Which Front Sight?

[Muley]

What do you guys like to use for a front sight. Meaning black blade, white bead, gold bead etc. What do you guys think works best for hunting in different light conditions?

Targets not so much as almost anything will work, because you can always move to the right lighting for your sight.

[Bigsmoke]

I find that I like a simple small white dot the best.

[Uncle Russ]

My thoughts on a front sight are, .5" in height, square post, soot black.

Uncle Russ..

[Muley]

My thoughts on a front sight are, .5" in height, square post, soot black.

Uncle Russ..

You can see that in dark timber on a black bear?

[Uncle Russ]

Absolutely....at least for my old eyes.

We all see the front sights a wee bit differently. We all have different preferences for just how that front sight should contrast with any, and every background to have the target "stand-out".
In fact, I think I still have a can of "soot black" that I use to freshen up the front sight with on occasion, and that alone makes a better sight for my eyes.
When I was a young man, and still smoking, I used my trusty old Zippo to do the same thing, some shooters carry candles in their range box for this purpose, while others carry it in their shooting bag.
You don't let the flame touch the sight, just the smoke and soot from the flame.

I have been shooting for a good many years and spent a few bucks on front sights over the years, especially the highly acclaimed, but fairly expensive, "Marble" sights.
At one time, forty or fifty years ago, I thought I had a preference for the Marbles Ivory Globe on a thin post but I soon discovered, even back then, that with my eyes, the Ivory Globe was prone to fade if the lighting wasn't just right.
As I said earlier, my preference, returned to the heavy square post in a dull / soot black...if it's just black, especially shinny black, it will fade.
The black of a felt-tip will also fade when freshly applied, and if the post is too thin it will also fade, no matter what you do with it.
Thin post sights have a purpose, and that purpose is best defined on well lit targets. Same as thin based Ivory Globe sights, when you're sighting on a well lit black faced target, such as bull's eye, it don't get no better!

A good example of a "shinny" sight that fades out completely, with me, is the beautiful Silver Blade (German Silver) seen on many top-end muzzle loaders. I love the looks of this sight, and the slim dimensions add that certain "look" to about any traditional firearm...not only are they a killer for looks, they are very popular.

Still yet, this should never be a "my sight is better than your sight" discussion, and I hope it's not going that way.
I have no clue how many of those responding are  getting up in age with failing eyes, but even in my late 70's I do know that the front sight is almighty important to each and everyone of us, and we will all likely have a little different preference for what works best for us as individuals.  

Uncle Russ...

[Muley]

I know i've said in the past how bad my sight is. Blind in one eye, and about 20/40 in the eye that has sight on a good day. It's gotten worse since shooting in my last postal shoots, and i don't expect to do well now. I'll give it a try though. Just point the blurry sights at the blurry bull, and blow some smoke at it. Along with a prayer I might hit it.

I used to shoot the black sight like you do Russ. Not sure it would work now, but I may do some woods walks with different sights to see what works best for me.

I was just curious what everybody was using.

[Uncle Russ]

You're dead right Muley!
Try a few different "types" of sights, let the eye determine just what it likes best, and don't try to argue with what it's telling you...much like the barrel of a new gun, let it do all the talking.
It don't have to be 'pretty', it just has to work.

I hope that injury hasn't affected your sight too bad, as I can truly respect that "can't see out of one eye and darn near blind in the other"....old age can sometimes be cruel in that respect, even without an injury.  

After my last post I went out in the shop to see if I could find some black, made sure I took my camera so I could take a picture....well, it's obviously getting close to Christmas here at my house because between all my daughter's family's gifts, in different stages of wrapping, and my wife trying to provide for the kids, grand kids, and great grand kids, it seems I could well consider myself downright lucky to find a bench, much less a small can of sight black!

Good luck with those eyes!

Uncle Russ...

[RobD]

i'm with russb, matt black on the blade works best for me in most light conditions.

[Roaddog]

I use the silver site and that is hard to see in some light.The darker I go the less I can see. I'm going with peep sights on all my guns or sel them, one or the two.

[Muley]

Russ.........I have the JBMR now, and it's what i'll be shooting for everything. I plan to use the stock sights. The front sight is the square blade type. It's browned. I wonder if it will be similar to your soot black sights. It looks black to me when I shoulder the gun, and the browning shouldn't reflect light.

Whatcha think?

[Uncle Russ]

Should be okay.
I'm not all that familiar with the JBMR.
I've been around others when they were shooting these things a bit, but I never owned one, although I have definitely wanted one for years.

IMO, the best sight is the one that's most definitive against the target for YOU.
That can mean many things to many different people, because we all just don't see or perceive the front and rear sights in the same perspective.....if you can line-up the rear sight, front sight, and a "spot" on the target in one plane, without fadeout, IMO, you're good to go.

If the gun fits you, and you can consistently hit with the sights that's on it.....it don't get no mo-betta than that, no matter which sight you're using!

Enjoy your rifle, shoot it a bunch, get to know it, and then you make the call about the sights.
A brown square blade could well be just the ticket for you....you'll know after awhile.

Over the years I have owned 2 Hatfields. I remember "thinking" I was likely going to have a problem with those rounded sights looking like one-half of a dime, haphazardly stuck on the end of the barrel, but that was not the case, they shot just fine.....but that was back in the 70's or 80's IIRC, and I'm not so sure that would be the case today.
Back in those days the Browning, and the Ithaca Mountain Rifle of the time were considered the Cadillac's of Muzzleloaders, and always just out of my reach when you could buy 3 similar rifles from DGW for less than the cost of either of these.....even the lowly Hatfield cost less than the Browning or the Ithaca.

Good luck with your new Browning Rifle!
She is indeed a beauty.

Uncle Russ...

[hawkthrower]

Ok so I guess I'll throw a few cents into this thread - I started a long time ago with the "pretty" shinny silver and brass - I took all of em off and replaced them all (except on some weapons which I like to look at and don't shoot except on "special occasions"). All of my hunting rifles and pistols are fitted with a front sight similar to what Russ has described. However I also take a very fine jewelers file to the sharp edge at the very point at the back of the front sight blade where the front sight needs to align with the back sight, and knock off a 0.001ish flat at 45 degrees. the soot damps the reflections and the 45 lets my fuzzy vision see a slight difference in the blade right at the alignment so I have a reference. I found the tiny flat can also be quickly thumbed to shine if I need a bit more contrast. I too tried all sorts of stuff through the years but the one in the photo is it .065 thick 0.5 +- a bit tall, with a nice angle down to about .125 over 1.125 inches long.

I've had several discussions about sight view and aging eyes and although I cant see the rear sight, the front sight, and the target clearly all at once any more.. I have been able to make adjustments in my glasses to be able to "almost" get a clear picture. Mostly I can see the front sight and the target and I sorta fudge the fuzzy rear sight to the front one..... Old man eyes are a bane for accuracy but you can make some adjustments!!!
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[Hawken]

IMO what is very important is that in some instances if a rear sight has a U type slot....the slot will be too narrow and needs opening up slightly such that the front sight can be seen with equal amounts of light being visible on either side of the front sight blade!!

[rollingb]

IMO what is very important is that in some instances if a rear sight has a U type slot....the slot will be too narrow and needs opening up slightly such that the front sight can be seen with equal amounts of light being visible on either side of the front sight blade!!

I like a rear sight notch with a little light on each side of the front sight too,.... I've been using this front sight (iron only) on all my rifles for many years, and it works equally well (for me) on paper, or critters.  
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[sse]

I've been using this front sight (iron only) on all my rifles for many years

That looks familiar...