Preferred Sights for your 12 ga. HD/Range

[monduconstruct]

Curious to see what most of you prefer on your 12 ga shotguns. Specifically, I'm thinking short barreled 18" to 20" models for HD. I think my decision is going to come down to whatever is available, but figured this would be a good tell for what people like in case I have options.

 

[Youngster]

Bead, they're the shotgun standard for a reason.

Though if you shoot with both eyes open and you have a tall enough set of rifle sights you can use them as a makeshift OEG sight at close range, used in this way they give up almost nothing in speed to a bead.

 

[stu454]

For HD? Bead or a tritium bead.

 

[monduconstruct]

seems like the poll is starting to lean towards bead ... but no one thinks having the ability to shoot slugs is important? While you wouldn't shoot slugs in your house, you could if things went outdoors.

 

[FatPants]

One cant shoot slugs with a bead?
I keep 00 buck in my HD gun. I cant see things moving outside, but if they do, 00 buck should still get the job done.

 

[BushyGuy]

I use a magnetic fiber optic sight on my 870.

 

[Youngster]

It's easy to be accurate to at least 50 yards with a bead and slugs, and well beyond that with a little practice. The other sight types might make that easier but they're not as good with shot and moving targets, which IMO is the shotgun's main reason for being.

You have to start thinking like a shotgunner and not like a handgun or rifle guy for them to work for you though.

 

[oneounceload]

Bead - K.I.S.S. has always been best.

While you wouldn't shoot slugs in your house, you could if things went outdoors.

If you go outdoors, it is no longer self-defense (in FL anyway)- you'd better be REAL careful with that thinking, else you might find yourself a guest of the state for a few years. If I can hit a 110mm flying object at 50 yards with my bad eyes and a bead, why wouldn't you be able to hit a man-size torso standing fairly still at half that distance?

 

[Bix]

I really like the express rifle sights on my shotgun.

One of the problems I've found with a bead sight is that, for me, the ability to hit consistently with a bead depends on a solid, consistent mount. This works out OK on trap and sporting clays fields, but becomes problematic in practical shooting matches or classes.

If I have a sloppy mount because I'm shooting on the move, from an unconventional position, or off the weakside shoulder or whatever, my ability to hit consistently is going to be compromised with a bead. With a set of sights, I can pick up a sight picture and make the hit, irrespective of the quality of my mount / stockweld.

The nice thing about express sights is that if I do have a good mount, I can ignore the wide, shallow "V" rear and just use the giant golfball front as a bead. On the other hand, if I can feel that the mount is off, I can slow down, pick up a sight picture, and make sure I don't drop my shot.

Can I do OK with a bead in a match or class? Sure. But I will be more consistent under those conditions if I have the option of confirming my allignment with a sight picture.

It's easy to be accurate to at least 50 yards with a bead and slugs,

Absolutely. I was in a class once with a number of shotguns equipped with rifle sights, ghost rings, and even a EOTech or two. The fellow with the best 75 yard slug groups was running a bead-sighted 21" 870 that he used for deer hunting. Indian not Arrow. Now, if we had to print groups off the weakside shoulder around a baracade for time, would that change? Obviously, I don't know if he would have struggled with a bead -- but I know I would have.

 

[ForumSurfer]

For HD? Bead or a tritium bead.

Absolutely. I'd like to try a tritium bead, actually. I've never shot in the dark, but day glow pink or green fingernail polish always let me find my bead in low light if for some reason the shiny chrome bead was no longer shiny.

I've never taken a defensive shotgun course. I have had tons of experience hunting, clay shooting, general target practice, shooting on the move, shooting from cover, shooting leaning around brush or trees, shooting leaning way off of a tree stand and etc. I've never had an issue finding my bead on any length barrel regardless of shooting position.

 

[JNewell]

seems like the poll is starting to lean towards bead ... but no one thinks having the ability to shoot slugs is important? While you wouldn't shoot slugs in your house, you could if things went outdoors.

I voted GRS, but I'd say bead for sure if you are talking <25 yards. Slugs are a little esoteric for close-range (by which I mean inside a residence) defensive use (in my opinion) in most cases. At interior ranges, unless you live in a hangar, the bead is at least as good, maybe better.

A single bead is much faster and much more than adequate at these ranges.

 

[ForumSurfer]

I've never shot in the dark

I should have said complete darkness. Anytime I've shot in the dark has been for fun, and there was just enough moonlight to reflect off of the bead.

 

[zhyla]

It's easy to be accurate to at least 50 yards with a bead and slugs, and well beyond that with a little practice.

I don't know about 50, but I can land a slug on a torso at 25 yards no problem. HD distances for me are more like 10 yards.

 

[winchester '97]

Honestly HD really means shooting from 10 yards or less, usually much less, indoors. If you cant just point and shoot and get a load of buck into a torso size target at that range you really, really need to practice an awful lot. HD shooting would really be more about manuvering the gun around your house and being able to snap it up and shoot as quicky as possible if need be, and believe me, when you are in that scary of a situation, you dont want to have to be thinking about precise aiming. There is a reason behind the abomination that we call the PGO shotgun...

Edit: Using slugs against anything but animals is just asking for trouble with overpenetration, there really is no real reason to use them as an HD load.

 

[natman]

I use a ghost ring. A bead is accurate enough when wingshooting and you can get your head in the right position, but it's surprisingly easy to fail to put your head in the perfect spot when in a hurry or in an unusual position. A ghost bead is not about precise aiming; it's very fast but serves as a reminder to get your head where it belongs.

 

[.45Heater]

Bead... the BG will never know the difference.

 

[chas08]

Bead...mansize accurate with slugs to 50 yds without much practice. And at roomsize distances with buckshot, all its got to be is in the middle of the badguy, no matter where your cheek is.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Bead. You should be able to keep slugs well inside of a pie plate at 25 yards with a bit of practice.

 

[Al LaVodka]

What is it so many shooters have against pie plates? Who eats enough pies to use them as targets (sorry to any pie-based obese individuals)? What do you do -- wash them (I hope) and save them? Ask family, friends and neighbors to give you theirs?!?! You can't buy empty pie-pans, can you?! I guess you can, but WHY!!
Al

 

[content]

Hello friends and neighbors // The OP asks for HD ranges so I said bead.

IMHO your HD shotgun should be the one you are most comfortable and confident with then get whatever barrel suits your needs.

My truck 12ga. ----has no front sight. ---------1958, Savage, 67h ,18 1/2", MOD

My night time 12ga.---- has Ghost Ring--------2009, Remington 870 Express Tactical, 18 1/2", MOD ( I took off the breacher choke and put on a modified) I also have a 30" double bead VR barrel with a full choke.

My feels right at home with any barrel 12ga.----1976 870 Wingmaster 18 3/4"VR with large bead or 28"VR with bead both MOD

The 1976 Remington 870 WM is my go to shotgun, I've used it since new. I hit well with the 28" Ventilated Rib Barrel using shot or slug. I have looked down that barrel and sighted in on more different things more times than I can count. It fits me better than my pillow.
So I looked for and found an 18 3/4" Ventilated rib MOD barrel with a large beat sight. Every time I look down the short barrel it is still the same sight system I've gotten used to for the last 24 years.

My point is to go with what you know. If you have a shotgun you are comfortable with obtain the same barrel/sights just shorter. Your mind won't miss a beat.

Just MHO on sights, need and muscle/eye memory.
Enjoy figuring out what works for you.

 

[roo_ster]

What is it so many shooters have against pie plates? Who eats enough pies to use them as targets (sorry to any pie-based obese individuals)? What do you do -- wash them (I hope) and save them? Ask family, friends and neighbors to give you theirs?!?! You can't buy empty pie-pans, can you?! I guess you can, but WHY!!

Hmm, good question.

I generally use paper plates of the large-ish dimension (8-9" diam).

 

[inSight-NEO]

I voted for bead. As an extension of this pick, I choose to use a tritium front bead when it comes down to HD.

GR sights are nice though, and only slightly less "quick" than a front bead, IMHO. In terms of longer range shooting, based on my experience, the GR sights are not quite as "tight" as the rifled sights at great distances. However, on the flip side, the rifled sights do not seem as apt as the GR sights when up close or at mid-range.

After all is said and done, the GR sights could indeed be construed as the best "all around" sight, being able to effectively transition from close to long range shooting.

Having said this, however, since you mentioned HD as being the main idea here, I would still opt for the front bead sight as being the most practical and the quickest, in terms of close range target acquisition. Outside of this, the GR sights. The rifled sights, IMHO, are just too "specific" to be considered truly practical overall. Of course, the same could be said for the front bead sight, but..again, we are speaking mainly of HD ranges....from what I gather.

So, to sum up:

Front bead (preferably tritium): Best for close range (buckshot/birdshot)
Rifled sights: Best for long range (slugs)
Ghost Ring sights: Best "all around" capability for close to long range shooting (buckshot/birdshot and slugs)

 

[Shawn Dodson]

I have XS Sight Systems 24/7 big dot tritium rifle sights on my HD Remington 870. They're identical to the XS Sight Systems 24/7 big dot tritium sights I have on my Glock 19. I've found them to be fast and accurate for me.

 

[wrs840]

Bead. I only prefer rifle-sights on my old smoothbore Mossberg 24" bbl slug-gun, which is for outdoor four-legged varmints.

Les

 

[wnycollector]

Another vote for bead sight here. I added one of those snap-on hi-viz fiber optic sights to my Maverick and am very happy with the results. Even at twilight it glows nicely.

As far as shooting slugs with a bead sight, shooting prone or rested on a sand bag on a good day I can shoot 2" groups. On a very good day, I can make pretty little clover leaf 3 shot groups. Shooting offhand, keeping three rounds in the COM on a silhouette target is par for the course.

Indian not Arrow

A big +1 on that! My father-in-law has been telling me "It's not the arrow, it's the Indian" for ~25 years