Installing Ghost Ring Sights on Mossberg 500

[nbx]

I just got a mossberg 500 field/security combo. It was the ideal buy for me because I wanted a 12 gauge with a short barrel for home defence/hiking/truck gun but I also wanted the longer barrel for the bit of waterfowling I do.

I'm contemplating a set of ghost ring sights. Right now all it has is a front bead on the short barrel. Is it a pile of work to get ghost rings installed? Is it a job one can do with limited gunsmithing experience or should I consult a gunsmith? And does anyone have a sight kit they'd reccomend?

 

[TDC]

IMO ghost rings are over-rated. When used properly the rear sight, the "ghost ring" is a blur and your focus is on the front sight. The shotgun, even with slugs is still a short range tool. The "benefits" of ghost ring sights aren't worth the added expense and loss of field of view. A good tritium or fibre optic front sight is a nice addition.

TDC

 

[cablemonkey]

Hi NBX,

I had the same question about my M500A and was told in the gun store that it would make more sense to sell that gun and buy one with the rings already installed.

After you total up the costs of the sights, the machining, brazing, and installation, you're at about the same cost of just buying the new gun as a package with all of it already on from the factory.

 

[nbx]

hmmm. That's what I kind of figured. The ghost rings are really more for the hell of it than anything else. I suppose if I practice enough I could get slug shooting down pretty decent with just the front bead.

 

[TDC]

hmmm. That's what I kind of figured. The ghost rings are really more for the hell of it than anything else. I suppose if I practice enough I could get slug shooting down pretty decent with just the front bead.

What kind of performance are you looking for?

TDC

 

[nbx]

I'm thinking.... maybe 50 yards at the most? It's mainly for bear defense or just for plinking here and there. What would be the longest range one could be accurate with with just a front bead? And at what range would one launch a slug at a bear?

 

[TDC]

I don't think 50 yards is asking too much for a bead sight only, its been done. When you decide to engage a furry threat is your call. I'm sure someone will chime in with what is "legal" and what is not. At the end of the day its your a$$ do as you see fit. I would put more effort into making rapid shots and rapid follow up shots over making the distance shots. If you spot your furry friend at 50 yards you have some time(not much) to move away. More time if you spot him at greater range. What happens when you come across a bear at short range or the bear comes across you? Rapid accurate shots are going to be the order of the day. Don't neglect the longer range skills but I'd focus on what a shotgun excels at, short distance engagements.

TDC

 

[Eagle-1]

instead of going the Ghost Ring route, why dont you try adding a fiber optic sight that slips over the barrel at the muzzel. very inexpensive, not perminent and gives you a very fast snap sight picture. i have tried both and lean more to the fiber optic....my 2cents..
cheers

 

[Boomer]

IMO ghost rings are over-rated. When used properly the rear sight, the "ghost ring" is a blur and your focus is on the front sight. The shotgun, even with slugs is still a short range tool. The "benefits" of ghost ring sights aren't worth the added expense and loss of field of view. A good tritium or fiber optic front sight is a nice addition.
TDC

Whether or not the ghost ring sight is going to be useful to you depends on what the gun is used for. If you want a short quick upland gun, you may very well find that a bead fits your particular needs quite well, and if a bead is your choice the fiber optic is possibly the easiest bead to see. But for those who use the shotgun as a powerful rifle the ghost ring and post is the best sighting system available. A bead provides a poor index of elevation and is not sharp against the target. Even at 50 yards the advantage lies with the ghost ring for both speed and precision.

instead of going the Ghost Ring route, why dont you try adding a fiber optic sight that slips over the barrel at the muzzel. very inexpensive, not perminent and gives you a very fast snap sight picture. i have tried both and lean more to the fiber optic....my 2cents..
cheers

Our experience with fiber optic sights here has been less than positive. They have proven to be very delicate, and break easily if the gun sees hard use. If a precise shot is required the fiber optic bead is not as sharp against the target as a rectangular post, and if the range extends to the limit of the shotguns ability, the bead is much less precise.

 

[dogzilla]

I just went thru that. I have used shotguns since I was 10 (over 40 yrs) and am perfectly comfortable with beads. I have been playing around with 3 wingmasters over the winter. One I dedicated for slugs, I both put ghost ring on it and ported the barrel. I was immediately sold on the ghost rings for that purpose. I can hit the gong at 100 yds every shot. I was also sold on the porting. Shooting full load slugs, the differance was very noticeable as I had 2 shotguns with me, one with, one without. I do think that if you want a gun for close quarters that the bead is still the way to go. I will be leaving my 12" dlask barrel as is, although I may port it.

 

[Can-down]

You could install some remington rifle sights on your short barrel and leave the receiver alone.

I like the remington sight picture and the nice thing is they are on the barrel so when you switch barrels you don't have to remove the ghost ring for shooting birds with the longer barrel.

 

[Quigley]

I put a set of LPA's on my 590 A1 (I didn't like the ones that came with it)

The rear site is mounted on a rail...and it cost me $75.00 to get the front site soldered on the barrell (and the finish touched up)

Not the nost econimic choice...but it's what I wanted.

 

[Pietro Beretta]

IMO ghost rings are over-rated. When used properly the rear sight, the "ghost ring" is a blur and your focus is on the front sight. The shotgun, even with slugs is still a short range tool. The "benefits" of ghost ring sights aren't worth the added expense and loss of field of view. A good tritium or fibre optic front sight is a nice addition.

TDC

Really....I have ghost ring sights on my M590-A1 14" and are the best sights I've ever used (along with Benelli M4). Ya, front bead sights are good, but nowhere as good as ghost ring (military peep sights)

Fully adjustable to windage & elevation, ghost ring sights are SERIOUS and enable me to consistantly hit man size targets at 200 YARDS using Remington HI-VELOCITY 7/8 oz. rifled slugs.

 

[nbx]

You could install some remington rifle sights on your short barrel and leave the receiver alone.

I like the remington sight picture and the nice thing is they are on the barrel so when you switch barrels you don't have to remove the ghost ring for shooting birds with the longer barrel.

I like the look of that. Like I said, I'll be using the gun, although with a different barrell for ducks and geese this winter. Although I'm guessing I might as well get a whole new barrel for what it would cost to install them.

 

[troutseeker]

With some practice you can easily hit a deer sized target at 100 meters, using only the bead sight. Yes, ghost rings sights and a front post will get you accuracy (as far as shotguns are accurate). But is it worth the installation cost and all? I don't think so, especially since most of your shotgun shooting will be from way closer than 100 meters...

But, ghost rings sights look cooler!

 

[Justins1877]

Really....I have ghost ring sights on my M590-A1 14" and are the best sights I've ever used (along with Benelli M4). Ya, front bead sights are good, but nowhere as good as ghost ring (military peep sights)

Fully adjustable to windage & elevation, ghost ring sights are SERIOUS and enable me to consistantly hit man size targets at 200 YARDS using Remington HI-VELOCITY 7/8 oz. rifled slugs.

I agree. The only thing wrong with Ghost rings is they suck balls (for me anyway) to hit skeet.

I can't do it with a 590 or a M4, but I can pick up a $50 shotgun and hit them all day long easy.

 

[nbx]

So any suggestions on a fibreoptic front bead?

 

[gandalfe]

Ghost ring sights are ideally suited to the Mossburg 500 and are easy to install.target aquireing is a breeze and it is great at longer ranges using slugs.

My rig is a Mossy 500 with 20 inch ported barrel and 5 round sidesaddle, and ghost ring sights.

 

[geologist]

I can hit much more consistently with slugs using ghost rings than just a bead. From 25 - 100 yards, I am much faster and more accurate with ghost ring sights versus the bead.

 

[ehntr]

Ghost ring sights are ideally suited to the Mossburg 500 and are easy to install.target aquireing is a breeze and it is great at longer ranges using slugs.

My rig is a Mossy 500 with 20 inch ported barrel and 5 round sidesaddle, and ghost ring sights.

Ok....that looks like a good set-up. What brand rear/front sights are those? You had the front soldered on? ...and the rear?