Open Sight Help For Old Eyes

[airedale]

It is frustrating when your vision goes downhill to the point where using open sights accurately on firearms becomes  very hard. Once I went to the bifocals focusing with open sights went south bad especially with the rear v-notch-buckhorn types. With the peep-aperture type I can still get a pretty fair sight picture and can shoot well but there are some older design firearms that are not suited for a peep or there is just no manufacturer that makes one that fits. 

 

I have three 22 rifles of vintage design, a couple of Taurus rifles that are modern copies of the Winchester 63 autoloader  and the 62 gallery pump, both with crappy v-notch rear sights. Also a little Savage favorite single shot with the same type of sights. Scopes would solve the sight problem but these old designs were just not made to put a scope on. There are tang type sights that would work but finding one that fits properly and having to to drill and tap some hole makes that option a pain in the ass. Aso tang sights are mounted right on top of the grip making for me an unnatural hold that I don't care for.

 

Well a couple of sight companies manufacture peep sights that mount in place of the old buckhorn v-notch sight's dovetail on the barrel. Skinner is one outfit that makes a very nicely machined high quality sight in both stainless and blues steel and old standby Marbles also makes a sight similar to the old buckhorn style except there are a couple of circles to sight through instead of a v-notch.

 

I decided to give them a try and ordered one of each, the Skinner was mounted on the Taurus pump and the Marbles on the Savage single shot. I would say the biggest improvement with these sights is seeing a small target. Both the Taurus and the Savage's rear v-notch would cover most of a Chipmunk size target making a precise shot hard. With the peeps I can actual see a small target and am limited now by the size of the bead of the front sight which with longer distances eventually covers the target.

 

Now I have some real tack driving scope mounted rimfire rifles that make shots on small game pretty easy but there are times I just like using an old vintage type firearm. So to sum things up I have been using both classic rifles with decent success eliminating Chipmunks here on the farm. Both rifles are better than they were and are now usable for vermin and being shot instead of sitting in the gun safe not being used for anything. That was the point of this thread, anyone that has an old classic just sitting around not being used because of the sights might have an option to dust off the old timer and fire it up.

 

This is the Skinner sight that I have on the Taurus pump.

 

 

This is the Marbles that I have on the Savage single shot.

 

Edited June 6, 2016 by airedale

[philoshop]

Looks like a very good option. Thanks for the info.

[Pygmy]

Very nice !

 

I went a similar route with a Yugo M48  Mauser in 8x57 that I wanted to be able to use as a deer rifle..

 

I bought a MOJO SIGHT which is a peep that attaches to the rear sight base.  I removed the rear sight and just attached the peep to the base with a couple of set screws.  That way the rifle is not altered in any way and I can remove the peep and re-install the original rear sight to return the rifle to it's original state..

 

The only things I have shot with it so far were a sick coon and a couple of porcupines, however...<<grin>>..

 

I must say, though, the 8x57 with 150 grain Hornadys DOES pop a porky out of a tree with authority !

[G-Man]

Just use a bead and long barrel. Point and shoot.. keep the game close.. had to miss looking right down a barrel at 10 yards..

[bugsNbows]

That Skinner sight looks great. Good luck.

[Jaeger]

XS Sight systems also make a large number of aftermarket peep/aperture sight many of which fit in std scope base holes.  NECG also carries some peep sights that mount in std. ruger bases.

 

I did find that by using the "Computer glasses" I purchased for work, designed to place things in the 12"-36" range in better focus I can now use open sights again fairly well.