Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Scope friendly aftermarket aperture sights?

Is there a a good aperture sight or sights available for a typical centerfire bolt action that doesn't interfere with an installed scope? I'd like to have a setup where the scope is installed with a good quick release mount on the receiver in low (preferred) or medium height rings. ( no scout scope mount solution please). The idea is to be able to remove the scope and have the aperture sight available. The peep sight is a little more eye friendly than open sights at this point. I still enjoy shooting with iron sights occasionally.

The best solution I've seen is the folding aperture mounted on the rear bridge of the Ruger 99/44 carbine. The next best is an aperture sight with a top portion that can be removed quickly, but I haven't seen that kindin years. The cleanest way to stow a removed rear sight is in a compartment carved inside the buttstock. A common place is in the pistol grip, but it doesn't make for a very large compartment, and removing wood from the pistolgrip weakens the stock in that critical area. I have also hand-made an aperture insert to fit in a standard folding rear sight, but you have to make the hole pretty big when the aperture is that far from your eye.

Redfield used to mount these on the back of some scope bases. They can be mounted on other bases, too.

Bruce


http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/Detail.aspx?pid=1199700&filter=scope%20base

brockman makes one for model 70's. its actually the rear base for a 2-piece set (talley). when the qd rings are installed the peep is depressed you can then take your scope off and the springloaded aperture pops up. midway carries them

What a great peep! I see they are listed as "not available" at Numrich. Probably won't be any time soon either.

I have a set of Sako rings with a peep on the rear ring that loots like that. They came off a Bofors L579 in caliber 243 Win. Wish I still had that rifle.

I see some on bases in "parts boxes" in most of the gun shows I go to. Your gunsmith may have some on old bases, too.

Bruce

Check with XS sights. They at one time made an aperture sight that mounted on the rear base. I worked there when they developed it and had one. Don't know if they ever marketed it or not.

NECG makes a removable sight that fits the ruger M77s. As both the peep and scopes return to zero when mounted it makes a nice back up rig.

Thanks guys. I'll have to keep an eye out for one of those Redfield peeps. You've given me some options.

If you have a set of Talley QD rings, you can have Talley make you a peep sight that will slide onto the rear base. I have this set on my .375 and it works well. I found out the hard way that it's a good idea to secure the peep's screw with a piece of tape so it doesn't magically come off and lose itself.

If the rifle is a M70 Brockman, I believe, makes one.

Brno had a nifty pop-up peep in there rear base...not all the years had that, but it was a decent design.

I didn't see you mention what rifle you were looking to fit with the aperture.
If you have a 98 action you could do a lot worse than look at a bolt mounted aperture.
This is a Rigby styled unit I have on my 7x57 and have sucessfully taken animals out to 185yds so far with my near 60 year old eyes. I have a 4.5-14 Nikon in QD rings for bench testing and nice light 2-7 Leupold in another set of Qd rings that rides along on a hunt in case there is a need for it. The thing I like about it is the extra 3 in of sight radius (giving me 31in with a 25in bbl)I have over the bridge mounted aperture I have on my 404 Jeffery




Von Gruff.

That is a slick setup! Are those still manufactured?

I am planning to have a front sight installed by NECG on my Ruger .30-06 to go along with one of their peeps I picked up a few years ago. It matches up perfectly with the iron sights on the old M77RS models with factory irons, and would be slick with like an XS front sight or some such.

The NECG/Ruger aperture sight is neat. I have one. But the aperture is quite small and there is a definite limit to how large you can drill-out the insert. The elevation slide is locked by the insert threaded through it and bottoming-out on the body of the sight. The insert bottoms out against the inside edges of a U-notch in the sight body. That U-notch is the size limiter for the aperture, and it is not too wide. I filed some steel from the sides of mine to make the notch bigger, but there is not a lot of metal there that can be removed. The aperture darkens and becomes unusable a good half-hour or more before a good scope goes dark, and that half-hour is right during prime time.

Yes and whats more they are hand made in the US.
Rob Zimmerman is a great guy to deal with and the sights are beautifully made.

If they want to call me, 804-493-9370 is my home number.

Rusty

Rusty's Action Works
Montross VA.
Action work for Cowboy Shooters &
Manufacturer of Stylized Rigby rifle sights. http://i61.photobucket.com/alb.../th_isofrontleft.jpg

Von Gruff.

like this;





doesn;t get any more unobtrusive than that

if you have a Springfield, Mauser 98, or P-14-M-17 Enfield how about the classic Lyman 48 aperture sight with a Griffin and Howe side scope mount.?

GREAT looking rifle, free miner! The peep is awesome too.

I have installed several of these for myself and others. Numrich also sells adjustable height front posts for use in ramps. Between the different adjustable front posts, with different height ramps and the built in adjustment of the rear, they can work out very well. I find it is best to do the install in a steel base as they tap easier and the taps used are quite small. #2 taps and with one non Redfield odd one, a #0.