Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Pistol Peep sites

I dont shoot peep sites and I believe I must be missing something.The guys that do love them the US Military uses them etc.
Today I bought another Blackhawk in 44 Mag and on the gun was a peep site and I was given a smaller one also.

I didnt know such a think existed. You know I have not shot it yet but it seems to make sense.

My questions Do you shoot these? Where is the best place to learn to shoot them (I know the range I mean maybe instructions on line Military lit etc)? Who makes them if I like them? Were would you get more? I am very curious about these.

Hank

Ya' know ... Since you already got the Gun ... Try it out for Yourself - and YOU be the Judge.

I think I gotta a 'Peep Sight' on my Ruger P-4 Carbine, (40 S&W Cal.) ... and I am dead-on accurate with it.

I Think Ruger call's it a "Ghost-Ring". But it is sure good.

Peep Sights have been around forever ... probably for a good reason.

I bought one for my Super Blackhawk. I liked it but could never get it sighted in so I took it off. I just recently realized how far off center my front sight is on the barrel. I need to get around and send it back to them before spring gets here.

It sounds like your Ruger is equipped with the One Ragged Hole aperture site. I have been using one for several years on my Bisley Hunter SBH in 41 mag.

I have found the best way to shoot mine is the "pumpkin on a post" hold, where you center the top of the front post in the aperture, then hold the top of the post so it just "touches" the bottom of the bull on your target.

My revolver has a 7.5 inch barrel. I have found the smaller aperture to be appropriate for my use. If one had a shorter barrel, the larger aperture might be a better choice.

Some of our more experienced members have previously commented on this style site. I have heard them say it was faster to use but less precise than the standard Ruger rear sire. I would have to concur with that statement.

"Pumpkin on a post" is also known as a "6 o'clock hold" in bullseye circles.

My only hold for iron sight pistol bullseye and for iron sight rifle too.
For red dots, I use a center bull hold.

The proper way to use a peep sight on targets is to center the front bead (a bead being the proper front for a peep - not a post) in the peephole and cover the bullseye with the bead. If you match the front bead size to the size of the bull at a given distance, it can be quite accurate. For field and hunting use, you just center the bead and hold where you want to hit. It is quick in use, but yes, I find it a little less accurate than the standard post&notch sights that Ruger supplies.

I have used the ORH peep sight in combination with F/O front sight on my MKIII, and it worked great in the field. Very fast and accurate enough for hunting ground squirrels. The only thing I like better (now that my eyes are not as good as they once were) is the electronic dot sight that is now on the gun.

I do not remember seeing anything but posts on the front of any of the match rifles at the DCM practices I attended one year.

Are bead sites allowed in service rifle competition?

Notice how the rear sight is blurry. The front sight is centered left to right in the aperture. The front sight is centered top to bottom in the rear aperture. The front sight is not blurry as that's where you are focusing your eye. Makes for an image like the reticle in a scope if one were to extend lines horizontally and vertically from the front sight post. That sight alignment can be placed on the center of the target as shown in the picture or at the bottom center of a bull for a 6 o'clock hold. 6 o'clock is used by target shooters as it is easier to see slight aiming errors because you are not lining up a black post on a black target.

Idaho... not for NRA Service Rifle.

I use them & like them very much, my son has a CNC mill & we made several of the smaller size. If anybody needs one you can PM me, think I have 4 left. Mine are for the single actions Rugers only.

Dick

Pics?


Travis

Not saying that the post won't work or that it isn't used to good effect. Just that it works best with a bead (or round F/O) in front. Somewhere around here, I have an NRA marksmanship handbook that describes that and why. But all one has to do to understand it is give the Peep&bead a try.

The post front sight makes more sense on a battle rifle due to greater durability.

You are correct that a bead can give the better accuracy, when combined with a black bull which subtends a slightly larger circle than the bead.

I have one rifle, a Ruger 77 MK II in 260 on which I installed the NECG aperture on the rear integral scope base. I had my gunsmith install a blade front site for two reasons.

First, I had grown to like that style while shooting the Garand. Second, was my experience with semi buckhorn and bead sites as found on many lever guns, my Dad's Rem 760, and the Rem 141 which I grew up shooting.

There have been too many times, when trying to site in a deer rifle at an equivalent range to that which game will be taken, that the front bead covered the entire target paper. Or that the bead obscured so much of the game animal that it was difficult to place a bullet precisely into the vitals.

Sure, one could use a smaller diameter bead, but then you lose visibility of your site in all but the best of lighting conditions.

Boatboy: My retired military and then retired gunsmith friend here in SW Montana made up a set of peep sights for one of his many 1911 style 45 autos - he claims he is shooting better now with this same pistol/loading than when it had standard issue sights on it.
I have never tried a pistol with peep sights so can't comment first hand.
Good luck when you get out with yours.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

My experience with non-adjustable peeps sights is that they are less useful on game at ranges much beyond ~125yds - for the reasons you mention. However - I have used an adjustable peep that improves focus in good light, and that extends effective range a little. Add that smaller bead with the peep adjusted to minimum and you would gain a bit more. But I never bothered to try that, since those peeps were on rifles with trajectories which didn't lend well to extended range anyway.

But all that has little to do with peeps on handguns....

The cool thing about handgun peeps is that they are fast to acquire and center, once you are familiar with the concept of naturally centering the bead in the ring. The other cool thing about 'em - where Rugers are concerned anyway - is that you can make your own replacement rear sight blades out of hacksaw blade stock, for the same result as the ORH (though likely not as pretty).