open, fixed, variable or all three

excluding the 22 and focusing on big game hunting, even dangerous game hunting (bear, elephant, hippo, buffalo, lion, leopard ), I argued/discussed all three in a recent round table.

We have two young female hunters on this forum who use open and fixed depending on what they are hunting and neither seem to feel at a loss not to use a variable.

My eyes started demanding a scope several years back, but I too prefer a fixed, especially for Europe and Africa hunting. We also liked the idea of both on some rifles, in case the scope went south we would remove it and use open sights,

Anyway, like the aforementioned two ladies how many others here like and do hunt with open sights ? And how many find themselves drawn to fixed scopes ? And how many still prefer variable ?

Since my standard hunts are in low light and varying ranges, I use variable scopes with 56 mm diameter.
For driven hunts, I have a 1-4.

I can shot steel sights, but have no opportunities to use them hunting

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My first scope was an old Weaver 2x fixed power and now I have several fixed and variable scopes on rifles that I hunt with. I have given up on fixed sights due to aging eyes but can still use a good peep sight the old post and notch are hard for me to focus and shoot well.

I’m not nearly as good with open sights as I am with peep. I don’t use standard open sights on anything but pistols. Peeps can be very effective and quick.

Dedicated peep sighted 458 LOTT


Peep sighted win 94


I also like the option of backup irons sights. I have had scopes fail on a hunt and the option the pop a scope off and carry on with irons is very handy. Especially if your out in the bush. Anywhere a plane, train, boat, or many miles on an atv has taken you.

NECG Ruger peep



Backup peep on 375 RUM



Another favorite is a low power fixed combined with a good peep sight. This is especially well suited to scout style scopes.

9.3x62 scout


Marlin 45/70 scout


When it comes to optics only I normally stay with a variable. I really like the versatility of a variable scope. Low and mid power scopes for general hunting 1-4, 2-7, 3-9 they give a great do all range from handshaking close to 300 yards.

On long range rifles variables are also nice as you can lower the magnification in different light conditions. Here in Alaska the odd angle with the sun so low on the horizon can lead to some horrible flare conditions. It is often necessary to drop from 24x down to 10-12x to be able to see well enough to make accurate shots.

6-24x50 on a 22 creedmoor


5.5-22x56 on my 308 tubegun





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Bear, thank you for that very informative post. I think several will enjoy your post.

I must admit, I did not separate them in my post and should have. The peep was used a lot in our family, and although I included it, in my head, as part of the "open" category I should not have.

A lot of driven hunts here as noslerpartion also mentioned and for those hunts and for me fixed works better. I also prefer fixed (or peep when younger) in Africa. I also admit, I preferred "simple" and subscribed to the the theory, "less is sometimes more", at least for me. Therefore a fixed scope, or peep when I was 60 years younger, was always my preference.

And to the fellow that thinks this is a "stupid" thread--maybe, but it is slow on the forum right now, plus Bear, and others, have already made a nice contribution to the thread---plus---and this important, dont test me, as unlike Cheyenne, Brooke, and Jamila, I will out you--fair warning. For now I will accept your comment as just your opinion, which you are entitled to.

Bear, btw--that is a nice battery of rifles, and I know you also have several more. To an old gal that thinks she can hunt the world with the 6.5 x55, 300 H& H and the 375 H& H, you and many others on the forum own a LOT of guns. People like Scotty and Fotis probably have an entire bedroom made into a gun safe. Did you also notice all my favorite calibers are as old as I am

There is nothing wrong with the older rounds. They still work as well as they used to. When it comes to cartridges we have been reinventing the wheel for years. I like the diversity.

New cases and cartridge design intrigue me. I enjoy the differences but understand it’s probably not noticeable in the field.

The 6.5 creedmoor that’s all the rage doesn’t really do anything that your 6.5x55 has been doing for decades.

Bullet technology and new propellants are where the real advances are being made. It is also making the most practical difference in the field. It makes the older cartridges even better and the new ones possible.

As to people thinking this is a dumb post..... skip it and scroll down, or better yet find a new site to frequent. I say out them, too many cowards hide behind the anonymity of a keyboard.


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Bear, I picked up a Marlin 1895 about a month ago and will take it on a bear hunt. I shot about 1.5 inch with iron sights at 50 yards, but my acquisition speed was so poor, I dropped a red dot, no magnification on it, 10 dot sizes and intensities (bright day vs low light).

So April, red dot, iron sights, 1-5, 3-9, and 4-15+depending if we are talking close or far. Sorry, no pictures today, but I did shoot the 45/70(red dot) and my 3006(1-5x24)Yesterday was the 243(3-9x40)

I actually like shooting all different kinds.

I think I’d like bears peep sight. Been 40 years since I had a peep(was on my daisytargrt gun.. I think it was a tube feed lever.

Maybe that’s why I like the 45/70


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I started with a 4 power Weaver, went to a 2.5 x 7 Weaver and never looked back. I have never missed any game that were close nor any out past a few football fields. I do own one rifle with a peep sight just because I very seldom shoot it and I am to lazy to mount one. Never hunted Africa so I will not suggest to know what is best for there. I know what has worked for me in my lifetime and see no advantage in changing. Just my .02 cents

bear, like you I have stated here several times that we have made few real advantages in cartridge selection in my lifetime. Components and hardware however have advanced significantly.

Depending on the situation- I've got rifles equipped with all three.

If pressed to select one to the exclusion of the other two...I'd take a fixed power scope for the hunting I do.

I’m a huge user of plain old fixed power scopes. I have done well with plain old 6x scopes along with 4x’s as well. I guess once you get used to them they just seem right and they are always on the right magnification for me too. I have a couple variables but most of the heavy hunters are fixed 6’s.

I use irons or peeps on a few rifles. My 9.3x57 has good irons on it and a few of my lever guns are peeps.

Bill and Bear nailed it. Not too much new in quite awhile. I’d bet someone had made a Creedmore from a 300 Savage long before Hornady did. Same goes for Newton’s short magnums made in the 1910-1920’s long before the dirty of 300 H&H and the Win Mag in the 60’s..... :mrgreen:

SJB358":1a09q4hk said:

id. Same goes for Newton’s short magnums made in the 1910-1920’s long before the dirty of 300 H&H and the Win Mag in the 60’s..... :mrgreen:

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LOL--well played scotty

BEAR--Thank you !

Great question. When I first started hunting I used open sights on my Marlin 336 in .35Rem. After a situation in which I needed a scope (late afternoon shot at a whitetail) I went to a 3X Weaver. I Have used a scope ever since then, however I don't overpower. My Elk Rifles - .338RUM wears a 1.5X6 Zeiss, my .300WSM wears a 3X9 Kahles, my new Christensen Arms .300WM also wears a 3X9. My Rem 700 7-08 for whitetails wears a 2.5X8 Leupold. These have worked perfectly for my purposes.

I shot all open sights and peeps until I got my first 222 Remington in 1967. Anyway, back then, the scopes mostly seemed to be fixed. I still have several 4X and 6X scopes. My first variable was a 3X9 Redfield on a 243. Anyway, I have some variables and often, I have them set to the lowest setting. I have a peep on an old 99 Savage and I can do ok on still targets but I doubt I would be proficient on moving targets. I guess I'm going to bite the bullet and get some kind of Red Dot for my AR's. I was not in the military but liked the old long guns like the Viet Nam era better than these new collapsible ones. My nephews love them and learned in the military. I just tell them, I'm an old fart and they can inherit my AR's and I'll hold onto to shooting what I'm used to. Most of my shots are at hogs and pretty darn close. I have a 2-7 variable on my 30-30 and keep it on the 2 power setting. It serves me well.

diverdown":u7rd80et said:

Great question. When I first started hunting I used open sights on my Marlin 336 in .35Rem. After a situation in which I needed a scope (late afternoon shot at a whitetail) I went to a 3X Weaver. I Have used a scope ever since then, however I don't overpower. My Elk Rifles - .338RUM wears a 1.5X6 Zeiss, my .300WSM wears a 3X9 Kahles, my new Christensen Arms .300WM also wears a 3X9. My Rem 700 7-08 for whitetails wears a 2.5X8 Leupold. These have worked perfectly for my purposes.

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Your set ups are dead simple. I like it!

When I am in the woods my scope is set on a low power, the extra magnification is for the longer ranges. And where there is no hurry.

On the 450/400 I got last year I use with the iron sights that were installed on it by Holland and Holland when they made the rifle. I use this rifle a lot, although it is more gun than is needed for some game, it is a rife I am comfortable with and it shoots well. Some do scope their doubles but I have not yet seen a reason to do so. When they are scoped it is usually a fixed, not variable

The small bore rifles I use, like the 300 Holland and Holland has a fixed scope on it.

I am definitely out of the norm for a younger hunter, as many younger hunters like all the bells and whistles that come with scopes these days. I do not.

Best Regards

Jamila

TheBear78. Like yourself, my mum is a real advocate of back up-open sights of some kind on her rifles that she has scoped. She is not a shooter, so to speak, only a hunter, so fixed is also her preference, but has some variables

Glad to hear from you Jamila.
Though I have and use variables I do prefer the lower power settings for hunting and that is where they are set unless I need to take a long shot across an open area and then it allows me to see what is beyond my target. I wish I had bought a bunch of 1.5-5x scopes years ago because that is really all I need. Yeah I have some 1.5-5x, 3-10s, 2-10, 3-12 and a 4.5-14x. Of all the power ranges if I could have just one it would be 2-10 which I think is about perfect for my style of hunting and the areas I hunt in.

The small bore rifles I use, like the 300 Holland and Holland has a fixed scope on it.

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Ha! Well said. Small bore. :lol: Made me laugh, thank you!

I have a mish mash. I find as my eyes age (not me, just my eyes :shock: )irons are sometimes difficult. If I get low or flat light then they're a bigger problem.
I really like the simplicity of fixed scopes. Like Scotty said. It's hard to beat a 6x SS.
I do run quite a few variables and like Bill mentioned they stay on low power unless distance is required. The high power is used for that and targets.

Africa Huntress":2w6u1t2f said:

On the 450/400 I got last year I use with the iron sights that were installed on it by Holland and Holland when they made the rifle. I use this rifle a lot, although it is more gun than is needed for some game, it is a rife I am comfortable with and it shoots well. Some do scope their doubles but I have not yet seen a reason to do so. When they are scoped it is usually a fixed, not variable

The small bore rifles I use, like the 300 Holland and Holland has a fixed scope on it.

I am definitely out of the norm for a younger hunter, as many younger hunters like all the bells and whistles that come with scopes these days. I do not.

Best Regards

Jamila

TheBear78. Like yourself, my mum is a real advocate of back up-open sights of some kind on her rifles that she has scoped. She is not a shooter, so to speak, only a hunter, so fixed is also her preference, but has some variables

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J, what fixed scopes are you and your family running?