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Regarding the standard 'buckhorn' open sights on the Winchester 94....

What functional pupose are the 'wings' on the buckhorn rear sight actually for?
I mean if your putting the bead down in the 'v' then what are those things for? They must serve a purpose or why did they have them?
This suddenly occurred to me. Ive decided to stick with the standard sights since it seems I shoot with them alright. I know I can get better accuracy with a peep sight, but I dont want to clutter up the rifle shes handy the way she is.

I mean if that chap Walter could brain shoot all those elephants with a bead and v sight then I can certainly have a go. (not at elephants. Well...not yet anyway.)

(You dont need to talk me into a peep sight becasue I know already - use the one on my No.4 lee enfield rifle and you would be amazed at the accuracy of these animals with a good bore.)

Are you talking about full-buckhorn or semi-buckhorn sights?
The wings on th 94 sights, I think, were there because they looked right. I think it was fashion, like dresses getting shorter, the horns were just shrinking down from what they used to be, full buckhorn sights weren't popular anymore, I guess.
the full-buckhorn sights are the real mystery, I've never read a single explanation for them. I've thought about it, and the only thing I can come up with, is that, because the horns almost met at the top, that people used them like peep sights and centered the bead in the aperture created by the horns. Maybe the mountain-man types know what they're for, you could try asking them.

Tim

Mostly they're just there to help direct your eye to the sight notch.
Full bucks and some semi bucks can be used as a sort of a crude long range sight with some practice, and they also seem to me as being a bit better for running shots.

Ranch13 is right, the Buckhorn sights were believed to help in sight acquisition, especially in low light conditions. The Buckhorn was believed to help protect the notch from dirt and debris that could interfere with the sight picture at inoppertune times.

The "Express" sight is flat on top with just the notch and no "wings", for those who didn't like the Buckhorns or buckhorn types.

Jim

i was told they were made to help the sights not hang up in a saddle boot but dont know how that worked looks like the hornes would grab

For close shots in low light, the full buckhorn acted as sort of a ghost ring. I�ve always thought they were silly. Open sights will work just fine if they�re of decent quality and you use them right. Our doughboys used the open sights on our Springfield�s to make some amazing shots in WWI. Again, it�s the Indian, not the arrow.

Buckhorns and simi buck horns never have been a really acceptable iron sight for me, although I have used them successfully over the years...

I much prefer a shallow V, its quick and accurate.

I also like a deep V and use it with a flush post, getting a sight picture like you would expect with a S&W target revolver. That combo is one that was used by the Texas Rangers and its as fast as a ghost peep and as accurate. If you have not tried this one, then you owe it to yourself to try it.

CH;
The full buckhorn often takes some getting used to. All too often, folks more used to scopes try to put both the front and the rear sights into the same visual plane-resulting in the eye bouncing back and forth between them.
One way to use the full buck is to visual your target, then snap the levergun to your shoulder, finding the bead where you want the bullet to go, then pressing the trigger in a smooth motion. When used in this way-assuming you have worked enough with the gun to understand and shoot it well-the full buck blocks out extraneous detail. The focus is on the front sight.

In this neck of the woods which used to be .30-30 country (and for me still is) the oldtimers refered to a "course bead" (using the buckhorns for running game in timber to get quick sight
acquisition) or a "fine bead" (little notch for when game was
walking or standing).

Most certainly, the full buck could work this way with seasoned riflemen-Most, but not all of the full bucks I've run into have a comparatively deep fissure in em. If you know your point of impact, and know your maximum point blank range, you could set that bead at different elevations and windages inside that fissure to take advantage of the quick shot the levergun is so good at delivering. I'm not sure this is what they meant, I'd like to hear their explanations, I'd probably learn something.

I'm of opposite mindset compared to the traditionalists- I don't like full buckhorns becuase they obscure way too much of the sight picture for fast running shots. Take a look at the new European sights that have the rear set up as a triangle, pointy side up, with a notch at the tip to place the front bead into. Nothing to mess up your sight picture on running shots, and fast.

Yep, the full buckhorn can indeed limit your sight picture, in fact, its supposed to.
These days, folks are used to scopes of various types. I'm really not sure if a telescopic sight is making anyone a better shot, but in my opinion, it has radically changed how iron sights are viewed.
Most scope shooters want lots of magnification, lots being 3-6x if not more, with as wide an angle for viewing as possible.
In my experience, the full buck works in an almost opposite fashion to the common expectations of scopes. To utilize the full buck, one must already be familiar with ones load, trajectory, and recoil. The target is seen, identified, and locked in on before the rifle even comes to the shoulder.. You have already picked your target, youve already called your shot, the full buck simply places the focus on the follow thru.
I can understand how difficult this can be to put into practice, but all good shooting begins with the mind.
Still, as you have pointed out there are many good sighting systems available, the full buck is only one of many, and like most challenging systems, it is not for everyone.
Good luck an good shooting