Fiber Optic vs. Iron Sights

[minnesotagunner]

I'm currently saving to get myself a browning buckmark. i still haven't fully decided what model i want but one of the major decision hurdles i have to overcome is the choice between "standard" iron sights or fiber optic sights. the fiber optic is only in the front and the rear is the same on both. there are obvious pros and cons to each but I'm having troubles weighing them.


Iron Sights-
Pros: durability, less obstructive, more precise, could be painted for visibility
Cons: Hard to find, not as fast

Fiber Optic-
Pros: easy to see, fast acquisition, good for darker environments
Cons: fairly obstructive, less durable, confusion(see below)


I do like fiber optic sights but iv had some troubles with them in the past. in one case on an air rifle it had a very large front sight and made it so that you covered the entire target with the sight, which made accurate shooting hard. on my savage mk II the front fiber optic tube actually fell out. luckily it happened at home and i super glued it back in without issue but im now a bit paranoid about them. id rather not loose my front sight at the range or in the woods. the confusion issue is basically all me. im not exactly sure on how to use a fiber optic sight on a handgun. with my rifle, for the short time i used the fiber optic sights, it was easy being that the front tube was small and didnt obscure much, but with a pistol being that the sights are usually bigger and closer to your eye it may become an issue. with iron sights you put the target on the top of the front post, but do you do that with a fiber optic sight or do you cover the target? the sights are adjustable so i could move the poi easily but id rather use it properly.

any opinions are helpful, and if any buckmark owners also want to comment on which model they like best it would be great. im still not sure if i want the standard or the urx grips. the standard gripped model comes with iron sights and the urx model comes with the fiber optic.

 

[9mmepiphany]

You shouldn't be aiming with the fiber optic front dot on a handgun like you would with a fiber optic front dot on a long gun.

On my longgun, a FN SLP shotgun, I look through the rear ghost ring sight and just put the red dot where I want to hit.

On a handgun, several Sig 226s set up for USPSA competition, the front dot draws your eye, but you still align your sights by centering the front blade in the rear notch and leveling the tops of the sights.

The purpose of the F/O on a handgun is to make the front sight faster to pickup with your eye

 

[minnesotagunner]

"You shouldn't be aiming with the fiber optic front dot on a handgun like you would with a fiber optic front dot on a long gun."

what? yea thats fine for uspsa but 99% of my shooting is small targets at25 yards+

 

[9mmepiphany]

what? yea thats fine for uspsa but 99% of my shooting is small targets at25 yards+

I'm not sure I understand what you are saying.

Don't you align your front blade with the notch and ears of the rear blade when shooting at that distance?

How would a fiber optic tube in your front site effect that?

Why would your sight alignment change between 15 yards and 25 yards...or even 50 yards, 100 yards or beyond?

Your sight picture might change, but your sight alignment should be constant

 

[minnesotagunner]

yes, but with a FO front sight you have a round circle not a flat top or square to align with the top of the rear.

sight alignment wouldnt be different for those distances but if you have to cover the target with the FO sight it can make shooting small targets at any distance pretty hard.

 

[strambo]

yes, but with a FO front sight you have a round circle not a flat top or square to align with the top of the rear.

Not true...the FO insert is inside a standard sight blade...so there is a flat black top to align, same as on 3 dot sights. I just googled the buckmark to make sure they weren't doing something non-standard and it is inside a normal sight blade.

 

[minnesotagunner]

so basically its a circle on the lower portion of the square front blade? thats where the confusion comes in for me. when you have something like that are you supposed to just point shoot with the FO, but use the top when you need it for accuracy?

 

[9mmepiphany]

You're not understanding what I have written

The purpose of the F/O on a handgun is to make the front sight faster to see when you bring your gun up during your draw. It sounds like you're trying to use the round circle as an aiming point on a handgun, you should be using it to speed up your ability to see the front sight. If you don't need this ability, I would do away with it.

The technique of covering the target with the F/O, or 3-dot sights, is often called Driving the Dots and is a combat technique used for fast and close shooting...it is not to encourage point shooting...using this technique for other than it's designed/intended purpose is a bit counter productive.

Edit: I did not understand that you did not realize that the F/O was an insert in the front blade...I thought you had used a set on a handgun previously

 

[minnesotagunner]

okay, makes sense. now my issue turns more toward the "what model do i want" side.

there is a model with standard grips and iron sights and there is a model with "better" grips and a FO front sight. if only there was an in between.

thank you for clarifying the aiming issue. if i decided just to go with a standard iron sight and put a paint on the front sight is there any opinions on that? after the searches ive done its all over the board.

 

[Clipper]

Heh Heh...I have a set of rifle sights on my MKII (hooded ramp and Williams firesight front, and peep rear), and I use 'em like any other peep-sighted gun, with the dot occluding the impact point. The one problem is at long range in bright light, the FO glows and appears even larger than normal, making an even larger occlusion. I am considering going to a plain white bead for this reason. however, for normal hunting and target use at ranges of 50 yards and less, I'd recommend irons, and for combat sights, the XS Big Dot front and Express rear is the best I've used.

 

[9mmepiphany]

My experience differs somewhat.

Plain black iron sights are pretty tough to beat at any range for a combination of accuracy or speed. For a bit faster sight acquisition, I'd add a F/O (for competition), gold bead (carry) or XS small dot (night sight).

For those of us over 50, a wider rear notch is helpful...like on the Heine 50+, 10-8 or Warren Tactical. The "U-notch" rear works very well with the bead front, I've found the XS Express rear lacking in lateral alignment feedback

 

[Shadow 7D]

I thought that on a shotgun it's used same as a bead, like a gold bead, it's there to help your speed by being easy to see, the same is true with a FO insert on a pistol, it's there to help your speed, regular old iron sites, you aim the same, blade level and centered. just it makes it easier to see.

 

[TH3180]

Here is how I fixed the problem you are having. Buy a TacSol rail and put a red dot on it. I switched back and forth between my HiViz front sight and the factory front sight. I couldn't decide what I liked better. I put the red dot on and I love it. It adds some weight to it, but I feel it is worth it.
One thing to watch out for is B Squal rails. They are the worst rail ever made. I bought one and I can't bring myself to sell it because it is such a bad product. I feel like I would be ripping someone off if I sold it to them.

 

[Sauer Grapes]

IMO, if your shooting for accuracy instead of speed, iron sights are just fine as long as your vision is good. I only use the HiViz on my S&W for steel and action matches. I really like it for that. Either way, you aim them both the same way.

 

[EddieNFL]

id rather not loose my front sight at the range or in the woods.

You can purchase FO by the foot. All you need is a knife and a match.

 

[HGUNHNTR]

I have always been able to see a black front sight as it contrasts on target better than a fiber optic colored sight. Then there is also the durability.

 

[minnesotagunner]

yea, the decision is very hard.

 

[gatopardo]

fiber optics

Fiber optics are really hard to beat as long as is light is there.

If there is not illumination, one of this dots might be an acceptable solution:


The green ones are night sights, the orange are day sights( They glow bright fast, the deep orange glow last a few of minutes).

Glow-on.com is testing them and offering free with the purchase of a single vial of their super phosphorescent pigment ( $13.31 including s&h).

Just write on the instructions for the merchant space:
"I am a member of the High road" and they'll send them to you.

Gato

P.S. We don't say they are perfect, nothing is perfect, they are just really cool.

 

[EddieNFL]

Fiber optics are really hard to beat as long as is light is there.

I have a friend who swore by FO sights. Several years ago we were shooting an IDPA COF that started in sunlight and ended in a tent. I watched him enter the tent and waited several seconds before hearing a shot. He later said he couldn't find the front sight.