does anyone here hunt with open sights on springers?

[howie1968]

Im curious if anyone here hunts with open sights using a springer either springer/ or nitro piston. seems alot of the things i hear negative is scope issues mount issues. ive got a ton of rabbits and squirrels around me. i can go to the local WM  or academy and get a springer today. looking at the ruger impact and shooting it open sighted. ive owned springers in the past  Benjamin xl1100 and the gamo hornet. unfortunately back then texas didnt allow squirrel hunting  with air guns, i relaize they are a small target,  and id be limiting my range to around 20 yards max, i prefer a 22 cal.  thanks for everyones input. ive owned air rifles capable of doing the job, i sold them all a couple years ago and recently bought a few but they arent suitable for squirrels crosman 1077 and the mk177. we have been having cold weather lately and i see how co2 acts in cold weather.

[dv8eod]

I've done some shooting with open sights on my whisper and found it to be very accurate. Of course guns vary, so  your experience may differ.
What really matters is how much time you spend shooting  yours and getting to know yours and its limitations.  Practice until you feel extremely confident and then take it hunting. 
A scope does allow for more precise pellet placement, but open sights can be almost as accurate.  I'm looking at the peep sights olympians use for 10 meter shooting as an example.
One thing I would ensure is to get one where the rear sight and and front sight are both attached to the barrel, for break barrels.  That way they are always in alignment with the barrel.
Just practice until you feel comfortable with it and I wish you great success.

[yak]

My .22 Stoeger x20 is not scoped and have taken a number of squirrels and pest birds to WITHIN 15 yards. I may have shot as far as 20 yards, but certainly never more than that. I don't trust MY unscoped shooting at game any further than that.

I recently scoped my .177 springer for longer shots at squirrels

[bbv13]

I have found it easier to shoot rats at close range with open sights.

Bryan

[Rex]

My experience is that the sights are the primary issue after pellet selection.  How well can you repeat your sight picture and how accurately can you adjust the POI.  There is a lot of difference in open sights, my B26 has positive clicks for adjusting left/right and up/down.  Lots of sights are adjusted by loosing a screw, guessing at the amount to move, then tightening the screw AVOID THESE.

20 yards is a reasonable limit and open sights have a big advantage seeing the pest and minimizing the vertical offset.  Sight in at 15 yards and you should be within 1/2" at any distance up to 20 yards.  You can fine tune that with Chairgun.

If you are still looking for a springer to do the job, I suggest you talk to Mike Melick at Flying Dragon Airguns for recommendations.  His tunes make a lot of difference.

[JamesJL]

With a lot of practice and patience I've become very effective in using my Ruger Blackhawk out to around twenty yards on squirrels. It probably helps that I've done ninety nine percent of my shooting throughout my life with open sights and peep sights. I much prefer a quality peep site over anything else. I'm kind of old fashioned though.  But I will not take a shot on any game unless I am sure it will be quick and clean. It's rediculous the number of shots I have passed up over the years.

[limbshaker]

I have two guns that wear aperture (peep sights) that I use for hunting squirrels pretty regularly. Anything 30 yards and under is in serious trouble after a little practice!  I love having a lightweight and simple gun to hunt with every now and then. It's a welcome change after hauling around a TX200 or HW100 for a full days worth of hunting. The open sight rigs work great for me late in the season when it's cold and you can sit near a hollow den tree and wait for the squirrels to come out. These guns are also great for hunting rats around barns, and pigeons inside sheds and such. Just have to reduce a few pumps on the 342 to keep from punching holes in the roof.

11fpe HW50S in .177


Up to 20fpe Benjamin 342 .22

[howie1968]

thanks men those are the answers im looking for, i dont feel like messing with scopes and trying to keep them on a springer. ill give mike a call ive bought 2 guns from him in the past and he is great to deal with. im also looking at the ruger impact has positive click open sights and the hatsan 1000s both are 22 cal

[seitg74]

I bought the Ruger Impact a couple weeks ago for my Dad.  I cleaned it up and shot a hundred rounds or so through it.  Dieseled bad at first but after it settled down I was shooting quarter sized groups with crosman hollow points at just over 20 yards.  In absolutely love that gun.  The feel, balance, smooth breaking trigger, all for 110$  I really didn't I want to give it up to him.  I never shot an expensive springer but its hard for me to imagine an expensive name springer to be that much smoother.  The Impact was shooting crosman hollow points at 740 plus feet per second.  Pretty quiet and open sights were super nice.  I want one for myself soon for sure.  Prefer it over my Benjamin NP .22 and Hatsan Edge .22.  Wish there were more reviews on this gun!

[Freebird]

Got my first  Hatsan 95 Vortex and put the scope on it straightway.
Then I upgraded the scope and mounts. Spent a lot of time and a lot of pellets getting it like I wanted it. Very nice.
 Got my 2nd Hatsan 95, a springer, and the sites were right on without the first adjustment (couldn't believe it)! Nice and light without the scope and I love carrying it that way. I can hit with it good and I have confidence I can get a good shot off even quicker with it. Just a joy to shoot it that way!
 Only time I miss my scoped gun is when I need to make long shots up to the hen house (50 yds) and don't want to chance a miss. But for plinking the fence rows and woods I like my lighter gun and open sights really well.

[Freebird]

With a lot of practice and patience I've become very effective in using my Ruger Blackhawk out to around twenty yards on squirrels. It probably helps that I've done ninety nine percent of my shooting throughout my life with open sights and peep sights. I much prefer a quality peep site over anything else. I'm kind of old fashioned though.  But I will not take a shot on any game unless I am sure it will be quick and clean. It's rediculous the number of shots I have passed up over the years.

I'm glad you reminded me of peep sights. I need to research a few that I might like so I can keep an eye out for a good deal.
Kind of thing I need to wait on a good deal for (probably used) so I can afford quality. Any recommendations?

[Rex]

Except for the Williams 64 for Benjamin/Sheridan pumpers  all the peep sights I've looked at are for targets. not hunting.  You will need a large aperture for hunting.  Finding one robust enough to survive a springer may be difficult.

[MicErs]

I always hunted with open sights when I was a kid.  I had a 5mm Sheridan Blue Streak back then.  I killed many a rabbit with that little rifle.  Surely did like it for it's handiness and light weight.  I wish I still had it to be honest.

Another nice option is a 40mm tube red dot if you are going to keep your shots under 30 yards or so.  I wish they made a red dot with a one or two MOA dot.  I've done some cursory web searches for them and not found anything that small yet.

[Freebird]

I always hunted with open sights when I was a kid.  I had a 5mm Sheridan Blue Streak back then.  I killed many a rabbit with that little rifle.  Surely did like it for it's handiness and light weight.  I wish I still had it to be honest.

Another nice option is a 40mm tube red dot if you are going to keep your shots under 30 yards or so.  I wish they made a red dot with a one or two MOA dot.  I've done some cursory web searches for them and not found anything that small yet.

Check PrimaryArms.com, but you'll have to use a Weaver mount.

[dv8eod]

Except for the Williams 64 for Benjamin/Sheridan pumpers  all the peep sights I've looked at are for targets. not hunting.  You will need a large aperture for hunting.  Finding one robust enough to survive a springer may be difficult.

There are peep sights for M16s that attach to picatinney rails. They might have some that attach to weavers, also. With a little modding they should work. They'll definitely stand up to any abuse and if your used to them, even better.

[Matt15]

I hunt open sites with my patriot .25(35 FPE) and the other day I shot a squirrel in the head at 35 yards.

[howie1968]

Thanks men  for your help. im convinced  dont feel like messing with the scope and mount situation now to make the decision on which air gun to get may call MM first and talk over the options with him id really like to have the RWS 34 22 cal,  a 25 seams appealing also

[gamo2hammerli]

Not with open sights air rifle yet.  But did take out a few starlings with open sights air pistols a few years ago.  Killed a couple of mice with the Crosman 1377 multi-pumper too....but I won't call that hunting.

[JamesJL]

With a lot of practice and patience I've become very effective in using my Ruger Blackhawk out to around twenty yards on squirrels. It probably helps that I've done ninety nine percent of my shooting throughout my life with open sights and peep sights. I much prefer a quality peep site over anything else. I'm kind of old fashioned though.  But I will not take a shot on any game unless I am sure it will be quick and clean. It's rediculous the number of shots I have passed up over the years.

I'm glad you reminded me of peep sights. I need to research a few that I might like so I can keep an eye out for a good deal.
Kind of thing I need to wait on a good deal for (probably used) so I can afford quality. Any recommendations?

I wish could recommend something, but I'm not familiar with any aftermarket peep sights for air guns. Most of my years honing my skills with peep sights were with old glory, which was my Colt AR 15 Match target model. These days I enjoy using the peep sights on my cheap but surprisingly accurate M4-177. The M4-177 is a really fun gun and is capable of short range pesting and even long distance plinking. I was knocking cans down today on my 65 yard range. What a cheap, fun gun.

[Rex]

The new Pyramid Air catalog has a nice article on open and peep sights.