I tried out several different combinations of FA sights on my 97 with 7 1/2" brl. My experiences may differ from others due to 60+ eyes and wearing bifocals. I tried my extra Express rear sight unit. Might be the quickest for a charging bear, or a running deer, but for me not near as precice as the rear notch. The FA front sight is the easiest to change of any gun that I have handled. One 1/16" allen wrench and one minute to change. I own a S&W with interchange front sight that pops in a spring loaded slot. New sights allways seem to need some fitting to go in place - not so with the FA sights.
The std. ramp is fine but Ken's Partridge gives a cleaner picture for target or long range shots. It also has less wash out in varied lighting conditions due to the undercut post. The Brass Bead front pops out much better in varied lighting conditions. The .093 dia. bead is a good choice for varied shooting conditions. The .062 dia. Fiber Optic is my favorite for all around use. In ideal lighting I could shoot smaller groups with the Partridge but the little fiber optic being 1/2 as wide covers a smaller arear of the target and has plenty of air space on either side and is visable in all light conditions. I would prefer red fiber FA told me that they tried Red and Green but settled on the current Orange model.
I know lots of folks like the Brass bead front. It works fine but for me the smaller dia. Fiber pops out twice as quick and sharp. Most folks use the std. Ramp and it is a nice choice for holster use. The Partridge is, for me, more accurate in good lighting. For all around hunting in the open - forest - shadows - etc. you can't beat the quick visability and sharpness of the FA Orange Fiber Optic front sight.
