Backup Sights on Hunting Rifle

bhunts said:
That is pretty cool! What is the manufacturer?
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That is a Redfield folding peep, that they used to put on their JR series bases, mounted on a Leupold QD base.

Numrich was selling just the sight for $8.95 but you can usually find complete bases on flea-bay.
 
Its too bad that Brno eliminated their push down peep sight. Brockman makes a push down peep base mount, but they won't ship to us.

I have a Talley ghost ring for my Brno 602 and just left it in place when thge rifle wore the Burris Scout Scope, but since I switched to the Leupold EER with it's smaller ocular, I had to take it off.
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BrnoGhostRing.jpg
 
jethunter said:
The problem with that is that a lot of the factory open sights aren't usable with the weaver bases in place. PIA to have to unscrew the bases to use the sights. I might like a shallow V open sight better than the aperature, i think.
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The rear sights on Sako and Tikka rifles are more suitable for that kind of setup. Besides, the square notch cut into that blade better facilitate light gathering capabilities compared to a V or U.

Moreover, the irons on those rifles (including the CZs) come factory zeroed at 100m which drives away the additional necessity to tinker with that setup.
 
I try to buy rifles with sights already on them, for that very reason, backup.

A long time ago I was a full day away from any gunsmith. On the first morning of the hunt, I stupidly rested my rifle on the gently sloped hood of my truck...just for a second, when someone opened the passenger door and jumped in to retrieve something. Long story short, the rifle went on a short slide off the hood and the scope was irreparably damaged as it struck a sharp rock.

Guess what...no sights on the rifle and no backup either. Had to borrow an old clunky (sporterized) 303 with iron sights. It could shoot reasonably, but it ruined my hunt. My big game hunting rifles, including my M14, have sighted in irons factory installed.

I also have a really neat little Vanguard "truck gun in .308 which I usually take along with me for camping and backup.

Hard lessons learned.
 
If you use Weaver or Leupold QD mounts, your zero is going to be fine at the distances you'd use an iron sight for anyhow. Again, if you haven't got backup irons I'd just get a Weaver 1-3x or a Leupold 2.5x, pre-sighted in for your load of choice on the QD rings, and leave it in your day pack.
 
I like the idea of backup sights on most of my rifles but I do not like the idea of carying anything in my pockets that belongs on the rifle so any sight should be permanetly installed, IMO. By the same token I don't agree with using quick detach mounts except for either using back up sights or swaping out a scope, but really how many carry a backup scope with us in the field!
As far as backups go I think that the Griffin & howe style of mount that allows instant scope or sight use cannot be beat, but very pricey.
bb
 
bigbull said:
I like the idea of backup sights on most of my rifles but I do not like the idea of carying anything in my pockets that belongs on the rifle so any sight should be permanetly installed, IMO. By the same token I don't agree with using quick detach mounts except for either using back up sights or swaping out a scope, but really how many carry a backup scope with us in the field!
As far as backups go I think that the Griffin & howe style of mount that allows instant scope or sight use cannot be beat, but very pricey.
bb
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Around here I don't carry a spare scope, but if I was going on a big dollar hunt to Alaska,, the Yukon, or Africa, you bet I would. The repeatability of various QD mounting arrangements is quite variable although I can speak highly of both Talley's and Ruger's systems as well as to the repeatability of NECG's peep sight for the Brno/CZ bolt guns.

The problem with the choice of back up irons on many modern rifles has to do with the height of the comb. Some are so high as to make the use of irons impossible without installing much higher irons, making the question of irons irrelevant. I can just barely use the ghost ring on my McMillan stocked 602, and it required me to mash might cheek down hard on the comb so that at the shot the recoil will painfully snap my head back and rattle my teeth, but should my scope fail, I can shoot it.

A case in point is the Monte Carlo stock that Remington now puts on their 7600. I've recently had the opportunity to handle one of these, and with the factory irons set low for anything like a reasonable zero range, when you throw the rifle to your shoulder all you can see through the rear sight is the base of the ramp. By the time you've moved the rear sight to a height that it becomes a relative sighting tool, you'd have a 700 yard zero without nearly doubling the height of the front sight. The old classic stock on the 760 worked well with either irons or a scope, I'm not sure why Remington decided it needed improvement. I had to smile when I saw a 7600 on the handle bars of a quad the other day. The rifle had no scope and sure enough the rear sight was set almost as low as it could go. I can't believe it's owner had ever attempted to put a 100 yard group on paper, when he shoots he must use the invisible ghost ring method; put the front sight on his target, ignore the rear sight and let fly. A guy can lear to shoot like that . . . I guess.
 
I've got weaver rails and QD weaver rings on a couple of Encore barrels. So far they've returned to zero at 50 yards. I'll pay more attention and try some deliberate experimentation. IME it works fine. Maybe not with a 200 yard zero, but I bet fine at 100 yards.
 
In the case of a Weaver or Pic rail base, how you go about tightening the screws and the amount of attention you pay to the torque of each nut will determine the repeatability of the system. If you use an inch-pound torque wrench and approach the correct torque slowly as you alternately tighten one nut then the other, your repeatability will be better than the guy who flops the scope on the rail and tightens each nut until his 18" screw driver jumps out of the slot.
 
I use the Leupold QRW scope rings on all of my rifles/barrels that are set up for quick detachable scopes even my 21" barreled Rem 700 LSS in 375RUM.

I am one that actually is consistent with how I mount the scope using these rings and have no issues popping the scope off and remounting it and shooting out to 200 - 500 yards only limiting factor is what rifle/cartridge combo I am using.

My choice for ghost ring sights are the XS Sights backup ghost ring sights I simply pop the scope off remove the sight/screw driver from the butt stock pouch/shell holder mount the sight onto the rear scope base and tighten one screw.

I do not necessarily use these ghost ring sights for backup to the scope failing I use them more for when I have the rifles set up for defense against wild animals preferring to always use a scope when hunting though I have no issues shooting out to 200 + yards on big game with these sights.

Here is a couple pics of my 375RUM with an XS Sights tall Weaver backup ghost ring sight mounted.

Rem_700_LSS_375RUM_Project_Rifle_XS_Sights_002.jpg


Finished_21_Inch_Rem_700_LSS_in_375RUM_Dec_2009_011.jpg
 
Boomer said:
In the case of a Weaver or Pic rail base, how you go about tightening the screws and the amount of attention you pay to the torque of each nut will determine the repeatability of the system. If you use an inch-pound torque wrench and approach the correct torque slowly as you alternately tighten one nut then the other, your repeatability will be better than the guy who flops the scope on the rail and tightens each nut until his 18" screw driver jumps out of the slot.
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Finger tight or coin tight with the Weaver QD knurled rings has been fairly repeatable for me. Camp Cook seems to have it down pat, and I'll bet the levers wind up pointing the same way most of the time.
 
Here's a thought, just buy another scope and put it on.
With good mounts it should zero when it is replaced.
Tha way, you will not have to adjust to shooting irons from the scope.
just a thought, one that I never worried about myself.....
Cat
 
Camp Cook said:
I use the Leupold QRW scope rings on all of my rifles/barrels that are set up for quick detachable scopes even my 21" barreled Rem 700 LSS in 375RUM.

I am one that actually is consistent with how I mount the scope using these rings and have no issues popping the scope off and remounting it and shooting out to 200 - 500 yards only limiting factor is what rifle/cartridge combo I am using.

My choice for ghost ring sights are the XS Sights backup ghost ring sights I simply pop the scope off remove the sight/screw driver from the butt stock pouch/shell holder mount the sight onto the rear scope base and tighten one screw.

I do not necessarily use these ghost ring sights for backup to the scope failing I use them more for when I have the rifles set up for defense against wild animals preferring to always use a scope when hunting though I have no issues shooting out to 200 + yards on big game with these sights.

Here is a couple pics of my 375RUM with an XS Sights tall Weaver backup ghost ring sight mounted.

Rem_700_LSS_375RUM_Project_Rifle_XS_Sights_002.jpg


Finished_21_Inch_Rem_700_LSS_in_375RUM_Dec_2009_011.jpg
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Did the XS sight require the TALL model to fit that stock properly? What did you use for the front sight?

.
 
My Rem 700 is the only rifle I use the tall Weaver ghost ring sight I use the low Weaver model XS backup ghost ring sights on my Marlin 1895GS, T/C Contender carbines etc.

Front sight is from NECG it is the Masterpiece banded front sight with the tallest fiber optic front post that they sell.
 
Cool I have a project rifle that could benifit from this set up.

I'm interested in the apature sight and the front sight and bead. I don't need the rings.
 
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