ORIGINAL: driftrider
ORIGINAL: liberty1743
I have more than enough skill to hunt with open sights. What I lack is the desire to do so. Modern telescopic sights are, if one is willing to spend the money for quality glass, just as reliable as any open sight, while affording a number of very real advantages. This is why most rifles made today are pre-drilled and tapped for scope mounts, and why most modern CF rifles don't even have open sights installed. The manufacturers know that with quality affordable optics readily available that almost no one would opt NOT to take advantage of the benefits of the telescopic sight, so they omit the open sights as both a cost saving and aesthetic measure. I say aesthetic because they also know that the vast majority of us think that a scoped rifle looks better with a clean barrel.
Mike
Mike, I think I covered the fact that I am not looking to replace optics (and that all of my rifles will always have them as long as I have a say about it). Obviously you are right about the reason most if not all modern rifles come drilled and dapped for glass. Moreover, it is obvious why manufacturers find it profitable to eliminate them too. I do not, however, agree with your statement that a clean-barreled scoped rifle looks better than one maintaining open sights.
Even if most agree with you that they'd rather, one, have the aesthetics of a clean barrel, and two, have the minimal cost savings over maintaining open sights for backup purposes; it still doesn't mean that not having open sights is the best choice in regards to the evolution of our hunting and fighting weapons. I’m sure there are a lot of traditional or primitive muzzleloaders that would disagree with you about the aesthetics as well.
You’re right, optics are probably just as reliable as steel open sights 99.9999% of the time. An objective lens, however, will not hold up to a blunt object as well as a steel iron sight will. It’s not a large price to pay to cover the eventualities if you are fighting for your life or trying to find food to survive. One thing is for sure, if the scope goes, you will not be nearly as successful taking aim as you would if you had had a nice pair of open sights on your barrel.
Lastly, I wasn't implying you didn't have the skill to hunt with an open sight. I was stating that I lacked that skill and am sure many others, who now buy their first guns with optics, lack that skill as well. It's not just me saying it; people who write about it professionally make the same claim. It's a lost art and maybe it should be (IMO).