Arpertures and Fire Sights

[AtlLaw]

Since I got back into shooting non-scope equiped rifles, I have found that I can do a passable job shooting with tang and receiver sights, even with my old eyes.   

I also confirmed that the arperture is the critical part of said sights.  Big shock there huh!?      It seems that most manufacturers consider the .093 diameter arp. the appropriate hunting size hole.  But it isn't for me!     Last year I had to remove the arp. from my tang sight to make it suitable for my hunting use.  But this "ghost ring" seemed to large to me.

So, for the receiver sight on the rifle (M94) I'm using this year, I bought a Williams Twilight Arperture with a .125 opening.  The Twilight has a brass ring around the hole that is 'spose to help in low light conditions.  I don't know if it does or not, but I can say that aiming with both eyes open and focusing on the front sight, it is the best arperture and arperture hole size I have used to date.

It is also made with a .150 opening that I would try if I had another Williams or Lyman sight.  But I don't.  And that is the down side.  Williams doesn't make the arperture threaded for the Marble's sights I prefer.     What's worse, Marbles doesn't offer an arperture larger then .093.   

Now the Firesight front sight.  At first I didn't like it.  I still don't like the way it looks on a classic rifle like the M94.  And you have to remove the front sight hood or the light gathering effect is lost.  But I have to admit that it stands out when you're looking down the barrel!  Believe me, it won't get lost against a dark background...   So I'm going to finish the season with it.  When time allows I'll shoot it alongside the ivory bead front sights that I have on my other leverguns.  Just to see if there is enough visual advantage of the Firesight to outweigh the "look!"   

[spruce]

The sights on my rifles started getting fuzzy about 10 or 12 years ago.  Mostly I use scopes now, but I have found I can still do a passable job with a receiver sight.

I have two rifles set up with Williams FP receiver sights (with twilight apertures) and firesight front sights.
The biggest advantage I have found with the firesights is that I can see them well even in the last 15 minutes of legal shooting time, whereas a gold bead tends to disappear when the light starts to fade.  I haven't tried an ivory bead so can't comment on that.

If you want something to protect the front sight you can cut out the top center portion of a sight hood so that the firesight is exposed to the ambient light.  I've seen a factory made sight hood of this design advertised in either Brownell's and/or Numrich Arms (memory is also a little fuzzy at times).  I believe it was advertised as fitting a Marlin ramp - don't know if that would fit a Winchester ramp, or if any are made for other brands.

[Reverend Recoil]

I use an AR15 service rifle for highpower rifle competion.  I began having trouble maintaining focus on the front sight and my scores suffered.    I am 49 1/2 years old and wear reading glasses.  I have tried shooting glasses but they fog up in the south Louisiana humidity.  Fogged glasses do not work in the rapid fire stages.  I took my rifle with me to my next eye exam and had the eye doc write me a prescription for focusing my eye on the front sight at 44".  I sent the prescription to Bob Jones Sights (http://www.bjonessights.com/).  Mr. Jones sent me an apeture kit with a +0.05 corrective lens that fits in the apeture hood.  It has worked great.  Two months later I got my 600yd prone expert card and later won the Louisiana State Championship in 600yd prone service rifle.  It might work for you.  Mr. Jones apeture/lens kit is 1/4 the cost of custom shooting glasses.

[bilmac]

Can't you take a Marbels aperture and drill it out? I don't like the looks of the firesights either, mostly because they look weak and vulnerable.

[AtlLaw]

Can't you take a Marbels aperture and drill it out?

That's what I was thinking of trying.     I've already converted the arp. size to the corresponding drill size, and I've got a jig to keep the drill in line with the existing hole.  It should be doable.  I'll let you know!   

[charles p]

Great idea to take your rifle to the eye doctor.

I once asked mine for a set of drinking glasses.  Told him I would drink a six-pack before the exam.  He frowned, then said it wouldn't work.

I once had two different contact lenses.  The left eye was for reading and the right was for distance.  Gave me a fit with my open sited MZ loader.  I reversed them, and got drunk without ever taking a sip. 

[Squib]

20yds all clear and crisp, 40yds I can see detail but not crisply, past 70yds I can't see detail enough to group but can still hit IF it's a large enough object that my front site doesn't cover it up.  I'm scared to death to do anything to my handi-rifle site because it shoots so good but past 60ish yards I gotta get a hold and double or triple check my sight picture before shooting or I am not dead-on.... do you think I could have a machinist cut a couple notches in the site so it would be segmented into thirds and sort of like a m-16 "butterfly" but not right-angled?  it sounds crazy but it seems easy and low-risk!