Iron sight varminter

[SVTOhio]

In recent weeks I have been doing my walk around groundhog hunting with my home defense Ar 15. The rifle is mid length sporting a MAtech rear sight and truglo TFO fiber optic night. I know this doesn't exactly have the appeal for a varmint hunting gun but I was just testing the waters on whether I wanted to pursue a iron sighted varmint gun. My results so far have been three shots and three instant kills. The shots ranged at 18, 36 and 65 yards. Most my hunting is done walking around small hay fields and soybean fields. The longest shots I'll be taking are within 125 yards and most with be at alert groundhogs so a quick off hand **** is a must. I'm looking for a center fire lightweight rifle with quality sights. Preferably a peep sight in the rear. I already have enough rimfires so I would like to hear center fire options only. I'm a reloader so the availability of factory ammo is not much of a factor. What would the high road suggest? CZ in 223? 22 hornet? Possibly a A2 style Ar? Thankyou! I'll share a few "trophy shots" from the recent week.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jackal]

If you can shoot a pop can, you can hit a varmint. The limiting factor is eyesight and front sight width. I am personally about a 3moa shooter with irons.

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

iron sights and varminter in same sentence don't make sense unless you fire thousands of rounds at different ranges and you can hit your target. I only have one real designated rifle for varmints even though all mine work, just overkill (pardon the pun). my Ruger No. 1 Varminter has a Leupold VXIII 20 x 40 power scope.

 

[Coop45]

You sure wasted a lot of meat. LOL!!

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

iron sights and varminter in same sentence don't make sense unless you fire thousands of rounds at different ranges and you can hit your target. I only have one real designated rifle for varmints even though all mine work, just overkill (pardon the pun). my Ruger No. 1 Varminter has a Leupold VXIII 20 x 40 power scope.

I really don't get people who say this.

I took plenty of small game and varmints out to 100 yards with open sights on my Marlin 783.

And when I did use a scope on it, I used a cheap $9.95 scope I bought at Walmart.

It was easy...I sighted my rifle in at about 25 yards, good enough for typical squirrel ranges in the woods. Then I shot at different ranges to see what kind of bullet drop I'd have. If I was shooting groundhogs at 100 yards across a field, I'd simply adjust my point of aim accordingly.

 

[Jackal]

Most people equate varmint shooting as 400yard, 12lb rifle, using a high magnification scope.

All the varmint shooting I've ever done has been within 200 yards, usually within 50 yards, taking off hand shots with iron sights.

 

[ontarget]

Looks to me like you do quite well with the rig you have. And what could be better training than quick off hand shots with your HD weapon? Sounds like a winner to me.

 

[Snowdog]

When I was much younger, I was sold on converting an M1 Carbine to 5.7 Johnson/Spitfire for just the very use you're looking at.
I wanted something both handy and useful but also unique (I like to be different). As I was planning to reload for it, ammunition wasn't expected to be an issue.

To the best of my recollection, it was .30 carbine case necked down to .22 and sent a 40gr pill to over 2700 FPS. Good groundhog medicine... you know, if you wanted to be different.

Other projects drown that one, but if I were in that boat again, I don't think it would take much convincing to steer me in that direction.

 

[Phaedrus/69]

Good shootin'! An iron sighted varmint gun wouldn't be much good for me unless the varmints were pretty big! My 47 year old eyes and astigmatism make irons a dodgy proposition for me unless the light is good and the range short.

 

[SVTOhio]

iron sights and varminter in same sentence don't make sense unless you fire thousands of rounds at different ranges and you can hit your target. I only have one real designated rifle for varmints even though all mine work, just overkill (pardon the pun). my Ruger No. 1 Varminter has a Leupold VXIII 20 x 40 power scope.

In my situation I think it makes perfect sense. Most of my shots will be quick, off hand and at close distance. I already have a Savage bolt action 25-06 with a 4-16x scope that gets use when the range gets far.

 

[z7]

I vote for either thr ar you are using or a new ar

You could build confidence in yourself and your hd gun using it, or you can shop around and find one that better fits the walking and shooting style of varminting


Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[SVTOhio]

When I was much younger, I was sold on converting an M1 Carbine to 5.7 Johnson/Spitfire for just the very use you're looking at.

I wanted something both handy and useful but also unique (I like to be different). As I was planning to reload for it, ammunition wasn't expected to be an issue.



To the best of my recollection, it was .30 carbine case necked down to .22 and sent a 40gr pill to over 2700 FPS. Good groundhog medicine... you know, if you wanted to be different.



Other projects drown that one, but if I were in that boat again, I don't think it would take much convincing to steer me in that direction.

Now that's what I'm talking about! A custom classic, would love to get my hands on something like that.

 

[SVTOhio]

Most people equate varmint shooting as 400yard, 12lb rifle, using a high magnification scope.



All the varmint shooting I've ever done has been within 200 yards, usually within 50 yards, taking off hand shots with iron sights.

What was your primary rifle?

 

[Laphroaig]

Back in the day, at least in these parts, ground hog hunting was a way to practice ones big game hunting skills. They were hunted with deer rifles and shooting from field positions, stalking, and/or still hunting were the preferred methods. I hunted with a M70 30-06 with a 2-7x redfield. 200 yds. was a long shot.

Hunting with your home defense rifle kind of falls into that tradition and would be excellent practice.

Laphroaig

 

[Jackal]

What was your primary rifle?

Most of the varmints I have dispatched were taken with a Marlin 25mn, .22 magnum using iron sights. Critter's as large as coyotes and small as rats.

 

[mcduck]

I've done a fair amount of iron sight varminting with an original Winchester 92 in .25/20 equipped with a Marble's tang sight. A hot varmint outfit ca. 1895. Works well today at iron sight ranges.