Which front sight insert for hunting...

[Andy Mayer]

and other non-circular targets?

Right now I'm shooting the smallest circle in the cross hairs insert that came in my Lee Shaver card and I like it, the cirle in a circle. I'm shooting iron E-type silhouette targets with the insert and still prefer it. I'm just wondering if the square post insert would be better for hunting? Any help would be appreciated.

Andy

[Doc Highwall]

I would use a wide post in front. That is what I have used.

[giz189]

As Doc Highwall said, a post is good. Also, I am going to try a crosshair next hunting season.

[Doc Highwall]

The trouble with cross-hairs is they get lost in the brush especially when it starts to get dark.

The heavy post is easier to see and does not block the view on both sides and top. A thin walled globe is better or a larger diameter globe so it does not block your view at game as much.

If I was going to hunt with iron sights again, I would use a hunting peep on the rear and a heavy post/blade on the front with side-wing protectors like a military gun to protect the post/blade for the most unobstructed view.

[myfriendis410]

I've shot a couple of hogs with my Sharps, one was black, right before dark. There was no way I could see that post. I had to walk up to about 30 yards to actually put the post on him. I've got a circle front on there now, hoping that I can see that better in twilight. My eyes are getting old.......

[Boz330]

I like the cross hairs but they would be a tough in brush. For 100 yrd or less I like a fine ivory bead if twilight is the norm. I have taken 2 with cross hairs and it worked great both times but it was in an open field.

Bob

[Shooter]

Has anyone tried the yellow plastic peep insert?

[giz189]

I've shot a couple of hogs with my Sharps, one was black, right before dark. There was no way I could see that post. I had to walk up to about 30 yards to actually put the post on him. I've got a circle front on there now, hoping that I can see that better in twilight. My eyes are getting old....... I had that problem with the post vanishing on me also. Someone on the forum suggested a crosshair for hunting. I haven't bought a set of replacement front sights yet, but probably will bwfore hunting season. If that does not work, might try the yellow or just go with a medium circle.

[Doc Highwall]

Remember you can paint a vertical line on the face of the post leaving the sides black.

[MGySgt]

I paint the entire post orange for hunting (too much snow for white).

No problem taking an elk at 165 yards with my Sharps!

[montana_charlie]

Remember you can paint a vertical line on the face of the post leaving the sides black.


I paint the entire post orange for hunting (too much snow for white).
Neither of you guys are talking about an insert in a globe sight, are you?

CM

[MGySgt]

I sure am - Lyman 17A on my repro 1866 Sharps business rifle with a Lee Shaver mid range Soule site on the rear.

Added - Hadely Eye Cup

[Doc Highwall]

MC, you could still paint a stripe on the post of a Lyman 17A insert.

What I found to be wanting for me when I used one on my highwall was the field of view was small for hunting but good for target shooting.

[montana_charlie]

I have not had reason to change the color of any of my inserts away from basic black, but I did have a problem with visibility once. Shooting toward the east, it got late enough in the afternoon that the sun dropped to just over my shoulder.

As the sunlight was shining past my head and through the globe sight, it washed out the black of the insert ... turning it a silvery-grey/dirty-white color that was almost invisible against the background I was shooting into.

Since an insert exists within the shadow of a darkened tube, and you only see it in silhouette against the brighter background of a naturally lit panorama, I imagine that the insert will always appear black ... no matter what paint you apply.

Ex-skuse me if I'm wrong about that. But, it sure seems logical ...

CM

[Doc Highwall]

I got a set of 17A inserts in with a bunch of stuff as a package deal at one time and somebody painted the post with a bright reflective color and I put it in but it did not look as good as a all black one.

When I was shooting only a M-14 I always used a carbide smoker to make the front sight real black and even used it for the Lyman 17A sights after that with no light reflection what so ever.

I like to sand/bead blast my inserts then blue them for a non-reflective finish, as the lighter colors that I have tried do not work for me with lighter back grounds like sand or snow.

Even the colored inserts for pistols do not work well for my eyes. I like the under cut front sights that are black only.

[bigted]

doc...ill chime in on this with you...i have a S&W 44 mag 4 inch barrel with the orange insert in the top...wound up painting it flat black so i could get the full sharp square profile of the front sight in my rear u blade. i file the rear with a round file...3/16ths i think...and the sharp difference between the round u-notch rear and the partridge post front makes a great combo for letting enough light around the front to do some pretty fine shooting with a pistol.

my hi-wall's and my sharps all have the post front as i like to do the 6-o-clock hold on bulls and game alike and this seems to be the stuff for me so far.

i like the sharp square front to put on animals and targets alike as there is nothing that symmetrical in nature so it really stands out....ever wonder why the military front sights are almost all square posts>?

[longranger]

I take off the silhouette sight and go for my 1884 Indian head penny front sight for hunting I have not seen anything that shows up better.Them old timers knew what they were doing.

[JIMinPHX]

I went looking for some rifle sights recently. I was a little taken back at some of the prices that I saw. After thinking about it for a week or so, it dawned on me that a Ruger 10-22 has sights that I really like & the whole gun, sights & all, costs less than some of the sights I was looking at.

I looked up replacement sights for a 10-22 from Midway. Rear sights were about $12 & the front was about $6. You can get standard brass bead or fiber optic. I opted for the brass bead. I had to cut some dovetails to mount those sights, but that's something that I can do without too much trouble.

I learned a few things in the process. The "R" that is stamped on one side of the rear sight doesn't mean "right". It is the reduced side of the dovetail. It goes on the left side. That thing had about .004" of taper to it, so it got tighter as I drive it deeper into the dovetail groove. The front sight had a similar taper. It also had a bump on the bottom which is probably there in case you need to mount it in a dovetail that is worn. I fitted my dovetail to the front sight as it arrived. In the future, I would file that bump off first & then fit the dovetail groove to the sight.

Replacement sights for a Marlin 336 were my second choice. They were reasonably priced too. I find either the 10-22 or 336 sights to be good for fast target line up in a hunting situation.

[Doc Highwall]

Here is a company that makes sights that I am thinking of getting for a Ruger 10-22.

http://tech-sights.com/

[flounderman]

back when I could see iron sights , I used an offset pair for left eye, right shoulder. I used the amber aperture, in a redfield front sight and used a post that I bent down to the bottom of the hole in the front aperture, to keep from canting. I prefer the amber aperture to the skeleton apertures. just a series of circles, no fuzzy edges