Lever action sights. Tang, peep, ghost, or scope?

[epijunkie67]

Got a 336 in 30-30 and a couple of 1894s in pistol calibers and I'm tired of the factory sights. One of the 1894s is the octoganal barrel cowboy edition and one is the more modern round barrel.

I've used scopes before of course but I've never used a tang sight or an adjustable peep sight before. When I was in my 20s I could count flea hairs from 30 feet but now days I do good to read street signs at that distance. Sights with micro-dot sized openings are a thing of my past.

So what kind of suggestions do you guys have for lever action sight systems? Tang sights? Peep sights? Ghost ring sights? Just use a scope and be done with it?

This would be almost exclusively for range only weapons. If I hunted with any of these it would be as a novelty only.

So tell me what you think. Help me come up with scope options for my lever toys.

 

[CharlesT]

I would say scope because it so much easier on the eye.

 

[Robert]

I run a Weaver K4 on my 1895G. Plenty of power for my 45-70.

 

[BrocLuno]

Since the gun will take any of them, you're good all around. I have peep/ghost and scope. Never had a tang sight. I do have small disk target peeps on other rifles so that I'm familiar with disk close to eye.

Ghost is the quickest, by far - but it is not easy to maintain accuracy beyond about 75 yds for me. It becomes about cheek weld and putting your eye in "Exactly" the same place behind that larger ring, every time. That's not always easy to do if shooting up hill, or down. Or shooting from all field positions like prone behind you day pack. So for close-in work - great. For distance, not so good.

A tang sight will be about the same as a target peep. Samll disk hole is OK as it's close to eye so it becomes and "outline" for the front sight, just like a ghost, but much tighter. Biggest drawback is dawn and dusk. It gets real dark real quick for me.

Scope is good, but depends on power. I have used up to 6x on lever and it's too much. Had a 4x steel tube Weaver and that was fine. Had a 3x9 Nikon and usually kept it on 3. So now I have 2.5 steel tube Weaver with duplex reticle and I like it the most. Enough magnification to see targets more clearly that with naked eye, but not so much that I get "sea sick" shooting with both eyes open

 

[RB98SS]

I've just recently purchased a 444 Marlin and didn't like the stock sights on it either. I purchased a set of peep sights from Skinner Sights... http://www.skinnersights.com/ I purchased the sights with the standard aperture and have since ordered and received the other two available aperture sizes also. They seem to be of good quality and the owner/producer of the sights is a pleasure to speak with.

You also can remove the aperture completely for a ghost ring effect. I'm real happy with mine and I too don't have the vision I once had.

 

[CraigC]

For general purpose use, I like a click adjustable receiver sight like the Lyman 66 or Williams Foolproof, with a moderately sized aperture. Don't particularly care for ghost rings and wide posts (like XS's white stripe version) as they are to coarse for fine work. If I want what a ghost ring offers I'll just remove the aperture, which I have never done. Tang sights are great for target work but somewhat of a detriment for field use. You have to be careful if making a hasty shot in the field with a rifle with any recoil that you don't get your eyeball too close to the sight.

 

[JustsayMo]

I like the open sights out to 400 yards. They work well for leveraction silhouette matches too as they are quick and easy to adjust for the various ranges.

400 yard video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdxbUWH5o7A
The target is 20" wide by 32" tall. three chunks of well casing hanging from a chain.

For longer range a tang sight really helps. Here's some 1,000 yard video; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO6ihrcukcc&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Here's my friend showing off at 400 yards
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vln5EP0JAmg&feature=related

 

[LeverGunJunkie]

6 lever actions: 2 wear low power variables; 1 has a Leupold .25x scout scope; & my 30-30 trapper and Marlin 1894c use XS peep sights.

The 6th (BLR .300WSM) wears a Leupold VX-1 4-12x.

Depends on the intended use.

 

[45-70 Ranger]

Think you answered your own question when you stated to scope the weapons and be done with it. Go find your scopes and go have some fun.

Wade

 

[Justin Holder]

Marlins just don't look right to me with out a scope.



A small fixed 4 power is all you really need for a 30-30.

 

[mshootnit]

The experienced Alaskan guides are using peeps like the Williams or XS along with a red fiber optic front on guide guns used for back up. I think a peep and small fiber optic front is excellent. Maybe a scope if for lower 48 plains hunting.

 

[BCRider]

I suppose to some extent it depends on what you want your rifle to look like vs how much do you see it as a tool for delivering bullets. The obvious modern solution is a scope. It gathers and effectively amplifies the light if the objective size to magnifying power ratio is biased that way and it can nicely correct for a lot of eyesight difficulties. But it hardly looks period correct to a lot of us that see a lever gun as being a basic package that shines with simplicity.

As for the rest of the options I found myself nodding in agreement with what Brocluno wrote about the different options. Although he downplays the sharpening effect that a small aperature target peep sight plays on those of us with less than stellar vision. Looking through a small enough aperature that is close to our eye has a "pinhole camera" effect that sharpens our vision. But the smaller and sharper it is the more light it cuts out.

But anyway you cut it with bad eyes comes more and more difficulty using the classic bullhorn sights.

On my Rossi/Puma cowboy action rifle I found that the bullhorn sights did not go low enough for the closer in rifle shots. Even with the stepped wedge right out it was still shooting way high. And I had a hard time trying to center the brass front dot in the V at the base of the bullhorns. So since I had to deepen the V to get the sights low enough I made a "sort of" ghost ring out of it.

I took the sight right off and used a few small jeweller's files to make the V into a deeper and more open ring like "C" shape with the opening up like a good luck horseshoe shape where the opening is upward. The final size of the "hole" of the "C" is just a little under an 1/8 inch. In use this has worked nicely for me. The sight picture is fast to aquire and due to the small hole set out on the barrel it is quick and easy to center the brass front sight dot in the "C". It cost me nothing but some time and a spot of cold blue. And I suppose it "ruined" the sight. No loss there though. It was useless to me and the only part of the gun that I found to be made to poor standards. So if my idea had not worked out then it was due for replacement anyway. As it turned out I don't think I'll need to go with anything else for it because it's working so well. If you're looking at replacing it anyway perhaps give my option a try first and see if it ends up "good enough" for you.

 

[Abel]

I would put a peep on the 1894 & a low power variable on the 336. I just ordered a 2-7x32mm Nikon ProStaff for my 336C 30-30. I also have a 336 with a Williams peep. Situation would dictate which I would hunt with. I like a scope for low light shots, or shots over 100 yards.

 

[dewalt-2]

Marbel's tang on my '47 39A...

XS ghost ring with Williams aperture on my '08 39A...

XS ghost ring with Williams aperture on my 1894SS .44...

I also have scope setups for all, but like the peeps better for field use.

 

[4thPointOfContact]

on a scout-mount, backed up by

 

[Brian Williams]

I really like my Marble's tang sight with a Merit adjustable peep disc on my Marlin 1894C and a Lyman 66 on my 39M.

 

[LeverGunJunkie]

4th Point: That is a very solid idea. I think I may do just that on my 1894c (.357). Thanks.

 

[macadore]

I've used scopes before of course but I've never used a tang sight or an adjustable peep sight before. When I was in my 20s I could count flea hairs from 30 feet but now days I do good to read street signs at that distance. Sights with micro-dot sized openings are a thing of my past.

I've got 63 year old eyes and a cataract on my shooting eye. All my long guns wear scopes or electronic optics except my Benelli Nova which has a ghost ring. A ghost ring at arm's length is the only iron sight I can see well enough to use without glasses. With glasses, the target becomes a blur.

 

[SwampWolf]

On a lever-action rifle used for hunting, I much prefer a good receiver sight-they are faster to acquire a good sight picture than conventional irons and they complement the handling qualities of a traditional carbine. Imo, a scope detracts from said handling attributes, especially when wading through a Michigan cedar swamp when shots will be relatively close and fast. I have plenty of scopes mounted on more than a few bolt-action rifles for other hunting venues and situations.
However, since you plan on "exclusively for range only" shooting and just trying to fire accurate groups is your primary goal, a scope might be the way to go.

 

[JEB]

my 336 in 30-30 wears a reciever sight and front sight from skinner sights. i highly reccomend them! very tough and they look great. i have had no problems maintaining near scope like accuracy at 100 yards. if you decide that you want to scope it i would look for a 1.5-4x variable. i had a 3-9x for a while but found that i was always using the 3 or 4 and often wishing i had less.

 

[Old Time Hunter]

I prefer the "ghost" ring receiver sight on my levers, quick to point and works for old eyes. Have not really gotten into the placing a handle/optical enhancer on my receiver....just ain't right.