sights: optics or xs??

[ChasMack]

I have been raeading of late a number of guys putting fiber optic sights on their revolver. I have a set of XS sights on my Ruger 3"SP101 and they are great. People swear by the optics. I have some on my Ruger .22 Hunter and I am still trying to decide if I like them...they seem nice but sometimes there is a sort of halo effect...same for my S&W TR88 with the brass front sight. Does anyone else have this trouble and or, is there a way to counter it at all?

 

[rcmodel]

a sort of halo effect...

Yep!
Black sights were what top level NRA Bullseye shooters used when I shot competation.

If they weren't black enough, we made them blacker with a carbide lamp flame!

Any shine or brightness on the edge of the front sight would flair just like the fiber optics, depending on which way the sun hit it.

It was bad enough it would move your groups out of the 10 & X rings as the day wore on and the sun angle changed!
About the time you made a sight adjustment to compensate for it, a cloud would come over and your groups moved back the other way.

To this day, I prefer black sights if accuracy is any consideration at all.

rc

 

[ChasMack]

optics

Let me ask you this if you don't mind...how old are you? I'm mid 50's and the black sights are fine if I can see them The SP101 sights are fine but I can't pick them up to quick. I remember the black sights being good enough, but to aim quickly, it's getting harder to do. But, they are better than the optics because of the change in lighting when the sun moves. At least I know I'm not the only one who noticed the halo effect! I'll just stick with the XS sights, never a halo effect just not quite as bright as the fiber optic. On a side note, I got a red dot scope for my .22 Hunter...very,very nice on the eyes, makes me feel 20 again!

 

[rcmodel]

I'm 67 and wear seamless bifocals.

So far, if I tilt my head right, I can still see the front sight fairly well.

But not as well as I could when I was 25 for sure!!

rc

 

[ChasMack]

optics

I have seemless tri focals and there is like a "hole" in the middle where you can see most things,bottom for reading. Sometimes when shooting I just look over my glasses because I can see my front sights better, target is quite blurry but unless I'm trying for a .5" group, that usually is not a big problem right now.

 

[oldfool]

fiber optics are great in direct sunlight, mostly for quick target aquisition, quick shooting
rapidly diminishing benefit with less UV sunlight
and 'sharp' they are not, period

like rc said, nothing beats black on black for precision target shooting
fiber optics "in the dark", no advantage at all
I do some fiber optics, but for for bright sunlight, I like the Millet front orange T best of all, with Millet white outline & bar rear
I wear progressive, seamless bi-focals, too, have for decades