Firesight

[starmac]

Does anyone use something like the williams firesight front site, with a williams or other peep or tang rear sight?

[TXGunNut]

Looked at them, couldn't talk myself into it. Was probably just the wrong gun (375 BB) but I like the concept.

[Artful]

I only have them on my shotguns... works pretty well.

[starmac]

I do not like the looks of them, but thinking my eyes might. lol
I have looked at a new ruger 10/22 and even a single 10 that had them or some version of them, and they were real visable to these wore out eyes. Just wondering about using one with a peep.

[winelover]

They work with peep sights, up to a point. Still not as good , at dawn or dusk, as a conventional scope. A lighted reticule is preferred.

I hunted past seasons, both with a TC Renegade and a Marlin 1894, set up with ghost ring apertures and florescent green front sights. I loose about fifteen minutes of "shooting light" at both ends, because I can't make out the aperture. The Renegade now has a Ultra-dot in a Scout type mount and the Marlin has either a Trijicon Reflex or a Leo variable with a lighted reticule.


Winelover

[dragon813gt]

I see no reason it wouldn't work. Skinner sells a version as an option. I've thought about buying one but losing the rod in the fid concerns me. It's never happened on my shotguns but w/ my luck I would lose it. I've lost apertures already.

[NSB]

I have that exact set of sights on my Win 1886 in 45-70. I put them on the gun just to see how effective they are. To my surprise, they worked very well. It's been my experience that fiber optic sights don't work very well for target shooting. I still believe that's true but they seem to work very well for shooting some targets. Let me explain: when trying to shoot small groups at 100yds with this set-up it's very difficult to get a sharp, well defined sight picture. However, when shooting at a 6" circle at 50yds and putting the front sight centered in the circle, I got groups of around an inch to an inch and a half. For deer hunting in the Northeast woods this would be more than acceptable up to 100yds holding on a deers shoulder (or just behind the shoulder). I put a deer silhouette target up at 100yds and shot five shots and they were all inside two inches even though the front sight covered more area than that. I guess is depends on what you want it to do. It's very easy to use in low light conditions and even in mid day. I used the green tube, it showed up better in low light for me.

[Uncle Grinch]

I picked up a set (front firesight and Williams peep rear) from Midway for my '95 Marlin CB. Note, the octagon barrel uses a different front sight than the round barrel.

While the firesight really is easy to see, it just didn't look right on my CB model, so I replaced it with a Lyman brass bead.

[pietro]

.

FWIW, I've been using fiber-optic (Williams FireSight, Hi-Viz, Tru-Glo, T/C, etc) on all my unscoped rifles, with receiver and tang peep sights, and also as sets of front/rear FO open sights, since they were first introduced, many years ago.


They are perfect for HUNTING (not target shooting), especially in those darker areas like Black Cedar swamps, heavy brush & other buck bedrooms.

They are much less than perfect for shooting in bright sunlight, or in open areas when there's snow on the ground.

What many folks don't realize (besides different heights & different base widths for mounting in sight ramps or directly in a bbl dovetail ) is that FO sights are available in the same bead sizes (1/16"-fine or 3/32"-coarse) as Gold/Ivory beads, AND in different colors (red/amber/yellow/green/etc) from various suppliers - to accommodate folks with different color perception.


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[stubert]

I have the Williams FP rear and a firesight on my 1895gs, Looks good and it extended the sight radius alot. I also installed a Merit adjustable aperture. It adjusts from .022 to .156

[Remiel]

Wife has them on her 20ga turkey gun and loves them

[frkelly74]

I put one on an old remington 511 and replaced the rear sight with a peep and find that it is great. Just look through the hole and there is the bright orange dot waiting to be put on target. Now I gotta work on the trigger some.

[hp246]

I think they would probably work well for close range or poor light shooting. Would have my concerns about accuracy as my experience is that they cause the front sight to blur slightly.

[pull the trigger]

Got some open firesights on a 336 in 35 rem and they are great for hunting. I love them after losing the sight picture on a deer in the woods with the steel sights. Highly recommend them.

[TXGunNut]

I think they would probably work well for close range or poor light shooting. Would have my concerns about accuracy as my experience is that they cause the front sight to blur slightly.

I agree, I think to maximize accuracy I need to be able to see the front sight very clearly. I do my most precise shooting when I see the edges of my front sight very clearly, I can't see the edges of these sights so I don't think I'd consider them for precision work. I have one on a shotgun but I'm such a poor wingshooter I don't think my input would be meaningful.

[NSB]

I agree, I think to maximize accuracy I need to be able to see the front sight very clearly. I do my most precise shooting when I see the edges of my front sight very clearly, I can't see the edges of these sights so I don't think I'd consider them for precision work. I have one on a shotgun but I'm such a poor wingshooter I don't think my input would be meaningful.
There's a big difference between pure target accuracy and hunting accuracy. I agree with the idea that you can shoot better with a sharper defined front sight. However, my experience shooting my firesight off a bench shows it to be more than capable for hunting accuracy. I can shoot five shot groups of around 1.5" at fifty yards and sub 2" at 100 yds with my sight set up. Even though it glows somewhat, it does so uniformly all the way around. Simply put the "orb" in the center of what you want to hit and it will shoot very well. A friend of mine who shoots more targets than I do told me to try using the sight on a paper plate at fifty yards and just aim at the middle of the plate.....no bullseye. I did it and by centering the sight I was able to shoot some very respectable groups. I've done that a lot since and it works very well indeed. I say for hunting purposes it works excellent.

[Rick Hodges]

I have a Williams peep and Firesight on my Guide Gun. It works well, but most of the time I use the scope. The peep sight is the back up system.

[TXGunNut]

.... I can shoot five shot groups of around 1.5" at fifty yards and sub 2" at 100 yds with my sight set up. Even though it glows somewhat, it does so uniformly .... I say for hunting purposes it works excellent.

Good shooting. That's as well as or better than I shoot these days with a levergun and peeps with a conventional front sight. May have to give them a try. Old habits die hard, I guess. In my younger days I used carbide smoke to make sights easier to see. Firesight may actually make it easier for my middle-aged eyes.

[NSB]

Good shooting. That's as well as or better than I shoot these days with a levergun and peeps with a conventional front sight. May have to give them a try. Old habits die hard, I guess. In my younger days I used carbide smoke to make sights easier to see. Firesight may actually make it easier for my middle-aged eyes.
I still have my carbide smoker from my target shooting competition days. Haven't filled it and lit it in years. I too have "old eyes" and I've tried and used everything out there. For simplicity, and hunting capability, the firesights work fine. For serious target work, they are somewhat less precise. However, we aim at deer differently than we do at bullseyes. Everyone really needs to try the paper plate thing without a bullseye and just center the plate around the sight. It's amazing how good a group you can shoot doing it this way. It really works well.

[TXGunNut]

I understand the paper plate principle. Smaller dessert plates work well at closer ranges and business cards are fun @ 25 yards, even at 100 yds with the right rifle and scope, but that's off-topic. A hunting sight picture is indeed different from a target sight picture but my open-sight leverguns are primarily paper punchers. They do quite well with a 6 o'clock hold because I like holding on a small, easily distinguished point.

[NSB]

The OP created the topic. How can it be off topic? He asked a question and got an answer. The topic never was about your method vs. another. He asked about using firesights and if anyone used them. I do and I answered. You apparently do not so what's the problem?

[TXGunNut]

A part of my comment was off-topic, my apologies. I'm just trying to learn more about the firesight and I appreciate your input. No problems here.

[starmac]

LOL, All info on them is appreciated. I do see where they would not be the best for target shooting. I should have made it clear that I am mostly talking about hunting use, though with my eyes, seeing the sights at all would help targets too. lol

Someone mentioned possibly loosing the fiber optic rod, which would not be a good deal at all. I have had concerns about how tough they were, probably the reason I have never tried them, but am thinking I should give one a try.

Who makes the toughest front fiber optic sight for hunting use, any opinions?

[dlbarr]

I have the Williams FP rear and a firesight on my 1895gs, Looks good and it extended the sight radius alot. I also installed a Merit adjustable aperture. It adjusts from .022 to .156

stubert, how'd you like that merit peep? I just ordered one from Midway yesterday...have been considering this for quite awhile.

I have had the very same question about using an FO front sight....can't get used to the idea as it offends my "traditional" sensibilities. But am willing to try it as the brass and steel front blades just aren't as visible as they used to be even with using an aperture. Thought maybe the adjustable Merit would be able to sharpen up the front sight some....any body ever try a german silver front blade with a peep?

[NSB]

The Merit will make any front sight sharper, fiber optic or German silver. I've been using Merit's on my guns with open sights for over thirty years. Merit makes a couple of different size adjustable apertures. Some are more for target work and some are for hunting. The hunting ones work better for hunting since they open wider for lower light conditions.

[dragon813gt]

I bought a Merit for my Skinner peep right before hunting season. I like it a lot but I found it has one disadvantage in the field. And it has to do w/ it's adjustment. I can't one hand mine to open the aperture up. It's no problem to close it one handed. This is the old lefty loosey righty tighty aspect of threads. When attempting to open it up I have to hold it w/ one hand to prevent it from unthreading from the stem.

I realized this the first time I used it at the range. But was painfully reminded, when I apparently left it closed from the last range session, took it hunting. Gloved hands do not make for easy adjustments as well. Maybe this is only the case w/ the Merit version for Skinners. But it's a quirk non the less.

[dlbarr]

The Merit will make any front sight sharper, fiber optic or German silver. I've been using Merit's on my guns with open sights for over thirty years. Merit makes a couple of different size adjustable apertures. Some are more for target work and some are for hunting. The hunting ones work better for hunting since they open wider for lower light conditions.

Need some help understanding this....Merit is an aperture sight...what do you mean by using it with open sights??


I bought a Merit for my Skinner peep right before hunting season. I like it a lot but I found it has one disadvantage in the field. And it has to do w/ it's adjustment. I can't one hand mine to open the aperture up. It's no problem to close it one handed. This is the old lefty loosey righty tighty aspect of threads. When attempting to open it up I have to hold it w/ one hand to prevent it from unthreading from the stem.

I realized this the first time I used it at the range. But was painfully reminded, when I apparently left it closed from the last range session, took it hunting. Gloved hands do not make for easy adjustments as well. Maybe this is only the case w/ the Merit version for Skinners. But it's a quirk non the less.

Maybe a drop of locktite on the threads would remedy this?

[NSB]

I mean some of my guns have open sights and some are scoped. The ones with open sights have Merit apertures on them. With the Merit on the rear, the front sight is sharper and clearer.

[dlbarr]

Not trying to argue or put words in your mouth, but I think what you're meaning is iron sights as opposed to "open" sights. I was just unclear as the idea of open sights + an aperture was not making sense to me.

[NSB]

Well, after over fifty years of shooting and over thirty years of competition shooting, you're the first person I've met who didn't understand the use of the words "open sights". Guess it might be local vernacular but I've shot matches in around twenty states and never ran into any confusion with the words "open sights". I guess I've got to get out more. I don't meet too many people who refer to fiber optic sights as "iron sights". Most call them "open sights". Hope you're a little less confused now. I think you'll find a lot of shooters using the same terminology I used. I don't want you to think I just made this up, so here's a link that took about two seconds to find that explains the definition of "open sights". http://hunting.about.com/od/guns/g/definition-of-open-sights.htm

[dlbarr]

Apologies, no offense meant.

As I said, it didn't make sense to me. Certainly not saying you didn't make sense at all.

[Remiel]

126108 sorry its upside(lousy phone) down but this was the pic i took when we installed the sights in the wifes shotgun this spring