A lot of those additional sights are for aesthetic appearance I think. On some rifles a "parade" of three sights just looks more attractive than a singleton sight!

Personally, I won't take a shot with open sights
from a DR on DG past 100 yards, maybe a fraction more depending on the circumstances.

On non DG - like Pigs etc - if the shot presents itself I'll take a shot past 100, maybe even to 200 if I know the gun is capable.

Follow up shots are a different matter - I'll shoot when I can shoot.

I have a 450/400 that the previous owner used to shoot camels with and one camel got away wounded and he chased it up. Eventually tiring of running after it, he sat down, raised the 300 yard sight and snotted the thing at over 300 yards which was enough to allow him to get up to it for a finishing shot.

Around 80m comfortably.

Depends - size of animal, moving or still, in the bush or out in the open, light condition, rest, mood - I decide when taking an aim at given situation - want a sure hit inside 10 cm (4 inch) diameter - yup ~ 80m.

I am comfortable shooting game up to 200 yards with shallow V iron sights, (even on my double rifle if its buffalo or something big)..A receiver sight will give me another 50 yards I guess.

On ocassion I might take a 300 yard shot with my 06 or 300 H&H and iron sights, but that would be rare indeed. It has always worked but I am not comfortable at 300..

I don't see a lot of disadvantage to iron sights as I was raised shooting them in West Texas Big Bend rimrock country..Past 200 yards the scope is a boon, no doubt about that.