globe type front sight Pro's and Con's ?

[RU shooter]

Well the load development on my new cast boolit match rifle is going well and I have the suitable rear sight on the way now the question is what to do with the front sight ,I have always shot a post/blade sight in competition (service rifle) and my eyes are still decent enough for that type of sight but I was thinking about installing a globe type with the interchangable inserts as that is what I see on "real" match rifles. What advantages and disadvantages are there between the globe sight and the standard post/blade ? this will be for 200 yd nra highpower competition use. I am assuming more accuracy in the slow fire stages? but will that also result in slower speeds in the rapid fire stages? I am at a disadvantage already with a bolt gun, 10 rds in 60 seconds is forever with a semiauto but just barely enough with a bolt action.


Thanks,Tim

[Firebird]

An aperture front insert may actually speed up your target acquisition in rapid fire as you are now simply looking through two holes to your target; which you will tend to line up on without thinking about it. The big advantage of course is that you can change what your front sight looks like, different sizes of apertures and/or sizes and types of posts are easily experimented with until you find out what works best for you.

[Doc Highwall]

Globe front sight with a aperture is what is used at the nationals in match rifle class. That is what the winners use for across the course, 2-3-600 yards, both slow and rapid fire.

[Larry Gibson]

Concur with Firebird and Doc Highwall.

Larry Gibson

[Bret4207]

From the limited shooting I've done with a globe type sight I find they work very well. In addition to the things the others mentioned, the hood keeps lighting in the front sight consistent.

[montana_charlie]

Back when my eyes were still under warranty, I didn't care much what kind of sights were on a gun. Not being a 'match' shooter, I thought those funny tubes on the weird shaped rifles were mostly an affectation for elitists.

Two thngs happened to change my mind.
1- I got to where seeing a notched rear sight became a guessing game, and my astigmatism started making a front post look more like an open gate.
2- I bought a Sharps rifle, which arrived with a globe sight mounted.

Now, I'm a believer in the utility of that kind of sight...and I am installing 'peeps' on the rear end of every rifle I have that doesn't carry a scope.

CM

[RU shooter]

Thanks all, seem's like all pro's and no con's

Tim

[405]

Yes, yes, yes and yes to all above.
The fast acquisition, open sights like you see on dangerous game rifles are designed for really short range point and shoot stuff. While they're OK for 20 year old eyes the best shooting (non-scope) is usually done with the rear aperture, front globe set up. The front globe with changeable inserts can only enhance the sight picture, alignment and accuracy. The next step in sight refinement for BPCR or most other shooting (with the exception of CAS) from aperture/globe is one I'm not looking forward to at all and that is the scope. We all get there sooner or later. :(

[Firebird]

The "CON" is the price, those sights aren't cheap.

[Boz330]

Yes, yes, yes and yes to all above.
The fast acquisition, open sights like you see on dangerous game rifles are designed for really short range point and shoot stuff. While they're OK for 20 year old eyes the best shooting (non-scope) is usually done with the rear aperture, front globe set up. The front globe with changeable inserts can only enhance the sight picture, alignment and accuracy. The next step in sight refinement for BPCR or most other shooting (with the exception of CAS) from aperture/globe is one I'm not looking forward to at all and that is the scope. We all get there sooner or later. :(

After a while, you get tired of missing though, especially sillywets. I can still do OK on the round paper targets with irons but I just can't see those steel ones. I put an MVA Malcom on my Hi-wall and it sure put a bunch of the fun back in it for me. Just give in and come over to the dark side.
Firebird the Lyman 17A isn't to bad around 30 bucks.

Bob