who is using peep sights
 

Over the past year I have switched all my brush guns from low powers scopes to peep/ghost ring sights. I was wondering how many people use peep sights on their hunting rifles specifically for close to medium range offhand shooting.

My first change was an XS ghost ring and front post on a Marlin lever action rifle. I would call it a great within 100 yard setup. My second change was a Ruger bolt action, scout setup, with a threaded XS ghost ring to accept various peep apertures and a 1/16 brass bead front sight. This setup is very versatile.

I use a peep sight on my old Marlin 22 LR squirrel rifle. Getting tough though because my eyesight is easing off the rail !

I've got peeps on 3 rifles, a Model 1903 Mannlicher-Schoenauer chambered in 6.5x54MS, a Winchester Model 1984 in 30-30 and a Marlin Model 1895M chambered in 450 Marlin. Peeps are very effective and many people overlook them when they need a short range tool. I've used them in the military and up to 200 yards or so they don't give much ground to a scope. Beyond 200 yards they start to loose effectiveness because the scope allows more precision in aiming at distance.

I have a Lyman # 2 peep sight on a Winchester model 94. Been using it since the 1970's .

Also have a T/C peep on my T/C Hawkins which makes it fun to shoot again.

:D Al

IMO if you're going no magnification and were talking under 100 yards plain old open sights give a much better sight picture.
I guess if you shoot with both eyes open that would remedy the problem but I only shoot with one eye and can't stand how much of the sight picture a peep takes away.
I've shouldered but not fired the military issue rifles at a recruiting booth for the army, it was cool though they had that whole training simulator screen with enemies flooding in and the recoil was produced by air compressors. I've fired a 308 scar with a peep.
I can see how it would help accuracy, but when it comes to target accusation I feel open sights are "faster" ,now that could be just my limited understanding or experience with them.

haha a Hawkins with a peep would be fun for sure!
Your post reminded me peeps have been in existence for quite a long time.
Didn't the Brown Bess and Springfield both utilize peeps during the civil war? I'm not sure

Actually, the peep is not only faster but also more accurate. It has to do with the way the human eye works. In order to use open sights the eye has to try and focus on 3 things: rear sight, front sight and target. The problem is, the human eye isn't physically able to do so which is why one of the 3, normally the rear sight, is blurred out. This can and will lead to problems.

With the peep sight, the eye will automatically center the front post in the middle of the ring and if it adjusted correctly in regards to elevation and windage all you have to do is put the tip of the front post where you want the bullet to go. Your eye only has to focus on 2 things, the front post and the target, which it is capable of doing. There is a reason the military uses peep sights on their battle rifles, they work better than open sights. if they didn't, the rifles being issued would have open sights and they don't.

I've hit man sized target at 300 yards with my issued M-4 with a peep sight and I know for a fact I can't do that with open sights.

Very cool. The only peep I have is on my bow lol
Having not actually put more than three live rounds through a gun with a peep I was sure I was missing something about it. I have a 3030 I've been thinking of doing something to the sights, I may try out a peep on it. Are they pretty easy to install? Do I have to do something with the front sight too?

have used this rifle since I think '92, have taken 4 bear and a few deer with it, sadly its sold guy will pick it up in a week or so

RR

To be honest, my nearsightedness always made open sights a struggle.
When I began using a peep on my bow it occurred to me that I may have found a solution.
All but two of my sidelocks now wear a peep-good to 100 yds +/.
The ones without have longer barrels which seems to work out.
I find shooting with both eyes open much more natural with a peep.

Got them on a tc white mountain carbine and a 45/70 buffalo classic.

i use them on my old 30-40 and a 1903 springfield.

I too like peeps. I currently have peep sights on 2 win 94s, my Marlin guide gun and all 5 of my traditional style muzzleloaders. I find that I can shoot them very well and in the areas of PA where I hunt most shots are taken within 100 yds with most a lot closer. And I have found the peeps not to be a disadvantage over a scoped rifle. Plus they help to keep the sleek lines of a lever gun like the 94.

Seems like everyone is loving their peeps, all of my deer hunting is sub 100 yds I think I may have found a new sighting method. Will be trying this on either my knight muzzeloader or lever Winchester 3030 or perhaps both.

Never thought of it but seems Flags makes a dang good "point". No pun intended.

I am not a "crack shot" by any means, but for grins, after my post a couple of weeks back I went to the range to see just how well I really could do with my old peep-sighted Marlin 22 LR. It is an excellent shooting rifle. So I knew that any poor grouping would be the shooter !

With a good rest, at a measured 100 feet, I flat out surprised myself at the tight groups, and right on the money too. Shot 100 rounds and almost every one (91) was well inside of 2" of center of the bull's eye. Every one of the misses had excellent windage but were about 2 1/2" high (?).

So maybe I still have "it" .... but that could be debated !!

It is good to see so many enjoying their peep sights. Flags provided all the information about peeps and I will add that using them has no parralax issues.

My accuracy has improved and I enjoy the bigger sight picture and faster follow up shots.

Old eyes love scopes and peep sights. Sight adjustment is easier and much more accurate with a "click" adjustable peep then with stock open sights. I use several of them:
Lyman 66A on Win. '94
Stock military on Enfield Mk 4 #2 and a 1903A1.
Lyman 57 on sporterized 1917 Enfield 3006.
T/C "ladder" sight on Investarm Hawken.

I only use a scope on a 3006 for long range. Guns with peeps are much easier to carry and faster to use for folks that used open sights for years.

A few years ago this V peep had good reviews on this board with the muzzle loader people.

http://rmcsports.com/rmcsports_cfmfi...fm?section=716

:D Al

FWIW, a very very long time ago, hunted deer with a peep sighted 1891 Argentine mauser. Did well with it when hunting deer with shots up to 150 yds. These days, when shooting paper, prefer scoped rifles. However, my peep sighted 22 target rifle does quite well for me.....just as good as my 6-18x44 scoped 22 rifle when shooting 50 yd targets.

I have a couple with XS

My son bought a marlin 336 last fall and we just put A Williams peep sight on it. It sure makes it easier to see than the buckhorns that came on it.

Especially for target shooting with circular targets, a peep sight combined with a globe front sight with circular insert can be one of the most accurate set ups available.

I started out shooting smallbore matches with a scope, but after an optics malfunction that caused me to borrow a fellow shooter's rifle at a match - that had a peep and globe - I never went back to the scope for that purpose.

That probably sounds odd for me to admit to some of you fellas that are on here a lot, since I'm typically a high magnification scope guy. BUT, for open sights, a peep and globe is my preference.

However, I don't really qualify that peep sights and ghost ring sights are the same thing. Very different function in relation to the eye, and very different purposes.

I believe that a non-scoped rifle is harder to shoot accurately.

However, under low light conditions nothing beats having optics !