On a lever-action which is set up for still-hunting through the woods, which sight system (excluding scopes) do you prefer for the probable jump shots?

While an aperture is more accurate for target shooting, is it as fast as the standard semi-buckhorn open sight for the quick close range shot?

On a lever-action which is set up for still-hunting through the woods, which sight system (excluding scopes) do you prefer for the probable jump shots?

While an aperture is more accurate for target shooting, is it as fast as the standard semi-buckhorn open sight for the quick close range shot?


Basically a situation where speed is more important than the ultimate possible accuracy.

Have read a few tests, but the results are subjective; what works best is usually on whatever rifle fits the shooter best. At least one tester took ALL the sights off and just looked down a bare-barrel and did his fastest work at short-short range (10yards).

Given a gun that fits well and you are very use to using:
1. Big wide express "V" and a big bold front sight.
2. Ghost ring apatures and a large bold front sight.

Key elements here are "big and bold".

These are not my choices for getting the best acuracy from a rifle so would not be my coices for sniping critters at longer ranges.

Will say that whatever you are use to and have used for a number of years with sucess isn't somthing to change on a whim.

On a lever-action which is set up for still-hunting through the woods, which sight system (excluding scopes) do you prefer for the probable jump shots?

While an aperture is more accurate for target shooting, is it as fast as the standard semi-buckhorn open sight for the quick close range shot?
I've been reading everything I can find on this subject, as I intend to equip my 94 with the best selection, short of scope or red dot. The answer I keep coming up with is ghost ring on the rear, and large post on the front. I currently have the Oneraggedhole aperture which replaces the stock sight on the rear sight blade, with the stock Marbles gold dot on the front. This works pretty well, but the added sight radius of a receiver mounted aperture would be attractive.

Another desire of mine is to not have anything hanging down on the side of the receiver.

The conclusion I've come to, and what I intend to order next Monday, is the XS Ghost Ring Hunting Sight set. This set meets all of the above, mounting a fully adjustable ghost ring on top of the receiver of my angle eject 94, in the existing scope mounting holes, and providing a wide front post with a white stripe which installs into the existing dovetail up front, replacing the front sight. The stock rear sight will then probably be removed, to eliminate distractions when sighting, although the sighting line of the ghost ring is above the existing rear sight.

You can see this setup, and what it's available for, at

http://www.xssights.com/store/rifle.html

And you can read one guy's evaluation of it at

http://www.gunblast.com/Ashley_Ghost_Ring.htm

The "A O Sight Systems" he refers to has undergone a name change and is now "XS Sight Systems.

Just in the "for what it's worth" department.

eljay

Do you think the receiver ghost is better than the "one ragged hole" installed on the factory sight system?

http://www.oneraggedhole.com/Winchester_One_Hole_Sight.htm

Do you think the receiver ghost is better than the "one ragged hole" installed on the factory sight system?

http://www.oneraggedhole.com/Winchester_One_Hole_Sight.htm

I believe that would be a personal preference. Its what your eye likes the best. Some like the ghost ring better, some like the One Ragged Hole, and some prefer the peep. For me using it to hunt with the peep is too small, and the apature covers too much. You want fast pointing though. The One ragged hole might be better for that. It is much thinner where the hole is, so you can see better. Thats my thought though. I have the One ragged hole, but have not tried the ghost ring sight. I wished One Ragged Hole made a reciever sight. Now that I would love. Maybe Buck will see this and think about making a reciever mount One Ragged Hole.

Do you think the receiver ghost is better than the "one ragged hole" installed on the factory sight system?

http://www.oneraggedhole.com/Winchester_One_Hole_Sight.htm
Of course, I don't know for absolute certainty which is best. I do know that a significant increase in sight radius has to reduce the amount of alignment error (or rather, reduce the effect on accuracy of alignment error), and I do know that a ghost ring mounted on the rear of the receiver on my 94 produces a very large increase in sight radius when compared with the location of the original rear sight, which is where the Oneraggedhole mounts.

And I've read that a wide post is better than the bead on my factory front sight, and I know that that's what the target rifles we used when I was on the rifle team in ROTC used, along with the rear aperture sight.

So, for all those reasons, I'm going to try it, because I want the best accuracy for fast, moving shots out to 100 yards with my 94.

eljay

Dangerous game rifles set up for stopping a charge use the barrel sighting systems.

Dangerous game rifles set up for stopping a charge use the barrel sighting systems.


Have only played with a cheap pellet rifle, but did try a multitude of sights on it ( for this limited uses, they could be epoxied in place and last throught eh testing). Object it to hit a rolling soft ball (a real one, but water logged and useless for softball) before it "escaped" under a fence, 12 yards away. had to be fast, didn't have to be super-accurate.

Problem is, after getting use to the rifle, it got easier and easier to hit the ball...so at the end, i put a single bead on the barrel like a shotgun, and still could hit the thing. Was a matter of practice....even with a bare-naked barrel, could hit the silly ball once you get use to the feel of the gun (pretty much like upland game hunting in thick cover with a shotgun).

So as you get use to a specific rifle and get a real feel for it, seems like the sights are still seen...but are seen secondary to the point....are used for some kind of subcounscius adjustment as you mount it and swing (with both eyes open).

And that may be why big and bold sights work better...becasue in jump shooting moving game, you WILL focus on the game and not the sights, so the sights have to be big and bold enough to be seen (even sumbcounsciously) while consentration is more fixed on the moving critter.

I have not experimented, but I wonder if the semi-buckhorn could not be used as half-ghost sighting system -- rather than dropping down into the notch and finding the front blade, you would use the half circle and the front blade.

The famous Finn Aagard, a PH in Africa for many years and wonderful writer for the NRA's American Rifleman, conducted a test, and the ghost ring aperture won hands down. That's what I use, and not been disappointed.

I have used the full buckhorn rear sight from Marbles as a ghost ring. It works just as well as the receiver sight in my experiance. I tried using the stock semi buckhorn sights on my Marlin 94 and liked the way it worked so decided to try the full buckhorn. The way the full buckhorn is designed, you can actually get three sight pictures. The first would be with the blade even with the top of the notch at the bottom. The second would be as a ghost ring. Third is using the top opening like the bottom notch. The full buckhorn is a lot cheaper and is of course more authentic. I would use a post front sight instead of a bead, The bead tend to make you shoot toward the sun and is less distinct.

The fastest by far for me is a receiver or tang-mounted peep sight, with the aperture screwed out and only the "ghost ring" remaining. Absolutely no thought or sight alignment is required, just look through-put the front sight where it needs to be-shoot! Takes about 100 times longer to type than to do.

I'd say exactly what Pisgah said. I use aperture sights with the peep removed- leaving a large 'ghost ring'.
Then, you don't even think about the rear sight- put the top of the post where you want the bullet to go, and shoot.

Good information here from all ... I am setting up my first lever-action for this type of scenario, so I want to look at this from every angle.