In a comment on a recent thread, Cayugad said "I normally never use see through rings. I rely on the scope."

I'm the same way. I don't like them and never use them (think they look awkward anyway). A couple of guys in my hunging club have them on several guns, but when I asked them if they had ever had occasion to use the iron sights they all say they never have. Now that may be a factor of us not having to contend with snow, but I really don't know if that's a factor.

So here's the question. If you have see throughs, have you ever needed to use the irons rather than the scope?

Semi, I'm like you. I find them too high and yo have to hold your head at an awkward angle to use them. I've asked the same question to guys. Then say "Well, if you never used the iron sights, why not mount the scope lower?" Their answer is always the same: "Well someday I may have to use them." HMMMMMMMM OK. Whatever you say.
BTW - How did YOU ever get to join a hunging club. Your wife tells me you're definately not hung!!!

Dang Bronko. I meant "hungering club". We have some real good cooks in the group and we always return to the campground after dark with a pretty good hunger.

Yeah, but ask her if I've ever been hungover.

The problem with the see through rings is that there is a difference in check weld. I use to have 'em on my 30-30 Marlin, but they are now gone and I am using open sights. So I would use one or the other, but not both. After spending time in the Marine Corps, I fell in love with peep sights, and have contemplated switching over to these for my rifles.

I had see through rings on two different rifles. After hunting for many years with them, and hating the awkward way I had to sight with the scope, I pulled them and just mounted the normal rings.

Although I am a firm believer in quick release rings. When I was having a rifle professionally mounted the person talked me into quick release. When I asked him why, he said.. what if your in the middle of no where and your scope brakes or fogs over. What do you do? I told him go home. He then laughed and said, you take the scope off and hunt with the iron sights. Now that made sense to me.

I have had see throughs on a .308, and I HATED them. They made me lose proper contact with the rifle, thus my accuracy was never as good as it should have been.

I used to have see through rings on a rifle but didn't like them and never used them so I took them off and threw them away.I now have scoped rifles or open sight or peep sights. But I would never put see throughs on again

Dave, I totally agree with you. And that is one reason I prefer the Weaver style rings and bases. I always sight in my rifles with the iron sights before I scope it. Then if my scope fails all I have to do is unscrew the rings from the bases and take the scope off and continue hunting. I hate all these new rifles that do not come with iron sights.

When i read these threads about the possibility that one's scope may fail or will fail, i wonder what is wrong with me. In all the years i have hunted, and fellen down, and banged my rifle on the ground or on a log; on a rock, my scope has never never failed. However, i cannot write the same about the front sight. The front sight is the only sight of mine that has ever failed/been damaged whilst hunting.

Come to think of it, it is here on this very forum where i read all these posts about how $40 scopes are so clear, so bright, so sharp, and so accurate etc.

The 'see through' mount has to be one of 'thee' most worthless products ever pushed on us hunters, with 'quick release' rings following along somewhere behind. The 'quick release' rings i have used, are the only rings i ever used that ever came loose. The sad thing here is, i still have a pair of them on one of my rifles this very day. Now, i have read that some of you shooters dip your rifle in a tub of water, and thus appreciate 'quick release' rings. That explains why you use them; not why i am currently using them.

Naturally, these words, are only the opinion of one stumblebum, but for heavens sake, there cannot possibly be any person reading these forum that has fellen down, or dropped/banged his rifle more times than me, whilst hunting.

I had see through rings on a 22-250 that I used for deer hunting back in the 60s and 70s...I was young, and the guy that mounted the scope thought they were needed in case your scope broke, etc...

Well, I didn't like them because as mentioned your chin was on the stock, not your cheek...

In 1980, I bought a Ruger M-77 in .243, with no iron sights...I've killed over 300 deer with it, never looked at see throughs again, they simply are not needed with todays scopes...