Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Best product to paint front sight?

Have an old Iver Johnson target sealed 8 that I want to use, roaming around the ranch, for armadillos, skunks, etc.... Hard for my old eyes to see the front sight. What do you folks use for best results. Thanks.

I've had pretty good luck using finger nail polish.

Me too, bright orange, I paint back sight white.

I have been using a product called Brite-Mark, manufactured by DYKEM. It comes in a number of colors, and applies much like a Magic Marker. This stuff is very durable, and its orange color is highly visible.
I applied it to several of my handguns, including a .22 Mag. revolver that I carry holstered a lot in the summertime. There is absolutely no sign of holster wear with this stuff. I applied a coat of the white color first, then the orange, to make it a bit brighter.
Brite-Mark is far more durable and visible than fingernail polish, from my past experience. I highly recommend it!

Brite-Mark. I’m gonna get some. Every little bit helps.

Sounds like good stuff.

I've been using a bit of white {shows up better than orange} Testors model paint mixed in with 2 ton epoxy for years. Stays on better than straight paint or nail polish but don't know if it'd equal that brite mark stuff.

I used the orange Testors model paint on a front sight over twenty years ago. IIRC it was just because I didn't have any white. But it still shows up good to my eye, anyway. Prepped the surface with a degreasing cleaner and just applied it with a Q tip. Might be a little faded after all these years but still looks good.

Yeah. Testor's made a really nice fluorescent paint assortment many years ago. A benefit over fingernail polish is that the pigment is extra fine ground and you get a higher proportion of pigment to base. For something like sights I apply as heavily as I can with a toothpick - a chunk of paint. With that thickness it's just like applying over a white base, which is necessary with fluorescents for best results. This method works really well if filling a divot or a groove.

But of course like any paint it'll get knocked off fairly easily. If I'm serious I'll cut a dovetail for a plastic insert.

That Brite-Mark sounds like a good product when the pen works but the reviews on Amazon (if you believe them) say the chances of it working are a crap shoot.

https://www.amazon.com/Brite-Mark-Marker-Various-Colors-Styles/dp/B01LW4NGBY?th=1#customerReviews

I've used Bright Sights "high visibility" paint for years. Great stuff!
http://www.brightsights.com/

Have had zero problems with the pens- just follow the manufacturer's instructions on how to use and take care of them.

Usually when a paint marker stops working it's because the tip dried out. I see that Brite-Mark sells replacement tips.

Yep lots of ways to color up the front site, white works really well, until you try to hunt in the snow then its useless. Straight jet black works the best for me for punching paper but its about useless in the dark woods at last light. Think about what your back drop will usually be and plan from there. Personally although it works I hate red but that's just me. Blue is an unnatural colour in nature for the most part, is usually stands out well.

Thanks for all the info. Ordered an orange Brite-Mark pen. Anxious to see how it works.

Just ordered one in orange for myself via Amazon.

I have that set, too, and have used it to good effect, but the orange isn't quite right for me. Seems dull.

I've hunted in the snow successfully many, many times with white front sights. The thing is, I never shoot snow. White sights show up great against brown deer.