Buckhorn sights??

[m-g willy]

I have always liked the post front sight and the flat top square notch rear sight.
But getting older and noticing that now most companies are starting to put the fuzzy sights on guns :shocked2: ,,,I started using a peep sight.
Now I'm looking at the "buckhorn sights to stay PC with my front stuffers.
My question is = do most people use the buckhorn sight like a big peep ,, centering top of front sight in the middle of the rear?
Or do you line top of front sight with top of buckhorn?
Or do you just use small notch on bottom of Buckhorn and ignore the high sides?

 

[Birddog6]

You forget about the horns & use the notch at the bottom, just like any other sight.
I like the looks of them, but don't like hunting with them because they block part of the deer.
So I went back to a flat topped sight.

Keith Lisle

 

[Trench]

I cut my buckhorn's off. I suppose it's possible to get the 'peep' effect with a buckhorn, but it doesn't seem to be the same with it so far away from your eye. If your eye condition demands you use a peep, then go with it.

 

[flintriflesmith]

,,,I started using a peep sight.
Now I'm looking at the "buckhorn sights to stay PC with my front stuffers.

Buckhorn sights are not period correct for most muzzleloading rifles. I'm fairly sure they are late in the third quarter of the 19th century, but someone will know for sure.

 

[smoothy]

I have a buckhorn rear sight on my southern mountain rifle. The horns almost touching and are curved downward. It has a notch at the bottom, which is what I use to line up the front sight. I'm not sure why I had to have it when I built this rifle in the 80's, but I'm fairly certain that it is PC on this type of rifle. I found this sight at Ted Cash's shop back when he owned Cash Manufacturing and it was just what I was looking for (I don't believe he made it, but he also ran a place called The Primitive Shop where he sold several items).When shooting at deer the "horns" don't seem to be a factor. I imagine that it could be advantageous for an up close quick shot.

 

[Vaino]

Perhaps moving the rear sight forward would enable your eyes to focus better. Also, making the "notch wider" so there's plenty of "daylight" on either side of the front sight blade. Increasing the front blade thickness along w/ a wider notch could help. Never was a fan of buckhorn sights....to me, simple is much better asre rifle sights and I don't think there's a "peepsight" effect w/ a buckhorn sight. My very accurate squirrel LR has a .100 thick front blade and the notch is twice as wide as the blade when sighting.....Fred

 

[William O.]

I love buckhorn sights and have one on my fast twist 50 caliber barrel. Some folks widen the notch to make it easier to line up the front sight but I don't. If you aren't wanting to be 100% period correct you might want to check out the adjustable buckhorn sight that Lyman makes. http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Cate...atId=14&subId=167&styleId=769&partNum=RS-PM-1

 

[shortbow]

Willy, imho, you can use them in any of the three ways you said in your first post, depending on conditions, range and personal preference. I've used them in all three ways to good effect.

I'd use them in whatever way you find best, but I always liked them because starting with the bottom notch for closer shots, I could use the horns for instant long range sighting.

Also, I think different shoots have different rules but certainly some fellows will bend the horns nice and close and have what is effectively a barrel mounted aperture. This is also great in hunting situations.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

Yes you can "use them any way you like" provided that is the same way you sighted in! A major problem with buckhorns is that people will "take a fine sight" with the front sight pulled down in the notch when zeroing on the range then when they get into a dim light situation they will raise the front sight up into the "open peep" field of view and the shot goes grossly high. It's a natural instinct to want to see the front sight and the game as brightly as possible and shooting high is the common result.
If you use the fine notch for actual aiming then what purpose do the horns serve? Besides ripping up a gun case and blocking out most of your view of the target I can see no purpose.

 

[reddog]

Mebbe 1840's tactical :rotf:

I like 'em anyway!

 

Bull,
With all due respect, I think this is one of the worst sights available. I put one on my grandson's rifle and it was terrible, would not hold a center. There is to much side slop built into the base.
Mark

 

[tg]

I thought that most longrifles up till civil war time or even later had a more or less small flatish rear and a small front, I have not looked into the PC aspect of buckhorns for a long time but thought they were later than the longrifle period, even on the very late longrifles in the various pockets that they endured, some of the gun history students here probably have a more definative handle on this, I just know that over the years many vendors have stretched history to fit their products various vendors/builders taking buyers down a historicaly slippery slope is nothing new, examining sigts on surviving longrifles is about the only way to really get a handle on the issue, then there is always the question about the sight being original or not.

 

[shortbow]

Like a lot of things, the usefulness of buckhorns lies in knowing how to use them properly and having the discipline and experience to do so in any given situation. :hatsoff:

 

[smoothy]

I'm not sure what you are talking here, slide slop and such. The buckhorn I installed on my rifle is installed the same as any other, making a dovetail to fit the base. When I was done the sight was punched to keep it in place. Maybe you installed a buckhorn sight in an existing dovetail and it was just too loose. Or I'm way of base on what you are saying.

 

[mjulihn]

Correct. I recently needed to add a small, flat copper shim in the bottom of the dovetail to make a snug fit for the sight...

 

[ohio ramrod]

I use the "buckhorns " for quick alighnment, and the notch for actual sighting. I find the buckhorns allow me to get the rifle close quicker for the final alighnment. :idunno:

 

[tg]

I have laid in a thin coat of liquid steel and filed as needed to snug a dovetail also.