Jeff,
The other thing I do when preferring to go "traditional" with iron-sighted rifles, rather than using a fiber-optic front, is using a very fine, small file to put a 45-degree angle on the surface of white or brass beads--angling "away" from the shooter. This not only picks up more light from the sky in dim conditions than a round bead (or even a flat-faced bead that directly faces the shooter) but eliminates "hot spots" on the side of the bead.
