I'm looking to build a 300 H&H and I'd like to have open sights on the rifle. I've had 3 different people advise me not add open sights because they negatively effect long range accuracy. Is this true??

Yes, open sights will completely ruin the accuracy of your 300H&H --- right?

Only if they are using the iron sights and not the scope--

And what else did the witch doctors say? :-)

quote:

Originally posted by Grenadier:
Yes, open sights will completely ruin the accuracy of your 300H&H --- right?

It could be a single bullet hole without those open sights, you'll never know
Very nice setup and group

You need to be a hardened open sight shooter for this task-a very rare breed,IMO.Come to think of it I am getting old and need an apprentice.

quote:

Originally posted by Texas Blue Devil:
I'm looking to build a 300 H&H and I'd like to have open sights on the rifle. I've had 3 different people advise me not add open sights because they negatively effect long range accuracy. Is this true??

say what?

They greatly improve accuracy when you have to take a busted scope off.

Not unless you run a sight base screw into the bore!

Don't they mess up barrel harmonics?

quote:

Don't they mess up barrel harmonics?

Mess up? Change yes. Take a nice shooting barrel then add sights you will change up your harmonics.

So you would need to work a new accurate load. The harmonics don't change shot to shot. I sure some would argue that extra weight on the end of a light barrel might reduce harmonics. Not sure on that one but they will change.

Seems to me that Winchester and Browning sold a set up to allow you to move a muzzle brake back and forth to tune your barrel harmonics to your load.

quote:

Originally posted by butchlambert:
Don't they mess up barrel harmonics?

That's what I've read.

Regardless, what do you plan on hunting? How far do you plan on shooting? Therein lies your answer.

I only have open sights on my Rigby and 375 H&H (as back ups), my 22 LR and my .44 lever action hog guns.

All my other rifles don't have need them.

Hey guys I'm kidding!

quote:

Originally posted by Texas Blue Devil:
I'm looking to build a 300 H&H and I'd like to have open sights on the rifle. I've had 3 different people advise me not add open sights because they negatively effect long range accuracy. Is this true??

I'd find the explanation interesting. If it were me, I'd use a peep sight for anything longer than 100 yards (all of my rifles with irons have peep sights, one of them under a scope with quick-release mounts).

quote:

Originally posted by Grenadier:
Yes, open sights will completely ruin the accuracy of your 300H&H --- right?

Nice group and very nice rifle. What was the distance?

Grenadier....that is one lovely rifle and in a great cartridge....obviously accurate too! You are indeed fortunate....and I am a mite green with envy...not covetousness....a good kind of envy. wow...

craigster - That was 100 yds. Not every group I shoot with that rifle ends up quite that good. If you examine the name of the file, you will see it was the "best group of the day".

I was just trying to make the point that rifles, 300H&H rifles specifically, can be accurate regardless of whether or not they have open sights. It becomes a question of what sort of accuracy you really need versus the practicality of having open sights.

Only if you aim with them!

If the sights are loose and wobble back and forth the rifle will shoot erratic groups! I diagnosed this problem on a friend's rifle, which had accuracy issues....until we tightened the sights! I ran into the same issue with a friend's loose muzzle brake. Tighten=problem solved.
Zeke

....The check is in the mail......

What a load of road apples. We shoot military issue rifles of just about every country that was involved in our wars and a few that were not out to 1,000 yards a few times a year and every Sunday out to 500 meters.
Just think what you can do with a high quality rifle?

This is my old, beat-up, pre-64 Winchester Model 70 in .300 H&H. I was using the 26" barrel to demonstrate the horn spread. As you can see, it sports iron sights and a scope, and has accounted for about 90 head of African plains game. No accuracy problems.

I love seeing those old pics Bill.

Wonder how those Palma and Highpower target shooters hit their targets...

quote:

Originally posted by Evan K.:
Wonder how those Palma and Highpower target shooters hit their targets...

We don't have rear sights out on the barrel.

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Originally posted by xausa:

quote:

Originally posted by Evan K.:
Wonder how those Palma and Highpower target shooters hit their targets...

We don't have rear sights out on the barrel.

True- I trying to say those are a couple examples of long range precision rifles without scopes involved. Nice rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by Evan K.:
We don't have rear sights out on the barrel.

That rings a bell. That's kinda what I remember (read it somewhere in hard print in the late 90s) it's not the front sight that's the issue, it's the quarter rib/stuff in the middle that can monkey up the works.

I would opine that anyone who wears glasses (or needs to) can shoot more accurately with glass; especially as the yardage increases.

That said, there's a reason most doubles, have irons. It's closer, and your life may hang in the balance. Scope crosshairs take longer to find the target in, and the magnification shows too little of the target.

In summation, put iron sights on the rifle, especially anything 375 H&H or more powerful.
Could save your life...

What really matters on the accuracy is the what type of gunstock you are using.
It is very difficult/impossible to get a stock that covers both open sight and scoped sight shooting.
A perfect stock for open sights will be much too low for scope sights and you need a fixed point for your chin to shoot good.

Not only will iron sights screw up your long range shooting but they will cause hair to grow on your palms and eventually, you will go blind. Wisely, I stopped using iron sights when I needed glasses.

My guideing rifles all have Leupold (now)scopes in Talley mounts. They have open sights as well and are sighted in at 75yds, once I had a Zeiss fog on the Tsiu River and resorted to open sights and comepleted the mission. My 458 has a Talley peep that goes on the rear base.

my Mauser actioned 9,3x62 will have a peepsight cocking piece to match up with the front H&H-style flip from NECG.