I have never owned a shotgun before but I often hear people talk about ghost ring sights. I weas wondering exactly what they are and what advantages they have. I saw a heat shield with built in ghsot ring sights on Districorp and it seemed like a cool idea.
What are Ghost Ring Sights?
- Thread starter D-Rock
- Start date
Thanks.
Fabarm Martial ProForces 14".
Everyone should have one. Non restricted, $750 @ www.theshootingedge.com Awesome people to deal with, redleg is the man to talk to on this board. I highly recommend it!
Fabarm Martial ProForces 14".
Everyone should have one. Non restricted, $750 @ www.theshootingedge.com Awesome people to deal with, redleg is the man to talk to on this board. I highly recommend it!
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
As shown in the pics above, the ghost ring is a peep sight with a very thin rim and about a quarter inch aperture. It is simply the best metallic firearm sight available. The reason it is superior to other types is because the human eye cannot focus on three points at once - something must be out of focus - rear sight, front sight or target. When you look through the ghost ring at the front sight and target, the ghost ring blurrs, or ghosts, and can be ignored. You simply put the front sight on your target and fire. It is very fast, and very accurate. When the front sight - and we must always concentrate on the front sight - is on target - as long as it is within the aperture you will get a hit. As an interesting demonstration, put your rifle or shotgun on a solid firing position with the front sight on your target. Now move your hear around keeping the front sight within the aperture. You will see that the front sight stays solidly in place regardless of where it appears within the aperture and does not move from the target. As long as the front sight is within the aperture you will get a hit. The ghost ring is not as useful for use on pistols. Firstly, the rear sight cannot be brought close to the eye, and secondly because the sights are so close together that they can be kept in focus, while the target slightly blurs.
- Location
- Hillbilly shack in the boonies
And just to add a little to that great description on peeps. The eye will center the front sight , because it wants to gather the most light, and centers every time, thats why you need not worry about the rear sight, just look through it.
Its fast , very fast , and will prevent shooting high as is the case with open sights , and fast shooting.
Its fast , very fast , and will prevent shooting high as is the case with open sights , and fast shooting.
As mentioned above (and shown in Nine's pic) the rear sight gets blurred out allowing the front sight to be centered in the "ring" and focused on the intended target. If you look really close at Nine's pic you will see the Bad Guy with his hands up
I find GRS very useful when shooting slugs for accurracy.
- Location
- Saskatchewan
Boomer said:
This is for the most part correct, however I'd like to add a few comments.
A ghost ring, and a peep sight, although although both are aperture sights, are somwhat different. With a peep sight the hole is much smaller (basically a pinhole) and you shoot with your eye held much closer. Because you are looking through a small hole, everthing you look at is in almost perfect focus (the sight at the end of the barrel and the target as well), and as with a ghost ring, you don't pay attention to the rear sight. Also, with a true peep sight, at the front of the barrel you generally look through a globe (which will remain in focus) with a larger diameter hole in it with which you basically surround your target (also in focus). (in some cases it can be used with a post, but it seems to work better for most with a round hole...)
Here is an excellent article on types of "iron sights", including a great explanation and pictures of both ghost ring and aperture sights.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_sights
Boomer said:
I agree, other than the part about where to focus. In this case it can be used a little differently that a regular partridge sight...
Boomer said:
Well, I guess everyone has an opinion, and in this case mine differs from Boomer's.
I have ghost ring sight mounted on my Ruger MKIII Hunter and I love it. A ghost ring is designed to be used far from the eye (unlike peep sights), and because of this lends itself very well to use on a pistol. Additionally, you can control where your focus lands, so if you prefer to focus on the target, you can do that, since the front sight will still remain in focus enough to use (remember, you only have to center it in the rear sight, it's not nearly as fiddly to use as rear partrige sight). Even if both the ring and the front sight are slightly out of focus, they are still more than visible enough to do their jobs (much more so than with open sights for some reason...).
It's kinda hard to explain until you've tried both. I bought a ghost ring for my Ruger after having used a peep on my Brno model 4 target rifle. They're both much more fun than any scoped gun in my opinion!
Check out my ghost ringed Ruger:
The pic below is a little out of focus because I shot it without the flash and I was shakey...
Those are factory, LDA manufacture.
Check out these guys, lots of options, available at the shooting edge.
http://www.xssights.com/
I'd like to get a tritium dot for my norc.
Check out these guys, lots of options, available at the shooting edge.
http://www.xssights.com/
I'd like to get a tritium dot for my norc.
Nine said:Those are factory, LDA manufacture.
Check out these guys, lots of options, available at the shooting edge.
http://www.xssights.com/
I'd like to get a tritium dot for my norc.
Been thinking about getting a set of those XS GR's, but I have no idea how to get them onto my Marine Magnum. Will Shooting Edge handle the installation if I send them my gun? Is there a CGN-approved smith out there who can do the install?
Nine said:Those are factory, LDA manufacture.
Check out these guys, lots of options, available at the shooting edge.
http://www.xssights.com/
I'd like to get a tritium dot for my norc.
There's a bit more info on the complete line of LPA sites here
http://www.lpasights.com/catalog-shotgun.html
I'm thinking of replacing the stock GR sites that came on my 590 (hate them) with a set of LPA's
USP said:
Product Retail
Pistol Sights
No Tritium $85
Tritium front sight $126
Tritium front and rear sights $169
Adjustable add: $50
Rifle Express Sights
Tritium Front Sight $129
Tritium Front and Rear Sights $169
Shotgun Sights
Front only - Tritium - over bead or ramp $84
Tactical Ghost ring set (front & rear) $169
Tactical w/ Banded Front $219
Tactical Rifle Sights
Tritium Front element $84
Tritium Front element and rear ghost ring $169
White stripe only (no tritium) Front $79
Rifle Ghostring Sets
Standard $129
With wings $169
Rifle Backup Ghost Rings $89
http://www.theshootingedge.com/files/Price Guide.pdf page 8
PM redleg!
Quigley said:
Mmmmmm.... tritium inserts for my GR's......
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
TFC -
Despite your excellent post, I do not believe I could get used to shooting a handgun with a ghost ring rear sight. Different ideas help make the world go round, and the premise that ghost rings were by design, intended to be used away from the eye is interesting. This may have some practical application as you show with your Ruger, but it is a mistake to mount a ghost ring on a long gun in such a way that you must attempt to focus on the rear sight. If the ghost ring were mounted at a mid point on the barrel, you will find yourself attempting to focus on the rear sight. Shifting focus from rear to front sight and hence to target is cumbersome, and it will take more time to make the shot, particularly on a live target. When you do make the shot, because you cannot put your entire concentration on the front sight, I believe your shot will not be as accurate as it could be.
Despite your excellent post, I do not believe I could get used to shooting a handgun with a ghost ring rear sight. Different ideas help make the world go round, and the premise that ghost rings were by design, intended to be used away from the eye is interesting. This may have some practical application as you show with your Ruger, but it is a mistake to mount a ghost ring on a long gun in such a way that you must attempt to focus on the rear sight. If the ghost ring were mounted at a mid point on the barrel, you will find yourself attempting to focus on the rear sight. Shifting focus from rear to front sight and hence to target is cumbersome, and it will take more time to make the shot, particularly on a live target. When you do make the shot, because you cannot put your entire concentration on the front sight, I believe your shot will not be as accurate as it could be.
