I like Ivory front sight beads. I've not tried ivory blade or ivory inserts before. Guess I'll have to shoot another elk for some ivories? HA! I did have a bone front sight, a low barely corn shape made from a piece of bear leg bone. It was a fairly tough sight, stood out to my young eyes then. The sight was filed out with a peg on it's base that was epoxied into the steel base with an appropriate hole drilled into it. I may still have it somewhere. I think Taylor made it - maybe I did - don't remember that part.
Years ago, we'd dovetail a backward slanting Ruger sight then file out and tap in a piece of orange toothbrush handle, just as Roger outlined. The sight picture then looked identical to a S&W M29's. The orange really stands out, but isn't glary or shiny in light. It also gives a great elevation fix and depending on it's size, will give another 50 yards to a zero. You merely hold the 'orange' above the rear notch, place it's flat top in the middle of the target and squeeze. With my 4" M29, this was my 300 yard zero. Due to the angle of the rear slope, the orange appeared to be even with the top edge of the front sight, when looked at through the rear notch.
