Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General a discussion about iron sights

I post this in the lever gun forum because IMO iron sights and lever actions are meant to be together. put a scope on a lever action and you take away the secret sauce. the most common iron sight is some form of buckhorn type rear sight. I have to ask what is the purpose of the buck horns on the rear? Those ears encumber the side view of the sights and prevent tracking a moving target as well. Also surprising is the various differences in rear sights. Some sights have a very wrapping buck horn. at this point after shooting quite a bit of lever guns lately. I prefer skinner/ghost ring on stationary targets, on moving I like a notch rear sight as flat as I can on the top. I don't get why it seems like its so hard to get iron sights correctly. probably my idea sight combo is what is put on the CZ rimfire training rifle. What are your opinions on irons and why gun companies did the buck horn rear sight so much

If you put a big 3-9x40 on it, I'd agree that you lose a lot in balance and feel, and for short range fast action.
I have a small 1-4x20 scope with wide reticle in low QR rings on my 30-30. Fit with the rifle is about perfect. And precision close range sight acquisition is super fast when turned down to the lowest power. It seems every bit as instinctive as iron sights, with the abilty...for me.. to really extend the accurate shooting range when turned up a bit.
The wide reticle is not optimum at longer ranges on small targets. But this rifle ain't set up for ground squirrel and prairie dogs.
And if I need or want to, I can access the 30TK's flat notch rear and bead front iron sights in short order thanks to the QR rings.

On my 39m .22 I have a smallish 2x7 with fine crosshair for more precision on small targets.
This rifle doesn't even have a front sight. After installing a scope several years ago, I took it off to make it more snag free when traversing the briar patch.
For really short range fast action on tiny targets like rats, the scope is a disadvantage. But I have a mark ii 678 target for that.

All that said, I'm not opposed to using iron sights. I made a couple of astounding shots with that little 39m and iron sights when I was much younger.
I loved the iron sights on my long barreled Remington 121.
And as a somewhat avid wingshooter, and skeet shooter, with a shotgun in my younger days makes short range on moving targets with iron sights somewhat natural. But that little 1-4 really lines up fast too.

I also like a ghost ring. But more so on a shotgun.

I think they are still put on leverguns because that is a traditional sight. I've read that was the original BDC sight system. For a real long poke you lined up the front sight to the top of the buck horns, for a mid range shot you used the top of the sight notch and for closer you pulled the front sight down deep into the sight notch. Of course you'd have to shoot and figure put what ranges corresponded to these sight pictures. A ladder sight is an easier and not much slower sight to use IMO.
I dont care for buckhorn sights, so most of mine get some sort of tang or reciever mounted peep mated to a blade front sight.

Here in PA we have an antler point restriction. The peep sight is m favorite but I have missed opportunities while confirming the number of antler points with binoculars. So now I carry something with a scope when looking for buck. Later in the season, I might carry the Winchester 1886, but know that less pressure in that time should allow me more time to use the binoculars in place of the scope absent from this rifle

My iron sight days are long gone ,if your young and can still see those iron sights good for you,otherwise your like me with a dang scope on a 22 lever.

I have read that you can also use the buckhorns as a sort of ghost ring for close fast shooting. I just replaced my Puma’s factory sights with a Marbles full buckhorn rear and ivory dot front sight. Have yet to get to the range but I like the look and feel of them.

I have XS and Skinner peep/ghost ring receiver sights on my lever action Marlin and Winchester rifles and far prefer them to a scope on that type of rifle. But, when we go after moose and caribou thus fall, I may put the little Leupold 1.5-5x20 with the German #4 on my Big Bore .356 Win. as it seems to fit on there just fine and will make a 200 yard caribou shot easier. The moose will probably be close, based on past moose shots.

The Marlin 1895 45-70 and my .348 Win. Mod. 71 will never wear a scope. I got my limits and don't need John Wayne shouting at me from his grave by golly!

I have both a 336 and a model 94 carbine.
The 94 is so light and handy that I prefer it.
For me, putting a scope on either of them would ruin the edge they give on their design.

I prefer a williams peep with a red firesight front bead on the 94.

Let's see last count of I remember correctly I had 9 lever guns some are Winchester 94 most are Marlin 336 or 1894 for a spread of cartridges to select from .22lr, 218bee, all the way up to a 45-70 1895ss. One has a Williams peep on it with a globe front sight all the rest are scoped.
I have yet to meet the iron sight shooter that can place his shots as accurately as a scope user, it just is not going to happen.

I started deer hunting with a hand-me-down Savage 99 with a buckhorn sight and killed some deer with it. When I got enough money together, I bought a used Model 70 30-06 with a 4X Weaver on it and never went back to iron sights. Fast forward several years and got an itch for another lever action with iron sights.

I'll have to admit it was fun working with a lever again, but the process evolved.
336-C 30-30


Williams aperture




The end.

OK cowboy, since you asked about buckhorns and most are talking about scopes and such, and you have a buckhorn: how are you using it? Different sight pictures for different ranges? How fast is it for close stuff? Etc.? I'm thinking of removing the Williams peep and getting back to an open sight.

My preference is a receiver sight/post front combo.

The receiver sight gives you the longest sight radius, and a post-type front allows more of a view of the target, paper or fur.

After shooting military rifles for years, it is the system I have grown used to.

For me, using only buckhorn or ghost ring sights on levers...rear sights don't occupy my attention much. Usually near max the elevation. Since most shots are under 125 meters for me, I concentrate mostly on the front sight.

Like most weapons you have practiced with and familiarity with loads used, distances and no adverse weather conditions, you pretty much know where the shot will likely go before you pull the trigger.

I defiantly prefer a ghost ring, skinner/williams peep on targets not moving. I think the advantage with the buck horns are one moving targets. I think the peep ghost ring setup is harder to hold centered when you are moving the gun.

I've not encountered that, and the majority of the deer and pig I've shot with both my .30-30 and .45-70 (when it wore peeps) have been moving, sometimes at a run. The buckhorn covers a lot of the deer and I've never had a problem keeping the front sight centered. Your eye should do that naturally, without conscious effort.

Not saying that is your experience, just mine. I started using peeps in '77 and immediately realized the advantage.

That is exactly how my levers turned out. My eyes simply do not work with irons.

That looks good, low but your back up is still there. Makes it seem like Marlin's life purpose is to be the saddle rifle with a scope.

What if the moving target is a jackrabbit?

I would think that it would be even more important not to cover any more of the target than necessary.

A front post covers a lot less *target*, whatever size it may be, than a rear buckhorn.

agreed, I think it depends on the buckhorn. I have seen massive buckhorns. IMO there are 2 way to do irons, ghost ring/peep and a flat rear sight with a notch. if you look at the CZ training rifle rimfire sights. but you get so many weird iron sight arrangements that frankly suck.