Front sights with wings, do they ever get in the way?

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Greg Koziol

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Do you guys like wings on your front iron sights...it seems like they would be a distraction instead of having just the sight post on the end of your barrel, but then if you bang it or bump it into something you have no back up sight. I'm aware of the trade off. Do you guys ever find that wings can sometimes create too much clutter and hard to focus on the post itself??
 
I've never found the "wings" (often called ears, actually) to be distracting or obscure the target.

On HK style sights they can actually assist aiming.

Protecting the front post is a valuable function, IMHO.
 
Protecting the front post is a valuable function
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Absolutely! and they also give you a reference to help guestimate the lead when shooting moving targets or in strong cross winds.
 
i'm wondering if for my dangerous game rifle to use just the sight post or get one that is winged, the same company makes just a post or a winged sight. The thing i'm worried is if i'm in a situation where a bear charges me at under 50 yards and I need to get on him fast, I don't want too much crap to focus on, i figure with just post it will be nothing to obstruct the target, but then again if I drop my rifle or swing it against a tree and the sight gets chips off or something, then i'm screwed. What would you guys do if you were me?
 
I'm not a fan of the AR-15 style ears on the front sight but, they are growing on me. I prefer the HK style found on the Troy BUIS. Makes the front post picture less crowded imho.
 
Get the ears/wings. You want to protect that front sight from being damaged, and you're a lot more likely to screw up the front sight than to be charged by anything. And if you are charged by anything, I don't think the ears/wings will obstruct anything.
 
The thing i'm worried is if i'm in a situation where a bear charges me at under 50 yards and I need to get on him fast, I don't want too much crap to focus on...
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With experience you won't even notice the dog ears on either side of the front sight.
 
If the ears are distracting you, you haven't been practicing enough with the sights!

I shoot NRA Highpower with an AR-15 Service Rifle. The ears on the front sight have never been a problem, as they are plenty distinct from the post IMO.
 
They are a non-issue. And their function is important enough that any issues that may arise are best considered a software issue, and not a hardware issue.
 
Nope. Most of 'em are bent. You learn to ignore 'em.
"...I'm gonna get the sight with the ears..." For what? The sight blade is more important. Front and rear sights need to match too.
 
On my AR (which typically has a scope that can be easily removed) I have found myself, on more than one occasion, sighting by accidentally using one of the wings as the front sight post!

I guess I just need to shoulder it more to get used to the "sight-picture."
 
Sunray said:
Nope. Most of 'em are bent. You learn to ignore 'em.
"...I'm gonna get the sight with the ears..." For what? The sight blade is more important. Front and rear sights need to match too.
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well its gonna go on my dangerous game rifle and all around self defense, home defense, and hunting rifle... and I do a lot of bushwacking with it so I think the ears would add nice protection to the sight post, but the same company (brockman's) makes just a sight post which could fit on my existing front sight dovetail... but I guess if you learn to ignore them then i'll just get the sight with the ears. This is won't be the primary sighting system. I plan on getting an aimpoint either compc3 or 9000sc or 9000L in 2 moa. The irons would be the back up sighting system, but even as a back up sight I want the ability to get a fast sight picture in case i'm being charged by a bear etc.
 
I wouldn't own a DG rifle without ears or a tunnel to protect the front sight. IMO it is absolutely necessary for that style of rifle. If you think the ears are to distracting, then go for a tunnel (which I prefer as it affords even more protection and better sighting IMO), but something needs to be there to insure that your sight and zero stay put. Additionally I would put a decent low magnification scope on it, and attach it with QR style mounts (in case you need those irons). That way you have a better/faster means of sighting, with greater light gathering properties.

:)
 
I agree with you maverick... thats exactly what I was thinking, I don't wanna be stranded in bear country and accidentally bang my sight off of a tree or something and then have no useable iron sights... i'm just gonna get the sight with the protective wings, its better to have that insurance. I've thought about a low power scope, but I may opt for a red dot with a small dot... the aimpoint compc3 and 9000 series caught my eye with the 2 MOA dot... and maybe get a magnifier of some sort with good eye relief like the aimpoint 3x magnifier.
 
The Aimpoint is a good choice as far as red dots, but I couldn't choose a electronic sight (especially one that requires batteries) for such a task. I would, and did, stick to a rugged low magnification optic from a respected manufacturer. I chose a Leupold VX-3 1-4x20mm for mine, but the Sightron S-IIBS, Nikon Monarch, Weaver Super Slam, or Bushnell Elite 4200 is a better deal IMO (I wanted a gloss finish, so I paid extra).

:)
 
Thanks Maverick. thats a good point, the aimpoints last for 5 years on one battery though, and those batteries are readily available. I figure an aimpoint with 2 moa is perfect for .45-70 in the brush and wooded areas I hunt... 150-200 yards tops I don't wanna be too magnified. i've been also considering scout scope and pistol scopes... is that leupold xv extended eye relief?
 
On the down side, I have managed to try to line up with one of the ears in low light shooting. I shot a nice group for the drill and conditions with all the shots impacting slightly more than 2 feet to the left.

I now have tritium front posts to keep that from happening again.
 
is that leupold xv extended eye relief?
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Nope, I prefer conventional optics, but it does afford about 4in. of eye relief, which is generous enough for all the folks that have fired my rifle. It can be seen below, on said rifle:

IMG_4596.jpg

FWIW, I chose a Kahles CL 2-7x36mm for my upcoming Marlin 1895SBL, also a standard eye relief optic.

:)
 
I find front sights without wings distracting.

But I spent a lot of time in the Army first shooting M1 Carbines & M1 Garands, later on M14's, and still later, M16's.

To me, a front sight with wings when viewed through an aperature is just part of the sight picture.

rc
 
Greg Koziol said:
Do you guys like wings on your front iron sights...it seems like they would be a distraction instead of having just the sight post on the end of your barrel, but then if you bang it or bump it into something you have no back up sight. I'm aware of the trade off. Do you guys ever find that wings can sometimes create too much clutter and hard to focus on the post itself??
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Doesn't bother me in the slightest. I didn't even know you could get sights without either wings or a hood, at least on "mainstream" rifles.
 
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I don't think the wings are too much of a problem, although in bad lighting, shooting at a dark target against a dark background, I have found I will sometimes initially pick up the left wing when I am snap shooting. I do not think I have ever fired a round using the left wing as the front sight though.
 
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