On this forum, it seems everyone here runs either a scope, red dot, or open sights on their rigs, myself included. However, I saw on another website where some guys were using peep sights on their muzzleloaders, and I got to wondering, have any of you ever used a peep sight on your hunting handguns?

I've made & sold them for years for both S&W's & Rugers so I have them on some of my guns. I mostly use them when shooting at the range or when shooting rabbits with a gold bead front sight. I also make & sell fiber optic front sights for both guns. Fiber optics aren't the best for target work but they are good for USPSA, everyone uses them, & they work great for hunting, especially in low light conditions.

Dick

sixshot,can you show us what you make?

I had them on a T/C Encore Katahdin with the fiber optic front sight. They were very accurate with good lighting, but I had to pass on a few deer at dawn and dusk, even though I could still see the deer, when I raised the sights, they got lost in the peep sight. I even removed the peep aperture and used the housing like a ghost ring sight, but it still didn't work in low light.

I now use open sights with fiber optic front sight, and a six o'clock hold, so I can see the deer without obstruction.

Yes I have a "One Ragged Hole" peep on my GP100 with a fiber optic front which I like a lot. With a center/center hold the front covers up a lot but is fine for deer size targets at typical iron sight distances and it real quick to get on target. I'd like to find a smaller brass bead front for this gun but Ruger quit making them.

Rod,

I'm not at home right now, but when I return I'll check on a brass bead front sight for you - I think I have one. If I do, I'll send it your way; if I don't, you're out of luck. 😜

Well that would be most generous of you, Kim. Hoping I'm not out of luck

Just put a ghost ring(?) rear sight on my Ruger Single Six .32 mag. It is a gun I carry when Rabbit hunting with the beagles for incidentals (coyote, fox, rabbit, squirrel.....)

After shooting targets with it, I think i'm really going to like this rear sight!!!

Redhawk, I'll have to do some looking, I'm just getting switched over from Photo Bucket & I don't know if I've got any of those photo's down loaded. Are you talking about the rear sights or front sights. I have both sizes in the rear sights, 7/32" & the bigger 9'32". The fiber optic sights are for the pinned guns, both Ruger & S&W.

Dick

yes one ragged hole and love em. have them on my 44 sbh with fiber op front and my single six. then i'm not a big fan of glass, it throws the balance off. i was taught to shoot by a former USMC rifle instructor, using a M1 carbine with aperture sights. Thanks Dad. so i have had a love affair with peep sights for a long time. when i found the one ragged hole sight some 5-10 years ago i ordered one the next day, got it, put it on, and never looked back. I know that i'm a bore yet i can't help but adding, you look through the hole in the peep sight with out seeing the sight. your eye will center the picture all by its lonesome without any work on your part. so; having fiber op, bright colors, or dancing girls on a aperture sight is a hindrance.

Dick, I have a Ruger Redhawk with a 5.5 inch barrel that I have shot several deer with using open sights. A couple of years ago I switched to a red dot because of aging eyes but my eyes do not focus on the dot very well. The dot looks more like a "c" instead of a round dot. I was trying to use the red dot to take my shots out to 75 or 100 yards but with the lack of focus on the dot it did not work for me. I now have a 30 30 contender with a scope for the longer shots that I am shooting pretty well and have placed my iron sights back on my Redhawk and plan to use it on those surprise sudden close shots and was wondering if a peep sight would be quicker to get on target at close range. I am talking 30 yards and in. What do you think? Bluecow, do you think a ragged hole sight would work for me for those close shots and if so where do I find one?

Dick do the rear peep sights adjust for elevation and windage?

The rear peep just replaces the current rear blade in your sight base so the same adjustments apply as would your current sight.

The guy who made the "One Ragged Hole" blades went out of business, but Dick has basically the same thing.

The whole point of a peep sight is that it is close to the eye and disappears. All one has to do is "peep" through it and focus on the front sight. This only applies to rifles. On handguns, it's a gimmick. If one wants more visible sights, an express sight would work better and obstruct less of the target area. Neither is going to be well suited to fine accuracy.

This is the one that I have.

http://billllsidlemind.blogspot.com/2015/09/ghost-ring-sights.html

Wrong, Craig. You should try it before you trash it.

Who says I didn't? Not wrong, think about it. The whole point of the peep is that it is close to your eye so it disappears while you focus on the front sight. Your eye automatically centers itself in the aperture. Not to mention that it greatly extends your sight radius. On a handgun, it has none of those advantages, period, undeniable fact. Same for barrel mounting on a rifle. You still have to consciously center the front sight in the aperture. So all you're really doing is putting a top on your rear sight. Looking through and centering your front sight in a doughnut instead of a notch. All you're really doing is giving up precision and obscuring the target area.

Which is quicker and more consistant for me. It works.

Sure never heard of them referred to as a "gimmick" Of course they work on handguns & lots of people use them. I've sold hundreds of them in both sizes. I would say that the Express sight can be a bit faster but you can't focus on it as easy as you can with a peep and there's your "fact", at least not with older eyes & that's what we're talking about here.
I use to make some Express sights but they didn't sell well at all.

Dick

Redhawk, forgot to say, I have the same problem with the Red Dots, use to have a Leupold/Gilmore on my competition S&W 10 shot rimfire gun for indoor matches. It worked great for a few years but as my eyes changed the dot looked like it had little fingers coming off of it. Couldn't use it anymore, was faster just using iron sights.

Dick

At first I thought something was wrong with my red dot but I finally decided it was my eyes.

I too thought that the sight was to blame at first, but then realized that all my red dots looked more like red blots.

I found that the red dots I use look like smears until I turn the brightness down to a low level but very functional leve and then they look like dots again. I have never touched an ultradot, but many of the cheap models/brands I've looked at are still way to bright at their lowest setting to resolve into a clear dot for me.

My only peep sight experience was with a buddy trying to use a M1 garand for deer hunting in the thick brush of a creek bottom. He managed to get two snap shots off at a deer at 20 yards, but it was more like shot gunning as he couldn't see the deer in the sights. Dusk, dawn and general low light limitations would make it a non-starter for me.

Karl, I agree, not much you can do about bad light conditions with any iron sights. It's either a Dot sight or a scope under those conditions.

Dick

REDHAWK yes i think it would. sorry Craig i dont have to center my front sight it does that with out ant effort on my part then i started shooting in 66, been playing with em for a long time, so maybe i am and dont even know. had a Dr. tell me that vit. C would did not help me from getting sick in the winter, it was all in my head. i looked at the Dr. and told him all in my head or not it seems to work for me. it might be a gimmick but it works for me.

I have two of Dicks peeps and the larger version works the best for me. More light larger view.They have worked wonders for my old eyes.