I love shooting my grandpa's SKS with iron sights, it's really easy out to 50 yards, and I have done well out to 100 yards when I really concentrate, but I like scopes for 100 yards or more, but I despise them for any shorter distances, because it's too confusing.

IMO, they're both great.

To me the challenge of using iron sights is the challenge of trying to get the deer closer not trying to see ifI can make a shot at a deer that is 100-200 yards away. I have always been able to make very clean ethical shots with my bead sighted Remington 870 Wingmaster. None of these shots have been longer than 50 yards. The buck I took this year was at 20 yards with a double lung pass through. The challenge of taking that 150 class buck was waiting for him to come that close so I knew I could take an ethical shot. To me it would not be as challenging to take a 100 yard shot just because I could. I love watching deer up close not through a scope. To each his own though because a challenge to me may not be a challenge to the other guy in the woods.

I learned how to shoot with iron sights. Up until 4 years ago I did not even own a scope, and now I have scopes on three rifles. I can still shoot accurately out to 100 yards (within 5-6" consistently) with iron sights/peep, but will know only choose to use iron sights if I know that I will really only have quick and short shots in cover. Otherwise I will use a scope for other situations. To hunt with an ML in Minnesota you are restricted to iron/peep sight, so I am bound to use them for at least that.