What do you folks think of the fire sight front beads?

[Canuck Bob]

I am wondering about these fiber optic style front sights for my receiver sighted levers. I'm kinda stuck on the traditional all steel and wood lever rifle idea. Still a guy should stay a little open minded I guess. I've noticed some died in the wool lever rifleman seem to like these things.

Can a guy hold a good accurate bead with these gizmos?

Do they really work at dawn and dusk as advertised?

[rodeo kid]

They help my old tired eyes see the sights better. I have them on a Black Powder rifle and a .17hmr bolt action and like them. I have not put any on a lever action yet. God Bless.

[J Miller]

I am wondering about these fiber optic style front sights for my receiver sighted levers. I'm kinda stuck on the traditional all steel and wood lever rifle idea. Still a guy should stay a little open minded I guess. I've noticed some died in the wool lever rifleman seem to like these things.

Can a guy hold a good accurate bead with these gizmos?

Do they really work at dawn and dusk as advertised?

All of my receiver sighted rifles have a post or a sourdough type front sight on them. I can't shoot well with a bead sight and a rear peep.
That said, all the fiber optic sights I've seen have been round beads rather than a post so that would be very difficult for me to use.
Also I use a 6:00 hold sighting my guns for the bullet to hit right at the top of the front sight. I don't know how these fiber optic sights would work with that.

If the manufacturers ever decide to come out with a square post type sight with a fiber optic insert I'd be inclined to try one.

Joe

[Pete44ru]

I've been using FO front sights ever since they were first introduced, many years ago.

IMHO, NOTHING, short of a scope, is as good at those early game-shooting times, just before/after sun rise/set, AND in dark, shadowy areas encountered on some canyons, swamps, & buck bedrooms on gloomy days.

Their only short-coming is in very bright sunlight, against snow - but I'v always been told to "hold on hair", and not snow.

Currently, ALL my iron-sighted rifles carry FO sights, the peeped ones only a front, but some both front/rear barrel FO sights.

There are both fine/coarse bead sizes in at least 3 colors available, in many heights & apps.

A 6-Oclock hold, ILO a center hold, puts game in the bag - and a front sight hood with a "window" cut into it's "ceiling" will protect from clumsy breakage. (I have yet to break my 1st)

.

[Hobie]

My color vision keeps me from seeing them well.

[Old Ironsights]

I like them, but most of the "light pipe" type of front sights use too large of a "bead" for anything but close in work.

[AJMD429]

I get the free ones with the Williams FP's, then replace the orange fiber with yellow or green, which I find better for hunting.

[piller]

I have them on my .270, model 92 in .480, and muzzle loader. I like them because they help my eyes to grab the target better. I am seriously considering getting a very thin fiberoptic front for my guide gun. They cover a large part of the target, but I can easily use my head to make up for that.

[kimwcook]

I've never even sighted a shotgun or rifle with them.

[Udy]

Mearly my opinion.
I had one on my 450 marlin for a while. It was quick on target with a rear peep set up in the sun light was best as it glows fantasic, your eye is drawn to it. I would not expect much acuracy out of it much past 75 yards. It is a big bead, and covers too much taget for any kind of percision work. In early morning or evenening it holds absolutly no advantage over any other kind of sight as it just becomes a dark bead. It takes sun to make it work, for that matter even in the middle of the day if your under sun chocked timber it will not work either. I got mine hung up on some blackberry vines or some such thing and broke the little plastic tube, then I got rid of it.

[Chuck 100 yd]

I`m in the "no like um camp". They just don`t do it for me
thank you!

[Blaine]

Used with a ghost ring, it's just like a red dot scope. Not for target work. Even in low light, the green, small one is very visable.

[Old Shatterhand]

They work fine for me. They don't glare in brigt sunlight as a metall bead does, and one see them fine when it's getting darker. But I think they are at their best with a common U-notch - my own patterns with peep sight weren't impressing, to put it mildly.

They are not expensive: get one and try! Then you have made your own opinions. How one experiences sights is rather individual.

Pete

[1894c]

They help my old tired eyes see the sights better.

My same experience--thought they were a gimmick until I bought a Ruger 10/22 that had one--now I'm sold... :)

[Borregos]

I have one on my Marlin 1895 Guide Gun, and while it is not as good as a scope in low light conditions, it helps. The bead is a bit on the large side and I would not want to use it much beyond 75 yards but this is not a problem where I hunt as 50 yards is around the max distance I could take a shot anyway.
Hope this helps

[rbertalotto]

I love em on my hunting rifles! Nothing faster or better in low light..........







These are the Williams Firesights..........Sold at Brownells and Midway

[damienph]

I haven't used them on a rifle but I've had a set (green front & orange rear) on my Mossberg 835 turkey gun for several years. I really like them on it.

[Machado]

rbertalotto, please tell me what model your Williams Firesights are. I will order a set.
Thank you,
Antonio

[rbertalotto]

The sites in the picture are on a 24" barrel shortened to 20.5"............The sights you order are dependent on barrel length and the distance between the two sights.

I ended up ordering one of each of the different front sight heights so I could experiment with them. Took a bit of range time to work it all out.

The Brownells catalog (might be on their web site) has a graph on how to do the math to pick the correct sights.

Or you could measure the current height of your sights and order as needed.........

Or call Williams Sight Co.......Great folks tio work with.

Sorry....Hope this helps

[Machado]

Thank you, Roy. I did the same for other Pumas I own that sport a receiver peep sight. I appreciate Firesights, even though I am color-blind. But I particularly liked the rear sight on your gun. I looked at Williams' 2011 catalog and it looks like the rear sight for a Ruger 10/22. I'll call them and make sure.
Antonio

[rimrock]

I don't have any FO sights. I do have one pistol with Trijicon night sights that have been a little less accurate for me. Mainly there is a difference where I hold this Trijicon on a semi auto pistol compared with the Patridge sight on my single action. I can regulate better with the Patridge sight.

I have a white, wide XS front post sight and XS Ghost Ring on my lever that works well for me when I'm using iron sights.

rimrock

[mulegunner]

I like the way they "light" up....but I just couldn't bring my self to put them on a lever gun.....I'd go with a peep or ghost ring first.

[M. M. Wright]

+1 on what J. Miller said.

[COSteve]

Deleted

[AJMD429]

This is a view through a Williams WGRS (same as their FP aperture-wise) that I 'ghost-ringed' by removing the aperture. The front sights just sort of stands out there, and your eye automatically wants to tip the muzzle to get it to 'line-up'. Fast and nice.



Colors easy to change - just buy some spare fiberoptic locally or from MidwayUSA or Brownell's of the same diameter, and 'heat' it in with a match or lighter.