What’s your favorite sight for you 45-70 lever rifle?

Hard to beat an older Williams FP or steel Lyman paired with a Redfield sourdough front sight.

I have a steel Lyman on one and am thinking of putting it on the other. I’ll look into the sour dough sight. I have a brass post front sight on another lever rifle.

My newest 45-70 (Remington Marlin) still has factory sights. That’s the one I’m thinking of replacing front and back.

Yep the older Williams if you can find one. Older Lyman prices higher than gold prices , lol. Skinner sights has different height front sights that you fit to your dovetail. Some sand paper and a few minutes time. Be sure to drive out and install the new ones from the proper side.

On my Remington Marlin (Guide Gun) the front sight was so loose I shifted under fire between two deer. The first dropped where she stood and the second I'm not sure where it hit because she made it into a swamp and was not recovered. Wondering what I did wrong, I looked over the rifle and the front sight was about half out of the dovetail. That's a long winded way to say Skinner. I replaced those sights and they are great for the guide gun. Fit wasn't an issue because the guide gun set replaces the entire front sight assembly. It did take some time with a file to get elevation right but after that the sights have been great. I haven't shot the gun in about a year though because the stock developed a crack in the tang and the ear at the receiver broke off. I'll replace those soon though.

You inspected your weapon before carrying it in the field.

I found I had an old Lyman steel aperture sight laying around and it is now on my second 45-70. I hate the sights that all manufacturers of lever guns seem to have installed. I've thrown many buckhorn sights in the trash where they deserve to be - total worthless sights IMO.

I'm also not a fan. I find that with a peep, I can keep focus on the front sight and the target but with the Buckhorn sights, my eye bounces focus from target to front sight to rear sight.

Joe, yes. That was the first time I'd had an issue with the sight being loose but after that it constantly moved with little force.

Years ago I had Andy from Skinner sights make me up the first Skinner Alaskan for my Marlin 45-70. The front sight is a flat post with a white line up the middle by XS Sights. A good set up for a hunting 45-70.

If it was mainly for bear protection here in Alaska I would go with a wide V with a tritium center line like the old British Express sights on my short barreled Rem. 870 and a Standard Dot XS front sight with a tritium insert.

I see better in low light with open sights compared to a peep with a big aperture.

I'm not sure who designs iron sights for rifles. Ruger comes close, but...........

Years ago I had Andy from Skinner sights make me up the first Skinner Alaskan for my Marlin 45-70. The front sight is a flat post with a white line up the middle by XS Sights. A good set up for a hunting 45-70.

If it was mainly for bear protection here in Alaska I would go with a wide V with a tritium center line like the old British Express sights on my short barreled Rem. 870 and a Standard Dot XS front sight with a tritium insert.

I see better in low light with open sights compared to a peep with a big aperture.

I'm not sure who designs iron sights for rifles. Ruger comes close, but...........

Tang sights work.

https://www.lymanproducts.com/brands/lyman/sights/2-tang-sights

I like a Williams twilight peep that opens up as big as they sell coupled with brass bead. If you are looking East in the evening, even in the woods, that combo works way after dark. You will not be able to see the animal before you can’t see the sights. Now it doesn’t work that way looking west in the evening but any light at all at your back and those things just pop out.

I have an XS peep with a 3/32" white bead front on my early '95 Marlin and a Skinner set that came on my '95 Ruglin Trapper. My original 1885 Winchester wears a Lyman tang sight. I really like the Skinner set with the heavy blade/white line front, I may switch my other '95 to that style front if they make a dovetail version.
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I never had trouble with the factory sights. They're mostly what I've used over the years

Yeah, preferring ghost rings, very comfortable using factory sights.

I installed a nice Skinner brass post front sight. This is the second lever gun with the Skinner post. I'm thinking I'll be doing more.

I found that with a little help from a moto-tool I can convert the buckhorn sights to a shallow V. I’m going to try that on my Rossi 45 Colt.

You can't get much cooler than these. These are on a Winchester 1876 50 Express. Specially made by Freund Bros in Denver. Proof is in the shooting, 150 yards at a rabbit...

You probably used a high BC bullet in that 1876. Nice rifle BTW.

I guess that I’m not into nostalgia …..as I’m using a low power, variable scope on my 45-70 GG. I can clearly see better through the scope for twilight shots than with irons, and have better accuracy in good light or from bench! If the scope fails….my GG still has irons for back-up. The scope would be replaced as quickly as is possible! I want my rifle to be as functional as possible in most any scenario. I see a rifle as a tool….not a museum display item! memtb

I’d guess we all feel our choice has good reasons for hunting. My wife has a 4x scope on her 30-30 because her abilities with iron sights is not as good as with a scope. But she doesn’t carry a rifle for quick shots. She doesn’t carry a rifle to be handy. She takes long deliberate shots.
If you believe that others like iron sights because of museum, like looks, I believe that you’re mistaken. I for one like how handy and quick to the shoulder lever guns offer me. Having a scope on a lever gun screws up the handling characteristics, again in my opinion.
I can imagine that for a person sitting in a stand the advantages of a scope outweighs the disadvantages. In a stand you can take careful somewhat timed shots. I don’t ever hunt that way. If I’m carrying a lever when I still hunt, a scope is a rather poor choice for me.
I don’t give a rip on museum like looks.

I’ll admit that I can’t hit hand thrown cans like I can with open sights. However, at 1 to 1.5 power on the scope, on a rifle that fits properly, hitting a jumped deer in timber is no different than with irons and I can hunt in much darker conditions than with irons. If the sights are unusable……speed with irons doesn’t count for much! 😉 memtb

To each his own

I agree that a low power scope is as quick as irons. It’s just that I don’t think a scope belongs on a lever. If I want or need a scope, I carry a bolt action.

Deer hunting for me stopped being worried about killing a deer a long time ago. I use lots of rifles now for reasons other than absolute effectiveness and pass up 25 deer for every one I shoot. So, I carry a lever a lot for the hell of it and enjoy its advantages like how well they carry and all that while living with their shortcomings.