Did you shoot your first deer with open sights?

[Big Fin]

My first deer was with an old Remington Model 14 chambered in a .30 Remington. Was my Grandfather’s rifle. Serial number says it was manufactured in 1917. He would have been 12, so I doubt he was the original purchaser.

Here he is with the rifle in a photo dated 1961. I have that rifle in my safe.

 

[Ben Nicholson]

Sure did with an old 870 wingmaster with a smooth bore slug barrel.

 

[BEvans]

My first was with a scope although it probably should have been with iron sights... hell, I could have simply whacked it in the head with a baseball bat as it stood there at 5 yards..

 

[QuazyQuinton]

My first deer was with my dad's old Husqvarna .308 and Bushnell scope. A few years later my wife shot her first few animals with that rifle, also. Since then my kids have all killed their first animals with scoped rifles. I think it makes the most sense.

I have also killed deer with open sights on a couple of muzzleloaders, a shotgun, and a lever action 30-30. Definitely fun if you are looking for a challenge to make a hunt memorable.

I had a dilemma when I got my Marlin 45-70. Peep sight or scope? Eventually I defied tradition and put a 2-7x scope on it. Seems to have worked out well for me.

QQ

 

[perma]

My vote has an asterisk next to it; my first take ever was a pronghorn with an open sight muzzleloader. My deer was my third ever take, and that was with a scoped rifle. As cool as I’d like to be in the yes under 40 group, you said deer so I will answer honestly.

 

[VOLhunter]

First was with my uncle's Remington Model 6 pump 30-06 with a fixed scope at the age of 12. Next several were with the Mossberg 500 12ga I got on my 13th birthday shooting smoothbore slugs.

 

[tarheel]

No, first was in 1957 with a shotgun and #1 buck. First Western game (antelope) was with iron sights, last deer was with irons also.

 

[hank4elk]

Mine was with a Win 94 30-30,iron sights. 1972.
My uncle Dave had taught me to shoot with his Win. 32/20, and I used his 30/30.
Had it in the leather scabbard tied to my bike. Rode to the forest boundary and hiked up a hill.
Shot a little 3 pointer and dragged it down the hill and put it in the shade.
Walked 1/4 mile to the Nature Center and called David. I had it gutted when he showed up with a pick up and we broke it down in my folks garage.
A year later I was manning a duece and my rifle was a M16.
He gave the 32/20 before he died.

 

[jpcoll01]

Winchester cowboy commemorative 30/30. Age 10. 8 pt basket whitetail. Sitting at the base of an oak tree while my Dad slept in a pile of leaves. I shot and the deer dropped into a ditch and Dad lost his mind. Thought I shot accidentally or just for fun. Had to essentially drag him 50 yards to the dead deer. Fun memory.

 

[rjthehunter]

My first deer was with my bow at 12 years old. But it's been a mix of open sights in the shotgun zones, and scoped rifles everywhere else. But I mostly bowhunt.

 

[buckbull]

Winchester Model 12 with a bead in 1985.

 

[Farmerj]

Dad’s 1952 870 wingmaster with a modified choke and a front bead only.

 

[gouch]

One thing that surprises me is just how many of us were out there shooting deer with our duck guns. I imagine most were like me and could only afford one gun and it's hard to wing shoot ducks with a .30-30.

 

[Hem]

Nope.
A borrowed scoped Ruger #1 .
Late start in life. Think I was 26 or 27.

 

[TRS_Montana]

I like thinking about this, but have to admit that I’m paralyzed by the relativity of it. I think, ultimately, what my dad (and consequently, I) tried to avoid is instilling a brittle spirit. In other words, easy come, easy go.
There are so many facets of life today that are relatively easy compared to even 50 years ago. It seems so common to hear the preceding generation say things like “I made my kids learn on x” without considering that those before them looked on with disdain, considering that very technology to be cheating.

My dad killed his first deer with a 12 gauge shotgun and buckshot as an adult. I shot my first deer with a scoped .243 at age 12. My oldest son shot his first deer at age 7 with a scoped .223 and my second oldest shot his first with the same gun at age 6.

I think it was more important to my dad that I learn how to hunt and have a greater chance of success because those were the dues he was willing to pay having not had a dad that taught him how to hunt.
The idea that there is only one path to an appreciation for hard work and practice just doesn’t make sense to me.

 

[westbranch]

Yes, 12 yrs old and it was a rem 700 30-06 with see-through scope rings. Rainy weather and I couldn't see through the cheap old scope and used the iron sights. Got scoped as well, but did not draw blood. I bought that gun from my dad and made a few upgrades.

I don't know of any pics of us hunting while growing up and it was only 20-25 yrs ago.

 

[Rzrbk]

Yes, open sights on a Remington 1100, 20 gage with a rifled slug. Might have been the best shot of my life at about 70 yards and aiming at the backbone....went right through the heart!

 

[Southern Elk]

Anyone else see the resemblance?

 

[Nick87]

Anyone else see the resemblance?

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Not a resemblance that's a dead match.

 

[Nameless Range]

Anyone else see the resemblance?

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Naddafinga!!!