Elk hunting

[FLHunter87]

Possibly looking to do a elk hunt in 2027/2028 with black powder in NM. Only peep or open sights are allowed. Does anyone hunt with a peep sight while pursuing elk? What's the sight picture like at 200 or 300 yards? Eyes aren't terrible, haven't really used peep sights a lot but sure it's easy enough like a bow. So looking for that information and if its fairly easy for hunting successfully at thr 200-300 yard range if it comes to it. The unit is very low draw/pretty limited tags and several landowner tags. Only black powder and bows are allowed in this particular unit. I would think seeing a big animal like elk at 200-300 yards wouldn't be to terrible. Just trying to find others point of view of the peep sights in particular and the target of an elk.

 

[ElDiablito]

Tough odds. Good luck drawing a NM elk tag as a NR.

I’d suggest a very fine front fiber optic bead. I like a peep and a Williams Western Precision fiber optic (.019”) globe. That’s my favorite set up on my open-sighted muzzys.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I would practice a bunch of you are going to try and stretch irons out to 300. Realistically 100-150 is very doable with little practice. Typically drop isn’t too extreme once you get past that, you better know what that projectile is doing…

 

[ElDiablito]

And to make it more complicated…..a “side lock” can be set up to use 209s, #11s or musket caps.

 

[FLHunter87]

Tough odds. Good luck drawing a NM elk tag as a NR.

I’d suggest a very fine front fiber optic bead. I like a peep and a Williams Western Precision fiber optic (.019”) globe. That’s my favorite set up on my open-sighted muzzys.

Yeah tough odds, but backup plan would be landowner tag. The gun would have a peep sight. I imagine 200-300 yards for sight picture should be ok? 100-200 yards should be relatively easy to see i imagine. The seeing part is what I'm kind of worried about. Im not worried about performing of the black powder gun one bit. Really eyes. I have no vision impairments or anything. Just a different sight to use other than a scope.

 

[FLHunter87]

I would practice a bunch of you are going to try and stretch irons out to 300. Realistically 100-150 is very doable with little practice. Typically drop isn’t too extreme once you get past that, you better know what that projectile is doing…

It will be a peep sight. So not true irons.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Gotcha, will it have elevation knobs for the rear? I would consider a peep sight a form or irons, which is what I use, mine does not have rear sight elevation adjustment though

 

[RockAndSage]

I’d suggest a very fine front fiber optic bead.

This comment stood out to me - I've also always set up my muzzleloaders with as fine of a front sight as possible, and haven't known anyone else who preferred that. Big blocky sights on modern guns, especially handguns and ARs...I have a genuine hate for them, and have always been able to get a more accurate shot more quickly with fine ones. Recently just swapped out a front sight post on a set of AR flip-up sights to the finest one KNS makes, and cut my 100yd group size in half. Not related to OP's post at all, but it was cool to see I'm not alone.

 

[ElDiablito]

For me, I’ve gotta have a fine front for anything past about 150 yards. Here’s the Williams .019” fine insert.

 

[RockAndSage]

For me, I’ve gotta have a fine front for anything past about 150 yards. Here’s the Williams .019” fine insert.

View attachment 851370

I like that.

 

[RagnCajn]

As others have suggested, the smallest one i could find was the Williams in the globe front sight. If I remember right, the front globe sight kit comes with several inserts. If you dont care about low light shootability, you can run the BDC reticle alone and figure out your drops. I modified my BDC reticle and layered it on top of my fiber optic to give me a second aim point. Shooting the 460gr no excuses was around a 100yd zero and the BDC line only got me out to around 180yds which I called my limit. Stretching it to 300yds would be a challenge I think. Would need to do lots of range time and have confidence.

 

[MarkOrtiz]

I use the factory open sights on the TC Encore. They have a fine fiber optic insert in them. I was good out to about 250 yards, but I didn't trust the sight picture past that. Plus the bullet was starting to drop quite a bit. I sighted it in at 200 and ran it like that. I ended up taking two shots on my elk, the first at 190 and the second at 230. Both were good shots and seemed easy to line up and see what I was doing once on a large animal and not just the red 2" dot on the center of a target. That said I have switched to a peep rear and think it is way easier to just use the really fine front fiberoptic to see where I am aimed.

 

[tracker12]

I would work on a software hack that could get you the tag in NM long before I put together a muzzy to do a hunt in that State.