There are many different reasons people enjoy owning firearms. Some people love to spend time on the target range, improving their accuracy and honing their skills. Others may be avid hunters who enjoy not only the experience of hunting but also being out in the great outdoors.
Yet others may require weapons for personal safety and protection, which is always a benefit to owning a firearm. Regardless of why you own a gun and no matter what type it may be, having iron sights on the gun in addition to any other optics you may use is always a good idea.
There are several reasons why hunters, competitive shooters and those that use their weapons in the line of duty choose to have old school sights either as the sole sighting system on the weapon or as a backup.
Backup Systems for Failed Optics
Optics can fail. Batteries go dead or stop working, often at the most inopportune times. When the weapon is equipped with fold down or fixed iron sights, the shooter can easily adjust and continue on without any loss of accuracy or the need to call it a day on the range or out on the hunt.
Increase Shooter Skill
Of course, the last part of the prior statement is only true of the shooter practices with the traditional sights. This is a very different skill set from sighting through optics with a red dot or crosshairs, but it is not difficult to learn and just takes a bit of practice.
Streamline the Weapon
Different styles and types of optics tend to add weight and bulk to a weapon. For a long day of hiking through the bush or for competitive activities or real-world use, using iron sights eliminates this extra bulk and weight, creating a weapon that is easy to carry for extended periods of time.
