Open Seights vrs. 1X Scope?

gotthefever · Nov 27, 2005

This past year was my first year muzzleloading and I am hooked! Although I did not harvest my buck, I had a blast and plan on making muzzleloading my focus from here on out.

I am a UT resident and state law does not allow the use of any scope over 1X power while muzzleloading. I have talked to several people who say that open sights are the only way to go and that I would loose accuracy, particularly at closer ranges, if I was to put a scope on my gun.

With being a novice in the sport, it would be nice to get some good advice from those of you who do or do not hunt with a scope on your muzzleloader. Would the use of a 1X power scope be an advantage and will it add to my accuracy at all distances? I shoot a TC Omega and the scope I am looking at is a Citron. Any help would be much appreciated.

Regards,

gotthefever

Extex · Nov 29, 2005

A good scope is the only way to go IMO. The only open sights that can allow you to be as accurate in some conditions as a scope are peep sites. The bad side to peeps are they are limited in low light conditions IMO. Ask those same people that are telling you a scope would be less accurate if they shoot open sites on their high powered rifle?

Red dots are OK if you like to mess aound with switches and batteries - I don't like them. Burris and Nikon make very good 1x scopes. I like the Burris the best it has a lifetime warranty and finer crosshairs for the long range shots. There are several brands of cheaper scopes out there and I am sure they work ok but why turn your $400 omega into a $100 Omega - your gun will only be as good as your optics and your finger will allow it to be.

bragabit · Nov 29, 2005

I second the 1x scope. I have the Burris scope and love it. Open sights at 140 to 150 yards tend to cover most of a deer.

gotthefever · Nov 29, 2005

LAST EDITED ON Nov-29-05 AT 10:41PM (MST)[p]Extex and Bragabit,

Thank yuo for taking time to reply to my question. As a rookie starting out it is nice to be able to get good advice from the pros.

Extex, I like your comment about using open sights on a rifle! Who would ever even consider doing that, point well made! Scope is going on the Omega. Sounds like Burris is the way to go for teh scope. Have either of you heard much about the Sightron 1X?

Got the fever

Rackster · Nov 30, 2005

I would also recommend a scope. I have a 1X burris on my muzzy and love it!! I shoot as accurate with it as I do my rifle. The only draw back is hunting out of state with it. Both Colorado and Nevada have restrictions on hunting with any kind of scope on a muzzleloader. Open sights do make your gun versatile to hunt out of state. You can always take your scope off to hunt out of state, but sighting it back in is always a pian.

DonV · Dec 2, 2005

1x is way better then open sights - unless you are an old timer who is a great crack shot with open sights and has hunted that way his whole life.

Definetly 1X, I personally do not like red dot scopes.

coolspringoutfitters · Dec 2, 2005

I have the TC OMEGA with a Nikon 1X and I wouldn't have anything else. If you can, go to Sportsmans or Cabelas and look thru the scopes they have there. I was going to buy the Cintron but after comparing I had to have the Nikon. Good Luck.

It's all about the good times...

meatmaker · Dec 8, 2005

A scope eliminates one of the problems with oper sights - that is you have to worry about two or three focal points. Gets worse with older eyes. Scope only requires you to look through the tube and plaster the crosshairs on the target. Only problem with 1X scopes is that the truly 1X scopes actually make your target look smaller since your eye is more like 1.25X or 1.5X according to my optomitrist brother in law. This happens with even some of the high end scopes. The cross hairs cover a fair amount of the target too.

You might consider "peep" sights. In use you look through the rear "hole" and your eye automatically centers the front sight in the rear. then just place the front on the target. I have been using them for some time not just on muzzle loaders and find them very good out to as far as 200 yards.

In dim light you can remove the rear appature and have a large hole to look through for faster use with decent accuracy.

good hunting

Meatmaker

AndymanSavage · Dec 8, 2005

I have shot the Nikon buckmasters 1x on several smokepoles and love it. 2 deer with 2 shots, 80 and 50 yds. I also have a knight wolverine with tru-glow sights, but it is my "brush gun". I have aslo tried red-dots, but don't like them personally. Either way, nothing wrong with a GOOD scope. Good luck.

Andy