Buckhorn sights

[docone31]

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?

[TAC14]

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.

[pietro]

https://s26.postimg.org/w79zlw0op/Using_the_Peephorn.jpg

[TAC14]

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/323720/marbles-sporting-rear-sight-carbine-style-1-7-8-short-blade-full-buckhorn-with-double-step-elevator-300-to-510-height-steel-blue

[rfd]

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.

[bigted]

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/323720/marbles-sporting-rear-sight-carbine-style-1-7-8-short-blade-full-buckhorn-with-double-step-elevator-300-to-510-height-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.

[TAC14]

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.

[waksupi]

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.

[NSB]

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.

[Texas by God]

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

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[pietro]

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




REALLY ? ?

A ca.1916 Winchester

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Driftwood_Johnson/sights/MarblesSemi-BuckhornonWinchester1892Carbine.jpg




A Henry

https://gunsmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/first9.jpg



A ca.1904 Marlin 1893

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JsvsfBFqvF8/VaxB8nBeeoI/AAAAAAAAM9g/LHXe99k8QC0/s640/IMG_0390.JPG


.

[TAC14]

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.

210016

You might want to buy THE SIGHT BOOK by Madis so you could see what sights were sold on Winchesters.

[bigted]

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.

[TAC14]

"REALLY ? ?"

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

[waksupi]

A semi buckhorn does not function like a full buck horn.

[bigted]

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.

[TAC14]

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=qthvCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT317&lpg=PT317&dq=jack+o%27connor+on+iron+sights&source=bl&ots=ETp7D3gR9V&sig=9KYdFE054yhniJr5Ri1Dp8bpOjs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiuqqGAoaTYAhVEabwKHTyuDKU4ChDoAQhEMAU#v =onepage&q=jack%20o%27connor%20on%20iron%20sights&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.

210205

210206

[Michael J. Spangler]

https://s26.postimg.org/w79zlw0op/Using_the_Peephorn.jpg


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

[Michael J. Spangler]

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

[waksupi]

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.

[TAC14]

Except Elmer derided all open sights on rifles (see BIG GAME RIFLES). His famous 44 Magnum kill of the wounded deer could have been done in one shot had his S&W been scoped.

Back in the day there were globe front sights housing a fine vertical wire with 3 dots affixed to it. Worked like a bow sight. You selected which bead to use and placed it in the center of the aperture or the notch of an open sight. Far better than "Kaintuckie" elevation guesses. Some handgun front sights replicate this idea with horizontal gold lines. Better than a swag.

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