Peep sights.

LAST EDITED ON Oct-27-18 AT 10:11PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Oct-27-18 AT 10:11?PM (MST)

I recently purchased a Williams peep, a Lyman globe, and a Lee Shaver insert.

I have never shot a peep sights before. My results were horrible.

What is the proper technique for accuracy?

I was shooting a 385 gr Hornady great plains with 77.7 gr (by weight, so ~100 gr by volume) of T7 out of a knight bighorn. I couldn't get consistent enough to even put multiple hits on an 18 inch cardboard at 50 yards. Feels like it has to be me. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

First get rid of the T7 and go to blackhorn 209 would be my recommendation. My Knight wouldn't hit the broad side of a barn with the pellets, but is a tack driver with BH209.

Better clarify. Broad side of a barn mean't a 6" group with T-7 vs a minus 2" group with 209 at 100 yards

I can't go with BH209. It has to be NW legal.

Try Black Powder then. I have a 1 in 28 twist gun that for some reason will not shoot substitutes with any consistency, but is accurate using BP. I've seen other guns that shoot the substitutes just fine and a lot of times it is just trial and error to find the right combination. Good Luck.

LAST EDITED ON Oct-29-18 AT 10:18AM (MST)[p]What type of sight were you using before you tried a peep? Was it a scope? Have you shot good groups with that load and your previous sight system?

I use a Skinner receiver sight and can shoot 3" groups at 100 yards easily.

A couple suggestions:

Reduce the powder charge to 70 grains volume and work up in 5 grain increments.

Get some 50 or 54 caliber wool wads and try those between the powder and bullet. Yes 54 caliber might be a smidge big but they will seal up the bore and protect the base of your bullet from the burning powder.

Order some No Excuses or Bullshop cast bullets to try.

I have good results with a peep sight.

What made me go from 4-5" to 2-3" at 100 yards is using the 6 O'clock hold. You basically center the front sight bead in the peep, but instead of covering the bullseye with the bead, you place the bull on top of the front bead. Much more consistent hold with that way of doing it.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

My "smoke pole" is a Lyman Great Plains rifle with a Lyman peep site. I shoot 90 grains of blackpowder with a 50 caliber patch and round ball. At 75 yards I can put them in a 4" circle.

"Put the pumpkin on the fence post". As TXHunter stated, put your front site @ 6:00 of your target and you will see better results.

I have been using that exact set up for over a dozen years with great luck.

First I would ask is your load accurate with other sights or a scope?
Did you install the sights then try to find a load at the same time?
At 50 yards are the sights too high and are you under the target?

I installed a couple sets of these on my MK85's.



The front sight is super tall after the install.



I had to measure the extra height I gained and raise the rear sight with a shim. The shim can be seen under the rear peep.



Because the rear sight is raised I had to add a cheek piece to the stock to get a good hold.
The lee shavers pins are so tiny that you do not need to worry about a 6 o"clock hold. You can hold right on the spot you want to hit.
If your in load development, plus sight install I can see where you are having trouble.

The system works well. In this picture my son is shooting 250 yards with the MK85.



Here is a link to a video I did on the install of these sights.

https://youtu.be/QmMHrICv6Ew

Idaho Ron, is your set up (open sights) good for hunting purposes? I hunt in colorado every September during the M.L. season and I am thinking about switching to your recipe for open sights. My question to you is this: would your sight set up work for me while hunting elk in colorado? Cow Tag from southern Illinois.

Update. Thanks for the tips. I identified the issue being the Great Plains Conicals and not my peep sights setup. My gun went from not being consistent enought to hit the paper at 50 years to a a 4" group at 200y when I switched to over to pure lead powerbelts. It's crazy how much my ML hated the Great plains.

You question "is your set up (open sights) good for hunting purposes?" is easy to answer. Yes they are. Over the last 12 years I have been hunting mostly with muzzleloaders. Now most of the game my son and I have killed with them were with our Hawkens and Renegades. But the sights are the same as my inlines.






In real low light the front sight can be hard to see. But in my experience in low light I center the spot I want to hit in the globe sight, and peep sight. I would say I guess I shoot more instinctive in low light but I am also talking very close range.
Where these sights really shine is in good light. You can use your range finder and get the range. Set the sight for the shot and hold dead on. No hold over, no hold under. DEAD ON.
I like the Lee Shavers medium pin insert. My son like the more traditional cross hair. I like mine with a little white paint on it, he doesn't.
We have killed a PILE of Deer, Antelope, and a few elk.
Are peep sights perfect? No they are not, but in my opinion they are 1000 times better than a regular iron sight. I set my sights for 100 yards when I am hunting. If the shot is under that and it is a quick shot I do hold low and get it done. In my experience if the shot is over 100 yards I am able to get a range and set my sight.
Lets say for instance I was antelope hunting. I shot my antelope at 89 yards but because of the angle of the shot He was kneeling down facing me at the water hole. The buck went down but got right back up. My bullet hit the spine and deflected down the back not going into the lungs. I quickly reloaded and set the sight for 150. When the buck got to 150 yards, I used a cow elk call and he stopped for just a moment. The next one was centered through the neck.




I never take a first shot at an animal past 150 yards. But I am sighted in out to 300 if something happens and I have to clean up a mess. So far I haven't had to shoot past 150 yards with my bullets.

Your next question is "would your sight set up work for me while hunting elk in colorado?"
Well that one is a little harder to say since I have never hunted there. But I have hunted deer, elk, and antelope a lot. I have been in a lot of Idaho's mountains. My sights have never let me down. Here are a few of the animals we have killed using adjustable peep sights and Lee Shavers inserts.

Idaho Ron, thank you for the well written answer to my question. I plan on purchasing exactly what you have on your rifles. I will P.M. you with information of my order to make certain I have it correct. Appreciate you sharing your M.L. experience. Cow Tag

What gun are you putting the sights on?

I purchased two new CVA Accura V2 M.L. rifles during 2017 and 2018. One with a 30" barrel that I use for whitetails in Illinois and the other has open factory sights. I use this one for Colorado (cow elk). My Colorado rifle is the one that I plan on implementing your sights on very soon. I use the Federal BOR bullet (270 grain) for Colorado with BH 209 and a Fed. 209-A primer. Thank you for your pin point opinion.

For these front sights to work you will probably need to shim the back sight up. I have a video on how I did mine.

https://youtu.be/QmMHrICv6Ew