I am thinking of doing my next safari with just double rifles. I was thinking my heym 500 a heym 375 H&H with just iron sights.I have not really tried to shoot iron sights at say 200 yards but know some of you have.With practice do you think it can be done without wounding a bunch of animals and would you take a third say chapuis 30-06 or heym 300 win mag with iron sites. It seems like it would be a little harder to get all the animals on the list but if not thats ok. Let me hear what you guys think

Depends on your eye sight and the size of the animal.
Two hundred yards can be a long way especially when you have animals standing in brush and in poor light conditions.

quote:

Originally posted by gerryb:
.. or heym 300 win mag with iron sites...

Here's your gun Gerry, and a sidelock Heym as well. I can make you a good deal.

http://www.gunsinternational.c...cfm?gun_id=100239504

That is a deal for a SL,

That's the hunt I'm doing this October.

VC 577NE for the heavy and a scoped Chapuis 9.3X74R for the longer range stuff.

If you can shoot well and would not be upset in missing out on opportunity's then go for it.
I get great satisfaction in hunting with open sights and 200m is a darn long way.

quote:

I get great satisfaction in hunting with open sights.

Me too!!!

A week from tomorrow I leave for Zimbabwe. I have buffalo, sable, and bushbuck on my wish list. I'm only taking one rifle, my home-built double in calibre .450 #2 NE. It wears a Leupold 1.5x-5x though, my eyesight has gone downhill to the point where I feel more comfortable with the scope, out beyond 75 yards.

I once went on such a safari.

My two rifles were both Cogswell and Harrison doubles. The "heavy" was a .475 3 1/4" and the "light" was a .375 2 1/2".

I just made up my mind that I'd not shoot (at) anything further than my ability, so I limited myself to 100 yards on in.

I took a couple of impala, a zebra, a buffalo, a hartebeest, a warthog and a wildebeest.

I had a great time, needless to say and really didn't get frustrated at all... I just tried (and usually succeeded) in getting a bit closer.

Have the best of both with your scope mounted in a claw or other quick detachable mount. My "half double" 16/7x65r has good open sights plus a 6x42 scope. I can hold 2" on a target at 100yds in good light. But I did try to line up a Roe buck at 50 yds with the open sights, but I really struggled to get comfortable in taking the shot - not brilliant light and small buck - duiker with longer legs. So back went the scope and it was easy. Shooting paper is different from live animal and I want good shot placement. I grew up with open sights, have very good eyesight, but now in my mid forties it's not what it was. I went to the optician and his explanation was no issue with my eyesight it's just that with age your speed with which your eye adjusts focus etc just slows down. With open sights your eye is constantly refocusing backlight, front sight and target, but as you get older and in poor light this just gets more difficult.

Did one trip with only a Searcy 450/400 with a detachable 1.5x5 Leupold. It worked out just fine.
As far as Iron Sights go, I think that you can do very good work if you don't try to stretch the distance and your eyes are good.

Mine aren't I've tried several things including getting glasses that are made to allow me to see the front sight very clearly. That works to a point. I've shot a couple of deer and several hogs with old black powder doubles with open sights.

I would not go on a one and only African hunt with an open sighted rifle. That is something to do later when you will not be too disappointed if you have to pass up shots because you couldn't see the animal clearly enough or if you couldn't get close enough.