How do you aim in the dark with irons?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - How do you aim in the dark with irons?

Posted: 10/7/2003 11:59:26 AM EDT

I'd like to know if you guys have any tricks for aiming in the near pitch black with just plain iron sights? What kind of groups can be expected in the extremely low light?

I am looking for a way to make irons more effective at night without throwing off my POI (tritrium sights). And without making daytime shooting annoying. Would any of you recommend painting the tip of the front sight post?

TIA

Posted: 10/7/2003 12:46:12 PM EDT

[#1]

In my experience. It's nearly impossible to use the iron sights in near to total darkness.

The best you could hope for is close range point shooting.

However, with a tactical flashlight mounted to your AR the sights and the target show up perfectly with the light on.

I got to try this out for real the other night, when a skunk infiltrated our home(carport). There was very little light (moonlight) and I could not see the sights at all. When I flipped on the flashlight, I could see the sights perfectly and two glowing eyes looking at me. Well I lined 'em up and blammo, a perfect shot that couldn't have happen without the assistance of a high intensity flashlight.

BTW, I shot it with a 10/22 not an AR. [:)]

You still won't be able to see a painted tip and it will probably mess up your daytime shooting too.

A nice mounted flashlight is all I can offer.

Posted: 10/7/2003 5:52:45 PM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
What kind of groups can be expected in the extremely low light?

View Quote

Poor ones! Your best bet is to mount a light on it if you want to see your sights and identify the target.

Posted: 10/7/2003 6:03:35 PM EDT

[#3]

In jungle type darkness, our troops have used a white string tied from the rear sight to the front so they could have a ref. for return fire and it worked. To realy aim, you can't.
Good shootin, Jack

Posted: 10/7/2003 6:11:15 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
In jungle type darkness, our troops have used a white string tied from the rear sight to the front so they could have a ref. for return fire and it worked. To realy aim, you can't.
Good shootin, Jack

View Quote

Cool little trick! I learn something new here everyday! Thanks Jack!

Posted: 10/7/2003 6:16:58 PM EDT

[#5]

[url]http://www.trijicon-inc.com/[/url]

Posted: 10/7/2003 7:23:33 PM EDT

[#6]

Tritium night sights and a tac light. Those are your options for irons at night.

Posted: 10/7/2003 7:33:40 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
In jungle type darkness, our troops have used a white string tied from the rear sight to the front so they could have a ref. for return fire and it worked. To realy aim, you can't.
Good shootin, Jack

View Quote

Excellent, this is exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for!

Thank you all for your input, I have no budget right now and wanted to see if there was a low-tech way of helping out in low-light.

Posted: 10/8/2003 2:17:27 PM EDT

[#8]

Put a 1/2" piece of good olde medic supplied white tape on the back of the front sight forging just below the sight itself. Assuming your nose can still find the charging handle in the dark your aiming point is just above the white smudge.

String falls off, tape rarely.

-- Chuck

Posted: 10/8/2003 2:38:21 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
Put a 1/2" piece of good olde medic supplied white tape on the back of the front sight forging just below the sight itself. Assuming your nose can still find the charging handle in the dark your aiming point is just above the white smudge.

String falls off, tape rarely.

-- Chuck

View Quote

Thank you, I'll try that. Should certainly be easier to spot than a painted sight post tip. Using the string & tape together might work out pretty nice.

Posted: 10/8/2003 4:01:15 PM EDT

[#10]

watch the tracers [:D] but really we used our PAQ4 Irons are useless unless everything else fails.
FREE

Posted: 10/9/2003 12:42:03 AM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Irons are useless unless everything else fails.

View Quote

That's what they're for. [;)]

Posted: 10/9/2003 6:34:09 AM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Irons are useless unless everything else fails.

View Quote

That's what they're for. [;)]

View Quote

Right now, they're all I've got, but that's ok I love'm! [:)]

Posted: 10/9/2003 6:58:04 AM EDT

[#13]

CLOSE YOUR EYES ....and PRAY

Posted: 10/9/2003 7:01:18 AM EDT

[#14]

Combat light is your best option. illuminate and move never fight in the same location. once target is ID, light on fire and light off and move. take a low light fighting class it can save your life no matter if you are civy or LEO. bad guys always hide in the darkest corner.

Posted: 10/9/2003 7:24:43 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
[url]http://www.trijicon-inc.com/[/url]

View Quote

Posted: 10/9/2003 10:00:03 AM EDT

[#16]

I take it none of you qualified on the night fire when you ranged? That was shooting at a target with a small LED blinking at you. Yeah I know, it was only 10 and 25 mtrs.

To answer the original question you wrap your rifle sling around your left forearm so tightly that it will not allow the front of the rifle to move unless your arm does. This forces the front sight to basicly be an extention of your body. You use the large aperture and stay focused, always looking thru the peep sight.

Scan your peripheral at miniscule changes in lighting. This allows you to be sure your front sight post is centered and your reference is still correct.

Then its learning time.

Now you know why the M68 is worth its weight in gold. Dot on target, gently sqeeeeze!

Posted: 10/9/2003 10:31:22 PM EDT

[#17]

I wish that I had the Trijicon sights on my M16 that I now have on my GM. I remember night live fire defences and the majority of that fire, even with arty/mortar flares, was just for looks.

With the Triji sights if I can ID the tgt I can hit it.

I've had to darken the lamps on the rear ap with a marker but besides that they've worked perfectly.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - How do you aim in the dark with irons?

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