best hunting rifle to use open sights on?

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Macchina

Macchina

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Any decent (I'd prefer stainless) hunting rifles out there with nice open sights or an easy way to add an aperture sight to the receiver and still use the stock front sight?

I see a lot of hunting rifle with OK rear sights, but they're mounted halfway down the barrel to a huge permanent block that cannot be removed to add a rear aperture sight...

I'd love to have a compact (lightweight) deer rifle that I could shoot open sighted...
 
Macchina said:
Any decent (I'd prefer stainless) hunting rifles out there with nice open sights or an easy way to add an aperture sight to the receiver and still use the stock front sight?

I see a lot of hunting rifle with OK rear sights, but they're mounted halfway down the barrel to a huge permanent block that cannot be removed to add a rear aperture sight...

I'd love to have a compact (lightweight) deer rifle that I could shoot open sighted...
Click to expand...

What's your budget? Preferred caliber? Expected shot distance?

Without knowing more I will suggest a 336 30-30 or 35 rem. with Skinner sight.
 
I have a .44 Marlin 1894 that already fills my lever action category...

I'd like something in 30-06 and won't be shooting past 150 yards. I shoot open sights (aperture) often and am quite proficient.
 
Most any rifle can be fitted with a receiver sight if it has a front sight. The problem is the number of stainless rifles with any type of iron sights on it is pretty limited.
Marlin did offer some of their leverguns in stainless, as well as Browning's BLR.
Ruger was about the last outfit still offering a model of bolt rifle with iron sights as factory standards..
 
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Rifle sights can be placed on any rifle you choose. I'd pick the rifle I liked and put the sights on it that I liked. Most factory irons are junk anyway. I sure wouldn't select a rifle just because it came with factory irons.
 
Revoliver said:
Though it's not .30-06 (.308, still plenty good for 150+yds and bambi), there's the new 18" stainless Ruger Gunsite Scout that has a factory standard rear aperture sight that isn't machined/dovetailed into the barrel.

http://ruger.com/products/gunsiteScoutRifle/models.html


Then, from Ruger again, there's also the new Guide gun in stainless .30-06 with iron sights but the rear is on the barrel as you are not too fond of.

http://ruger.com/products/guideGun/models.html
Click to expand...
That stainless GSR looks really nice! Is the flash hider removable or is it a part of the front sight?
 
You can get a Browning BLR in .30-06 with open sights. I'm not sure what the options are on the rear sight, but they come from the factory with irons, which most don't these days.
 
my favorite rifle I use for hunting open sights (mainly hogs) is my Springfield Amory M1A....I love the Garand action, 42 years ago I trained with the M14....fell in love with it. can still shoot 300 yards plus and nail hogs...and I got plenty to shoot in my cow pastures. the rest of my rifles are fit with optics, cant picture ever putting a scope on my M1A.
 
A lever action first came to mind, but then just about every rifle has been made with irons at one time or another. AR-15, Mini 14 or 30, mainstream bolt guns.

What is your budget and secondary purposes? That would help guide you better. What caliber range are you loking at, small, medium, or big bore?
 
BLR comes to mind. Williams makes a receiver mounted aperture sight for it that's <$40.

Any of the Marlin lever guns would be also be a good choice. Here's my serious lead flinger in 444 sporting a Williams receiver sight:

444S.jpg
 
I too first thought of a Marlin in the caliber of your choice but it sounds like you are not too into levers because you have a 44 already. Just on the off chance that it's performance reasons making you think you don't want a lever, I suggest you look into the Marlin 308 or 338 MXLR rifles. Stainless, laminated, quick handling and accurate. (Believe it or not, I've got Marlin levers that will outshoot most bolt guns.) Just be sure to get one that has the JM stamp on the barrel, not REP. I'd also suggest you go to www.marlinownerss.com and do some reading on the quality issues since 2009/2009 when Marlin was bought by Remington. Things are getting better lately but it's just so much easier (and often cheaper) to buy a used JM Marlin than to get a quality new one. Coupled with the Hornady Leverevolution ammo, they really do bring the tube fed lever gun to a whole new level. Honestly, my favorite caliber is the 35 Remington but the 30-30 Hdy LE's are faster on paper. That 35 will do everything I need in a deer rifle and it's a joy to carry and shoot. I just like that 200 grain bullet at moderate speeds. It stomps the snot out of a white tail but doesn't ruin any meat to speak of.

For bolt action guns, I'd spend my time looking for a vintage gun that already has a set of peeps on it in a caliber I can live with. There was a time when you could take a bolt gun to any gun shop and have them order a quality rear peep that was made to fit it but those days are long gone. Now it's a mix and match, hope you can find a sight that fits situation. The sights are still out there but so many for sale do not list what exact rifle they are supposed to fit. That means that you often have to know more than the seller does to protect yourself and get the right one. Lastly, many many rear peeps will NOT work with the factory front sight due hight differences so don't get your hopes up there either. Basically, all the above is the reason I said I'd look for a vintage rifle that already has peeps on it. Most likely they were put there back when all that stuff was standard practice and it's all matched up proper.
 
In 30-06, BLR or BAR with a Williams peep. If you prefer a bolt action and can settle with .308 my vote goes for the Ruger.
 
Been mentioned here already, but the iron sights on the M1A/M14's are second to none IMO. I've been hunting with mine off and on since high school, and have long since sold off most of my "dedicated" hunting rifles.

I use 168gr BTHP for hog/deer, and 165gr SGK BTSP for bear and elk. Wouldn't hesitate to use mine for hunting moose either.

Last elk taken was at about 165 yards or so and with the iron sights via my M14S. Bear inside of 100 yards with iron sights on same rifle.



More info about M14/M1A iron sights here..........
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIKnTPeZbKQ

Another idea for you concerning rifles with decent factory supplied iron sights is the Ruger SR762. I've found the iron sights to be very useful when hunting a few hogs and one white tail so far. Some folks don't like the AR types, and me being one of them.....with exception to the SR762.....lol

As for a current made factory bolt rifle in stainless steel (left or right handed) with decent factory iron sights, I would agree with the Ruger GSR suggestion.
 
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I know it is an ugly rifle, but the French MAS 49/56 has about the best hunting peep sights I have encountered. They are not overly fine, the user is not searching for the front sight. I load Hornady 150 grain spire points that pretty much match POA.
 
I have a Smith Corona O3A3 with a sporterized stock and the original sights are really good for hunting. I am very partial to American military sights and they are dead on with this rifle. I use this as my brush/driving gun for white tails.

I want to kill a few deer with it before I restore it to original condition.

Marlin 336 sights are good too but not as good as the O3A3.
 
If I was all in on using irons, I'd find a 1950's era Winchester 94 in 32 Winchester Special or 25-35.
 
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