When I was in the lower 48 I didn't have iron sights on my rifles either.  When I moved to Alaska that changed.  I traded a 40XB 22-250 for a Ruger 350 Rem mag.  I always regretted that trade but that's another story.  That rifle had Ruger iron sights.  In Alaska your guns took a beating with all the travel and hunting the coast or remote locations.  There was always a chance that your scope would get whacked, dropped or fogged up.  So all of my Alaska guns had iron sights.  My favorite setup for my guns were express sights with a front ramp and a 1/8" brass shot gun bead.  I liked a white bead better than the brass but there was a chance you could lose sight of the bead in a snow background.  So I stuck with the brass bead that was blacken. 

Frank