Doe down with irons-first in many years

[Big Bore]

Doe down this evening and I am super pumped about this one. Here’s why…turned 50 this year and eyesight isn’t what it used to to be. Gave up on irons many moons ago, which is fine but there is nothing I love more than a revolver with no optics. Everybody said ‘call Fermin Garza’, he can help. I did and explained the situation-one he’s heard many times. Ordered one of his front sights for this gun at a narrower-than-standard width and…BAM I can see again. This doe is my first iron sight animal in quite a few years. I could see both my sight and the doe crystal clear this evening. Couldn’t believe it, really. So here’s a plug for him. If you are in the same boat or just want a better sight set up… CALL HIM! [phone].

Okay the details…55 yard broadside shot with my FA M83 in .44 magnum. 200 grain XPB over Enforcer. Complete pass through caught the top of the heart and lungs. 40ish yard recovery.

[bigmuddy]

Congratulations Randy. Great job with the irons. Looks like the XPB did some serious damage.

Dan

[Fowler]

Very cool. Iron sights are the essence of packing pistols the new reflex sight certainly have closed the gap to near normal wheelguns but it’s just not the same.

[sixshot]

Ha! Who would have thought that a narrower front sight would be so much help......... nice work on that fine shot on your doe, Fermin is a magician!

Dick

[sharps4590]

First of all congratulations on a nice doe and a good shot. It's good to be back to shooting a revolver as they should be used.

Secondly, this is nothing new. I'll be 71 in a couple months and I was shown the "narrower front sight, wider rear sight notch" 40 years ago by a fellow flintlock shooter who was in his mid 70's then, who had been using it for 30 years already. Whether he re-discovered it or was shown it, I can't answer. I can't believe it was new knowledge over 70 years ago. That knowledge has enabled me to still be shooting open sights, handguns and rifles. Once I stopped shooting long range with rifles, 500+ yards, I got rid of the scopes on all my rifles and today only own one with a scope, just because it came with it. I never scoped a handgun. I've since shared the knowledge with many shooters. Some believe me, try it and are amazed, others poo-poo the idea and never try.

Another old "trick" that is old but definitely not a trick, is the use of a diopter. Lyman and Merrit both sell them or, you can do as I usually do and add a "magic blue painter's tape" diopter to your corrective lenses. That gets a lot of "poo-pooing" too but, it works! With the right revolver I can still shoot the occasional 1 inch group at 25 yards, rested, of course and 2 inch groups at 100 yards with the right rifle, AND AN APERTURE SIGHT are still possible, rested, of course. Give me my Haenel/Aydt Schuetzen rifle and a rest and those groups will crowd an inch.

Anyway, good for you, bigbore and congratulations again!! It's a great feeling

[contender]

KUDOS!!!!!!!!!!

I have some of Fermin's front sights,,, AND now some of the rear's as well. (Thanks to Fermin & Ronnie.) They do help a bunch.

And this; "Ha! Who would have thought that a narrower front sight would be so much help......... nice work on that fine shot on your doe, Fermin is a magician!

Dick'

Don't let Dick fool ya,, he's been having his front sights narrowed for years on several handguns! He taught me this long ago,, and I even have a .41 mag Ruger that had gotten this treatment that Dick let move from Idaho to NC long ago.

[iwsbull]

Congrats, always enjoy seeing and hearing from someone’s good fortune.

[woody]

Congratulations on the deer!!!! I will ruffle a lot of feathers with this comment. But to me hunting with a handgun is with iron sights. Once you start scoping them you might as well hunt with a rifle. It’s not truly handgun hunting. Especially contenders/Encores etc.

With all that said I hunted years with a Contender when we could only hunt with slug guns. It was a much more effective gun. Until rifled slug barrels became mainstream. Also used a very nice Ruger SBH Magnaport Stalker. Still have that gun and drag it out once a year or so.

So when I’m going to handgun hunt which I consider a closer hunt I use one of my iron sighted 44’s or a .357. Maybe one of my 10mm’s. When the thought crosses my mind to grab the contender or scoped .44 I just grab my Winchester 94 30/30.

I probably Think this way since I’ve been a bow hunter for close to 40 years.

[hunter01]

That’s is some dang fine shooting with open sights! I prefer open sights too but my eyes aren’t what they used to be and most of my activity is low light which compounds the problem. I’ll have to look into Mr Garzas sights and see if there is an option that will help me.

[messybear]

Good job!

[sharps4590]

Try a diopter too. If you're honest about it, you'll admit to being surprised. It's merely an optical fact.

I thought I had a picture.  This one is for rifle shooting.  For handguns it is more centered.

[messybear]

I like using a little correction like .5-.75. Hard to find but they make them in safety as well.

[Big Bore]

Thanks everyone! This has really opened my eyes (er er) to what may still be possible for awhile. And it really makes me regret having the front sight deleted on both of my FA M97s.

[Cholla]

Good job, man!! I'm with you, there's nothing like a revolver with open sights!

[xae289]

Congrats on the deer! I also have one of Fermin's front sights on my SBH that he cut thinner and tall enough to match the height of BFR rear sights I installed on my Ruger. They made a huge difference versus the stock iron sights.

Nonetheless, I was still a little more comfortable with a 2x scope, so I used that for my first season out with nothing but a handgun. My plan now is to practice as much as I can between this season and next with irons to take a nice, light and handy sixgun afield.