I've been happy with Warren custom one hole sights on my ruger pistols. I also have scopes on some of my .22 rifles, skinner peep sight, and irons. Gotta try it all and see what you like best. It'll vary based on what gun it's going on and what you're using it for to give the best recommendations.

 

no peep's for me! its scopes or red dots for my older eyes.

 

Scopes 100%.

 

Scopes is the most obvious answer, and there ain‘t nothing wrong with that. A clear sight picture through glass is priceless. I also have a couple of CZ 457s with irons, and the sight radius and size of the front sight post in each are perfect for my own aging eyes (i.e., past middle age). If not that, the aperture in a peep sight do a fantastic job of focusing the aiming eye. The problem with peep sights is the additional cost to the overall system and the work required to mount - some can require quite the effort. i guess you could say the same about a scope, but they seem a different hassle to me. Different strokes, I guess.

My recommendation - start out with scopes. Pick a magnification level commensurate with your activity. Have fun with that. If you get the itch to shoot irons, check out a rifle with stock irons at you LGS. I swear by those CZs.

 

fmieater, what gun you in question of? I have a Rem 33 single shot 22 and it wears a Burris Fastire III red dot. It is perfect for a 22 and with the set up very accurate. I also have scopes on other rifles and they work well also, but they are for longer range like 100 yds and further. MilSurplus post above has some good info.....check the LGS and see what fits you from there.

 

Both, but which depends on what gun it is going on. Also sometimes add a red dot to assist

Muzzle loader and rimfire bolt gun have peeps (Skinner on the ML, Mossy S100/130 on the rimfire)

ARs - one has just a red dot, one has peeps and a red dot cowitnessed, one has just peeps and working on building up an upper that will be scoped only.

All the other rifles either have a ghost ring (sloppy lose peep?) or scopes.

 

At 74 years of age I bought a Ruger Mark IV with a red dot 🔴 sight, my first red dot ever. Do I like it?
I absolutely do, look into them, Merry Christmas 🎄

 

It really comes down to what you can see. If an aperture rear sight lets you see your front sight clearly, you should be good to go (smaller apertures yield sharper focus). If your front sight still looks like a fur ball, you’ll struggle. Try this easy experiment - use a needle to poke a hole in a business card, use a ‘Sharpie’ to color one side black, with the black side toward you look through the hole and notice the difference in clarity of nearby objects.

Here’s a device that‘s been around for decades: VIA for AR-15/A2

 

Both...but I do like my Parker Hale peep sights on some of my Martinis and my Anshutz Model 54. I use prescription eyewear to somewhat focus clearly on the crosshair circular aperture front sight and perfectly focus on the target with my 73-year-old eyes.

I don't like the shake from a high-magnification crosshair scope when I'm shooting offhand in the standing field position; so I keep it on low power at that position.

I usually shoot at a 6"diameter steel gong plate at 100 yards, and I need perfect contrast between the painted steel target and the dirt backstop berm with the iron sights. And I prefer having the dirt backstop berm dry and seeing the bullet impact when I miss the gong.

At 200 yards...I prefer to use telescopic sights on my rimfires, so I can see the bullet going downrange occasionally and the impact hits on my painted gong or the dirt backstop berm beyond it.

I have a Thompson Center rear peep sight mounted on my 50 caliber Thompson Hawken with a Green Mountain round ball barrel for target shooting.

 

Aperture for for lever action. Scope for everything else.

Cataract surgery helped tremendously, though.

 

Peeps at 25 yards for me, scopes for farther out.

 

I'm with you on that. Lots of my vintage .22s and rifles just have tang or receiver sights on them and pretty much shoot them at 25 yds. My scoped rifles i shoot targets at 50 and longer distances.

 

I agree, totally depends on the firearm. I have a very nice Winchester 62A that is going to get a Marble's tang sight installed. I kinda hate to modify this sweet little rifle, but on the other hand it is my gun to do with as I see fit.

 

If you have a 6-48 or 8-32 hole anywhere near the back half of the gun check out the Skinner Lo-Pro sight. I've seen them on MLs mounted mid bore and they work, I just got one for one my MLs and it is back near the hammer and it works great. Inexpensive too. Only downside is no left/right correction, only vertical (unscrew sight more and retighten lock ring).

 

A Marble tang peep sight can put a shooter's eyesight out if they can't control the recoil from a high-caliber rifle.

 

A Winchester 62A is a .22--reasonably manageable recoil.

But you are correct regarding heavy-recoiling rifles.

 

I like and have peeps, but I need optics at this stage in my life.

 

Optics are the answer, usually. I have some iron sights that I like, but some days, they just don’t work for me and my eyes.

 

All depends what I'm going to do with the firearm. I use both, it all depends on the eyeball looking through it too. If one has an astigmatism a red dot might not work, but Primary Arms makes red dots with a prism that will work and so will a scope.

A peep sight? Yes, if the eyes aren't too bad a small aperture will help as will a Merit Aperture. But looking through a small aperture, whether it goes on the shooting glasses or a peep sight cuts the available light. A larger aperture, like a ghost ring, will do nothing to aid in the eyes focus.

If one has cataracts that is another issue. They "soften" what gets to the retina and the solution there is to get them fixed. I find that in bright light the target can get lost in glare. That's the best I can describe it.

 

It also may depend on the type of stock on your rifle. I had to put scopes on an XT-22 and M60 in order to get a decent cheek weld.

 

Peeps on lever guns, scopes (with good eye relief) on rifles, red dots on pistols, prisms on ARs. Do they use anything for shotguns?

 

I have a ghost ring rear peep sight on my Remington 870 Law Enforcement and a rear leaf sight on my Winchester 1300 pump 12 gauge that I mainly use for turkey and squirrel hunting.

 

I like peep sights for closer ranges and scopes for longer ranges. My astigmatism has forced me to use larger apertures as I've gotten older, but they still provide plenty of accuracy.

I think pistols are made for short distance shooting, so there will never be an optic on any of my handguns. But I would consider adding a red dot on a 'race rifle'. You don't really need magnification for quick transitions between targets at moderate and closer distances.

 

I’m 62 and wear no line bifocals. I can still use open sights on steel targets, and im going to hang onto that as long as I can.

But if im wanting to split hairs I need a scope.

 

Optics are over a half century old now, nothing wrong with using tools available.

 

Even longer than that. I drilled and tapped my 22 rifle to accept a scope when still in high school and I graduated in 1956. Scopes had been around for sometime but I didn't have the funds for one until 1954 if my memory is correct.

I was blessed with excellent eyesight but I was always more accurate with a scope. Of course I eventually went through the reading, bifocal, trifocal, and progressive bifocal glasses thing where scopes were a great advantage. Now with no more cataracts my eyesight is pretty darn good but I still do better with a scope than any other type of sight.

 

For the type of shooting I do (standing offhand) my Burris red dots work fine. Especially the Fastfire 4.
I have significant astigmatism that is corrected by glasses. When I hear people say they cannot use red dots because they have astigmatism, I simply cannot understand why they aren't wearing prescription glasses to correct it. If it affects you using a red dot it affects your vision in every respect. See your eye doctor! It is easily remedied.
gkn

 

For the type of shooting I do (standing offhand) my Burris red dots work fine. Especially the Fastfire 4.
I have significant astigmatism that is corrected by glasses. When I hear people say they cannot use red dots because they have astigmatism, I simply cannot understand why they aren't wearing prescription glasses to correct it. If it affects you using a red dot it affects your vision in every respect. See your eye doctor! It is easily remedied.
gkn

I have prescription glasses but significant astigmatism. I still get a double / flared red dot. I can ignore the flare and focus on the main dot. I found it also depends on the quality/model of the optic and the intensity of the dot I have set. I have similar issues with scope reticles. My astigmatism must be worse than most people.

 

I prefer a peep on my rifles and airguns, but I am forced to use a red dot to be competitive in bullseye pistol competition (I'm 72).

 

I agree with you on Bullseye, and I’m liking my red dot Pistol more and more.

 

80 power March scopes, period!

 

For those who have never heard of March scopes (I hadn't). Really nice stuff, just incredible. I need a go fund me page. $4600 for the 8-80x. Incredible resolution.

D80HV56WTIX-GR (High Master, MOA, Tactical, Illumi, Shuriken lock, Grey) | MARCH Scopes | DEON Optical Design CorporationMARCH Scopes | DEON Optical Design Corporation

MARCH Scopes Official Site

marchscopes.com

 

JMO unless it cooks,cleans,mows the lawn and pays the bills along with taking care of my needs...ain't no scope worth those prices uhuh,not today, no sir,not happen'n,no way, no how I'll stick wit ma cheap $100 scopes. But those scopes are a new approach to rifle optics I will give them that.