Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters What’s the point of buckhorn and semi buckhorn

Looking at lever guns and rimfires the other day and noticed all the different sight types out there. My least favorite is buckhorn. It just seems harder to make sure it’s aligned perfectly. The big azz ears block the target when shooting something that is moving. What am I missing about iron sites? Is there some advantage I don’t see?

My favorite irons are on the cz rimfire training rifle.

Jack O'Connor railed about those very things too. Like you, I never understood the attraction.

Yes, I think they are about the worst. Not only do the horns block the view, but they tend to have too small a notch, and combined with the curve on either side of the notch it is unnecessarily difficult to get a good quick sight picture and all too easy to shoot high.

If I’m going to use open sights rather than a peep, my preference is for a large square notch, flat-topped rear with a post front.

I like em. The notch at the bottom is used like any other notch & the buckhorns are used as a fast sort of “ghost ring”. As in fig A above.

I'd guess that what their best at is close range deer hunting when the target might well be moving, both eyes open.

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A full buckhorn is a good sight, a quick barrel mounted peep.

Give me a receiver or tang mounted aperture.

Thanks for posting this. I never knew this

For what cartridge?


Okie John

I am good with all of them.mb

Yeah, I can still shoot them well enough to kill stuff, whether small varmints at relatively close range or bigger animals farther away--though that improved a couple years ago after having cataract surgery on both eyes.

One of the other things that helped was discovering reading glasses that like my previous "progressive" bifocals allowed me to tilt my head to obtain the sharpest view of the sights. My first pair cost $29 and its kept in my range bag....

The original point of the buckhorn and semi-buckhorn was a sort of "semi-peep" rear sight.

I love full buckhorn

I just spent the last 20 years unable to see iron sights. However, chemo screwed up my eyes and when it was all done, I could see irons again. It just so happens that the first time I noticed, I was looking down a Rossi Model 92 stainless in the gun shop.

I don't know what's special about the buckhorn on a 92, but it's now my favorite. I just got delivery of my 24" stainless in 44 Mag.

As I understand it, buckhorns let you use the bottom notch for a point-blank reference and then you can raise the front sight in relation to the horns for windage.

A BDC Buckhorn

Iron sights, like scopes, were made in a number of configurations based on usage. This type of sight has rounded edges that usually do not catch on leather or clothing - especially useful if you are on horseback.

I never gave buckhorn signs a thought, front sign post and the rear notch is all I ever thought about.

If people are sitting on their ass hoping for pinpoint accuracy, then a Buckhorn probably isn't for you. But if you get off your ass and hunt, they work great.