Shooting with a scope is great but I collect old gun sights and enjoy taking my .22s out and plinking away using peep sights. My Mossberg 151 is one of my favorites. Anyone else like to use the old peep sights and flip ups?
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Shooting with a scope is great but I collect old gun sights and enjoy taking my .22s out and plinking away using peep sights. My Mossberg 151 is one of my favorites. Anyone else like to use the old peep sights and flip ups?
All mine have peep sights as the primary sight (22LR, M1, Mauser, Enfield, 223 Rem and three levers). I only own one scope and its sitting on a shelf in the closet at the moment.
Sure. Almost all my firearms. I only have a scope on a Rem. 700, and a Tasco pro point on a .22 pistol.
Some are receiver peeps, some are small buckhorn, and a .45/70 with a flip up.
Learned to appreciate peep sights in the Service on M-14 & M-16s, and have always kept drifting back to them.
Being farther back, they allow for a longer sight radius ( I think that's the term) than a barrel mounted leaf.
I never really liked peep sights. I prefer blade rear sights, either square or semi-buckhorn. Never been into scopes, except now I have a savage 110 with only a scope for sighting. Feel like I'm spying on the deer!
Yep,
Have them on 3 Winchester 94's, Marlin 39, 336, 1895(2) & 1894CS.
M1917, M1903A3, M1917 Sporter in .257 Robt's
And #4 N2 SMLE
Oh, an H&R Buffalo Rifle , can't remember the name of the sight maker.
Oh, Ya ! My #1 10/22 DLX SPRTR. I put a Williams sliding peep on it about 30yrs ago. Has never had to be adjusted since that 1st sighting in.
My leverguns and single shots all have peep sights. I notice the apertures need to be larger as my eyes get older but I still love them.
Enjoy those full and semi-buckhorns while you can. They can be very accurate sights, but require young eyes that have the ability to rapidly shift focus. Using them successfully requires being able to "draw a fine bead", as the notches are often very small and narrow as are the accompanying front sights. As you get older and the lenses of your eyes become less flexible, perhaps complicated with early cataracts, peep sights are the best option. Also, they are a great choice at any stage of life for better sight/target acquisition in low light.
There's a good article in this issue of Rifle about the almost lost art of shooting with iron sights. Maybe I think it's good because it reflects my life experiences with iron sights. Like the author, I grew up with BB guns and open-sighted .22s. In Jr. High I shot NRA smallbore on an indoor range with aperture sights, graduated to highpower shooting M1s and M14, back to smallbore on a higher level (equipmentwise). Shooting HP up to 600 yds on a regular basis taught me how accurate irons on a good rifle can be. Then I hunted with scoped rifles through many years and did very little rifle shooting with irons.
Most of my rifle shooting in the last 15 years or so has revolved around surplus military rifles, so I have no choice with them (not willing to alter them for scopes, or other aftermarket sights). It's not easy anymore (I'm in my 60s), but with the help of glasses I can deal with reality.
My current setup on a couple of 22's is an aperature rear and a dayglow orange fiberoptic front sight. They are both old Remingtons, a 521T and a 511 I think. The 521 came with a nice Lyman rear sight and the 511 got an old reciever sight from a Marlin that was scoped and subsequently lost track of through being "inherited". I can use open sights quite well also.
Absolutely. Shoot quite a bit with Garans, carbines, and 03 Springfields. I flip up the ladder on the 03 and use the aperture, and my 03A3 is actually tricked out for match shooting with a Lyman peep and globe front.
I put together a .223 bolt gun for NRA Highpower, set up the sights same as the O3A3. And finally, 2 of my .22s are set up with peeps. I put Lyman peep and globe front on my grandpa's old Mossberg bolt action single shot. I bought a Ruger American Rimfire last summer, and interchange scope and aperture depending on what I feel like doing.
I use peep or tang sights where they makes sense, but prefer scopes on most of my rifles.
I have to say that I do love peep sights. I have quite a few of them on various rifles, mostly lever actions. But... like a couple of others have mentioned, as the eyes keep growing older/weaker I gravitate to what works easier/better for me. At the moment my "weak eye" solution has been the Burris Fastfire 3. I would not put one on my Garand or M1A, but I did put one on my M1 Carbine and a couple other rifles and they work like a champ. I still prefer a scope on my bolt rifles that I hunt big game with though.
Just something about a peep sight. Oh, now I remember. I can hit better with a peep sight than any other open sight. I have a Remington Model 510 that came with standard sights. I'm seriously considering tracking down a peep sight for it. I have no doubt about the accuracy in that old gun as I have shot it several times now.
There are times when I just want to relax. Taking that old single shot and a bulk pack of ammunition and heading for the sticks or a creek bank, seems to be some of the best trigger therapy in the world.
Murphy
years back I had a old mossberg (I forget the model), but it was a benchrest gun with Peep and hooded front site that came with many inserts. I was in a rimfire rifle league, but I could never compete with the other open site shooters, so I upgraded to a Ruger 77/22 that had some action work but still have factory barrel, with a Leupold Vari-X-III with mildot reticle to shoot in the scoped hunter class.
I had several other rifles with peeps, but due to my old eyes, they have mostly gone down the road... the only gun I currently own with a Peep is a Marlin 1894s (41mag) which works well-enough with the brass bead front site.
I like them in spite of old eyes. I have a 1903 A3 Springfield that has the rear aperture and front blade. I also have a Marlin 39A with Williams rear sight and tunnel foresight, A Winchester 1885 .22LR with tang and tunnel and a Marlin .357 Cowboy that swaps between a cope and apertures. All good fun.
I like them for certain guns( my 44-40 and 38-55) and will use them as long as I can. But I like scopes, too. A lot.
I used to love peep sights put them on anything i could. Eyesight going down hill so switching to optical sights now.
I like all types of iron sights, but aperture sights are easiest to shoot accurately. I have a peep on my M14 and one for my M25 Remington’s, watching for one for the m121. Shot small bore 3 position for many years and high power for a while so receiver mounted peeps are well understood. I have a tang on a Low Wall 45colt and not really in love, figured out it gets in the way. I mostly hunt with pre war vintage sporting guns and that means open sights mostly. Now a favorite 22 is a Winchester M69, first year with the receiver peep sight. That rifle is slim and trim and that little peep is awesome! I will try and post a picture, don’t see them often. Seems lots of fine sights got relagated to junk drawers when scopes became mainstream. Scopes have their place, but I think everyone should learn to setup and use metallic sights, both open and aperture styles. With the proper bull and properly setup double apertures, I shoot better groups than with a typical scope. Hunting is different, a scope extends your range and low light, as well as “ helping our “vintage” eyes!
I have peeps or tangs on quite a few of my rifles. Have a few guns I wish I could fit with them. I like shooting iron sights but my eyes just can't focus normal rear sights very well anymore. Aperture sights solve the problem. Just got Lyman 57WJS mounted on a Remington 721 I picked up a few weeks ago. I have at least a dozen rifles with aperture sights and a bunch of Mosin Nagants I wish I could mount some more on..
Ithaca (Tikka) .243 set up with Lyman sight just for fun.
Yes, I loved it. I was in that League in late 90's and early 2000s. While you can pay more money for better guns, this was the cat's meow for hunter class with the 10 rd rotory mag. I swapped out the sear/spring myself (Volquartsen) and polished mating parts. It helped me take first in the hunter class at many events. When I quit league shooting, I sold it...and still regret that sale.Quote:
SNIP...
I was in a rimfire rifle league, but I could never compete with the other open site shooters, so I upgraded to a Ruger 77/22 that had some action work but still have factory barrel, with a Leupold Vari-X-III with mildot reticle to shoot in the scoped hunter class.
ALSO...just a heads up, some of them have an issue with accuracy due to the two piece bolt...mine must have been mated correctly at the factory. I've read that a poorly mated bolt can be corrected by a good gunsmith.
I shoot OK with open sights, much better with aperture sights, and best with a relatively high powered scope ... (thanks to hazy 66 year old eyes), but have always enjoyed shooting vintage rifles with aperture sights.
https://i.imgur.com/TQr6dxk.jpg
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https://i.imgur.com/jLzgBB5.jpg
I just won a Redfield "K" peep for my Krag project and I'm tickled pink. I have another Redfield for a Stevens .22 that I'll mount on a Rem 510 if possible. My wife's Howa M1 carbine has the sliding style sight and anything under 100yds is in trouble when she's shooting it. She'd never used a peep sight before and it took her a full 30 seconds to master it[emoji16]
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Many of my old-timer single shots have the original tang-mounted peep sights. As long as I have time, I can shoot them pretty nearly as well as with a period scope, even with 70-year-old eyes. Quick target acquisition is difficult to impossible, though. When I could still hunt, I sometimes used a Savage 99 with a "ghost ring" sight on it . A Lyman peep with the eyecup removed.
For 50 yards or better I have had to use a peep or scope for some time now. Not far from legally bling in one eye without contacts. My Rossi 92 has a tang peep that was tough to use at first, but adding a fiber optic front sight made a huge difference. I have recently acquired a TC Hawken that has a tang peep mounted and I am thinking the long sight radius will help me a lot. If I can shoot the thing in an 8 inch circle at 100 yards I figure I should be good for elk with conicals.
I prefer peeps on my Lever actions.
My hunting rifles have Skinner Sights.
My 38-55 sees more use as a target rifle so has a Williams receiver sight with the target knobs and my 1873 has a Marbles Tang.
I also like to change out the front sight to a Skinner patridge style blade wherever i can. I find i can shoot better with the blade than i can with a bead.
My 38-55 and the 1873 both have the Lyman 17A globe front sight with interchangeable inserts. On paper targets i like to use the appropriately sized round ring insert and i can hold under MOA using those sights.
I also have a T/C Encore and 2 Lee Enfields with peep sights. I'm not adverse to scopes but the 5 scoped rifles i own all have Leupold VX-II 4x33's mounted. I like compact, low mounted fixed power optics.
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Yes almost All of mine have Ghost ring Peeps. on Bolt guns they mount to the scope dovetail / Tang sights on 2 Lever guns and a Skinner on my Marlin. I also put a tang mounted one on a Muzzle loader I just finished
Love peeps, especially on older rifles.
Btw, you wouldn’t be the miner John that makes tdi metal detector coils would ya?
You make me want to be young again. To me peep sights are the greatest invention since the barrel. When I was 12 yrs old I got me a M1917 30-06 with the peep sight. With no instruction and no internet in those days, I sought out someone who knew how to use one. Quick simple instruction..."Put the top of the front sight in the middle of the ring..." That was all it took. Man I could SHOOT with that thing. The next year at the age of 13 hunting (unsupervised) with my buddy of the same age. Saw a deer skylining at what looked to be about 350 yards. I did a quick calculation in my head on the bullet drop and aimed at a point above the deer. My buddy already shot 3 times and missed. It was far enough away that the deer just stood there and wondered what was going on. I took one shot and the deer was gone. Must have hit it. Paced off the walk up there. 365 yards...there the deer was laying.
To me, If your eyes are good, a peep sight is darn near as good as a low powered scope. I only wish I could see now. There is no way I can focus on one anymore. sigh It is all scopes for me now.
Thanks! It's a W.W. Greener .22 LR Martini take-down. The baby Martini action rifles are still one of my favorite single shot actions.
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https://i.imgur.com/WIKKtEP.jpg
Here's my favorite 22,it is a 70's competition rifle:
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Now your talking a subject near and dear to my heart.
I use Redfield International Peep sights on my .22 caliber Winchester 52D Heavy Barrel target rifle. Circa 1965.
Allowing 1/16 inch adjustments.
The only addition I use to this sight is a Redfield "X Tube", which attaches to the sight and looks like a scope, but in reality is a hollow tube that is adjustable to allow you to see only the outline of the front sights outer edge.
It eliminates all the side light from your line of vision when aiming.
Giving the user basically tunnel vision to the target.
At every competition I've ever entered, I have always had to allow the officials to look through to make sure in wasn't a scope.
A great tool and I've often wondered why more shooters don't use one. Especially Biathalon competitors.
Other than that I use a flip up Tang Sight on my 1873 Winchester 32-20.
I'm a purist I guess and you can consider other users of peep sights the same, in my opinion.
Using this type of sight develop skills and refine skills. That's what I try to teach when I coach young shooters. Then move on to the "high tech" sighting systems and see your skills soar.
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