Iron sights

[Graysmoke]

I have come to the conclusion I can’t get consistent with peep sights. In the last three years I have burned 10lbs of powder many patches and balls. 50 yds 5 shots in 2” next time 6” some up and down or wide. Then 5 in 4” at 100 yds or not on paper ect. I have tried OX YOKE “v” peep, tang peep, homemade peep, I just can’t keep it in line. I know they are good in low light but if I’m no good with them?
I’ve ordered an iron front blade and a steel leaf ramp rear from TOW and will get back to basics. Cause of old eyes I use an aperture on my glasses which will help on blade sights.
Graysmoke

[M-Tecs]

If you are not focusing on and seeing the front sight crystal clear nothing will work well.

[HWooldridge]

What M-Tecs said...

...and try a very large aperture to see if your consistency improves. Start with .125 diameter or even larger.

[Texas by God]

If you are not focusing on and seeing the front sight crystal clear nothing will work well.

^^^this^^^^^
The front sight is getting a bit blurry on most of mine, too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[pietro]

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Yep, never try to center the target in the peep sight aperture - just look through (and not "at") the aperture, focus on the front sight, and place the front sight "on-target". The target will usually be slight out of focus, but not enough to effect accuracy.

( FWIW, I'm in my early 80's, and can still use peep sights to effect.)

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[Graysmoke]

I do believe this is the case cause even my ghost ring was off one day to the next. All were better with the eyeglass peep but not very good. Different light was problematic it changed the sight picture, more so than iron sights , as I believe.
So back to iron and a better group I hope and one other flea in the ointment, I just got my glasses changed…hadn’t figured that into the equation! Eh 75 year old eyes…..who would have gussed HA HA HA!
Graysmoke

[country gent]

As was said above go to a larger rear aperture most hunters use a ghost ring rear the eye will naturally center in the aperture. then focus on the front sight and the line of white between the bull and front aperture. There is a learning curve with these sights. but they can be very accurate. keep the rear aperture close to the eye not out in front where a normal rear sight would be. Look at the service rifles and match rifles the rear aperture is at the back of the action not in front of it. This allows the proper alignment and extends the sight radius.

[HamGunner]

My odometer just rolled over to 72 years old today, I am right there with ya. Put a Fire Sight front and peep sight rear on my 94 Win., so it is now back in my hands during hunting season. I had left it home for years in favor of scoped rifles as I just could not focus to see the sights. My .32 cal. Squirrel Rifle got a Fire Sight front and that helped a bunch. I put bright green paint on all my Black powder revolver front sights.

Eyes changing ever six months does not help either, along with the early stages of cataracts. So, I guess we can forget about "Aim Small, Hit Small". I have reluctantly accepted the fact that my best groups might just have to be a bit larger than they used to be.

But hey, who can see through all the gun smoke anyway?

[Graysmoke]

Been there did that… I mentioned I used a ghost ring, tang mount, was the last one tried last fall and till now. Painted the front sight green, orange, white and gold I even had some luminous paint for weaker light. I just not good with peeps, some times came out boarder line fair mostly solidly bad! Must correct the rear sight will be the screw adjustable kind for elevation.
Thanks for advice and letting me rant.
Graysmoke

[Super Sneaky Steve]

I prefer a ghost ring mounted way forward with a fiber front. The front and rear sight are both in focus this way and it always naturally centers.

[charlie b]

I ended up with Lyman peep rear and globe front. I use the circular insert. Center the globe in the peep, center target in the globe aperture. It's ok but I use a scope for load development.

[Hick]

You could try putting a globe sight with an aperture on the front. That way you are looking through two holes and your eye will naturally line them up even if they are fuzzy. I have artificial lenses in both eyes and cannot focus on either the front or rear sight, and they work great--I just put the thing I'm aiming at in the middle of the two holes.

[Streetwalker]

Another thing to consider is your cheek weld on the stock. It should be consistent from shot to shot. If you have to lift your head off the stock to see through the rear peep sight, you will have erratic, inconsistent projectile impact holes on the target. Build up the stock comb with leather pads or other material until you can consistently see straight through the rear peephole without any canting up or down, sideways-just straight through the peep. Then, concentrate on your front sight,[which should be sharply in focus], and it's placement on the target. Consistency is key for tight groups.

[indian joe]

I prefer a ghost ring mounted way forward with a fiber front. The front and rear sight are both in focus this way and it always naturally centers.

Steve if you can focus a front and rear sight of any kind at the same time you have good eyes - more grey hair and hard miles will proly bring you back to the rest of us ---- maybe not - some folk live to 100 and never visit an eye doctor

[AntiqueSledMan]

I went with the Marbles Bullseye Sight on the rear and a fiber optic on the front on one of my 30-30's and also on my .54 caliber Great Plains Hunter.
Probably not as good as a Tang Mounted Peep Sight, but it does seem to work for my failing eyesight.

AntiqueSledMan.

[dverna]

You have to use what works for you. It is good to hear what works for others, but their eyes are not your eyes.

Charlie b's way is how I do it. Granted, I do not shoot ML's, but guns are guns. I use a scope for load workups. If groups are not good and consistent with a scope, it is not the sights/eyes. Once the load is determined I revert back to iron sights if I want/need to use irons. I have a number of rifles with Marbles tang sights.

But find what works for you.

[Brimstone]

Complicated stuff most don't understand. Lighting, color tones, aperture sizes and of course size of targets.
Our expectations usually far exceed reality and biology.
I can still hit a 24" plate at 1,000 yards with an M1A with NM sights but not when the plate is grey from lead and the sand behind it a shade of grey too.
Same if the sand is wet, it goes dark dark grey and any target, be it lead grey or black just vanishes into the berm.

I need contrast at the very least and I need good lighting conditions to boot.

Also the expectations of aperture size I find unrealistic too, the sights on my M1A being substantially larger than those on my Rolling Block, the Lee Shaver apertures being of almost no use save the largest. IMO.

Also, target size, that 24" plate is starting to look more and more blurry as time goes on. Note the NRA official 1,000 yard target is a 44" bull. Ask yourself why .

[Graysmoke]

I did range time with replaced iron sight, an old fixed rear sight. There was a definite improvement tho all were low and a tad to the right, I did not file the front till I see where I group….5 at fifty yds. covered by a half dollar I’ll need more time to repeat before I jump up n down. I put the adjustable rear on my 50 cal. the fixed went on the 54.
And so it begins!
Graysmoke
PS. Thanks to all here for the help!!

[charlie b]

I did forget one other thing Brimstone brought up. Targets.

When using the rear peep and front globe with circular aperture I use a specifically sized bull. It is small enough to 'fit' within the front circular aperture. When sighting I then have two circles around a black blob. On a day with good light I can shoot 1" groups despite my old eyes.

To contrast, I can only get 2" groups with my Garand. The target is just not distinct enough to precisely place the front blade (and the blade isn't that well focused either). I have experimented with circular targets, large ring around a white center. Kinda like the idea of the benchrest square sighting target.

[country gent]

ANother is to look at your grocery store rite aides ect for reading glasses. FInd a pair that focus your vision better at the sights distsances and try them they arnt expensive. If your diabetic or have blood pressure issues it may take more than one pair for given days. Both of those affect vision.

[Graysmoke]

Had range time today, did a few shots to establish a load to start with and had it settle down. Started group work with first shots 4” low and right filed the front sight got it to 2” low from center of the bull 3 side by side. Upped the charge 10 grs. and put 2 more close to the same. Went to 100 yds. still low but just below the bull, all in all very good start need more work but a big improvement over peeps.
Graysmoke

[Wooserco]

I did forget one other thing Brimstone brought up. Targets.

When using the rear peep and front globe with circular aperture I use a specifically sized bull. It is small enough to 'fit' within the front circular aperture. When sighting I then have two circles around a black blob. On a day with good light I can shoot 1" groups despite my old eyes.

To contrast, I can only get 2" groups with my Garand. The target is just not distinct enough to precisely place the front blade (and the blade isn't that well focused either). I have experimented with circular targets, large ring around a white center. Kinda like the idea of the benchrest square sighting target.

When I was shooting M1 Garand HP CMP competition, I used a white paint pen to paint the top of the front blade and just down to the first serration so that I had definition between the front sight and the target, regardless of the range: 200, 300 or 600 yards.

[charlie b]

I might try that one. I put orange inserts on my pistols for same reason.