Why peep sights?

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Aperture sights are decidedly not for everyone, but they must work great for the shooters they work for because so many swear by them.

I have a severe astigmatism, which can be only partially corrected. Aperture sights do not create a perfect circle, but an oval from 2-8 o'clock which the front post does not naturally center within. Open sights for me out to 150 yards or so, then scopes.
 
It is strange what some people believe. Yesterday at our local gunshop I was telling a guy about how NRA Highpower is done. I explained the course of fire and all he could do is stand there with a weird look on his face.

He wanted to call me a liar but I am a very big guy.

He told me that it was impossible to shoot an iron sighted rifle at 600 yards and hit anything because "the front sight would cover up the target".

It is strange what some people believe.
 
Don't doubt a bit that a small aperture is more acurate, especially at longer ranges, but when I want to aim thru a tube I use a scope. When I shoot with Irons I use tangent sights (post & notch). I love em, especially those on my CZ Ultralux!
 
I generally find that I can shoot a rifle with bead/post and notch sights and get a group "X" size. I can change the back sight on that same rifle to an aperture receiver and shoot a group 1/2 of "X"

I guess short version is my group spread cuts in one-half with a peep sight.

My older eyes prefer scopes though.

This short little .44 magnum will keep its receiver sight though.

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"In addition to what RC wrote, your depth of field gets longer as you look through an aperture. The smaller the hole, the sharper the target will be while watching the front sight. Target pistol shooters might use an aperture attached to their glasses for this reason. "

Aw man, someone already came up with this idea? I thought I was on to something...

Also, it would seem this would be the only way to get the aperture benefit on a pistol. The "ghost ring" sights available for pistols look like rifle sights, but are way too far away from the eye to have any effect on improving depth of field, and only obstruct the target more. If the ring is large enough that the target is unobscured, it would be more difficult to center the front post.
 
I love peep sights. In fact, I try and find rifles with peep sights.

I put some Williams FP peep sights on my Winchester 94 and I like it a lot better. It's much faster to acquire the target and it's very accurate.

I sold my AR, but the one thing I really liked about the AR was the rear peep sight.

Aiming just seems a lot easier for me with peep sights. I don't have to work as hard to align the front blade in between the buckhorn rear sight. I just center the tip of the front blade in the circle and I'm ready to go.

I do, however, like the sights on my CZ 452 FS. They have a circular hood on the front sight that sort of helps me pick up sight picture pretty quickly.
 
Let's say a million dollars on the line to shoot the best group or target score , I have the choice of two indentically prepared rifles with the exception of one having rear notch blade sights and one with an aperture rear sight , I'll gladly take the aperture or peep as many call it.

For most shooters the aperture is far and away a more acccurate sighting system. I just installed one on an old Marlin 39 and consider it a significant improvement over the stock buckhorn sights especially with my 49 year old eyes.
 
Try this. Shoot a group using your normal sight picture with your aperture sights.

Now shoot another while deliberately NOT centering the front sight in the aperture. In fact see to it that each shot you fire has the front sight miss-aligned in the aperture to a different degree each shot.

You will be surprised at the results.
 
The rear peep will take care of centering itself quite nicely.

That is why aperture sights have been used in high-level long range target shooting since that shooting discipline was invented.
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In 1996 a member of the Marine Corp Rifle Team gave me some of the best advice I had heard to date: “Sight alignment is more important than sight picture”. And so right was he.

I had heard that you naturally center the post (or aperture) in the center of the peep, and for the most part that is true. However, for the finest accuracy you have to check that the post is in the middle of the peep. For each and every shot.

I have shot open sights, still do but it is getting harder as the older you get, the fuzzier the notch and post. With a rear peep, I just look through the thing, center the post (which is getting fuzzier with age) and shoot.


The advantage of open sights are ruggedness’ and simplicity. However it does take more training for someone to explain how open sights work, and more training to get a shooter to shoot well with open sights. Aperture sights still work well.

This was state of the art in iron sights circa 1955. Lyman 48WJS and a round gold bead front.

DSCF1925Featherweight.jpg

IMG_0004postwarreceivertop.jpg
 
peep sights are indeed a tad bit more inaccurate, but you can get a decent sight picture quicker. also with peep sights you now have a quick adjust windage and elevation change that doesn't require a simple tool just your fingers. With time once you figure out what the "proper" sight picture is for a peep sight you can end up just as accurate with your sights.
 
The improved sight distance, all by itself, can transform them.

If you ever see somebody with a Tech Sight on a Ruger 10/22, Marlin 60, AK clone or SKS, maybe they will let you try the gun.

If you have a bright sky and a well-lit background for the aperture sight, even better.
 
The best way to think of peep or aperture rear sights is this: "What rear sight?" IOW, you should not even be aware of the rear sight. Like many have said, look through the hole, focus on the front sight and put it on the target and squeeze the trigger. With aperture sights, consistency is of paramount importance; have your cheeck in exactly the same spot on the stock every time.

35W
 
I'm surprised no one else has made any comments on practical use of aperture sights. Yes, they are great for target shooting, but, imho, they are not the best for hunting or social work. I am not the only one. Here are comments from a Korean War vet in a thread from a couple years ago:

"Wombat13;
I can relate to your experiences with hunting w/peep sights. Now picture yourself in combat with targets 100-150 yds out in front, only to find your peep with a gob of rice-paddy mud covering it. Your only solution is is firing in a 45 degree arc 'field of fire' feeding in clips as fast as you can. What I would have given for some of today's technology or even open iron sights. A RD would have been perfect for these average distances. Anything further was usually handled with mortars or snipers, who did an excellent job with scopes and Springfield 03's.
I've ordered the Mini-Scout-Mount. I'll try a RD, a LER scope and a Scout scope and see which suits me best. What's nice about this mount, is the fact that it doesn't alter the piece. I can replace the rear handguard, hang it on the wall and let it bring back memories, good and bad." - Snapshot75

Here is the thread if you are interested.

http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-518509.html
 
With standard post and notch sights, I have no trouble focusing on the front sight because my 68 year old eyes render the rear sight as a blur. My milsurps wear Mojo sights, which are a rear aperture and a front aperture. With that arrangement, I can shoot very decently.

In addition to what RC wrote, your depth of field gets longer as you look through an aperture. The smaller the hole, the sharper the target will be while watching the front sight
Click to expand...

Exactly.

Hold your hand out at arm's length in front of your face. Now try to focus simultaneously on your hand and a distant object. You will not be able to bring them both into focus at the same time. Now curl the pointer finger of your other hand up to make a little aperture. Put that over your eye. Now you will be able to focus both your hand and distant objects at the same time.

All other factors equal, I like a scope. But if the light is decent, I can do almost as well with Mojos (scopes have a definite advantage in low light). And Mojos are easy to put on milsurps, don't require drilling, tapping, bending the bolt handle and changing the safety. In fact, I just put a set on a Yugo Mauser.
 
"In 1996 a member of the Marine Corp Rifle Team gave me some of the best advice I had heard to date: “Sight alignment is more important than sight picture”. And so right was he.

I had heard that you naturally center the post (or aperture) in the center of the peep, and for the most part that is true. However, for the finest accuracy you have to check that the post is in the middle of the peep. For each and every shot"

The AMU thinks differently. They did an experiment on the 600 yard line. They took 5 of their best shooters and shot for score perfectly centering the front sight in the aperture.

Later they purposely misaligned the sight picture but kept the front sight focus and holding the same on the target. The scores were so close to being the same it was amazing.
 
Basically if you focus on the front sight and look through the rear you will hit your target.
 
tdstout:

As your eyes age, especially needing bifocal lenses, or having astigmatism, you will note that a good quality target peep (not a ghost ring) will make a very clear picture. Then again, so will a piece of black electrical tape with a pinhole. :D

Shoot what you shoot best, and what you enjoy most. After all, it is your money, your firearm, your time and your enjoyment, not mine. :cool:

Geno
 
One less thing (the rear sight) to focus on. Your eye naturally wants to center the front sight in the aperture, so it is easier to line up and focus on the front sight on the target. Secondarily, many open sights are (IMO) poorly designed and placed, with the rear sight mounted halfway up the barrel. A major exception to this are those found on some CZ rifles, with a tall sight with large notch close to your eye. They are quite protruberant if you want to mount a scope, however.
 
Good iron sight shooters also use an open rear sight like one does a aperture.

Look "through" it and focus on the front sight.

Recently a guy came into our local gun shop carrying a SKS. He was trading it in on an AR.

He had the rear sight painted red. I asked him why. He said "so I can see it better" He also said he intended to paint the rear aperture on the AR red also.

I thought about trying to help this guy but I knew it was no use.
 
I loathe peep sights. I know I can shoot far more accurately with them, but I can't shoot as reliably with them, because half the damn time I cannot see through them.

Seriously, this entire fall deer season was MADE OF FAIL. Why? Because I wanted to use my gloriously accurate Ross 1905. Noonday sun, I can hit cornstalks at two hundred yards with ease.

Twilight? Good luck. Camp Perry Mafia, except Canadian. Great for target range and utterly impossible in bad lighting conditions. With blade-and-notch, you can at least sight on the sky and hold your alignment if worse comes to worst.

So I broke out my military Winchester '95 with a notch rear sight and had much better success, much less frustration, and at least an extra half-hour of viable hunting time.
 
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