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Thread: Buckhorn sights

  1. #1
    Boolit Master

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    Buckhorn sights

    I got a nice Buckhorn sight. I cannot get it to line up at all.
    What is the sight picture I need to use?
    Is it a round peep sight, or do I use the top blades, or the lower notch?

  2. #2
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    A flat top sight is much better as it does not obscure the target.

    A buckhorn is used like any open sight. The bead gets set in the notch.

    They look cool but are a handicap in accurate shooting.

    Who knew the most about accurate shooting with open sights ? The military. You'll never see anything on a military rifle but a flat top rear open sight.

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master pietro's Avatar
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    Now I lay me down to sleep
    A gun beside me is what I keep
    If I awake, and you're inside
    The coroner's van is your next ride

  4. #4
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    Note the lack of a notch in the bottom of the sight. Anyone actually seen a full buckhorn that looks light that ?

    Here's link to a full buckhorn sight ---- note the notch.

    https://www.midwayusa.com/product/32...ght-steel-blue

  5. #5
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    if you search around for images of original 19th century rifle buckhorns, most were just semi circles and no notches, as in the images above. consider it what it's s'posed to emulate - a rear peep sight.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by TAC14 View Post
    Note the lack of a notch in the bottom of the sight. Anyone actually seen a full buckhorn that looks light that ?

    Here's link to a full buckhorn sight ---- note the notch.

    https://www.midwayusa.com/product/32...ght-steel-blue
    YES and so have you. The very sight that you have a link to is such an open sight ... just also has the little disc with the notch in the bottom. Loosen the small screw and slide that small disc out the bottom and WALLA ... the remaining full "buckhorn" is the round bottom afair shown in the illistration sbove.

    I love these sights. They work exactly like the illistration AND look at home on any vintage style rifle. They also allow the very best target view known. Rite up there with an open peep sight (as in the for mentioned military sights). Very fast and easy to aquire in low light conditions ... unlike the flat top blade.

    In answer to original Q ... just like the illistration above.

  7. #7
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    Any sight that blocks a major portion of the target and reduces light sent to the eye is NG.

    If you remove the insert in the sight linked to (there for fine adjustments) you have a sight with a big square notch in the bottom, hardly like that pictured in the fuzzy pics above.

    Just because they did it in the 18th century doesn't mean it was the best solution.

    Funny how NO rifle maker in the hayday of open sights had a buckhorn as a standard offering.

    Looks cool but there are far better choices.
    Last edited by TAC14; 12-22-2017 at 10:33 AM.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by rfd View Post
    if you search around for images of original 19th century rifle buckhorns, most were just semi circles and no notches, as in the images above. consider it what it's s'posed to emulate - a rear peep sight.
    Yep, whenever I've had one on a rifle I opened the sight as round as possible, and used it as a peep sight.
    The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
    John Taylor - "African Rifles and Cartridges"

    Forget everything you know about loading jacketed bullets. This is a whole new ball game!


  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    Other than being "period correct", they're about the worst sight I've ever used on any gun for precision shooting. They work marginally OK for large game at close distances, but there are a lot better choices out there for both hunting or target shooting.

  10. #10
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    I'll pile on. I don't like them or those infernal saddle rings!

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master pietro's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TAC14 View Post

    Funny how NO rifle maker in the hayday of open sights had a buckhorn as a standard offering.

    REALLY ? ?

    A ca.1916 Winchester






    A Henry





    A ca.1904 Marlin 1893




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    Now I lay me down to sleep
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    If I awake, and you're inside
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  12. #12
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    Only the Marlin "might be" OEM. And, as I said they were not a regular offerring.

    The sight on the redone 92 is a Marble. The one on the modern Henry has a setscrew in the dovetail, something no Henry ever had. Real Henry rifles had a tangent open flat top rear sight. Rent Lonesome Dove and you can see Gus use one to good effect.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    You might want to buy THE SIGHT BOOK by Madis so you could see what sights were sold on Winchesters.
    Last edited by TAC14; 12-22-2017 at 10:20 PM.

  13. #13
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    Interesting how a debate begins out of opinion ... however this was not the question originally posted.

    I maintain the same "opinion", the illustration is the exact way i use "FULL BUCKHORN" sight like a barrel mounted peep only better ... IMO.

    As for obscuring the target ... my estimation differs in that I see way more of my target with a full buckhorn then I do with a flat top sight the completely covers everything below the top of the flat top sight. HOWEVER ... these are only MY opinions ... shared by more than a few i know of.

    I have several of the full buckhorns in your link and i do know how they look without the little blade in the bottom of these excellent sights. I never hold the top of the front sight on the bottom of the curved bottom of these sights ... rather i hold the top of the front sight in the center of the curved "buckhorn". Top of the front at the top of the horns and so on as in the illustration.
    Last edited by bigted; 12-22-2017 at 10:50 PM.

  14. #14
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    "REALLY ? ?"

    Yes and all of these are semi-buckhorns as well.

  15. #15
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    A semi buckhorn does not function like a full buck horn.
    The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
    John Taylor - "African Rifles and Cartridges"

    Forget everything you know about loading jacketed bullets. This is a whole new ball game!


  16. #16
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    Tac 14 ... am i misunderstanding you somehow? Seems as tho this has become personal to yo and if i am the culprit i apologize. Never meant any harm, just relaying my personal system works for me.

    Merry Christmas brother. Happy holidays.

  17. #17
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    Hardly personal. You may use any sights you like. The open semi/full buckhorn has been castigated by gunwriters far more expert than I. No open sight is great compared to an aperture. Were target blocking open sights so great, they would have been adopted by handgun shooters long ago. It seems some are using a full buckhorn sorta like an aperture sight but being so far out there on the barrel it, like all open sights, tasks the shooter with 3 things to focus on. Looks cool, but any shooter will admit to shooting far better with an aperture and post front than with any open sight, front bead combo ----- as all rifle target shooters have for over a century.

    Additionally, as all handgun bullseye shooters know, the farther the distance between the sights, the easier it is to shoot well. Grandpa put a tang sight on that 86' because it was more accurate. Better sight picture and far more distance between the sights.

    I still like scopes, red dots and lasers better than any irons.

    Here's link to JOC's views on iron sights. Excellent illustrations of which give the best view.
    I'll heed his wisdom.

    https://books.google.com/books?id=qt...sights&f=false

    A couple of cast boolit rifles built for ultimate accuracy. Aperture sights only. I couldn't find one one with a heel sight.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by TAC14; 12-25-2017 at 12:17 AM.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by pietro View Post

    This is how I use mine too. It’s gives me a whole bunch of sight pictures for one load or different loads. My 38 wadcutters with a fine bead hit spot on at 25 yards. Hold up as high as I can with a coarse bead like the last picture and they’re spot on for 200 yards steel plinking.
    No aight adjustments, just holding up more front sight like Elmer Keith always did

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by waksupi View Post
    A semi buckhorn does not function like a full buck horn.
    Please elaborate. Do you just mean not as precise in its various sight pictures given the shape of the rear sight? Or something else?
    Thank you

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael J. Spangler View Post
    Please elaborate. Do you just mean not as precise in its various sight pictures given the shape of the rear sight? Or something else?
    Thank you
    It does not present a full peep aperture. The eye automatically finds the center of a circle. There is no circle with a semi buckhorn.
    The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
    John Taylor - "African Rifles and Cartridges"

    Forget everything you know about loading jacketed bullets. This is a whole new ball game!


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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check