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Thread: Peep Sight size

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    Jud96's Avatar
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    Peep Sight size

    I have a question for all those who shoot peeps on their N-SSA firearms. I am thinking of tinkering with peep sights on my Gallager for 50yds. I use a peep for 100yds and like them but they are too fine for 50yds and am asking how big you make your peep for 50yds. Thanks.
    Shoot small, miss small. Or shoot small and hit small!

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    Shooting peeps on a carbine will depend on your eyes. I am 50 and at 41 went to a Model 1 Maynard because rear peep sight was starting to blurr on my model 2 Maynard. Now I have no problem shooting peep on Miss. musket. Because of longer sight radius. You want a peep sight as small as your eyes can take it. Your 100yd peep when you say fine must be small. I think a 5/64 is a good size to start out with for 50yds. If you think it is too small run a size larger bit through peep hole until it clears up until you have enough light in peep hole but 5/64" bit is what I use. Rich
    Last edited by Rich Foster; 09-20-2013 at 08:46 PM.

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    Okay thanks. I have 20/20 vision and I'm only 16 and just wanted to try a peep out at 50yd and see how I like it. I feel like a peep is a lot easier to line up and get on target faster than open sights and would make sighting easier. It might possibly make me shoot better, but we'll have to see. Thanks for the help. By the way, how fine is a Model I Maynard peep?
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    Wow 16 year old eyes what a advantage. Well when I was your age I was shooting a Sharps with open sights for 15 years never needed a peep on carbine. In my 30's I went to a Model 2 Maynard with a peep. Becasue the open sights stated to blurr. Never measured My model 1 maynard and it would not matter to you because the sight is right flipped up in front of my eyeball where yours is down the barrel. 5/64" is what I would start off with a gun where open rear sight is originally down the barrel. At your age I think you are disadvantaging yourself with a peep but your using it at 100yds but it seems well because depth of target is greater. Is there a reason you want to shoot a peep at 50yds? Rich
    Last edited by Rich Foster; 09-20-2013 at 10:00 PM.

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    Jud96's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rich Foster View Post
    Wow 16 year old eyes what a advantage. Well when I was your age I was shooting a Sharps with open sights for 15 years never needed a peep on carbine. In my 30's I went to a Model 2 Maynard with a peep. Becasue the open sights stated to blurr. Never measured My model 1 maynard and it would not matter to you because the sight is right flipped up in front of my eyeball where yours is down the barrel. 5/64" is what I would start off with a gun where open rear sight is originally down the barrel. At your age I think you are disadvantaging yourself with a peep but your using it at 100yds but it seems well because depth of target is greater. Is there a reason you want to shoot a peep at 50yds? Rich
    Haha ya I guess I do have an advantage! I can see my sights fine but peep sights just interest me. I do well with my peep at 100yd but understand a peep at fifty can make you lose your frame or be on the wrong row of targets. My sights now are a V rear sight and the tapered front sight. I also thought of purchasing a tall square front sight to replace the tapered front sight and making a square notch in the rear sight which I believe will make a much simplier and sharper sight picture. The reason I ask about the Maynard Model. I's sights are because these carbines really interest me because of their military issue tang sights and longer barrel. The .36cal chambering also intrigues me. Thanks
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    More input accepted! Thanks
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    Quote Originally Posted by R. McAuley 3014V View Post
    You don't really need to much worry about the rear sight, whether its a vee or a peep - so long as you can focus on the front sight clearly -- you shouldn't worry about maintaining clear focus on the rear sight or the target. If you wish to experiment with peep sights, make up some peeps out of paper board and try different size aperatures until you find the one that suits you best. You can glue them in place with superglue. It's the cheapest and best of all easiest to change out with another peep sight without permanently altering your metallic sights until you know positively whether a peep sight is likely to help improve your shooting or is a hinderance thereof.
    Thanks for the info! I understand you're only suppose to see the front sight. When I make peeps, before I drill the sight blank or leaf, I always find the correct positioning of the peep with homemade sights made of either tin or feeler gauge. Obviously, I haven't done much for experimenting with peep size, I just used a very tiny drill bit that my Dad has always used for 100yd peeps on his Sharps carbines and Gallagers.
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    Depends on a lot of things. Your eyes of course. The width of the front sight. Sight radius. Distance of the rear sight from the eye.

    Personally I start very small; always easier to enlarge. You have to balance target acquisition time as well. From a bench on a paper target where there's only one target down range, I could shoot a VERY small peep- but it doesn't help you much if you bring your gun to bear and have to keep looking OVER the sight to acquire your targets.

    While I can't give you an exact size, I would say that whatever diameter allows you to just see the rows of pigeons on either side with the bird board, or just see the 2 targets on either side of the one you are aiming at with hanging targets would be the minimum I'd go with. That sounds like it would be huge, but it really isn't.

    On my Sharps I'm using 5/64", on my Enfield 2 band, 3/32".

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    Quote Originally Posted by jonk View Post
    Depends on a lot of things. Your eyes of course. The width of the front sight. Sight radius. Distance of the rear sight from the eye.

    Personally I start very small; always easier to enlarge. You have to balance target acquisition time as well. From a bench on a paper target where there's only one target down range, I could shoot a VERY small peep- but it doesn't help you much if you bring your gun to bear and have to keep looking OVER the sight to acquire your targets.

    While I can't give you an exact size, I would say that whatever diameter allows you to just see the rows of pigeons on either side with the bird board, or just see the 2 targets on either side of the one you are aiming at with hanging targets would be the minimum I'd go with. That sounds like it would be huge, but it really isn't.

    On my Sharps I'm using 5/64", on my Enfield 2 band, 3/32".
    That's the exact sight picture I'm looking for. Something that I can see my targets with and the flanking rows, but fine enough to be practical. If I do go forth with the peep I'll definitely try the 5/64ths bit first since I've heard you and another fellow skirmisher mention a 5/64ths peep. Thanks a lot!
    Shoot small, miss small. Or shoot small and hit small!

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    Charlie Hahn is offline
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    Based on my personal experience on my 1863 and near your age I used .050 diameter peep hole. at 30 I moved to .062. currently I use .078. There are other stepps you can take but I would begin at the .050 diameter.

    Regards

    Charlie Hahn

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