Author Topic: TOW rear peep sight experience (Read 15090 times)

54Bucks · « **on:** January 30, 2016, 03:31:53 PM »

My eyes have declined to the point where I'm entertaining the use of a peep sight on my next build. So I would like to hear of experiences of those who have used Tracks peep sight. This is the one that resembles a rear sight w/peep ring that mounts in the normal rear sight location. It seems the tang would be a better location for a peep sight.....but I guess I'm not yet ready to mount such a thing on a fine longrifle.
Thanks!

Mike Brooks · « **Reply #1 on:** January 30, 2016, 06:37:48 PM »

I put one on a gun. It helps.

EC121 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 30, 2016, 07:30:10 PM »

I put one up the barrel, and it didn't work. The tang or close to it is the place for it. I wouldn't want a dovetail over the powder/ball area on a thin barrel. As a fix for after it didn't work on my barrel, I filed down the aperture and squared the notch. It also makes a nice sight that way. You could glue( or use two sided tape) it to the tang and try it. Plan B would be to drill it out as far as possible(Jeff Cooper called it a ghost ring sight) and try it in the existing dovetail.

moleeyes36 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 30, 2016, 08:30:42 PM »

Quote from: EC121 on January 30, 2016, 07:30:10 PM

I put one up the barrel, and it didn't work. The tang or close to it is the place for it. I wouldn't want a dovetail over the powder/ball area on a thin barrel. As a fix for after it didn't work on my barrel, I filed down the aperture and squared the notch. It also makes a nice sight that way. You could glue( or use two sided tape) it to the tang and try it. Plan B would be to drill it out as far as possible(Jeff Cooper called it a ghost ring sight) and try it in the existing dovetail.

I've had ghost ring sights on both muzzle loaders and suppository rifles. At least for me, they were very good, and quite accurate enough, for hunting medium sized game out to about 75 yards. Beyond that I couldn't get the accuracy from them that I could get with conventional tang mounted peep sights or regular open sights. With target shooting they were no comparison to open sights or tang mounted peep sights for accuracy. Everyone's vision is different so they may work great for you in all situations. That was just my experience with ghost rings; your results may differ.

Mole Eyes

EC121 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 31, 2016, 12:40:27 AM »

Just walked in from shooting my new Joe Schell rifle some more. Pics of it on his blog and mine. www.bricestultzhisblog.blogspot.com I was having trouble focusing on the sights. May have something to do with being old.

As an experiment(and being in a hurry)I went into the shop and punched a hole in some of that blue paper painters tape with the smallest hole in a leather punch. Stuck it on my glasses and Boing!! both sights were in sharp focus. It would work in the woods if you used a small piece up in corner of the lens. A small piece wouldn't bother your hunting vision enough to matter. Next time out I'm going to punch 3-4 holes close together to see if I can just pick the best one to use. This would avoid having to move the tape around for best head position. The tape didn't leave any adhesive on the lens.

moleeyes36 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 31, 2016, 12:51:44 AM »

EC,

The Merit Optical Attachment works like a champ for open sights and is the same principle as what you describe. I sometimes use one for target matches (not primitive matches) but I don't think I could ever get used to one or tape on my glasses for hunting. But you're correct, the tape trick would probably sharpen the sight picture. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/978528/merit-optical-attachment-with-suction-cup

Mole Eyes

Bill Paton · « **Reply #6 on:** January 31, 2016, 01:39:31 AM »

Electrician’s tape works well, also, and leaves no residue on glasses after removal. The hole can be punched with a leather punch or even a solid punch against a hardwood backing. I use a 3/8” circle of tape with a 1/16” hole punched in the center and place it in the right sweet spot in the center of vision while aiming my rifle. That is in the extreme upper left corner of my right glasses lens, and it doesn’t interfere with normal vision or binocular use. It is so unobtrusive in my visual field that I may wear it home on my glasses and have to be reminded to remove it because it looks funny to other people. This arrangement works well for me except in marginal light. Then a bigger hole helps, but lessens sharpness.

smylee grouch · « **Reply #7 on:** January 31, 2016, 02:18:12 AM »

Bill, I was goin g to ask how it worked at the end of the day when the light starts to fade or in deep woods type of country. I have had poor results with peep sight in those types of situations.

Natureboy · « **Reply #8 on:** January 31, 2016, 04:32:18 AM »

My experience in the Army was that the peep sight on an M14 was close to the eye, like it would be on the tang of a long rifle, and I agree that they don't work that well when the light gets dim. Otherwise, I love peep sights, but I won't put one on my flintlock. I use store-bought reading glasses so I can see both sights clearly, but the target is a bit fuzzy. I think it's better to have a clear sight picture than a sharp view of the target.

Bill Paton · « **Reply #9 on:** January 31, 2016, 05:17:31 AM »

Smylee,

As I mentioned, that’s the rub. The best low-light gunsite is an expensive scope with a large objective lens, and that doesn’t belong on a flintlock either! Open sites in low light situations is a price we pay for shooting firelocks. The price goes up as we age. But the “pinhole lens effect” of tape on glasses takes years off of aging eyes so long as the light isn’t bad.

Bill Paton

EC121 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 31, 2016, 05:46:51 AM »

I was in a hurry and grabbed the first tape I came to instead of looking for the electricians tape. I used the punch because it was faster than looking for a nail. The smallest hole on the punch is about 1/8" or so but it worked fine and had a wide field of view. I like the idea of trimming a small piece just to stick in the corner of the lens. I was walking around in the yard with a big piece of tape on my glasses and after a while I got used to it. A small piece would be just about invisible as far as walking in the woods. I also tried the paper tape for plugging the touch hole for cleaning, but it didn't stick well. However a piece of packing tape stayed in place with water in the barrel. I wiped the area with a wet(water) patch and dried it well then applied the tape.

Robby · « **Reply #11 on:** January 31, 2016, 04:39:52 PM »

54, I tried the sight you are asking about and it didn't work for me. I have tried many things, Merit system, electrical tape, etc.. The Merit ring and the like work great but that suction cup blocking my vision for everything but actually shooting was too annoying, just as the electrical tape on my lens was too, I just couldn't get use to them. I bought a pair of those flip up sun glasses, drilled 3/8" hole in the lens at my sight line, covered the hole with a piece of electrical tape and burned a pin hole in it, now After a shot I just flip it up and I have clear view of what I'm doing and it works great for hunting too. Every one is different and you will have to experiment with hole size, but it works for me. Mounting a peep on the tang works well too, though much more intrusive. I hope this helps, and best of luck in your search!! If you find something new, please share it.
Robby

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #12 on:** January 31, 2016, 05:54:41 PM »

The bottom line is, if a peep sight is to work like it should. It has to be close to the eye.

54Bucks · « **Reply #13 on:** January 31, 2016, 06:19:28 PM »

Thanks guys! I will go stay with original sights. Ordered some cheap flip up (yellow lens) glasses from Ebay at $3.70 for 2 pairs

Then I will experiment with the process Robby described. I've tried and like the Merrit suction cup do-dad at the range..... but that route is not the way to go in the field.

Hungry Horse · « **Reply #14 on:** January 31, 2016, 07:08:20 PM »

The best advice I can give you is, stop hunting late in the day in low light conditions. It seems old blind guys wouldn't have much luck finding downed game in these conditions anyway. I learned this lesson about ten years ago when I shot a buck in the last half hour of legal hunting light. If I were not in California where hunting deer with dogs is permitted, I would not have found the buck.

Hungry Horse

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #15 on:** January 31, 2016, 07:58:25 PM »

My eyesight is really bad. Blind in my right eye that forced me to switch to shooting left handed. My left eye is poor too. Barely legal to drive a car.

I tried all the methods to help. Peep sight which I hated. Tape on the glasses....terrible. I tried different prescription glasses and nothing really helped. I can't see far or close. Glasses can't fix it. Progressive lenses made me dizzy.

So, I settled on no aids. No glasses except non-prescription. Primitive sights. The only adjustment I made was to bring my hunting distance from 75-100yds to 20-25yds. Longbow range. Hunting is a challenge, because I don't ever use a stand. Tree or ground. My style is still hunting. Getting within 20yds can be quite a challenge. Especially, for bear. Elk can be a small bit easier, but since I refuse to call it can also be hard.

With all that said. I still have fun hunting. I started 62 years ago and I never considered it anything but fun and challenging. I need to be continually challenging myself to feel alive.

Sorry, i'm rambling.

Hungry Horse · « **Reply #16 on:** January 31, 2016, 11:35:44 PM »

This eyesight issue brings to mind how Merriweather Lewis came to be shot in the butt on the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Hungry Horse

Daryl · « **Reply #17 on:** January 31, 2016, 11:46:02 PM »

I bought .5 and .25 diopter reading or computer glasses & tried them a couple Sunday's ago on the Trail. My shooting was V-good - almost as good as perhaps 10 years ago. I was thrilled. I went a long ways down the trail before missing a target. These glasses work!
Taylor wears a pair of .75 diopter and Len tried those on the trail & thought them terrific, so he ordered a pair from one of the pharmacies here.

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #18 on:** February 01, 2016, 12:04:16 AM »

My computer glasses are 2.0 power. I've tried glasses that bring the sights in focus better, but then the target is much worse.

smylee grouch · « **Reply #19 on:** February 01, 2016, 01:58:31 AM »

I think we have talked about this before and after that I went looking for some .50 or .25 glasses but could only find 1.75 and up every where I looked. Where does every one find these things for sale?

Molly · « **Reply #20 on:** February 01, 2016, 05:17:09 AM »

Got a merit optical attachment. Exciting find but disappointing results. The suction cup tends to come off with lenses that have any curve to them and most apparently do. Would work OK I guess on a perfectly flat lense. There is also the possibility of getting grit under the cup and scratching your lenses. And somehow for me turning my head/eye as I do when I shoot made it hard to get in the proper position. I think I also tried it shooting pistols but don't recall the results. My gun maker does a "flip up" peep site mounted on one of the side plate screws. It's easily removed and I think he just uses two different lengths of screws on the side plate. Shorter one when the side mounted site is not being used and a longer screw when it is. It avoids any dove tails on the bbl or drilling on the tang. Don't have one on any of my rifles but maybe someday I'll get one.

Daryl · « **Reply #21 on:** February 02, 2016, 11:41:18 PM »

http://www.eyefatigue.com/computer-glasses/

I found the .5's were best for me.

With these .25 or .50 Diopter glasses, the sights are much better and the target is only a little bit out of focus. You cannot have it both ways, unless using apertures - which are not allowed at many "shoots".

Buddy Len as noted like Taylor's .75 Diopter glasses so much, he went into a drug store and asked them to order him .75 Diopter glasses - they took 2 days to come in - go figure - it isn't difficult to get these.
Most drug stores only carry 1.0 to 4.00 glasses. They do not carry the weaker ones because no one asks for them, not because they are not made.

Old Ford2 · « **Reply #22 on:** February 03, 2016, 04:22:26 PM »

Quote from: smylee grouch on February 01, 2016, 01:58:31 AM

I think we have talked about this before and after that I went looking for some .50 or .25 glasses but could only find 1.75 and up every where I looked. Where does every one find these things for sale?

"Dollar Stores" those stores that sell everything for a $+
I buy my reading glasses there for $2 a pair
If you can't find any ( stores or glasses ) in your area, send me your magnification and I will find you a pair.
Fred

smylee grouch · « **Reply #23 on:** February 03, 2016, 05:41:16 PM »

Thanks for that offer Fred, I will be checking out the listed sources tomorrow and will get back to you if I can't find what I need. Smylee

hammer · « **Reply #24 on:** February 03, 2016, 08:33:16 PM »

When I was shooting precision .22 prone with rear aperture sight and front disc sight I followed the advice of the specialist optician at Bisley in England. He recommended that, with aperture sights, the correct lens should be prescription but with a focal length of 6 feet. The aperture then both extends and reduces the focal length to bring the foresight and target into focus. Worked for me. Found since that even a lens with a focal length of 3 feet will improve things.

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Author Topic: TOW rear peep sight experience (Read 15090 times)

54Bucks

54Bucks

hammer