aftermarket express sights

[kell2784]

Has anyone ordered/installed aftermarket express sights on one of their projects? I want to put a set on my 375 wby project and came up with some different styles. I'll probably only need 2 leafs anyway, unless most people recommend getting 3 just in case. These Krieghoff's look interesting, and easy to capture a wide sight picture.
http://www.krieghoff.com/pages/3.7/pages/3.7.html
Also considering the Z-Hats:
http://www.z-hat.com/express_sights.htm
An unconventional design I'm skeptical of, is the Brockman's HexSite: (scroll down the page)
http://www.brockmansrifles.com/other_access.asp

 

[rgv]

go here .....


http://newenglandcustomgun.com/

they are the ERA sights, and they have a good stock and will ship to Canada, though they sometimes make you stay under the $100 per order. they are the same sights z-hat advertises btw. Brownells also carries the same sights and will also ship to canada under $100

 

[Dogleg]

Kell2784,
I think that multiple leafs are a throwback to blackpowder days and may not be needed on your .375 at all. I ran some numbers through a ballistic calculator and this is what I came up with for a 300 grain Spire point at Weatherby speed and a.75" sight height. This is a 200 yard zero and could be pinched down a little or stretched a bit as suits you. How far will open sights be used anyway?

25 yards- +.42"
50 yards +.1.31
100 yards +2.18
200 0.0
250 -3.24"

Considering that 2.18 inches is less than 6 bullet diameters that's close enough. If you can brain a grouse (or elephant) at 25 yards or clobber a moose at 300 with one sight who needs the extra leafs? A possible use could be to use one leaf for 270 or lighter bullets and another for 300s or something along those lines.
Having said that, those Krieghoffs are really cool.

Dogleg

 

[kell2784]

Kell2784,
I think that multiple leafs are a throwback to blackpowder days and may not be needed on your .375 at all. I ran some numbers through a ballistic calculator and this is what I came up with for a 300 grain Spire point at Weatherby speed and a.75" sight height. This is a 200 yard zero and could be pinched down a little or stretched a bit as suits you. How far will open sights be used anyway?

25 yards- +.42"
50 yards +.1.31
100 yards +2.18
200 0.0
250 -3.24"

Considering that 2.18 inches is less than 6 bullet diameters that's close enough. If you can brain a grouse (or elephant) at 25 yards or clobber a moose at 300 with one sight who needs the extra leafs? A possible use could be to use one leaf for 270 or lighter bullets and another for 300s or something along those lines.
Having said that, those Krieghoffs are really cool.

Dogleg

I definitely won't be stretching past 200 yds, so I'll think I'll stick with a single leaf or regular rear sight. I do like those Krieghoff's too. It looks easy to track in low light, and keeps more of the animal in view.

 

[Dogleg]

I definitely won't be stretching past 200 yds, so I'll think I'll stick with a single leaf or regular rear sight. I do like those Krieghoff's too. It looks easy to track in low light, and keeps more of the animal in view.

Another option would be a ghost ring peep sight. It obstructs little target, and are suprising accurate and fast. Basically I'm a scope guy, and am convinced that I can shoot just as fast or faster than irons at close range. At longer range there's no contest. I do shoot with both eyes open though, whether its open sights or a 20x varmint scope. Iron sight guns carry nice though, and I did go as far as making sure the express sights on my .375 and .416 shoot where I look. It seemed prudent to have a functional plan "B" for those two.

 

[kell2784]

I'll put a QD and a scope on too, but those days when I just want to shoot irons, I thought it would be convenient to have. I also really don't need backup sights as my black continent trip won't be for years, hence no cape buffalo wanting to turn my insides into mush.
I agree with you, and I actually prefer scopes too. But if I found some really effective sights, I was going to put them on too.

 

[Dogleg]

I'll put a QD and a scope on too, but those days when I just want to shoot irons, I thought it would be convenient to have. I also really don't need backup sights as my black continent trip won't be for years, hence no cape buffalo wanting to turn my insides into mush.
I agree with you, and I actually prefer scopes too. But if I found some really effective sights, I was going to put them on too.

Irons can be a lot of fun. I had a ball one summer shooting lead bullets at the handgun range out of a couple lever guns. Shooting at 200 meter rams offhand with a 44/40 and 30/30 and cast bullets is a real riot. When the dust settled I'd popped off 7 pails of wheel weights. Occasionally I even hit one.
I've got molds for the .375 and .416 now, and hope to run some serious volume through those two rifles, and much of that will be with the iron sights. Come to think of it, that would be a good use for those extra leafs. Get that .375 running and we'll terrorize some paper. Cast loads run only about 3-4 bucks a box, with free bullets. Compare that to $45 for .416 handloads.