Your Ideal Iron Sight Set-up

Most of us use iron sights at one time or another, some more that others.

Lots of choices out there: white outline rear, nail polish on front, gold bead and/or bars, V vs. square rear sight, ghost ring, fiber optics both front and rear with different color options, and more.

For your hunting revolver, what is your preference?

I like a white outline square rear with a plain black front sight.

I like the all black sights on my SBH. I have in the past painted my front sight white, which works well unless your hunting in a popup blind. I read in a post below about the ragged hole peep sight that looks good, I would like to hear more about them before I get me one though.

I like a standard square notch rear with white outline and a black partridge front. I have used hi vis fronts and I like them especially in low light but depending on the gun they can take away from the traditional looks. I also shoot some gold beads with rear V blades and they work well and they come into focus faster but the more I've played with sights the partridge works the best for me for precision shooting.

The one ragged hole sight is something you'll probably have to try. Some of the guys on here have had their groups get tighter when using them but I personally didn't care for it from an accuracy point of view. I use peeps and ghost rings on alot of my rifles and only the smallest peeps give me accuracy equal to straight irons and it's the same with the orh sight. I can see how it would be great for snap shooting at shorter range but like I said it's a personal thing you'll have to try. One thing if your like me and you don't like them there are plenty of guys on here that will buy them from you.

I use the standard factory sights, and can't really say I like one type over another, yet.

I would really like to try that "one ragged hole" or ghost ring set-up.

Great Pic! Thanks s4s4u.

I have played with a bunch of different ones but a plain dead black set with a patridge or #5 styled from sight has always been the best for precision shooting with my eyes.

I'd love to see this sight picture against a deer-sized something-or-other at 25 or 50 yds (I don't ask for much do I?). Just curious about the sight picture on game s4s4u. Does the ring obscure the animal in any way at reasonable revolver distances?

i like all balck front and one ragged hole rear on my sbh. yet im tinking of adding a small shotgun bead to the front sight. never cared for scopes even on my long guns but as i start to fall apart( eye sight also) i find that the peep sight is a great help.

V-notch rear and bead in front.

All black with a patridge front sight.

I had a red insert front and my eyes blurred the color, maybe from my color blindness?

One Ragged Hole is discontinued and unavailable at Brownells for Rugers.

I had a couple of my S&W handguns that I use the most with open sights converted to a Gold Bead on a Partridge Blade several years ago by my Gunsmith. I liked the Gold Bead pretty well, however I have since changed both of them to Fiber Optic with a Green Pipe that I can see even better.
For precision shooting a Square Notch Rear, and Partridge Front are hard to beat shooting groups on paper, or where you can see your target well.
For low light and in a hurry I like fiber optic as they are easy to see against a dark background. I have a Ruger MKIII Hunter with a V Notch rear sight, and Square Notch rear sights on 2 Smith & Wessons. I shoot both rear sights pretty well, however I think I like the V Notch a little better with the fiber optic front sight. Not enough that I have changed the back sight blades yet on the Smith & Wessons so far.

I will probably install Marble's fiber optic front sights made for Redhawks & Super Redhawks on my Super Redhawks sooner or later. At $17.50 from Midway that is an affordable improvement that you can do yourself with no problem.

MARBLE'S FRONT SIGHT
Super Redhawk 44 Magnum (Green) (Ht 0.390) Pt.# 320-817
Super Redhawk 44 Magnum (Orange) (Ht 0.390) Pt.# 318-076
Super Redhawk 480 Ruger (Green) (Ht 0.332) Pt.# 334-505
Super Redhawk 480 Ruger (Orange) (Ht 0.332) Pt.# 331-961
Super Redhawk 454 Casull (Green) (Ht 0.310) Pt.# 329-877
Super Redhawk 454 Casull (Orange) (Ht 0.310) Pt.# 329-691

You don't even notice the ring when you shoot, the front sight is more of a concern when it comes to obstruction. The ORH sights come 2 to a pack, one is 7/32" and the other 9/32" aperture. The 9/32" works so well I reamed out the 7/32" to match for my S-Six.

ORH has been taking money and not shipping orders and it looks like they may be done. Your best bet is to try all the outlets for shelf stock or a WTB in classifieds.

Used 7/32 blade was unsuccessfully auctioned here. If anyone is in need, perhaps the seller would do a deal.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=159524334

I wish they made these for SBH's. I love the green front/red rear set on my Encore.

Actually, I wonder if I could drill a couple of small holes in the rear blade and insert a "U" of small red FO like they did on the Encore. You guys create SO many projects for me.

On my hunting FA and Ruger revolvers (Blackhawk and Bisley) I use a partridge/target front sight cut to the width of .100. I paint my sights florescent orange, but I've thinking about going to florescent green in the future. My rear sights are straight factory.

I have tried many types of open sights on revolvers. I personally did not get along well with the "peep" setup. However, I do not have binocular vision and that may have had an impact. In years past, I preferred a small gold bead and a V-notch rear (similar to the old 22 RF rifle sights). Our favorite "jackrabbit" guns were so modified. They were quite effective on jackrabbit sized target out to 100 yds of so.

Unfortunately, as the years have past my eyes are not as good as they were. Currently, such sights fuzz on me. I get along better now a square notch & a bold black post. I do not feel that I have the precision with it that I had with the others in past, but it beats not being able to see the sights.

I have accepted that I need either a scope or a dot for hunting puposes. I am no longer good enough with open sights to want to risk hunting with them.

So how hard is it to remove and replace a stock Ruger front blade for a std. Blackhawk? I might experiment if I had a warm fuzzy that it's not all that difficult. Replacement blades are easy enough to come by.

It seems every time I get into these discussions, I cannot touch the gun, which would certainly help. Sorry....

you have to heat up the the ramp with a propane torch as the sight is soldered on. The factory sight also has a small post that fits in a hole on the barrel. If you do this yourself or have someone else do it I like the Weigand base which you can get from Brownells or Midway. The Weigand will use any of the inserts for the S&W "Classic" models. To install the new one you will need a way of holding it in place (I have a special installation tool) and keep downward pressure on it and you'll need a good quality silver solder. I use a paste I buy from Brownells which is a little easier to work with but you can use the wire form or they also have flat strips. When heating the barrel it would also be best if you get one of the heat absorbing pastes to cover the surrounding areas and inside of the barrel. It's not super complicated if your mechanically inclined and have done any soldering with a torch but there are a few things you need to buy so it becomes a case of do you want to make the investment so you can do other guns you may have or spend the money on a gunsmith. I did see Midway offers a screw on replacement base for rugers that you would have to drill and tap for but the base jumps from about 35.00-40.00 for a solder on to close to 90.00 for the screw on. I know that was long winded but I hope it helps.

Sure it helps, Rod! I think if I wanted to experiment, it might be prudent to install/have installed a dovetail base if it would help with blade replacement. I was primarily thinking about thinning the blade a bit. It's great to have such a full knowledge base 'round here!

I prefer a .125" wide black undercut front sight blade of a height suitable to allow zeroing at dead on to no more than 1" high @ 25 yds. with the rear sight 1 or 2 clicks from the bottom.

For a rear sight, I want a rugged finely adjustable steel sight, preferrably the blade angled very slightly to the rear, and with the top edge of the blade either angled very slightly to the front, or level, so as not to reflect light off the top. I want the notch to be at least .125" wide, and at least as deep as it is wide. For a Ruger, this means a Bowen Target rear sight.Period. For a FA, a PG rear sight, or for a S&W, a stock screw adjustable unit (although they're not as rugged as I like). Elliason only on a Colt.
I prefer a black rear blade but can live with a white outline. I've tried aperture sights on handguns, and brass, white, and fiber optic green and red pipes, but none have given me the precision I want as well as the above set-ups.

Stainless Blackhawks have front sights that are pinned it. You just knock out the pin and replace your old blade with a new one. Some blades have to have a hole drilled in the blade for a correct fit.

I've always like the express style set up. So when I had my Redhawk customized, Jack Huntington recommended a Freedom Arms front sight base on my gun. I like this set up a lot!

on my open sighted 44's or any open sighted handgun ,i prefer, a plain black blade on the rear, and on the front sight ive a millett florescent orange front sight, this set up i can really focus on the target plus the front sight

I prefer a Bowen white outline rear with a .100" front post blade and a vertical white or gold line in the center of the blade. In certain light conditions, the black blade will disappear on a deer to me but with the white line in the center of the blade, it stands out like a beacon.

GS

For open sights I like the fiber optics. The green seems to be the color that shows up the best at dust and dawn

+1

I like green fiber optics, green dots and green lasers. Green is mean.

Might be the Irish in me but If I have a coice it's green as well followed my red

Since I posted my comments on here the first time, I have installed the Marble GREEN Fiber Optic front sight on both of my Super Red Hawks. As I would have guessed they show up very well. They are a snap to install on a Super Red Hawk. Push the retainer button in, take the factory sight out of the slot, and install the new one, and release the button. It should change back just as easy.

I like the Bowen rear sight very much. I do not like fiber optic sights or color inserts or white outline sights. I much prefer black sights

I use either an ORH (I got some before they quit shipping) or I open the factory rear up to the outside edge of the 'white outline' grove.

This is what I like...