PEEP SIGHTS

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308magtip
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PEEP SIGHTS

Post by 308magtip »

Aging eyes have been giving me fits. Talking with my eye Dr over the last several years my eyes are as healty as one can be at 77 plus. We talked about peep sights on rifles .She was interested and gave me info on how the eye works. I am amazed that so many of us seniors want to jump into a high priced scope before trying peep sights. My shooting has improved 200% since having the proper sights installed on my 88, 64,94, and all my .22's save for my 69a. Any comments pro or con??
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by crs »

I have peeps on my1892, 1886, 1895, and they are all I need on those rifles.
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Tycer
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by Tycer »

For target shooting I like these:

http://www.meritcorporation.com/products.html
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by gamekeeper »

I just got a new pair of glasses this week, so far I've only tried them while shooting my air rifle that has fiber optic sights, I was pleased with the outcome, at nearly 74 I have.not yet resorted to scopes but peep sights are definitely something I must consider.
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by JimT »

Yep .... I have 'em on my leverguns. For the Rossi's you can beat Steve's Gunz bolt mounted sight that replaces the crappy safety.
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TraderVic
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by TraderVic »

I have Williams peep sights on both of my Marlins. One Cloudy, somewhat dark late afternoon while hunting deer, I encountered a group of deer at about 75 yds in timber. There was one buck in the group of 5-7 doe and they were almost constantly shuffling within the group (rut + buck + female deer = mucho movement).
I had a "buck only" tag and for the life of me could not pinpoint the buck for a clean shot in the late afternoon shadows. I'm pretty sure I could have filled the tag had I been using my scoped rifle.
Otherwise, peep sights are the most accurate of the iron sights and our eye will center the post naturally and quickly.
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Scott Tschirhart
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by Scott Tschirhart »

I use peep sights all the time.

My M1a, my favorite AR-15 and my favorite hunting guns only have peeps on them.
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.45colt
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by .45colt »

I have Williams Fool Proof on four rifles and a Marbles mounted on the tang of my '92 . one bad winter several years ago the local deer were starving and came up into a brushy thicket at the end of the property next door every evening at dusk. I could take all my rifles out on the back porch (unloaded) just to try the different sights on them. the clear winners were the receiver sights .
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by jnyork »

Tycer wrote: Tue Jul 26, 2022 7:35 am For target shooting I like these:

http://www.meritcorporation.com/products.html

I am surprised to see this, I thought they went out of business a few years ago, glad to see they are still here.

I have 4 leverguns with Marbles tang sights, all have the Merit adjustable discs in them, along with an Anschutz 1407 I use for the Iron Sight match. I'm 81 and still able to shoot iron sights due to having these sights.
gcs
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by gcs »

My 336 has a Williams FP with aperture removed, and front firesite bead...very accurate, fast and good in low light, Not as good as even a cheap scope, but way better then standard iron sights.
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by Drawdown »

I have a Williams FP on my Winchester.
20220402_115458.jpg
For quick shots, they're just as accurate as a scope, maybe more so out to hunting ranges usually encountered in big woods, brush, low light, most anywhere really, at least as far as I ever get a shot in these conditions!
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Pisgah
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by Pisgah »

I guess even the military has moved away from teaching much of the art of the peep sight anymore, but it's too bad. While different sighting arrangements might work better in a specific situation, a good peep sight is about as all-around good as sights get. A vast improvement over open sights with no weight or bulk penalty.
Last edited by Pisgah on Tue Jul 26, 2022 2:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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CowboyTutt
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by CowboyTutt »

Brownell's Twilight apertures here on a receiver sight with Williams fiber optic up front. You can click on the link for a photo. -Tutt

https://cdn-fsly.yottaa.net/53ff2f503c8 ... ?yocs=p_E_
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765x53
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by 765x53 »

This simple change to my Henrys made a big improvement.

Sorry, I can't seem to post an image of the simple aperture replacement that i purchased from a seller on ebay.
Last edited by 765x53 on Tue Jul 26, 2022 4:21 pm, edited 5 times in total.
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Scott Tschirhart
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by Scott Tschirhart »

Pisgah wrote: Tue Jul 26, 2022 12:37 pm I guess even the military has moved away from teaching much of the art of the peep sight anymore, but it's too bad. While different sighting arrangements might work better in specific situation, a good peep sight is about as all-around good as sights get. A vast improvement over open sights with no weight or bulk penalty.
My understanding is that Marines are still trained extensively to use a rifle with iron sights.
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Scott Tschirhart
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by Scott Tschirhart »

Drawdown wrote: Tue Jul 26, 2022 11:24 am I have a Williams FP on my Winchester. 20220402_115458.jpg
For quick shots, they're just as accurate as a scope, maybe more so out to hunting ranges usually encountered in big woods, brush, low light, most anywhere really, at least as far as I ever get a shot in these conditions!
Now that is a hunting rifle!!!
Drawdown
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by Drawdown »

Scott Tschirhart wrote: Tue Jul 26, 2022 2:11 pm
Drawdown wrote: Tue Jul 26, 2022 11:24 am I have a Williams FP on my Winchester. 20220402_115458.jpg
For quick shots, they're just as accurate as a scope, maybe more so out to hunting ranges usually encountered in big woods, brush, low light, most anywhere really, at least as far as I ever get a shot in these conditions!
Now that is a hunting rifle!!!
Thank you Scott, and yes I'm more pleased with it than any rifle I've hunted yet! My eyes are getting old, and ive got a fine 30-06 scoped and ready, but with the peep, knowing my hunting area, a shot past 50-75yds isn't likely, and most very likely, inside of 40yds, I'll take the Lever!
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Woodsloafer2
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by Woodsloafer2 »

Peep sights on a Winchester 71, Marlin 39, Winchester 54, Winchester 100. I have an 1895 in 405 someone had re-stocked in tiger tail maple decades ago. It has open sights but I am thinking about having the bolt tapped for one of the low profile Skinner peeps. They are tiny and take only one hole. No windage adjustment but I can take care of that with the front sight. I use peeps, red dots and scopes depending on the rifle and what I like having on it at the time. I am fastest with the red dots but not by much. For me low power scopes and peeps are about a tie. Gun fit plays a big role in speed for me on the peeps. The Winchester 71 an 100 fit the best and are the ones I am the fastest with.
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by Woodsloafer2 »

The 405
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Griff
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by Griff »

I've got tang peep sights on my 2 mdl 94 Winchesters I use in target shooting, an 1885 & a 1874 Shiloh Sharps. I've known since I first started shooting that a peep sight is a real boon to precision with iron sights.
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OldWin
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by OldWin »

I don't even know how many rifles I have equipped with peeps or tang sights. I have used them since I was a young kid.
The hunting style and terrain here make it a natural choice.
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rossim92
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by rossim92 »

JimT wrote: Tue Jul 26, 2022 8:03 am Yep .... I have 'em on my leverguns. For the Rossi's you can beat Steve's Gunz bolt mounted sight that replaces the crappy safety.

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I have his sight on my 92. +11111111
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308magtip
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by 308magtip »

Those are all fine looking rifles.When deer hunting I alwaye remove the small hole disc and use the sight as is. Front sight only and eye is auto centered in rear sight.
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Scott Tschirhart
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by Scott Tschirhart »

308magtip wrote: Wed Jul 27, 2022 8:47 am Those are all fine looking rifles.When deer hunting I alwaye remove the small hole disc and use the sight as is. Front sight only and eye is auto centered in rear sight.
If you learn to trust it, your eye will naturally center up and the bullet will go where you aim. But you do have to quit trying so hard and I find that a lot of people struggle with this.
TraderVic
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by TraderVic »

I like the "twilight aperture" that Williams offers. I use them on both leverguns, In recent years I hunt with the aperture removed and the "slot" still acts like an aperture, it just allows more light and a larger sight picture.
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CowboyTutt
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by CowboyTutt »

Ditto on that, looks exactly the same as the Brownell's Twilight Aps, so guessing Williams makes them. Lots of shaft lengths to consider too.

https://shop.williamsgunsight.com/ecomm ... ght-001442

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ollogger
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by ollogger »

have used them for many years, Lever. bolt & semi auto guns, they sure carry nice compaired to a scoped gun
but living here on the big wide open my favorite gun is my 99 in 243 with a scope
the last deer & antelope i shot was with a 94 in 25-35 that wares a tang sight



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AJMD429
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by AJMD429 »

.
I'm even starting to put them on my handguns...!

On long guns here's my habit:

I use Marbles Bullseye sights on 16-18" guns: fastest aquisition there is, work in dim light (or with a flashlight), but precise if you hesitate an extra half second to use the inner ring. They obscure NOTHING, unlike any other iron sight (see pictures in thread below). The 'drift' adjustment means takes more patience to sight in, but once sighted in nothing to come out of adjustment.

I use Williams FP sights on 20-22" guns. Fast if you remove the aperture after sighting in. Precise adjustment so good if you change loads and know to adjust seven clicks or whatever. Fast to sight in if you don't already know the setting. Compact and sturdy.

I use Tang Sights (Marbles clones) on 24-26" guns. They take maximum advantage of the already-long sighting radius. Fragile, but those long guns are (for me) used at the range or other deliberate shooting, vs crawling through thickets. They just more appropriate (and 'cool') on those long leverguns, too.

PICTURES of the above:
viewtopic.php?p=390174#p390174

- - - - - -

Now I'm also fond of new-fangled e-lectronic stuff too....so I'm not above adulterating a fine levergun with the necessary stuff to make it capable of night-duty to protect home or livestock... :twisted:

'Night Scout' leverguns:
viewtopic.php?p=583183#p583183

As far as peeps on handguns, I hand-made an aperture blade replacement for the rear of my Ruger Super Blackhawk as a kid and had a gunsmith remove the Patridge front and put a bead and ramp there. (It was a commemorative "200'th Year of American Liberty" edition, but I guess I figured my version of "liberty" was being able to modify it as I saw fit.). Later on I lost the rear blade of a H&R 999 so figured I would make an aperture blade for that one as well. Then I put Williams aperture sights on several Contender pistol barrels. I found out Ruger replacement rear blades are available commercially as Ruger 'One Hole' sights, for the Blackhawks, so got a couple.

Then I had a target grade 22 pistol that AMT made which essentially is a copy of the Ruger Mark 2, and I mounted a Williams aperture sight on the rear of that gun as well; however it necessitated to taller blade which was going to be a problem. Since I don't like the wide Patridge sights anyway, I took some small files and cut a radius in the front sight parallel to the bore, then took a roll pin that was the same diameter as the width of the sight, drilled out the middle to a uniform diameter slightly larger than the hole already there, squared off the ends, and sweated it on to the front sight. It added the height I needed, plus now my front sight was also an aperture. For fast shooting I can just use the front sight as a normal site but as long as the lighting is halfway decent it's not that hard to make sure that I am looking through the front sight at the target, and the eye automatically centers that in the rear aperture, for very precise shooting.

My latest project is to do the same with my CCW, which is a Taurus model 92. Unfortunately there are not a lot of sight options for those (or the Berettas they copy). I ordered a new factory square-notch rear sight and I'm planning to carefully use a Dremel tool with a cutting wheel to make a cut in the rear sight that can hold a blade. Then I will make a blade to fit that groove and solder or JB-Weld it in place. The only other option would be a red dot, if I want to shoot as precisely as I used to be able to, and I haven't found a way to mount a Red Dot on that gun that I'm comfortable with.

When I was ordering a replacement rear sight to fool around with for the Taurus, I decided I would also order an aperture sight for my Glock, although I don't generally carry that gun, but use it more as a spare. I will see how that works. I am tempted to get a replacement slide for the Glock that has the cuts in it and try mounting a red dot optic, since there are a lot more options for the Glock. But since I don't do competitive shooting, the only reason to go ahead with that optic on the Glock would be if I were going to switch over to that as my carry gun. For me, it's either the Taurus 92 or a Para Ordnance 'Officers model' 12-shot or full size 1911 (14 shot), the latter options not entirely because of the capacity, but just with long skinny fingers the grip is much more natural than the single stack 1911s. We'll see...
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Shasta
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by Shasta »

Being an NRA Lever Action Silhouette shooter, all my levers wear Marble's tang peep sight:

Image

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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by Nate Kiowa Jones »

I saved this article about peep sights written back in the late 40’s by the famous Col. Townsend Whelen. Notice the aperture rear/aperture front groups.

Why choose a peep sight for Rifles?
Col.Townsend Whelen

All military battle rifles and many "Dangerous Game Guns" have been fitted with peep sights for at least the last 70 years. There is a good reason for this. They are the fastest and most accurate iron sight you can put on your rifle.


Here is some information on sighting errors as put forth by no less than, Col.Townsend Whelen, in his book on reloading, "Why Not Load Your Own," published in 1949 when the use of telescopic sights was a rarity. With normal eyesight, either naturally or corrected by glasses, he found that the following list applied at a distance of 100 yards:

Open Rear Sight: Accuracy is unpredictable due to lighting conditions (shoots away from side lighting, and high for overhead mid-day conditions).
Aperture Rear, Gold or Ivory front: 1.5 -2"
Aperture Rear, Black Post front: 1"
Aperture Rear, Aperture front: 1/2 to 3/4"

2-1/2x Scope: 1/4-1/2"
6x Scope: 1/8" to 1/4"
10x Scope: 1/16" to 1/8"
20x Scope: Practically None.

As you can see from the information above, the ability to sight using a aperture sight exceeds the accuracy of most rifles.
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Scott Tschirhart
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by Scott Tschirhart »

Steve, I have one of your sights and have tried it on a Rossi 92.

But I was never able to really lock it down and I suspect it is becasue the safety hole may be oversized. Great design, but I would like to bring it to you and let you see what you can do about it.

Jim and I have been talking about making a trip to visit with you and this is a great excuse.
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Re: PEEP SIGHTS

Post by AJMD429 »

.
One thing about aperture sights is that the lower half of the field of view is obscured by regular 'open sights', but not by the 'peep' sights. (note that in the photo the sight is NOT aligned, and the eye detects the 'issue' immediately and would prompt you to center the bead in the aperture, which is why 'peep' sights are so fast and intuitive)
Williams Aperture Field of View.jpg
Even more impressive is the combination 'peep' and 'ghost-ring' called the 'Marbles Bullseye' - in the photos below I show on the right what the field of view would be with the regular sights most leverguns come with, and as you can see that for a moving target, it is easy to lose sight of the target or other important things, as anything 'below' the target is blocked by the sight itself. See how MUCH more field of view you get with the 'peep' - especially the combo 'peep/ghost'.
Marbles Bullseye Field of View.jpg
....I'm guessing my PhotoBucket account isn't paid-up, since I had to cut and paste screen shots, and there is the 'logo' on them even then...
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