I became interested in firearms in the early 1950s when scopes became widely accepted. They were wretched objects for the most part; difficult to mount, dim, and fragile, with adjustments that had a sense of humor. Rifle stocks were designed to work with either a scope or iron sights, and they did so well with both.
To
alleviate scope-failure anxiety, gun manufacturers outfitted their rifles with
dreadful sights. The varying scope was viewed with extreme and justified
skepticism.
Today's
scopes are incomparably better than what was available in the 1950s. After a
century of iron, even the United States military has switched to the ACOG, an
optical sight.
So,
are sights extinct? They're not only alive, but they've improved just as much
as scopes have. Here are the benefits and drawbacks of using these rifle
sights, as well as a guide to selecting the best iron sight for your shooting
and how to use these sights effectively.
The Benefits of Hunting with sights:
- Good quality sights do not break,
whereas optical sights do.
- Because there are no batteries,
they never burn out.
- Iron sight is smaller and lighter
than optical sights.
- Even the best ones do not come
cheap.
- You can fire them with startling
accuracy within 200 yards.
How do you pick the best general-purpose sights for your needs?
Ø Sights are divided into
two types: those for general use and those for speed shooting. Let's begin with
the first. Two patterns excel for general use, which includes backup to a
scope. The first is a blade front sight combined with a rear peep. If you want
to shoot with pinpoint accuracy, choose a blade with a square top that doesn't
fade or blur like a tapered post.
Ø A square blade can be
used for Kentucky windage by skilled target shooters. "Half a blade
left" or "a quarter-blade right" refers to the shooter
compensating for wind by holding off-center by a half or quarter of the width
of the front sight. It's quick and precise, but it takes practice.
Ø The fiber-optic sight,
which is much more observable than a blade, is another sensible choice up
front. Green, red, orange, and yellow is the most common colors. It draws us to
the next point to consider: Whatever the actual appearance, you must protect it
from bangs and hard knocks. For many decades, the military solution has been
steel "wings" on either side of the sight.
Ø The ghost-ring aperture
is the best choice for an all-around rear sight. The ghost ring, which Jeff
Cooper adored and endorsed, is nothing more than an oversized peep sight. When
you use it for sight, your eye only registers the aperture as a
"ghost" image and unknowingly centers the front sight in it. You've
effectively cut the number of focal planes you have to interact with.
Ø Good ghost-ring sight is
compact and discreet, compensating for elevation and wind range. It should also
be extremely difficult. Unless you change ammo, you don't touch it after you
sight it in.
Milspec
Retail provides
the best quality sights to its customers. People can purchase those at an
affordable cost. You can easily buy and use our iron sights for
your purposes.
