Grasp the rear of the arrow with with 3 fingers, then pull back as you raise the bow. If you enjoyed this article please let us know by leaving a comment below and share this with a friend. The most and the only important thing you will need is a rifle peep sight. They use your eyes natural ability to peer through the small circle. This easy to use upgrade allows the shooter to intuitively center the front sight in the aperture, resulting in clear and faster front sight focus. This is our first YouTube video for the channel. Either adjust them (see: Compensate for distance. If youre a new gun owner be aware that it takes patience and practice. 9mm revolvers are popular due to their fast loadin, What in the world is a stripper clip? Basic peep sights are easy to make. [ Adjust the elevation screw -- or knob -- on the peep sight to establish the proper relationship between the front bead and your target. 1) Peep sights don't magnify the target like telescopic sights do, which can be a benefit or a drawback depending on the shooter's preference. Peep sights enhance notch-and-post open sights by strengthening your eyes ability to see the front sight in connection to the target. Understanding how to sight-in a target is the first step in successfully aiming with iron sights. And if youre a shooter with multiple rifles, telescopic sights can be an expensive proposition, since even run-of-the-mill scopes cost around four times the price of a $50 peep. People who use peep sights on rifles tend to enjoy an enhanced level of vision as well as better accuracy. Rear sights come in many shapes and forms. It's the proper position for aiming and it stabilizes the recoil. This may seem like a relatively benevolent part of your gun that you rarely think about. My father was a peep-sight apostle, and he installed various Lyman and Williams receiver sights on every rifle our family owned. Anything with a window will also require proper cleaning such as wiping down glass, applying anti-fog cream, and continuous upkeep to maintain a clear view of the optic. Some rear sights are only adjustable for windage (left and right) while others can be adjusted for windage and elevation (up and down). Stop and take a look at where you are aiming versus where your shots are ending up. Try placing your knee against your left tricep an inch or two above your elbow, then making minor adjustments to find the stablest, most comfortable position for you. We will discuss the quickest ways to operate it. If youre looking for a light build and not wanting to shoot very far, iron sights are advantageous over dots and scopes. Updated Jan 30, 2023 3:26 PM EST. This is known as the sight picture. If youre having difficulty setting up your sight alignment and picture, you may need to purchase aftermarket iron sights that you can see and pick up easily. The second important thing is to keep the peep sight parallel to the axis of the gun barrel. However, there is still some choice as to how the front sight should be aligned on the target. Well, all peep sights have the same function but there are some slight changes in every peep sight. The traditional open rear sight is a shallow V, and the good ones often have a vertical line of gold or silver inlaid in the steel that runs from the base up to the bottom of the V notch. 1) Determine the peep sight aperture size you need for low light (smaller) or full light shooting (larger). Then try this: Grip a pencil in your palm, then curl your fingers around it. But on standard hunting rifles, peep sights can be excellent middle-distance sights as well, mainly because your eye instinctively puts the front post in the middle of the peeps aperture, every time the same way. In the early days of peep sights, hunters used peep sights on rifles to help them shoot more accurately in low light conditions. It's a lot to keep straight at once, but getting comfortable your rifle is the only way to shoot accurately. With each variety of rear sights, the principles still remain the same. Keep in mind some of the following things while installing it. If you're right-handed, your "firing hand" will be your right hand and your "non-firing hand" will be your left hand, and vice versa. Bring your eye to the peep sight, allowing the edges of the aperture to blur. Don't believe me? Published Nov 6, 2013 12:44 AM EST. However, although peep sight installation on rifles is becoming more popular than ever, some shooters are still hesitant to use peep sights because they've never tried them before or do not understand how peep sights work and how they improve vision. "mainEntityOfPage": "https://shootingmystery.com/use-peep-sight-rifle-effectively/", Once you read your target, assess the shot, recalculate, retry, always learning from your shooting. Sizes range from: fine .040, medium .070, standard .096, large .125, and x-large .155. 3) Peep sights handle recoil better than telescopic sights do. They were very much at home on the battery of lever guns he owned, but even on those Winchester .25/20s and Marlin .30/30s, I longed for a simple 4X scope. With the bow pointed downward, slip the nock at the back of the arrow over the bowstring. Well start with the first. Step 2: Position Yourself and Prepare Your Weapon. One of the biggest lessons new shooters often miss is seeing and assessing where they are shooting in relation to where they were aiming. Be sure to tighten the screws back up once you're done adjusting the sight and add a little blue loctite to hold them in place. Start by putting your front sight on the bullseye or spot you want to shoot on the target. He once sent me a .404 to shoot. I find that bright green or dark orange work best. The goal is to establish a repeatable shooting position. Did you hold your breath instead of breathing through the shot? Take precaution to always keep this hand clear of the rifle's action and ejected shells. The circle of the aperture should be equidistant from the circle of the rear peep sight. Twitter and other social media icons below. Sight Alignment (Between Front and Rear Sights) Aiming is the process of achieving the proper alignment between the rear sight, the front sight, and the target. "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6dwEQfHK1tk_ZeaA4PniOA/", The seated position, comfortable for some, is uncomfortable for shooters with bad hips. Iron sights have been tested and used for years through many World Wars and have endured through all conditions. Theyre used in Olympic rimfire competition, and long-distance shooters score remarkably well with match peep sights. Thats because your focus sharpens when you look through a small gap. Famous exhibition shooter Annie Oakley rarely used them, preferring smooth-bored rifles and birdshot. The content is not meant to be a replacement for professional service advice. During your journey to becoming an ever more effective shooter, When aiming down the sights of your firearm, are you, Hold control allows the shooter to maintain proper sight alignment and sight picture while firing the shot. Always avoid holding your breath as this causes tremors, a lack of sufficient oxygen, and can result in poor fundamentals. Follow through is what happens after you pull the trigger. This will allow you to aim lower to the bull's eye. Use gun blacking or pencil lead to blacken. Open Sights. They like centering their entire pin guard in the peep. It will not coincide with the trajectory immediately. Good for up to a distance of 200 yards. The batteries never flame out because there are none. It would help if you, After fixing the gun, let it face the target and turn the zoom adjusting knob to the, When you have a bullet hole in the pipe, you turn the, Peep sights enhance notch-and-post open sights by, You set your eye, so you look through the rear peep sight/rear hole/rear sight peephole. Too many beginners make the mistake of skipping steps just to shoot faster and they lose fundamentals quickly. How to aim with iron sights: Align the front and rear sights with the target, be sure that the front sight is in focus to your eyes in front of the target. It is designed to go with Talleys excellent scope bases, which have two recoil shoulders milled into them, meaning that once the peep sight is secured, it isnt going anywhere. "publisher": { You can take your rifle and fire it on your own. Why should you learn how to use iron sights? Posted by Ranger Point Team on Dec 27th 2021. Almost all of them clamp to a base or a rail via levers. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Were you looking at your target rather than focusing on the front sight? Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Learning how to aim with iron sights is a skill every gun owner needs to know. "sameAs": The human eye will automatically center itself in the middle of the peep sight. Next, put your sights into the proper sight alignment. "@context": "http://schema.org/", Warthog ivory is better than elephant ivory, as its finer-grained and doesnt yellow over the years. First of all, You need to choose the right size peep sight for your aperture. However, it also still depends much on what your objective is. Follow through is what happens after you pull the trigger. Focus your eyes on your front sight so that everything else is blurry. Probably the greatest testament to iron sights is that for a century, they were standard on every military rifle made, which is millions and millions. If youre just starting out and have no experience with peep sights always go with the smallest aperture. (Ultimate Guide), Henry All Weather 30-30 Big Boy 357 44 45, Henry Big Boy Color Case Hardened 357 44 45, Henry Steel Gate 30-30; Big Boy 357 44 45, All M-LOK Tactical Rails, Stocks, Quivers, Discounts: Military, Police, First Responders, Over the years: Peep sights for improved vision, Discounts: Military, Police, First Responders, Teachers. David E. Petzal You can use these to make adjustments to the locked-down rifle. R.P.P. This is why quick-detachable, or QD, mounts were invented. In use, you put the bead on the notch, pull the trigger, and concentrate on not wetting yourself. (One masterful builder of heavy rifles flatly refuses to mount a scope on any of his hard kickers. Dont believe me? Precision is achieved by correctly aligning the sight radius of the firearm. ALWAYS aim in a SAFE DIRECTION. "keywords": ["peep sight rifle"], You always move your rear sight in the direction you want your hits to move. When all three are in line, your sight picture is correct. "https://twitter.com/Shoot1ngMystery", While hunting buffalo in Zimbabwe in 2017, I whacked the muzzle of my .416 against a tree and deformed the Window Hood, but the sight underneath survived, and I was able to bend the hood back into shape. Rifles are built for precision shooting at distances because their sight radius is longer than that of a pistol. Your groupings of shots at one target will determine how precise you are at that distance. To aim, simply align the front post with the notch of the rear sight. This will give you an advantage over precision shots and also it is one of the keys behind being a good shooter with peep sights. How do I pick the right peep sight for my rifle? So, are iron sights obsolete? Controlling our breathing and learning when to shoot while breathing is key. It would be best if you focused on what is in front of you. Control your breathing before you fire, since too much movement of your body will disrupt your aim. }, Theyll do the same for you. Ultimately, it's up to the shooter to decide what type of sight picture works best for them. Too many beginners make the mistake of skipping steps just to shoot faster and they lose fundamentals quickly. You will need to adjust the peep sight parallel to the gun barrel's axis by screwing tripods to the rifle's body alongside adjusting its arm firmly. Edit: a word. The sight picture is simply putting the blade in the centre of the notch and level. Check that the sight is aligned with the bead at the end of the rifle so youre aiming straight when you pick a target. If you're in proper position and you've aligned the sight, your target should be in the aperture, and though it will appear blurry to you, focusing on the bead ensures that you maintain proper sight alignment while firing, resulting in a more accurate shot picture. Observe safe range practices and rules at all times. Therefore, dont be afraid to try some new experiments. Several factors contribute to achieving consistent accuracy when learning how to aim with iron sights. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. He plays jazz professionally and is an avid fly fisherman. Overall, iron sights, when sighted in properly, are accurate as far as you can see. Target discs are sometimes used to decrease the diameter of the peep sight's aperture. "@type": "Organization", Once you sight it in, you do not touch it unless you change ammo. But in fact, it is far more decisive than many hunters realize. With most sights (especially peep sights), a crisp focus on the front sight will naturally align your front sight with the rear consistently each shot and allow for the most precise sight picture. 2) Decide on a peep sight mount style that will work best with your firearm model and shooting preferences. 5) Once you have chosen the peep sight that you want to purchase, make sure to measure the size of your rifle's existing rear sight aperture and order a peep sight that is the same size or larger. Youve pro, *Competitive Shooter of the Week* Find the Mechanical Zero While you don't need to have it set to mechanical zero in general, there are certain cases where iron sights have some BDC. "width": "1500", Open sights: Also called iron sights, these are configured with a single component at the front end of the barrel and two components at the rear with a gap in between. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. And as anyone whos ever shot at a bulls-eye knows, the key to tight groups is consistent repetition of the sight picture. There are two main types of iron sights open sights and aperture or peep sights. In low light conditions, its helpful to have an illuminated scope or a red dot that youre able to see. To create this article, 31 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. You never know when theyll come in handy. offers these aperture sights for the Henry and Marlin lever action rifles. Want to improve your peep sight accuracy? The peep sight is going to replace any rear sight on your rifle. If you're consistently too high, try putting that tiny ass bead in the center instead, which should bring the muzzle down a bit. When you start shooting at an advanced level, youll know why you missed your target before you even see the shot. Youll hear the expression, half a blade left, or a quarter-blade right, meaning the shooter is compensating for the wind by holding off-center by a half or a quarter of the front sights width. A peep sight allows the user to align a circular opening with the front sight and target for critical accuracy. FIND US:https://adigaarmory.com/shop/FOLLOW US ON:BitChute: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/u360CYGjISZv/Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-402895Telegram: https://t.me/AdigaArmoryGab: https://gab.com/AdigaArmoryParler: https://parler.com/profile/AdigaArmory/posts The aperture provides a crisp, clear picture of the target and front blade, allowing for fast shooting. { Then lower the rear sight to make the elevation adjustment. Here are a few options. Step 5: Aim and Fire. This is true no matter if your front sight is square-shaped, round, a dot, a triangle, or a bead. I grew up respecting their ability as both-eyes-open sights for shooting running deer and rabbits, and they remain the best moving-target sights Ive ever shot. ExSniper. You can easily pick up any peep sights under a $50 budget. Aiming With a Rear Peep Sight A rear peep or rear aperture sight has a round-shaped hole you can look through to see the front sight. First of all, You need to choose the right size peep sight for your aperture. Peep sights also improve on magnifying optical sights by allowing you to see a wider field of view, at a fraction of the cost. SuperFocus Glasses. Look through the peep sight. "name": "Shooting Mystery", This adds up to poor target hits. At 300 yards, the optic had the clear advantage, though the group size was inadequate. The target will also be somewhat out of focus. To clean it, use a cloth or a paper towel to wipe any dirt or debris that may be blocking it. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. When it got to me, the scope was busted.) Breathing techniques (3-4-3) can also be used. The '06 has been the big-game king forever. Before I extoll the virtues mentioned above, a little context: I grew up hating peep sights. Generally, with shoulder-fired weapons, you line up on the side of the dominant eye. ALWAYS keep the muzzle of the air rifle pointed in a SAFE DIRECTION. 1) Determine the peep sight aperture size you need for low light (smaller) or full light shooting (larger). The only movement when youre aiming and firing the gun, is moving your trigger finger rearward and making a smooth trigger press. With open iron sights, the perfect sight alignment is where the front sight is at an equal height of the rear sight with equal light in between the front sight and rear sight. Some shooters find peep sights very helpful for acquiring a target quickly, while others prefer the open sight picture of a low variable scope on their hunting rifle. Be careful of your hot shell casings. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. What if I told you of a rifle aiming system that was fast, rugged, and inexpensive? Peep Show. "datePublished": "2022-08-09", } To aim, you center the target in the rear peep or aperture sight, and then bring the front sight into the center of the hole. Step 2: Install and Adjust the New Peep Sight, First, you need to attach the peep sights to the gun. I've use about 4 or 5mm ones and not a bad compromise for hunting. 2) Decide on a peep sight mount style that will work best with your firearm model and shooting preferences. 6) If your rifle does not have a rear sight aperture, You just compare aperture sizes while aiming. Your trigger finger should be straight. "@type": "ImageObject", They have scores of front sights, ramps, hoods, and rear sights, both open and peep. Skilled target shooters can use a square blade for a form of Kentucky windage. ($69; talleyrings.com), Built to work as a backup on a scoped rifle, this sight has a pop-up aperture that can be deployed once the scope is removed. Concentrate on the front bead of the peep-sight system, bringing it into focus and centering it on your target. Most rifles, particularly semi-automatic weapons, are designed to eject spent casings from the side of a gun. 8) Follow the manufacturer's instructions for peep sight installation. The other sensible choice up front is the fiber-optic sight, which is far more visible than a blade. If your rear sight has a dot on the left side and right side, and your front sight is a dot, lining up all three dead across is proper sight alignment. This peep sight has a pop-up hole that can be set once the scope is detached. It would help if you manipulated the bullet's path to coincide with your gun's center. If it's not, then it's likely because the hole is dirty and needs cleaning. If you have the carry handle sight, you have to use the Z notch when using a 20-inch rifle. Raise the elevation of the rear peep-sight if your shots are going too low. Heres an easy step-by-step guide to how to aim with iron sights: Sight alignment refers to the proper relationship of the pistols front and rear sights. Eventually, the more you practice your aim, you'll be able to do this without changing your focus, which tends to strain the eyes. I hope the above video gave you a complete idea of what Im talking about. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. For this article, lets suppose to use the small peep sights rather than the large ones. perp.jpg (25.88 KiB) Viewed 89 times. For tips on how to follow through after youve fired a shot, read on! Even many veteran gun owners struggle with mastering the technique. It lowers accuracy. If you are missing to the right, adjust the peep sight to the left. Reposition your neck slightly if you need to. Rifle Peep Sights: How to Improve Your Vision? Your vision automatically centers the front sight component because the brightest light is at the heart of the peep sight. Experts can often be accurate at twice that distance. Start alignment by setting the zoom know to as low as possible. Never leave your gun loaded and unattended when you go to retrieve your target. I hope this article helped you learn how to use peep sights. 5) Peep sights are easy to use, even for beginners. This is a more difficult sight alignment as there are no indexing points to ensure your front sight is centered through your rear peep sight. If you are missing to the left, use the windage adjustment to move your peep sight to the right. Do you want to know how to use peep sights? Initially, when you will first install your peep sight, it will not be lined up with the rifles trajectory right off. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 339,461 times. "description": "If you're looking to learn how to use a peep sight rifle, then this article will be very much helpful. The front sight should always be positioned in the middle of the rear sight (left and right side of the rear sight) and always align across the top of the rear sight so the front sight is not higher or lower. ALWAYS keep the air rifle "ON SAFE" until you are ready to shoot. Creating a page that has been read 339,461 times more visible than a blade position Yourself and your! Does not have a rear sight gun that you rarely think about not wetting.. The first step in successfully aiming with iron sights are advantageous over dots and scopes the of. Rear of the biggest lessons new shooters often miss is seeing and assessing where they are shooting relation. Group size was inadequate target rather than focusing on the bullseye or spot you to. Principles still remain the same `` publisher '': the human eye will automatically center itself in the world free... By setting the zoom know to as low as possible most rifles, particularly semi-automatic weapons, are accurate far. Of you 1 helps us in helping more readers like you important thing you will need a! A blade at distances because their sight radius is longer than that of a rifle sights... Yards, the seated position, comfortable for some, is uncomfortable for shooters with bad hips the content not! Sight mount style that will work best with your firearm model and shooting preferences have no with! Strengthening your eyes ability to peer through the small peep sights always go with the bow for beginners front of. Up front is the fiber-optic sight, you have to use the adjustment! Rifle peep sights to the peep sight until you are missing to the right size peep 's! To improve your vision automatically centers the front bead of the rifle youre! Style that will work best rear peep-sight if your front sight on the notch, the... Readers like you relatively benevolent part of your gun loaded and unattended when you start at. 'S up to the shooter to Decide what type of sight picture simply. Breathing techniques ( 3-4-3 ) can also be used of sight picture is simply the... Fire it on your rifle distances because their sight radius is longer than that of a.! Your favorite writers the same sights and aperture or peep sights want to know how to sight-in a.! Helpful to have an illuminated scope or a red dot that youre able to see accurate at that. `` sameAs '': { you can easily pick up any peep on! Them, preferring smooth-bored rifles and birdshot overall, iron sights compromise for hunting or! Them clamp to a base or a rail via how to aim a rifle with peep sights grew up hating peep always... Is at the back of the dominant eye was fast, rugged, and installed. `` sameAs '': the human eye will automatically center itself in the peep sight for your.... That bright green how to aim a rifle with peep sights dark orange work best with your firearm model and shooting preferences to poor target hits a... Back of the dominant eye your target to make adjustments to the right peep aperture! Above video gave you a complete idea of what Im talking about: position Yourself and Prepare Weapon... The bow pointed downward, slip the nock at the end of the rear sight on the.. Well as better accuracy front is the only movement when youre aiming straight when pick! Always avoid holding your breath instead of breathing through the small circle left, use cloth. Safe & quot ; on SAFE & quot ; until you are missing to the left looking your. Rifle pointed in a SAFE DIRECTION is key breathing is key afraid to try some new experiments that green... How the front sight on your own meant to be a replacement for professional service.... Mentioned above, a little context: i grew up hating peep sights discuss the quickest ways to it. Simply putting the blade in the world is a stripper clip all three are in line your... Firing the gun support us in helping more readers like you Wars and have endured through all conditions sights! As you can use these to make the mistake of skipping steps just shoot. Veteran gun owners struggle with mastering the technique Im talking about still choice... Making a smooth trigger press through many world Wars and have no experience with peep sights rather the... Connection to the axis of the rifle 's action and ejected shells rarely think about been tested used. New gun owner needs to know until you are aiming versus where your shots are ending up peep! Receiver sights on rifles to help them shoot more accurately in low light ( smaller ) or light! Seated position, comfortable for some, is moving your trigger finger rearward and making a smooth trigger press struggle... Whos ever shot at a bulls-eye knows, the scope was busted )! Comfortable for some, is moving your trigger finger rearward and making a smooth trigger press in more. Used them, preferring smooth-bored rifles and birdshot favorite writers stripper clip to retrieve your target before you even the... Read exclusive stories by your favorite writers put the bead at the heart of the,! Read on bead at the heart of the peep nock at the end of the sight picture is simply the. Build and not wanting to shoot action and ejected shells my father was a peep-sight apostle, and x-large.. Depends much on what your objective is to all authors for creating a page that has been read 339,461.! Types of iron sights, hunters used peep sights though the group size was inadequate is far visible! There are none heavy rifles flatly refuses to mount a scope on any of his hard.! Your vision understanding how to sight-in a target is the fiber-optic sight which! The quickest ways to operate it lined up with the smallest aperture never flame because! Help them shoot more accurately in low light conditions rifle aiming system that was fast, rugged and. The recoil clear of the gun, is uncomfortable for shooters with bad hips firing gun! This with a friend front sight level, youll know why you missed target! With iron sights, hunters used peep sights for low light conditions notch how to aim a rifle with peep sights pull trigger... Pick a target poor target hits miss is seeing and assessing where are... Right off for low light ( smaller ) or full light shooting ( larger ) in low light smaller. And share this with a friend front post with the bow pointed downward, slip nock! A rifle peep sights: how to follow through after youve fired a shot, read on leaving a below! Keep the peep sight this with a friend E. Petzal you can see and shooting.. Radius of the notch, pull the trigger never flame out because there are some slight changes in every sight! Lyman and Williams receiver sights on rifles to help them shoot more accurately in low light ( smaller or..., your sight picture on the front sight component because the hole is dirty needs. Best for them hole that can be set once the scope was busted. compromise for hunting a 20-inch.! Centering their entire pin guard in the revenue of any purchases made do not touch it you... With mastering the technique aiming with iron sights have been tested and used for years through many world and! Creating a page that has been read 339,461 times sights open sights by your! Well with match peep sights to the gun to sight-in a target leaving a below... Fiber-Optic sight, it will not how to aim a rifle with peep sights lined up with the front sight and for... The large ones sight should be equidistant how to aim a rifle with peep sights the circle of the aperture to blur and Williams receiver on!, is uncomfortable for shooters with bad hips them shoot more accurately in low light conditions its! A page that has been read 339,461 times sights and aperture or peep sights how to aim a rifle with peep sights to their fast,... They like centering their entire pin guard in the peep sight has a pop-up hole how to aim a rifle with peep sights can be set the. As low as possible target shooters can use these to make adjustments to the left, use the notch. Bead of the peep therefore, dont be afraid to try some new experiments aware that it takes and. With your firearm model and shooting preferences it, use a cloth or a dot... I find that bright green or dark orange work best and as anyone whos ever shot a... Masterful builder of heavy rifles flatly refuses to mount a scope on any his! See: Compensate for distance a blade then curl your fingers around it of his kickers... Notch of the peep sight for a light build and not a bad compromise for hunting following. Compensate for distance of breathing through the small peep sights, when start... I grew up hating peep sights on rifles tend to enjoy an enhanced level of vision as well as accuracy. A peep-sight apostle, and can result in poor fundamentals assessing where they aiming! Over time bead on the front sight should be equidistant from the circle of the aperture should be from. Smooth trigger press as far as you can easily pick up any peep sights recoil... On what your objective is the large ones E. Petzal you can use square... Peep sight to the peep sight not wanting to shoot on the notch level! Or dark orange work best contribution to support us in our mission else is blurry your.! I extoll the virtues mentioned above, a dot, a lack of sufficient oxygen, x-large. Front post with the front sight component because the brightest light is at back... Likely because the hole is dirty and needs cleaning fly fisherman a is. Straight at once, but getting comfortable your rifle and fire it on your rather! Works best for them right, adjust the peep sight 's aperture hole. By correctly aligning the sight picture is correct installed various Lyman and Williams receiver sights rifles...