629 hunting question

[Agustus]

I have and have killed a couple deer with my 629 6 1/2" with an aimpoint h-1. The set up works for me at low light conditions but since my eyes still allow, I'm wanting to take the aimpoint off and go back to the open sights.... I shoot open sights well out to 50 yards which is my self imposed limit.

Do many of you hunt with your "buddies" with optics or go "all natural"?

I appreciate the input and reading and seeing so many photos. I'm very envious of some of your smiths.

Rick

 

[jigen_daisuke]

If it was me and I had to use my Model 29 to hunt I'd try to find something to mount a simple reflex sight mount. I find that the whole handgun scope thing can be a bit bulky. Though with today's technology getting better and better it won't be soon til we have handgun scopes the size of silver dollars someday

 

[jaymoore]

I usually have a red dot on the centerfire hunting revolvers, but iron sights have worked as well. Deer and coyote haven't seemed to know the difference.Magnified optics have been more of a torment than help, so gave that option up. (ETA: Mostly because of deer showing up in distances measured in feet rather than yards....)

Oddly, I've always used iron sights on the .22s. For which quite a few squirrels and rabbits are probably happy!

 

[ultratec00]

Personally, all my revolvers are open sights except for my 617. When I used to hunt exclusively with a handgun for deer, the Contender in 7-30 had a 2-7X32 Burris and good out to 200+ yards. The 629 was open sights for quick acquisition out to 35 yards. Carried both for the above reasons. I don't know of anything quicker than open sights for quick acquisition. That's not saying a red dot wouldn't come in handy and I used to carry one to drop on my ribbed PC 629. Unfortunately,deer typically don't tend to cooperate and rarely allow enough time to turn/adjust a red dot. I leave it at home now and simply go open sights. The 629 for those deer who come within 35 yards of the treestand.

 

[Agustus]

Thanks for the replies and input. I shouldn't call myself a handgun exclusive hunter. I take one of the handguns but generally have a rifle hanging close by in the treestand. I use the pistol if a deer comes close. Also within 35 yards.

Did any of you who used the red dot for hunting, take it off and happy you did? Or is it the opposite...

I find that because of the optic (micro aimpoint), I don't take it as often because I don't have a holster I like and much prefer carrying the pistol without the optic.

Again, thanks for the input

 

[ken158]

Been the scope / site route because I thought it was necessary for hunting but discovered that is too restrictive for carrying / bolstering and always needing a support to make a shot. Went back to standard sights and regular range time with 50 - 75 yard practice and occasional shots at 100 yards. No problem with hits on deer so far. Just use the handgun where it is of advantage in wooded areas. 629 5" Classic and Sig 220 10mm.

 

[Rpg]

The hunting I've done with a handgun (M 29, 1911, M34, Colt Woodsman and a 357 or 2) has all been with open sights.

Glass makes the handgun a load I don't want to fiddle with.

At one time I considered buying a Ruger semi automatic 22 and mounting a scope on it, but never got motivated enough to do it because the old Woodsman with iron sights works so well.

 

[Agustus]

I like the suggestions. I'm thinking I'll put back on the fiber optic front sight and take the aimpoint off and spend some range time to get it dialed back in and it'll make for a much easier package to carry in the woods.

 

[Protocall_Design]

One thing that really helps with open sights is fiber optics front and rear. The fibers give you another hour or more in dawn, dusk, shaded areas, etc.
They help you line up your sights more quickly, especially on follow up shots (if needed). For me, orange front and green rear is the best color combination. You still have to use the black metal part to aim with, the same as always, the fibers just help you see the relationship of the front to rear a lot easier, under more conditions.

 

[SteveA]

Open sights on my 629. I have a red dot on a Ruger Hunter but the rest of my hunting revolvers are open sights.

 

[johnfly45]

I prefer irons

I've hunted deer with both a 7.5" Super Blackhawk and a 4" 629. For a short while, I mounted a 2x scope on the Ruger, but after a season or two went back to irons mostly because the shoulder holster needed to carry the scoped handgun seemed too bulky and restricted my movements. I still compete (USPSA/ICORE) with iron sighted guns and don't feel handicapped at any reasonable deer hunting range in the northeastern woods -- opportunities are usually at bow range. While I might like to think that the iron sights are more reliable than a scope, the fact is that I lost the front blade on my Gold Cup during a match (actually, I was able to recover it but was out of business until I got the gun to a smith for reattachment) and lost the rear sight blade out of the Blackhawk, luckily I noticed something was strange when I took a practice sighting on a stump at one of my stands and was able to get a replacement blade from a local shop.

 

[twodog max]

I have used scopes and red dots on handguns and decided to go back to irons to utilize a handguns most basic reason for being and that is easy carrying. So I use the irons and keep the range short and for longer shots the rifle is used. Works for me but maybe not for you. With my 64 year old eyes 35 yards is about the max for me.

 

[jake1945]

Open sights only for all my firearms at ranges 300 yards and under. I have one scoped handgun for target shooting at 200 yards. I have to stifle a laugh when I see a hunter coming out of dense woods with a scoped rifle.

 

[lscocoa]

I liked my 29-3 with 8 3/8" and 1x scope .

 

[petemacmahon]

Iron sights all the way until my eyes finally fail me. I'm putting off my next eye checkup for as long as I can, but time will eventually win.

I'm also a DAO guy so it's makes it a challenge on par with archery if you ask me. I too have a 50 yard self imposed limit.

Cheers

 

[jmclfrsh]

I'm using iron sights on my 8 3/8" Model 57 and 6" Model 29, but just picked up a 8 3/8" 629 that I have a new 2x20 Leupold EER silver scope to put on.

It is off to the smith getting drilled and tapped for a new Burris base and Leupold rings as I type this. I'm dropping off the 57 to get D'd & T'd as well when I pick up the 629. The tapped holes will completely reside under the rear sight leaf on both of them so no one will even notice when the scope is not on them.

I picked up a new Hunter brand scoped handgun holster specifically for it, and keeping the iron sights on the other two to fit the very nice Bianchi shoulder/side holsters I already have for them, and my new custom DeSantis terminator made for an N Frame 8 3/8" S&W.
It was pretty pricey, but it's dang nice, too.

So I'll have the best of both worlds I'm hoping. I've never had nor shot a scoped revolver before, closest is a .22 air rifle handgun with a Red Dot on it. So we'll see.

I read on a review that the Leupold 2x20 EER is probably the most popular pistol scope in the world, and it's been around for over 30 years, so I figured that is a good one to utilize.