Had a chance to hunt black bear over the weekend with my 14 year old son. First off, we had a great time, and Will had his first look at a wild black bear and a chance at a shot. He was shooting a JP Sauer sidelock drilling (12x12x8/57JR) using Federal Tru-Ball slugs and S&B factory ammo, and I was using my Merkel 140 DR in 7x65R with open sights. We were hunting the Cohutta Wilderness in North Georgia which is a no bait, no dogs hunt with options to take bear, deer, or boar. On the first morning of the hunt we were watching a gap between two ridges where a spring head began with lots of bear sign. After about an hour on the hunt, I spotted a nice bear (200 lbs approx.) walking along the same path we had been stalking. I had a good shot at it early on, but wanted to give my son the chance at his first bear. I looked over at him and pointed toward the bear and told him to take it. He could never find an opening using the scoped drilling. Just before the bear was to move over the next ridge and out of view, I decided to take a shot at about 75 yards through a small opening in the woods. The sun had just peaked over the ridge and was in my face. My Merkel has a blade front sight that has been touched with a white paint to make it easier to see in low light conditions. I had a very difficult time seeing that sight with the sun glaring in my direction. I took as good a bead as I could see and squeezed off the first shot. The bear immediately turned toward me, and I squeezed off the second. He slid down the ridge about 20 yards and stopped out of sight. My son and I both thought he was hit. After about 30 seconds, we heard what we thought was the bear falling over dead. When we went over several minutes later, no bear and no blood trail. An obvious miss?

Who can shed some light on an all around best iron sight combo for all light conditions? I can shoot this rifle really well at 50 yards with a dark background, standing using a shooting stick or tree for support (2-3" groups). But with the sun or light in my face, it's hard to pick it up, especially for a quick shot. I have a bright yellow fiber optic front bead on an old Henri Pieper hammer cape gun that I sometimes shoot and it seems that sight is easier to pick up in all light conditions, but not very traditional. I have the same blade sight on my Merkel 160 8x75RS and am questioning what to do with it as well.

Help and suggestions? Mike

Mike

It's great to hear about your son's black bear hunt!
Good times for the both of you.

I run the NECG fiber optic front sight under a vented hood on my whitworth here at the ranch.
That's in combination with a pretty standard 3-leaf rear express sight.
It works well for me in most lighting conditions, I shoot it almost every day.



Cheers
Tinker

Have you looked at a ghost ring? I would look at mouse93's post.
Bill

Mike, It was just a bad time with the sun in your eyes. Think of trying to see traffic light in late winter when the sun is very low in the sky. Blinding to say the least. I think for that situation a scope would have been better. If your son was able to shoot a scope with both eyes open, he should have been able to track and get a shot off imo. More importantly, it is called hunting and not shooting.

Mike

Bill & Mike,

I have looked at mouse93's ghost ring and like it alot. I'm not sure how well it will work for running game, which is why I like more traditional open sights.----And Mike, you're probably right that it was just bad luck or "hunting" and maybe not really a long term issue. I spent alot of time today holding up rifles with different open sights trying to see if any one thing will work better. I've got to admit, the red fiber optic on the Merkel KR-1 I was looking at today seems the easiest to see in all light situations. I would like to hear from others what they really think about the red fiber optic on a DR. Thanks for both your inputs. Mike

No magic bullet there, not even with apperture sights. IMO there is a certain angle of light attack (app. 10 deg (+-5)) that mess, reflects and distort sights and target in a way that a shot is just impossible. IMO all one can do is add more visibility to the bead - fiber one worked best (but only up to a point):



Just a story (true one). I was hunting a certain Chamois, that was regulary seen on the top of a certain rock high in the slope. It was dead on time - when bells tolled at a certain hour in the morning it appeared on the rock. Bugger was that the top of the rock was only vissible from a certain point. Looking from that point toward the rock collied with a rising sun that was coming up from behind. So it went like - all quiet till bell tolled - dang - Chamois appeared on the rock along with a sun behind it, so when taking an aim (even through the scope) it was just impossible to see anything - was actually asking myself if Chamois is a real one - when sun rose Chamois dissappeared...haven't got that one and haven't heard of anybody got it. I guess there are times when we should just let it go .

Just a note on apperture sights - faster, more accurate and more consistent + they don't cover target not nearly as much as express ones - always - running game included - IMO.