I may not be the most in tune w/ new powders for reloading, I may not be a professional Smith! I Shoot what most would consider obsolete firearms and calibers. I have noticed one Major fact that is constant. Using a bench is useless, scopes under 200 yards are useless, If you can't hit a 3" Target at 80 yards w/ open sights off hand, take up fishing. I am going to toot my horn. I started shooting in Small bore competition 33 years ago. Today I shot 3 rifles I have never fired before, 2 91/30 Mosin Nagants I rebuilt ('43 & '44), and a Swiss K31. One of the 91/30's belongs to my oldest son after today. All of the shooting I did was from a standing position. I hit every target within 2" of dead center, on every shot. We also shot skeet ( My Buddies old Browning 2 3/4 Semi) , out of 44 I missed 2, I was having to much fun. My Wilson .45acp also came into play, I was hitting clays on the burm at 50 yards. You can believe it or not, I really don't care. But consider this, a optical sight makes you a slave, open sights set you free. I have not been out in 4 months, twice last year. My wife was impressed when my son told her I shot the center out of 3 clays and shattered the other 2 in a 5 shot string at 100 yards w/ a 1943 91/30, **** I was impressed ( The Clays were stationary on the burm). Ammo has Soviet Surplus and GP11. The 2 basket cases I built are just as accurate as the k31 I own.
Punching paper is ok, but hitting targets at varied, or moving is much more fun!
Man it brought back some memories, and added some new ones. I was Hot!!! :cool: JP

Using a bench is useless, scopes under 200 yards are useless, If you can't hit a 3" Target at 80 yards w/ open sights off hand, take up fishing.

But consider this, a optical sight makes you a slave, open sights set you free. I have not been out in 4 months, twice last year.
Punching paper is ok, but hitting targets at varied, or moving is much more fun!


Must be nice to be able to tell a load that is capable of shooting 1/2 moa versus 1 moa shooting offhand.

Ever shoot a deer in thick woods as the last bit of light was fading?

Still have good eyesight I take it? No palsy or nothing like that either?

I like punching holes in paper, its a game.

Must be nice to be able to tell a load that is capable of shooting 1/2 moa versus 1 moa shooting offhand.

Ever shoot a deer in thick woods as the last bit of light was fading?

Still have good eyesight I take it? No palsy or nothing like that either?

I like punching holes in paper, its a game.


I do believe our woods may be as thick as yours or thicker. It gets darker earlier here also! Eyes are 5by5, and no brother named cerebel. Have fun w/ your paper, a bench and a fixed rifle never shows a shooters potential, only the rifles.

The best part of the day was watching some mink in their white winter fur running around us, I have never seen one before.

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Shooting is always fun, and more so on days when you just cannot miss! Sounds as if you had a great time. I cain't hit anything off-hand so I have to shoot from a bench. Nice thing about shooting-- we can all enjoy it in different ways.

JB

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Sounds like you had a great day jp! I sure like open sights, especially on 22 RF's and handguns, and my Browning 1885 45-70, and I don't intend on putting a scope on the Ruger 458 Lott since I don't anticipate shooting anything beyond 100 yds with that! But the old eyes aren't quite what they used to be and the scopes are sure handy, especially on 150+ yard shots on big game. I read in awe at the old timers like Russell Annabel that shot goats at what I recall were fairly long ranges.

Offhand shooting takes a lot of practice - open sights or scopes - and it sure is satisfying when hitting your mark happens with regularity.

JP, I know where you're comeing from, but my eyes arn't what they used to be, Sadly I do shoot better with a scope but I love to hunt with my 1895 with Williams GRS and a fire sight on front. A few weeks ago I was hunting with some friends when two fat does came down a hard wood hollow within 100 yds but the small beach trees still had a few brown leaves and I couldn't possibly find deer in my sights. If I had a scope I'd have been eating one of those. One day I was with my son shooting some clay targets when I began to feel a little cocky. I told him to throw a few and see if I could hit them with my Ruger .22 target pistol; well I hit 5 in a row and simply put the pistol back in the truck, you know the ol quit while your ahead thing. The next weekend he shows up with several of his friends and expects me to do a repeate preformance! NOT. My gift if I have one is running deer, I go on auto pilot and they go dead.

This is kind of like the 45-70/range thread in a way.

Whe carring an iron sighted rifle, won't hunt areas wee long range shots are normal...why tempt what you shouldn't do?

When carring a heavy scope sighted long range rifle, won't go creeping in the thick brush for pretty much the same reason.

Best way of making iron sights work for you is to hunt areas where iron sights are put to their best advantage.

J I invey you. Sadly my eyes are getting to the point a scope is almost manditory. I do shoot a red dot sight on the Turkey gun and still plink at close range with the revolvers.

Sure sounds like you had a good day. It's great to remember those once in a while.

God Bless

The best part of the day was watching some mink in their white winter fur running around us, I have never seen one before.

Mink don't change their fur color in the winter. Some may have patches of brown but I've never heard of an all white color variation. Either it was an albino or are you sure it wasn't an ermine?

Mink don't change their fur color in the winter. Some may have patches of brown but I've never heard of an all white color variation. Either it was an albino or are you sure it wasn't an ermine?


This should clarify it, It was a long tail! http://www.nhfishandwildlife.com/weasels.htm
Very cool animal, no fear.

JP, you may certainly be proud of your skills. But don't tell people that if they can't match yours, they should take up fishing.

If a professional stunt driver posted here and said anyone who can't perform a perfect side-slide to a stop exactly on a camera mark, they should take up walking, would you turn in your car keys?

Nope. You'd probably think the guy was a jerk and a braggart.

Amen Rocky ... Open sight offhand shooting is simply another genre of shooting available to us all.

Ridge

JP, you may certainly be proud of your skills. But don't tell people that if they can't match yours, they should take up fishing.

If a professional stunt driver posted here and said anyone who can't perform a perfect side-slide to a stop exactly on a camera mark, they should take up walking, would you turn in your car keys?

Nope. You'd probably think the guy was a jerk and a braggart.
Thanks for putting this out so tactfully. After I first read the OP I was incensed and had to restrain from making a biting riposte.

I am far from those standards but ya know what? So was he the first time he picked up a rifle.

Some may have patches of brown but I've never heard of an all white color variation.

This should clarify it, It was a long tail! http://www.nhfishandwildlife.com/weasels.htm
Very cool animal, no fear.

Oops I put patches of brown when I meant white. I had one follow me along an old fence line made of stumps when I was a kid. Like you said, no fear at all, he was more curious I think. Very cool though.

Thread locked, we've had enough fun putting us old blind guys in our place.