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Barrel Peep Sight

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cannonball1

40 Cal.
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I have a muzzleloader with two barrels. One barrel is a 16" twist and one barrel is a 24" twist. I am saving the 16" twist for accurate target shooting and it has a 33" Malcom scope attached. The gun is fancied up and I don't want to put a sight on the tang that I would have to put on and take off. Question is this: Is the Montana Vintage Rough-and-Ready peep sight, that goes on the barrel in conjunction with say a Lyman front peep with inserts, worth it for plunking at short and long distances. While I know it wouldn't be as good as the peep closer to your eye. With the larger hole does it work well?
 
While I have not used that particular sight, I do have a barrel mounted peep on two of my flintlocks with the peep being way back on the breech (see pic below). With a .125" peep hole I have very good results. Some people's eyes may allow even a smaller hole. One issue with using the flip up bar on your suggested sight is with it being further away from your eye, I'm not sure how much it might change your cheek weld as you raise and lower it. As you can see on my "fixed" peep below, it's low on the barrel so I can keep my normal cheek weld and see through the peep just fine.

What has NOT worked for me are the "peeps" that install well up the barrel where a normal v-notch type rear sight would be mounted.

This is a Johnson peep sight I installed a dovetail on so I could get a little windage adjustment, if needed. Elevation on this gun is handled via filing the front blade.

16125075354_94b92936e7_z.jpg
 
I like the look of that. I have been thinking about it now for a couple of days. Is that sight still available?

I don't think that I would want one, that's too far up the barrel. The one shown in the photo looks like it would work, just fine. It would certainly have to be an improvement over regular iron sights, for us older guys.

If it's not available or too costly, I'll just make one. Thank's for showing it. I'll have to search for that Montana sight mentioned by the OP
 
I have a homemade peep that is in the rear sight dovetail. It has a rather large peep hole due to its position. Works great.

However, I have no idea how it would work with a flip sight or double peeps located front & rear.
 
hadden west said:
I like the look of that. I have been thinking about it now for a couple of days. Is that sight still available?

Muzzleloader Builders Supply. Steel, German Silver, or Brass. I use a Twilight Aperture from Williams on mine or MBS also sells Apertures up to .093" Diameter. I personally sight in with smaller apertures, but use the .125 twilight for hunting. With that hole size I get the full range of 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset...MN's legal hours.

Link below and then go to 25 of 50 page.
http://www.muzzleloaderbuilderssup...?cart_id=4753790.48645&next=25&product=Sights
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/...ilight-3-8-diameter-with-125-hole-steel-black
 
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The issue with the Montana sight is that you wouldn't be able to use the peep till you were shooting at considerable distance unless you install a very tall front sight. If you do go for it be sure to get the one with 8-32 threads. A peep sight is effective at any distance from the eye but you have to choose the correct diameter hole to make it work. Be careful of one very close to the eye as it is possible to sustain a serious eye injury under recoil.
 
hawkeye2 said:
you have to choose the correct diameter hole to make it work.

"Correct" diameter, if you want your eye to just naturally center your front sight, is no bigger than your pupil when you're using the sight. From what I've read on the mechanics of the human eye, it will auto-center when looking through a hole no larger than your pupil. If your pupil is larger than the hole, you may not auto-center, which could cause inaccuracy.
 
spike,

Why hasn't the one where the rear sight usually is, worked for you? That is where my dove-tail is and was where I was hoping to put the MV peep sight. I wanted the flip elevated sight so I can reach out there 300 or 400 yards. I am certainly new to this and was hoping to find a good solution with the sight on the barrel.
 
cannonball1 said:
spike,

Why hasn't the one where the rear sight usually is, worked for you?

Far enough away that a peep up there with a hole size that would work interferes with seeing the whole front sight. The further away, the smaller that peep hole looks and the more of your front sight it covers. That far away, I'd rather use a "normal" rear sight with a slot filed just wide enough that I can see a small amount of daylight on each side of the front blade.

Instead of a peep on a bar way up the barrel, maybe you would like a v sight on a slider something like this one?
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=5363&osCsid=kri2dqr3ntmbf05f5clnc2qeu7

If you want to see how a peep would work for you way up the barrel, make one out of thin cardboard and tape it at your dovetail location just to look through. It will give you a rough idea with no investment.

BTW...I made a mistake on my above post when I said "If your pupil is larger than the hole, you may not auto-center," Should have been the other way around. I stated it correctly at the beginning of that post. :redface:
 
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Thank you for sharing, looks like a sweet alternative to modern looking machined aluminium by Williams. You have to file the front sight for elevation adjustment?
 
muamero said:
You have to file the front sight for elevation adjustment?

No elevation adjustment on the peep, so yes. In fact the "standard" for this sight is to screw it to the barrel, which would mean no windage adjustability either. I have one screwed to a barrel and on this one, I installed the dovetail base so I could have a little adjustment, if needed. Turned out the rifle was dead on center, so never did need to use the adjustability of the dovetail on the peep or the front blade.
 
That is sweet looking, I think ill order one for my new barrel, just got to check if my local blackpowder league approves
 
Tang mounted 1" back of flash pan...
42 " sight radius.
Just another option other than factory.
aperture can big as big as needed.
No dovetail.
No sight near balance point while carrying.
Does not hang up or get in the way.
A boon for aging eyes.
60 + year old eyes 1.5" at @ 85 yards....
This sight works. 3 bucks tops.
Do women find you handy?... go for it.


P2190337_zps932dlpd9.jpg


2d4f1a0f-74f5-4120-bd19-07237b340cb1_zps0nzhueot.jpg
 
You are correct Sir! :grin: ....if needed.
I would soldier them together after for a solid base.
polish up after....

I plink and hunt...

Better check club rules beforehand.

Sights kept me in the game.
 
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