Fiberoptic front sights on a shotgun?

[Tman]

I wanted to ask some of you what you thought of fiberoptic front sights on a shotgun to replace a gold bead. I was over at the Beretta Gallery Shop (in Dallas) and they had a Tru-Glo fiberoptic front sight (no tritium) for a Beretta 391. I have fiberoptic front sight on a couple of my pistols, they are very nice. What do ya'all think?

 

[MrTuffPaws]

I like the idea. I am going to get myself one of the little magnetic ones to sit behind the bead. I lose the bead against furniture and what not around the house, but I want to be able to remove it for outside work.

 

[nico]

I think it's purely a matter of personal preference. My dad has one on his SBE that he likes. I tried using an aftermarket one on my SX2, which has a white front bead standard, and found it distracting. Shooting trap with it took a constant effort to make myself focus on the bird instead of the bead. occasionally, I'd focus on the bead anyway which would cause me to stop the gun and led to more missed birds than usual. I like fiber optic sights for pistols, but I wouldn't put one on a shotgun again unless I was shooting at stationary targets.

 

[P95Carry]

I have tried two types. One is real old, on a S/S 12G field gun ... it catches light well and makes an orange dot. Always seemed to help... that is fixed with epoxy.

I also have tried a ''Turkey'' sight on one of my O/U's ... Trijicon insert dealie. Like that too... and that is clipped over rib. Shottie afficionados probably cringe over these but - I think they can be useful. Gives me a sorta ''alignment check'' as I start a swing.

 

[sm]

Depends on Task.

Personally I find them distracting.

I learned to shoot without a front bead or anything..."shotguns are pointed - not aimed". I taught students to shoot with BB Guns with sights removed, ( as per Brister) then transitioned them to shotguns with beads removed...on purpose.

As I get older and my eyes are going thru what they are, I appreciate being able to see. First Rule of shooting any platform " you cannot hit what you cannot see" [target].

Moving targets , clays, doves, quail, ducks...I really don't see the bead, if the gun has one - I really don't see it;heck I have shot clays and hunted game without one. For moving or stationary targets...I do fine with a front bead only, for more precision - gimme a mid bead along with the front bead - My preferred set up btw.

That said - a dedicated Turkey or Deer Gun I can see a benefit to a shooter - only shooting stationary targets , having Fiber Optic. Especially with aging eyes and low light conditions.

Me...I'm gonna pass, too onery, hard -headed, and I hate change on some things... might clash with the wood and blue....

 

[Dave McCracken]

I don't like them for wingshooting. They are a distraction when one has to focus on the target. I'm regularly outshot by folks with them(and without them) so YMMV.

For stationary or slow moving stuff, including "Serious" use, they do have a place.

 

[BillL223]

I have a Hi-Viz on my Beneli M1 tactical that is used from 3-gun and like it. 95% of the targets are stationary. I tried the magnetic version on my Browning 425 which I use for sporting clays and found it distracting and removed it, my wife does like it on her Browning Gold. The magnetic or clip-on ones are cheap enough that I suggest you try it and then decide if you like it. Natchez frequently has them on sale.

 

[MrMurphy]

All my shotguns are antipersonnel or animal (groundbound guns) and the bead works well, especially in low (but not "no") light. My dad, who wears trifocals could REALLY see the fiberoptic when the regular bead was not visible on his 870, so I got him one.

 

[PJR]

It depends. If the gun is for flying targets (clays, birds) I hate the glow sticks because they take my eyes away from where they should be and that is on the target.

However for four (two?) footed targets on the ground I love them because they keep my eyes where they need to be which is on the front sight. I had a low-light 25 yard enounter with a black bear last summer and we stared at each other for a few minutes before he moved on. Those three little bright dots on my 870 were very reassuring when super imposed on where they needed to be if his decision had been different.

Paul

 

[Ed3]

I never used one until recently. It makes a huge difference for me for night skeet. Without the fiberoptic I would miss 5-8 birds at night on a poorly lit skeet field. With the HiViz (magnetic) bead I'm back to normal. Apparently my peripheral vision doesn't pick up the barrel in the bad or low lighting.

Ed

 

[Smoke]

I don't care for them for birds.

I tried a set of Williams Firesights on my 870 with rifle sights. Really am just indifferent to them.

Oddly, I shot some informal trap with this gun. Did really well with it. I attribute the success more to fit than the sights.

Smoke

 

[HSMITH]

HERE is a link to a discussion we had on this subject not to long ago.

 

[MAURICE]

I have a short one instead of a bead on my 500a and love it. Shows up in the sun real well. Has dusted a lot of clays.

 

[mete]

Glow sights come on all the benellis now .I had one on my M1-90 and tried it on squirrels the first time and removed it , replaced it with a stainless steel one . In the woods ,if you are in the shade you have one picture but in the sun it glows like a neon light giving you a very different picture .

 

[wanderinwalker]

Both of my 870s have regular beads. My brother's Benelli Nova has the fiber optic. The first time I fired the Nova he asked me, "Notice the fiber optic?" To which I replied, "The what?" Granted, he can outshoot me with the shottie most days, but I don't think the fiber optic sight has anything to do with that.

 

[buttweavil]

Well all have there opinion, World champ Tom Knapp allways uses the easy hit has for years now not to mention the last 8 world champs use fiber optics, pipes so many names its personal preference. Kinda like whats better a remington or beretta chocolate or vanilla. Old school people tend to form a opinion and do not like whats new. My father told me all 45acps are just a waste then a company named kimber changed all of that along with les bear etc. You can buy the easy hits on ebay quite cheaply get one try it a few times see if you like remember all the latest REAL PROS use them.

 

[ArmedBear]

What do ya'all think?

I think they're a waste of money at best. I have one on my 682 and I have never noticed that it was there. Whether I break the clay or not, the fiber sight has not had anything to do with it.

Also, the bigger the worse. Those RayBars like on old Ithacas SUCK to high heaven. That's the only fiber sight that has ever made any difference to me when I was taking a shot. It caused me to miss an easy pheasant with both barrels, by acting as a distraction. I thereafter dropped the gun off at a gunsmith to have a brass bead put on it (the original was brazed on!), and it's been bagging pheasants for me faithfully ever since.

The tiny fiber sights on Benellis are innocuous. I wouldn't pay to get one, though.

 

[AKElroy]

Academy sells decent TruGlo clip on FO sights for vent ribs, as well as barrel clamp-ons for smoothtops. They are cheap; buy what will fit & see if it helps. I shoot better with them on my 1100, but I honestly could not tell you I actually look at it. They snap behind the bead; no surgery required. 10 second install, both of mine are very snug even after lots of shooting.

 

[tactikel]

I really like the Ray-Bar on my SKB. Ivory beads tend to disappear. The worse the weather the better I like them.

 

[oneounceload]

Ivory beads tend to disappear.

That's a good thing - your eyes should be on your target, NOT your sights.

I find those various colored light pipes to be a distraction for clay and wing shooting. I need ALL of my focus and concentration on the target to be successful

 

[45crittergitter]

I use the ones about 3" long, mostly Hi-Viz brand that magnetically stick on the rib. I love them. The pipes are interchangeable for different colors, and they are pretty bright. They're cheap, fit more than one gun, and are instantly removable. I find that when I look at the bird, not the sight, and miss, the bright sight in my peripheral vision lets me know where the gun was when I missed. Of course if you look at the sight, you miss. But like I said, they're removable

 

[tactikel]

oneounceload, you are right on, I look to the bird and bring the gun up to follow and swing past the bird. The front sight is only to index and allow me to determine the path of the barrel. Fiberoptics can help with the arc and speed of the barrel swing. I have shotguns with ivory, gold and fiberoptic front sights - I shoot best with the "big orange balls".