front sight preferences with aperture rear sight?

idek · July 28, 2013, 01:43 AM

I have a Marlin 1894c with Skinner Sights. I like aperture sights, but I don't really like the Skinner front blade sight, which seems too wide, obscuring more of the target and making horizontal aiming less precise.

The 1894c uses standard 3/8" dovetail front sight inserts, so switching to something else should be easy. I just don't know what may work better with aperture sights. Here are a few options I found in my search online.

XS blade (contrasting black and white might help with visibility and horizontal alignment?)
Fiber optic
XS bead/dot
Globe style
something more exotic

Also, I'd maybe like a thin post sight (like an AR), but I didn't see any in a 3/8" dovetail configuration. Anyone know of any?

The gun is used mostly for general plinking but may also be used for some hunting (small game up to deer).

Any thoughts on these for use with a rear aperture sight? Any other suggestions (specific or general)?

NoSecondBest · July 28, 2013, 08:37 AM

I've tried everything with aperature rear sights. The best I've found is a thin flat blade, all black. That's for shooting groups and it works pretty good for hunting. For just hunting, a fiber optic bead in green is the best. You won't shoot as good a group with it as with the post/blade but it is pretty easy to find and on deer sized game it works very, very well. Send me your email and I'll send you a pic of the blade and info on where to get one. I have one right now that's never been used and you can see from the pic what it looks like. Comes in two different widths, I use the thinner one.

Grizz12 · July 28, 2013, 08:46 AM

WOW, I was about to start the same thread for my Marlin 1895 in 45/70 and Henry in .22 mag and maybe my GSR in .308

I have been leaning towards the globe style because you can change from different style posts, cross hairs, circles, etc... But I am concerned about them being able to handle the abuse of hunting, heavy recoil, etc...

Any thoughts??

big al hunter · July 28, 2013, 08:47 AM

I have only used aperture sights on 1 gun. It was a hunting muzzle loader. I used the fiber optic dot. If you sight in with the top edge of the dot as your poi reference ( 12 O'clock hold ) it can be very accurate, and you can see the sight when it is too dark to see the animals.

PetahW · July 28, 2013, 10:02 AM

.

Fibre-optic bead fronts are the best/fastest for a hunting gun's front sight.

Like "normal" Ivory/Gold bead sights, they are available in both 1/16"(fine) & 3/32" (coarse) bead sizes, multiple different heights, and 3 different sight base widths (N-narrow/ramps, M-medium/ramps & W-wide/barrel slots) from various makers like Williams (FireSight), Hi-Viz, Tru-Glo, T/C & others.

FWIW, I've been using FO front sights with all my iron sighted rifles ever since they were first introduced, many years ago - and have yet to break or lose one.

But then, I don't actually beat the brush with my guns, or use them as a stream-wading crutch - I treat them like the precision tools they are.

.

NoSecondBest · July 28, 2013, 10:33 AM

Quote:

I have been leaning towards the globe style because you can change from different style posts, cross hairs, circles, etc... But I am concerned about them being able to handle the abuse of hunting, heavy recoil, etc...

I've had several globe sights on different big bore guns. They use them all the time on big bore silhouette matches and if they don't break them after thousands of rounds of 45-70 you aren't going to break one on a rimfire or a hunting gun. The only problem with using them for hunting is that the globe obscures a lot of target and background. I've used them on my Sharps and shot deer with them but a blade or fiber optic post will work better for hunting.

idek · July 28, 2013, 04:22 PM

Thanks for all the feedback. Based on replies, I'm thinking I'll rule out the XS sights. A thin post/blade or fiber optic may be the way I go.

idek · July 30, 2013, 07:47 PM

As an update, I found a fiber optic sight kit (front and rear) on clearance ($5.99) at a local store. It's intended for Remington guns, and the rear sight does me no good, but the front sight fits and is all I wanted anyway. The base is plastic, the bead is a little bigger than I might prefer, and it's red while I might prefer green, but it at least offers a cheap way to test out a fiber optic sight.

I did a little shooting (before I got rained out) and the groups looked a little more uniform than they had been with the blade I mentioned in the original post. To me it felt a little more intuitive lining up the fiber optic bead than the black blade. It seemed easier focused on front sight like I'm supposed to.

I'll probably test it out some more from longer distances, and, if all goes well, I'll look into getting a fiber optic with a metal base and a smaller, green light pipe.

July 28, 2013, 01:43 AM	#1
idek Senior Member Join Date: August 20, 2009 Posts: 903	front sight preferences with aperture rear sight? I have a Marlin 1894c with Skinner Sights. I like aperture sights, but I don't really like the Skinner front blade sight, which seems too wide, obscuring more of the target and making horizontal aiming less precise. The 1894c uses standard 3/8" dovetail front sight inserts, so switching to something else should be easy. I just don't know what may work better with aperture sights. Here are a few options I found in my search online. XS blade (contrasting black and white might help with visibility and horizontal alignment?) Fiber optic XS bead/dot Globe style something more exotic Also, I'd maybe like a thin post sight (like an AR), but I didn't see any in a 3/8" dovetail configuration. Anyone know of any? The gun is used mostly for general plinking but may also be used for some hunting (small game up to deer). Any thoughts on these for use with a rear aperture sight? Any other suggestions (specific or general)? Last edited by idek; July 28, 2013 at 03:37 PM.

July 28, 2013, 08:47 AM	#4
big al hunter Senior Member Join Date: March 12, 2011 Location: Washington state Posts: 1,558	I have only used aperture sights on 1 gun. It was a hunting muzzle loader. I used the fiber optic dot. If you sight in with the top edge of the dot as your poi reference ( 12 O'clock hold ) it can be very accurate, and you can see the sight when it is too dark to see the animals. __________________ You can't fix stupid....however ignorance can be cured through education!

July 28, 2013, 08:37 AM	#2
NoSecondBest Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 2009 Location: Western New York Posts: 2,736	I've tried everything with aperature rear sights. The best I've found is a thin flat blade, all black. That's for shooting groups and it works pretty good for hunting. For just hunting, a fiber optic bead in green is the best. You won't shoot as good a group with it as with the post/blade but it is pretty easy to find and on deer sized game it works very, very well. Send me your email and I'll send you a pic of the blade and info on where to get one. I have one right now that's never been used and you can see from the pic what it looks like. Comes in two different widths, I use the thinner one.

July 28, 2013, 08:46 AM	#3
Grizz12 Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2012 Posts: 527	WOW, I was about to start the same thread for my Marlin 1895 in 45/70 and Henry in .22 mag and maybe my GSR in .308 I have been leaning towards the globe style because you can change from different style posts, cross hairs, circles, etc... But I am concerned about them being able to handle the abuse of hunting, heavy recoil, etc... Any thoughts??

July 28, 2013, 10:02 AM	#5
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 4,678	. Fibre-optic bead fronts are the best/fastest for a hunting gun's front sight. Like "normal" Ivory/Gold bead sights, they are available in both 1/16"(fine) & 3/32" (coarse) bead sizes, multiple different heights, and 3 different sight base widths (N-narrow/ramps, M-medium/ramps & W-wide/barrel slots) from various makers like Williams (FireSight), Hi-Viz, Tru-Glo, T/C & others. FWIW, I've been using FO front sights with all my iron sighted rifles ever since they were first introduced, many years ago - and have yet to break or lose one. But then, I don't actually beat the brush with my guns, or use them as a stream-wading crutch - I treat them like the precision tools they are. .

July 28, 2013, 04:22 PM	#7
idek Senior Member Join Date: August 20, 2009 Posts: 903	Thanks for all the feedback. Based on replies, I'm thinking I'll rule out the XS sights. A thin post/blade or fiber optic may be the way I go.

July 30, 2013, 07:47 PM	#8
idek Senior Member Join Date: August 20, 2009 Posts: 903	As an update, I found a fiber optic sight kit (front and rear) on clearance ($5.99) at a local store. It's intended for Remington guns, and the rear sight does me no good, but the front sight fits and is all I wanted anyway. The base is plastic, the bead is a little bigger than I might prefer, and it's red while I might prefer green, but it at least offers a cheap way to test out a fiber optic sight. I did a little shooting (before I got rained out) and the groups looked a little more uniform than they had been with the blade I mentioned in the original post. To me it felt a little more intuitive lining up the fiber optic bead than the black blade. It seemed easier focused on front sight like I'm supposed to. I'll probably test it out some more from longer distances, and, if all goes well, I'll look into getting a fiber optic with a metal base and a smaller, green light pipe.