Author Topic: Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?  (Read 2827 times)

Offline Timberdog

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Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?
« on: July 27, 2021, 03:04:38 AM »
Realizing organized shooting matches do not allow for peep sights, I was wondering if anybody has installed a peep sight, but maintained (kept it on the rifle)the rear sight?  My question is because I have a lollipop sight (but I have yet to get the tang drilled and tapped for it).  I was wondering if anybody had used a peep and got improved sight picture  from it but keeping rear sight installed?

It would be nice just to thread the lollipop sight in on occasion and not remove the rear sight. Taking advantage of a peep sight (maybe not full advantage…) but also allowing you to shoot at organized matches by simply removing the peep.

Offline Bsharp

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Re: Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?
« Reply #1 on: July 27, 2021, 03:30:49 AM »
I have done this for over ten years, it works GREAT!

In dim light, you can unscrew the peep and use it as a Ghost Ring with the large tapped hole.
Get Close and Wack'em Hard!

Offline Timberdog

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Re: Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?
« Reply #2 on: July 27, 2021, 03:37:39 AM »
I have done this for over ten years, it works GREAT!

In dim light, you can unscrew the peep and use it as a Ghost Ring with the large tapped hole.



THANKS, and you left the rear sight on?

Offline tnhillbilly

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Re: Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?
« Reply #3 on: July 27, 2021, 03:41:11 AM »
I've used a Lyman flip up rear open sight with a peep.  Remove the peep and  flip it up

https://www.lymanproducts.com/no-16-folding-leaf-sight

All skill is for nought when the angel in the flintlock *#)*^!

Offline Bsharp

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Re: Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?
« Reply #4 on: July 27, 2021, 04:34:17 AM »
I have done this for over ten years, it works GREAT!

In dim light, you can unscrew the peep and use it as a Ghost Ring with the large tapped hole.



THANKS, and you left the rear sight on?

The sight is rigid and stays on.

It is easy to adjust, cause the sights are already there.

It just clears them up!
Get Close and Wack'em Hard!

Offline MuskratMike

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Re: Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?
« Reply #5 on: July 27, 2021, 04:58:16 AM »
Lowell Haarer has been putting them on rifles if the buyer requests them. The peep just helps these old eyes focus, has both traditional front and rear sight. Works great.





"Muskrat" Mike McGuire
Keep your eyes on the skyline, your flint sharp and powder dry.

Offline recurve

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Re: Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?
« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2021, 07:19:18 PM »
If your worried that they might move add a witness mark to the peepsight and a dot in the rifle steal to see if it moved and return to zero










Offline recurve

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Re: Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?
« Reply #7 on: July 27, 2021, 07:20:21 PM »



Offline Scota4570

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Re: Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?
« Reply #8 on: July 27, 2021, 11:25:56 PM »
A flip up tang sight was a common at one time with lever actions.  The open sight could be sighted in at say 50 yards and the tang sight was sighted in at a further distance, say 150 yards.  Having them both sighted for the same distance is like suspenders and a belt. 

Offline Timberdog

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Re: Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?
« Reply #9 on: July 28, 2021, 02:12:40 AM »
Well THANK YOU ALL! 

I knew a lot of folks use peep sights on their traditional rifles (and I saw some DANDIES on above reply), but I didn’t know if you used in conjunction with the rear sight.  Awesome.

Thanks

 

Offline smylee grouch

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Re: Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?
« Reply #10 on: July 28, 2021, 03:13:16 AM »


Here is one I made to mount on the tang. I fashioned a lug on the tang then drilled and taped the lug for the stem. It went good except when mounted the lug was in the wrong place and the stem was a little too short. In some of  the NMLRA matches you have targets for open sights and another one for any metallic sight so this is when you would mount the tang sight.

Offline alacran

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Re: Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?
« Reply #11 on: July 28, 2021, 03:13:05 PM »
Recurve, I see all the rifles you posted have the rear sight very close to the breech. 22 years ago I had my rear sight placed 6.25 inches from the breech. NMLRAS minimum distance is 6 inches, so I went the extra quarter inch so there would be no doubt with them being legal.
Since then I have moved sights forward, like above the entry pipe. That puts them at least 12 inches from the breech.
Don't need peep sights with them forward.
A man's rights rest in three boxes: the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box.  Frederick Douglass

Offline recurve

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Re: Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?
« Reply #12 on: July 28, 2021, 07:50:15 PM »
I find the peeps usefull to find the right load from the bench.
Then depending on the flinter, I use them  as a ghost ring or I go back to traditional sights , buckhorns . 
The peep makes you mount the rifle the same every time and seems to sharpen the view of the front sight.

Offline 577SXS

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Re: Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?
« Reply #13 on: July 28, 2021, 09:49:32 PM »
So a peep sight is legal in a match as long as the rear sight on barrel is in left in place???

Offline Scota4570

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Re: Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?
« Reply #14 on: July 28, 2021, 10:28:10 PM »
Nice try. : )  I could pick up 5 point on my aggregates with a peep. 

Short answer ... No.

Read page 10 of the current NMLRA rules. Section 5020

Offline Bob Roller

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Re: Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?
« Reply #15 on: July 29, 2021, 03:20:47 PM »
I have done this for over ten years, it works GREAT!

In dim light, you can unscrew the peep and use it as a Ghost Ring with the large tapped hole.



THANKS, and you left the rear sight on?

I always thought the large untapped hole in a muzzle loader was the muzzle ;D. On the less absurd side I thought there was an allowance for geezers for the use of peep sights but this may vary from club to club.
Bob Roller

Offline 577SXS

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Re: Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?
« Reply #16 on: July 29, 2021, 05:10:41 PM »
My hats off to anyone who can shoot those low tiny blade original type sights. I hated them when I could see them. I love peep sights. They are the best iron sight you can have.

Offline alacran

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Re: Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?
« Reply #17 on: July 30, 2021, 03:28:34 PM »
Except for the sights that Smiley Grouch posted, all the " peep sights" pictured in this post, are more ghost sights or battle sights. They are good specially for target acquisition, like in hunting situations.
Not really what I consider fine aperture peep sights. Like what you have in Redfield International or Olympic sights.
There are NMLRA matches that allow for any metallic sights. Most of them are rest matches. The sights pictured here are fine for hunting and casual  shooting, but not for serious target shooting, again Smiley's being the exception.
A man's rights rest in three boxes: the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box.  Frederick Douglass

Offline Bob Roller

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Re: Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?
« Reply #18 on: July 30, 2021, 11:36:08 PM »
My hats off to anyone who can shoot those low tiny blade original type sights. I hated them when I could see them. I love peep sights. They are the best iron sight you can have.
I feel the same way about the low original sights.They were good for locating the top of he barrel if it was out of the wood but not much more ;D ;D ;D.
Bob Roller

Offline Timberdog

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Re: Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?
« Reply #19 on: July 31, 2021, 01:26:12 AM »
Oh yes peep sights are awesome!  I acquired a couple of chunk guns, One has a barrel 63 1/2 inches long in 40 caliber, the other is a 58 caliber with a 55 inch barrel. The few times I’ve had time to shoot one of them, it becomes evident sight picture is everything. I don’t really intend to compete against others, so therefore I’m gonna install a lollipop Peepsight that I got from the guy who sold me the chunk rifles.  He never got around to installing it (picture below), but it is a dandy of a sight, But a little too big for a hunting rifle.

It got me to thinking I would love to install a tang Peepsight On some of my normal Flintlock rifles, But I don’t want to get into the business of driving off the rear sight every time I use the peep.  Kind of the same thing with the chunk rifles…Enjoy the Peepsight and enhanced sight picture…And if I get time to go to a organized Chunk Rifle shoot, Just unscrew the Peepsight, practice with the open sites before hand, and then go have fun.

Thank you all for the insights, I’ll be looking to get a peep sight on my squirrel rifle (at least) as well.  Keeping rear sight on though.

Thanks all…




Offline Bsharp

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Re: Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?
« Reply #20 on: July 31, 2021, 01:43:51 AM »

In dim light, you just remove the peep and use the hole as a ghost ring.

There is a set screw adjustable stop in the stem, so that the sight stem can be removed for traveling.

My next version will have the adjustment in the lolly pop and a thumb screw. Solid base.
Get Close and Wack'em Hard!

Offline Nessmuck

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Re: Adding peep sight but keeping rear sight in place?
« Reply #21 on: July 31, 2021, 04:30:37 AM »
I had the lyman peep sights on a 50 cal cap gun…A Lyman Gun ….and from the bench …shooting the 325 maxi bullets….it would clover leaf 5 shots all day long @ 50 yards. But that was back in the early 80’s and don’t find that fun anymore…lol…