Rifle shooting without sights

Dave DeLaurant said:

... I'll chime in with the red dot recommendations -- start with an entry-level Bushnell TRS-25 for about $80. That's about the price of two boxes of decent lead-free hunting ammo these days.

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If you really, really want to learn how to shoot without sights, I agree with this. RDS is more forgiving so gets you to natural head position etc.

Then... turn off the dot. Using the sight tube as a big ring to vaguely aim has been taught, esp in the old days (early M68s etc) when we didn't always trust the sights.

If you can do X ring at 50 yards with the sight off, you are good. I wouldn't want to be any less sighted, or expect to be a better shot than that.


Agree the low end Bushnells are usually pretty good. Go eBay and get a 1990s Bushnell when all were made in Japan, even better. Can get those for as low as $25 shipped if you are patient.

For goodness’ sake - if you’re insisting against good advice to add a scope or red dot sight, then take the dang thing outside, shoot at something. If you reliably group smaller than the size of the vital zone of your target species, you’re good to go. No different than any other sighting system. Guys don’t shoot deer at 500 yards with iron sights because of the capacity of the sighting system, or rather lack thereof. You’ll develop an instinctive reference system, and with sufficient practice, you’ll develop a consistent grouping at a given range.

I do agree, however, you’ll likely spend more on ammunition developing and sustaining the skill than you would spend on simply buying a less demanding optic or sight set. Cheap sights could be installed for under $150, an inexpensive red dot could be had for under $50, as could be a bargain rack scope. Any scope or red dot sight, any at all, will be a better option than shooting without sights - more reliable, more repeatable, and less burdensome for practice.

Hog huntin Harry said:

Cause I don't have a scope for my 308 and I won't be able to afford one for a while. I was wanting to know if I could thump pigs at about 35 yards.

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PM me with you address. I can cure your problem. I have a scope that I took off of a package gun that you are welcomed to.

Hog huntin Harry said:

I would go practice but the lease I shoot at is being surveyed for a pipeline

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If you can’t practice extensively please just accept one of the 3 offers you’ve had for a free scope! Pay it forward when you’re able.

If it’s a pride thing I get it. That said I have accepted the kindness of strangers in the past while in school, and now have paid it forward to those in shoes I once wore. Feels pretty good.

243winxb said:

Instinct shooting, referred to as "Quick Kill ", was taught to the U.S. Army using rifles by Lucky McDaniel as far back as the 1960s. McDaniel also taught his point shooting techniques to the police, but using BB guns. Point firing, or instinctive shooting, with rifles developed as a result of direct combat experiences.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_shooting

I remembered this, so i googled it.

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I have training in this skill. I still have a BB gun without sights to teach others. But it requires training and certain traits to do correctly. And I don't think it is ethical to hunt with a centerfire rifle without sights. It's up to you to be ethical.

Your on a device that uses a ip address. It does not take much to find out your address of someone wanted to.

I'd recommend y'all get a shotgun and shoot trap or skeet a little bit. It's very similar to US Army "point and shoot" training. And sorta fun when you get old.

Robert said:

I point shoot with my duty pistol out to about 10y. It absolutely can be done. But I don't care about the person trying to kill or harm me or others. They get what they get.

Animals, even pests, get killed as quick as possible. But that's just me.

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Agreed on both points although I point shoot my duty pistol out to about 15 yards. Had to one up you a little

Dave DeLaurant said:

Chuck Connors made it look pretty easy on TV.

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Lucas McCain got a lot of practice, shooting strangers who visited his ranch for water.
He would sell their possibles and horses and bury the bodies.
Micah got a share of the take and turned a blind eye.
Neighbors were careful about visiting unarmed.
Yup, it was all about placing the homestead near a well-used trail and strategic posting of signs.
Location, location, location.

Old Stumpy said:

Lucas McCain got a lot of practice, shooting strangers who visited his ranch for water.
He would sell their possibles and horses and bury the bodies.
Micah got a share of the take and turned a blind eye.
Neighbors were careful about visiting unarmed.
Yup, it was all about placing the homestead near a well-used trail and strategic posting of signs.
Location, location, location.

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You're mighty hard on our venerable neighbor, sir. Lucas was sired by local boy Sam Peckinpah, from my home town of Fresno: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Peckinpah

North Fork is a real place, not far from Sam's grandfather's ranch in Madera County. Sam exaggerates things a bit in his fiction -- he lived hard and DT's can play tricks on one's memories:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Fork,_California