Iron
The rifle’s iron
sights are its primary sighting system. When optical
sights, lasers, and other aiming gizmos fail, the iron
sights are always there to fall back on. Iron sights are
also quicker to acquire and offer a greater field of
view than most any other alternative. Do not get a rifle
with detachable iron sights that can get lost.
The A2 sights are
supposed to be superior to the original A1 style and
allow for easy windage and elevation adjustments. In
addition, the A2 sights are calibrated for adjusting
range; zero your rifle for 300 meters and you can dial
in the range up to 800 meters. In reality, a combat
rifle should never have the sights adjusted once the
rifle is zeroed. All that "adjustability" only
introduces the chance that the sights will be knocked
out of adjustment. Preference is the simpler A1 sights,
but replace the tiny aperture with the A2 aperture for
better target aquisition at closer ranges. The
recommended zero is 300 meters, as the bullet’s flat
trajectory will require no adjustments from 0-300
meters.
Optical
Optical sights can
enhance target acquisition, particularly at longer
ranges. While iron sights should be the rifle’s primary
sights, a scope can offer some advantages.
It is easier to aim
and more precise using a scope. Magnification can vary,
but about 4x is ideal for the medium ranges we’re
interested in. A key benefit for an optical sight on the
survival rifle is in target identification. Although a
pair of binoculars or a spotting scope offer a better
picture, the rifle mounted scope is always with you,
does not require an additional set of hands and eyes,
and eliminates the need for movement when switching from
target identification to firing. The current cost and
dependency on batteries prevents the current generation
of weapon mounted night-sights from being practical.
However, a scope with an illuminated reticle can offer
some benefits when shooting in low light. Even though
such a scope would be dependent on batteries, they are
small, last a long time, and are commonly found. Once
the supply of batteries is exhausted, you only loose the
illumination; scope will function fine (minus
illumination) without the batteries.
