XS Ghost Sight Review

[jbkebert]

So here is my little update to the previous thread about the XS Ghost Sights.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=665279

In the earlier thread I was asking if anyone had much experience with this brand of sights. In particular experience with these sights on a Marlin 1895 guide gun. It seems that many folks had more questions than had used them. So we went for broke and ordered a set to try out.

I got the package from Midway in the mail yesterday. Opened it up and everything seems pretty self explanitory, but looked through the directions anyway. The directions cover several different models of sights from this company for a multitude of firearms. However on the front of the package is a little sticker that says this sight fits the Marlin 1895 use direction number #1, #13, and #17. I thought this was a nice well thought out feature. Doesn't seem like much but it makes things simple.

The rear sight is installed by removing the two rear screws from the top of the receiver. The rear sight assembly has one screw hole and then a post that goes into the other hole. I found this to be a little bit of a downfall. This post is slightly oversized of the screw hole. It requires being driven into place with a few sharp wraps with a non-marring mallet. So the threads that used to be there ain't no more. So if you decide you do not like this sight you are SOL. You could rethread the hole for a oversized screw. Yet if you want a simple weaver style scope base. The base will have to be drilled to match the larger screw as well. You degrease the sight and the top of the receiver add a little loc-tite that comes in the sight kit and install.

The rear sight comes with two choices of apertures a .230 and a .191 in other words huge and really huge. The small aperture is larger than that of a 0-50 meter aperture on a AR-15 style rifle. This seems to be a real negative for use for any type of accurate let alone precision shooting. However the Guide gun was designed for quick defensive style shooting. If this is what your after this sight delivers in style. Target aqusition is almost instant and lines up with no thinking at all.

The front sight is installed after removing the original sight. You simply remove the front sight hood. Drift the sight post out of the dovetail with the supplied punch. Take the two screws out and set aside. The new front sight has three screw holes. Set the sight in place and decide which two screw holes you need. The third hole is filled with a blank screw also supplied in the package. This blank screw is well thought out. It features a left handed thread. So at the bottom of the threads is the slot for your screwdriver. Add a little loc-tite and tighten from underneath the sight; making the top appear seamless. Then degrease your new sight and the barrel and install the new assembly.

The front sight post seems to be crazy tall and may require a little file work to bring it down and less prone to snagging. Let the loc-tite cure overnight and shoot the next day.

 

[jbkebert]

So tonight after getting home from work my oldest son and I took the rifle in the back yard. We fired about 10 rounds just to get a feel for the sights and get them at least in the ball park.

The rear sight is fully adjustable for windage and elevation. There are two screws on either side of the aperture. Just loosen one a little and tighten the opposing screw to drift the sight for windage. Simply adjust to the left to move bullet impact left and right to go right.

The aperture itself is also machined aluminum of some type and is fully threaded. Loosen one of the windage screws about one full turn and twist the aperture up or down. Twisting the aperture down moves bullet impact down and twisting up the impact goes up. Real simple each full 360 degree turn moves bullet impact approx 1" at 100 yards. So after two shots we were shooting plenty accurate to mess around. Keigan and I vaporized 6 cinder blocks at around 40 yards. I will sight in better and get it really on. We were just messing around a little bit.

All in all I think this sight systems is way better than average but still has a couple cons to it IMHO.

1. The post in the rear sight assembly effectivley ruins the screw hole in the receiver.

2. Lack of real precise aiming but this is not what this gun is designed for anyway.

3. Front sight assembly seems way to tall. I could see this being a problem in a hunting situation.

Other than that I really do not have any bad things to say about this sight. It seems to be designed and machined extreamly well. All of the holes line up perfect screws tighten down to flush with everything. Some thought actually went into this. All in all I am very happy with the purchase.

 

[jbkebert]

A couple pictures of us shooting tonight. My 12 year old Keigan fired two 325 grain leverevolution shells which are pussycats to shoot. Then fired one 430 grain HSM Bear Load he never wimpered a bit but thought he would quit short of the buffalo bore

 

[taliv]

cool, nice review


when something is labeled "ghost" i assume that means it will have a very huge rear aperture. if you want a smaller one, perhaps they offer a different sight?

 

[jeepnik]

Intereesting. I put one of these sights on my 1895 when I got it years ago. They were made by AO at the time. Mine fit fine. But, as you mentioned, the Ghost ring seemed a bit large. I just turned it around backwards. Putting it a bit further from my eye tightened up the sight picture.

They did supply red locktite, which if you want to ever take things apart is a hassle. So I used blue locktite.

 

[jbkebert]

I will contact XS company on Monday or Tuesday to see if a smaller aperture is offered. I cannot find one on their webpage. I like the idea of flipping the rear sight around to give a little more eye releif. (As suggested by jeepnik) However since I had to drive the rear sight post into the rear screw hole. Those threads are trashed as stated above. So that kinda prevents the simple act of just turning the thing around.:banghead:

 

[jeepnik]

You might try to just use the correct size tap and clean up the threads. At this point you haven't got anything to loose.

By the way, I found removing the original rear sight and installing a dovetail blank cleaned up the look. Of course with the LeverScout rail, you can't see it, but just knowing it was there would have bugged me to no end.

 

[jbkebert]

Yeah I have not removed the original rear sight yet. I forgot to order a dovetail blank from midway with the sight. Yet since the original rear sight has a fold down buckhorn sight. You can't see it with the new set up.

I considered the purchase of the scout rail and or even the full length rail that goes from the rear sight dovetail to the rear of the receiver. The new rear aperture mounts directly to this rail giving you the option of conventional scope mount or scout mount. With or without the ghost ring as a back up. For now I will just stick with the ghost ring and not scope this rifle. I may change my mind 5 times in the next year. This week we are sticking with the ghost rings only.

Jeepnik I do like the lace up cartridge cuff on your rifle. I am considering the purchase of one made by Galco. I can't seem to find one in chestnut color for the same price as the real dark havana.

 

[jeepnik]

Yeah I have not removed the original rear sight yet. I forgot to order a dovetail blank from midway with the sight. Yet since the original rear sight has a fold down buckhorn sight. You can't see it with the new set up.

I considered the purchase of the scout rail and or even the full length rail that goes from the rear sight dovetail to the rear of the receiver. The new rear aperture mounts directly to this rail giving you the option of conventional scope mount or scout mount. With or without the ghost ring as a back up. For now I will just stick with the ghost ring and not scope this rifle. I may change my mind 5 times in the next year. This week we are sticking with the ghost rings only.

Jeepnik I do like the lace up cartridge cuff on your rifle. I am considering the purchase of one made by Galco. I can't seem to find one in chestnut color for the same price as the real dark havana.

The leather on my rifle is from http://levergunleather.com/ Lever is a one man shop. It takes a few weeks to get what you order, but it is all essentially custom and of the best quality.

 

[AStone]

About three years ago, I installed a set of XS GR's on my 336. I was most interested in point and shoot rather than precision shooting. However, I found them to be too imprecise. The rear ring was just too big for my taste. Maybe with a LOT of practice, I could have done better, but ... alas. My life changed at that point, and I had to do a major move across the continent for personal and professional reasons. I put most of my belongings - including my 336 - into storage with a friend. At the time, I anticipated that it would only be a matter of months before I had it shipped out. But things didn't work out. Two years later, it's still in storage where I left it.

When I finally get it over here, I'm going to replace the XS with a Skinner, and a smaller aperture.

 

[jbkebert]

I had looked at the skinner sights as well. They are good looking and I agree they are a better choice to accurate shooting. If I end up buying a 336c in .308 marlin they will be my choice.

 

[jbkebert]

I had to do a couple things at the range this morning. So we gave the sights a more honest test. I fired 10 rounds of HSM 430 grain Bear loads at a distance of 50 yards from a bench. The forend of the rifle was supported with a bag and the stock supported by my non-shooting hand. So no barrel pressure and the rifle was able to recoil as it wanted.

The first two shots landed at the bottom right hand of the shots in the paper. Still not being sighted in yet. I moved windage a little to far left which is the lower left hand hole. Made my adjustment in the middle and fired a 4 shot group. I pulled on shot slightly high opening the group up. Its a little bigger than a nickel group but much smaller than a quarter.

I once again adjusted my sights for elevation and fired three more rounds. This group is between a dime and a penny centers of holes. I thought about shooting a little more but had to leave to something else. Besides that these HSM loads up until now have only been fired off-hand by me. I never thought they kicked all that bad. However from a bench leaning into the gun they talk a little louder. I quit before I started getting flinchy.

Not my best work but for the aperture size and still getting used to them. I think the sights performed better than I expected.