Can't see through vernier tang sights...

[taylorh]

Hey Guys,
Bought a TC Renegade .54 and a set of older TC Vervier tang sights thinking that the two would make a great pair. Installation went fine and it looks real good. One problem, I can't see crap! The hole seems too small and the tube that connects it to the sight seems too long to let enough light through. I compared it to another sight of the same make and model and the holes are the same, very small. In fact unless you are shooting in bright sunlight I don't see how these are any improvement. Should I drill out the sight a bit? Wadaya think? Have any of you had any experience with these sights?
Taylor in Texas

 

[roundball]

I think that's what most people experience when trying peep sights...I guess if they were great everybody would be using them.

Some peeps have interchangeable disks with different diameter apertures;

Some people drill them out to a larger aperture;

Some models allow the aperture disk to be completely removed and the frame used as a 'ghost ring';

 

[MercerLake]

:v TC may wel have intended that one would drill the hole to a larger size. A small hole does resrict the amount of light. A HADLEY eye cup has
several sizes of holes that may be selected to suit the lighting conditions.
I use a .125" diameter aperture for hunting and general shooting with several rifes and have good results. As long as the hole diameter is less than that of your pupil it will sharpen the front sight, and your eye will align with the center of the aperture as that is the brightest area. You want to look through the aperture rather than see the aperture. :v

 

[capt jack]

Make sure that the aperture is DEAD staight in line with the front sight . If the aperture is cocked up . down , or sideways , and is not in a direct line of sight to the front sight , you will get that effect . Jerry

 

[paulab]

tex... drilling out the aperature will definitely improve the sight picture. enlarge a little bit at a time rather than too much the first time. when you get it right you will like the results. you could also check with the m/l shops. i know that larger aps. are available. [i've bought them] cheers

 

[Dphar]

Hey Guys,
Bought a TC Renegade .54 and a set of older TC Vervier tang sights thinking that the two would make a great pair. Installation went fine and it looks real good. One problem, I can't see crap! The hole seems too small and the tube that connects it to the sight seems too long to let enough light through. I compared it to another sight of the same make and model and the holes are the same, very small. In fact unless you are shooting in bright sunlight I don't see how these are any improvement. Should I drill out the sight a bit? Wadaya think? Have any of you had any experience with these sights?
Taylor in Texas

Staff needs to be 90 degrees to the bore.
Small holes are good for very bright light.
Drill it to 1/16" or so.

Dan

 

[paulvallandigham]

If the aperature disc can be unscrewed and removed from the post, try removing it and just using the threaded hole in the post as your " sight". Your eye naturally centers itself in the hole of any aperature, as you LOOK THROUGH the hole at the front sight, so the size of the whole does not affect accuracy as much as you might believe. The reason the factories put such small holes in those discs is for people using these at vary long ranges, on very sunny, clear days, who want the aperature to be the size of the front sight and the black "bullseye" of their distant target.

For the rest of us mere mortals, we take successive sized drill bits and begin drilling the aperature larger until we find a size that works for us individually. That optimum diameter will depend on the gun, what kind of shooting you are doing, and your eyes. I have drilled out discs on peep sights on several rifles. I use the disc when zeroing the sights to a particular load and range. However, when I am hunting with these guns, the discs come out, and I use the " ghost ring " of the much larger thread hole in the post as my sight.

Don't hesitate to drill out that hole in the disc, or even buy replacement discs from Lee Shaver, or Brownells, or any of several other suppliers.

 

[kansas_volunteer]

A small tapered reamer will allow you to open the hole in the sight and keep it centered, something you may not be able to do if drilling freehand, without a lathe or other device to maintain center. The reamer will allow you to stop opening the sight when it seems just right, which you may not be able to do with a common set of drill bits.

 

[paulvallandigham]

If I ever see that small a tapered reamer, I will buy it. Really, You are of course correct. But where do you get such a tapered reamer? I found that if I enlarged the hole slowly, starting with the next size of drill, I had no trouble keeping the hole " centered" in the disc.


I did mine free-hand, because I didn't have a drill press at the time. If you have a drill press, by all means set up the disc in the bench vise right, and then drill.

 

[WV MZL HUNTER]

This is what I do. Then when the light is better I screw it back in. :thumbsup:

 

[sproulman]

with the RMC V-PEEP you dont have the light problem you do will a GHOST RING peep sight.

 

[sproulman]

some take the interchangeable insert disks and drill them as big as they can.

the outside of disk helps they say for some reason looking thru the bigger hole.

 

[ghostdncr]

When setting up peep sights, I'll usually "cone" the front side of the peep's tube so as to eliminate the "tube" effect and then drill the aperture out to suit my eyes. Make sense?

 

[Tom Compton]

Picked mine up at a gun show. The trader didn't know what it was so $2 for original barely used sight reamer in german silver container.
TC

 

[redwing]

Make sure the sight is level with the bore. Use a level and set the gun and sight straight to the front sight. Most often you will need to shim the base to get a correct sight picture. Try this before you drill. :hmm:

 

[CoyoteJoe]

Unfortunately, that is just a very poorly designed sight. The aperture disk also serves to lock the adjustments. You can't adjust elevation without loosing the windage adjustment and you can't use the sight with the aperture disk removed. You also can't drill the aperture very much larger because the threaded tube is of very small diameter. It relies on a ball detent to hold the staff upright and it never does so, you have to reset the staff to vertical after ever shot. Plus it is tall and bulky, easily bumped and not very sturdy.
I got one thirty or so years ago, tried to use it on a couple of rifles, tried to find ways to improve it and offset some of the design defects and finally just threw it away. One look at my shop and you'll know I very seldom throw anything away. :haha:

 

[OB OBrien]

You may find a tapered reamer or step drill at Harbour freight.

 

[kansas_volunteer]

The hole in an aperture sight functions as a lens. (Look up pin hole cameras on the web.) The smaller the hole the sharper the image, but the edges of the hole need to be sharp for maximum effect. That's why I suggest a tapered reamer to open the hole in the sight. It keeps the edges sharp. The tinier the hole the greater the depth of the visual field, but as has been noted it takes a lot of light to see well through the tiny hole. The larger the hole, the shallower the visual depth of field, but the easier it is to see through the hole in darker conditions, just like a camera with a glass lens. Still a sharper edge is better than the square edge a drill bit leaves. Honestly, study pin hole cameras, and the sight business will all become clear. The ultimate solution is to have a set of apertures that can be changed to match light conditions.

 

[paulvallandigham]

You are correct. I have a friend who made up a rear sight( open notch) using three razor blades that he glued into forming a square notch. The edges of those blades made a very distinct, and clear form for him to use in lining his sights. I believe he won the Sgt. York Memorial Chunk Gun Shoot at Pall Mall, Tennessee, one year with that set-up. ( BTW, the Sgt. York Chunk Gun shoot takes place tomorrow, March 28, 2009. I wish all who attend the very best. )

 

[Idaho Ron]

I have no trouble seeing through my Lyman 57 SML peep. I have the larger hunter aperture in it. Ron