New sight for old eyes on 1894C

[jay4au]

Last Friday I ordered a Skinner peep sight and front sight for my 1894C.  I was surprised when it came the following Monday. I'm mechanically challenged, but installed the rear sight in less than five minutes.  I had previously installed a set of fiber optic sights.  They were an improvement for these 65-year-old eyes, but I thought I might be able to squeeze out a little more accuracy with a peep.   I kept the front fiber optic sight for the time being.  Went to the range today and used the rear fiber optic to help sight in the new peep.  It worked great.  After removing the fiber optic sight, my accuracy at 50 yards is probably worse than yours at 100, but I put a dozen or so in a softball sized group using a bench rest.  I'm satisfied.  No, I'm not.  After getting used to the peep (my first), I think I'll iinstall the Skinner front sight.  It's slimmer than the fiber optic, so I'll see if that also helps.  I don't think I would benefit that much more from the more sophisticated peeps, but I'll probably end up trying one.  Why can't shooters be satisfied?  Even us old-eyed shooters?

[ScoutMan]

Jay4au,

I'm an "old geezer" like you . I have the XS ghost ring peep and post front sight mounted on a Ruger Compact. With old eyes do not go to a narrower front sight. It won't stay in focus. My post front is .100 thick. I think that .125 woudl be even better.

I am not familiar with the Skinner sight. But, if it doesn't mount on the receiver, I would replace it. To take advantage of the peep, it needs to be mounted as close to the eye as possible.

[jay4au]

Thanks for the advice ScoutMan.  The Skinner looks somewhat like the XS.  It mounts on the two rear scope mount holes on the receiver.  It's about an inch in front of the hammer.  The sight part dovetails into the base, and to adjust windage, you just drift the dovetail.  For vertical, you twist the eyepiece then lock it all in with set screws. I'd imagine the XS sight is more complex when it comes to fine tuning.  I really appreciate your advice about width of the front sight.  Have you shot with a target front sight that consists of a cylinder with a slot for interchangable inserts that include different size posts?

[ScoutMan]

NO!

FWIW Post are the only vialblle front sight. Beads because of the round curve of their apex are not a very good index of elevation. Other front sight are OK at the range, but in the field your game might be in the shadows and you will need all the mass a post can give.

The Military didn't always get it right but until recently, when they went to glass all American military front sights were posts. In fact, if you want to know what a good post looks like, take a look at the Garand.

[old geezer]

I've got a peep rear with fiber optic front from Williams on my older 94C.  The front fiber sight covers most targets at 50 yards, so I changed my habits to a six oclock hold, helped tremendously.  Six bullets, six critters of various sizes, that's good enough accuracy for me.

[jay4au]

Thanks for the input.  As you can tell, I'm a bit behind the learning curve when it comes to sights.  It still amazes me how your eye automatically centers the front sight.  One other question:  when you tap out a sight with a dove tail, which way to you remove it, from left to right or right to left as seen from the stock forward.  I understand the dove tails are designed to be installed, removed in a specific manner. Thanks again.

[ScoutMan]

Right to left.

If its a strick dove tail then OK . However if it is a screw on ramp, take the ramp off the gun before tapping out the sight.

Sometimes the screw is hidden beneath the sight. In such cases block the base of the ramp before tapping out the sight. If you don't, you might shear the screw (like I did!).

[Lloyd Smale]

I like a peep and a post on a lever gun. Fiber optics are good for quick shooting but lack definition for precision shooting and are fragile and can break at the most inopertune moments. To me they dont really add that much useful time in dawn and dusk hunting mayb 10 minutes or so. If low light is the reason to buy them your better served by a scope or trinium sights

[Swampman]

Scopes work well for me.