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GPR Peep sight

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I have got one on mine, works great. My eyes aren't as good as they used to be so it really helps out a lot, have you ever shot a rifle with peep sights before?
 
I assume you are talking about the Lyman 57 GPR, which is a 57 SML with a shim to fit the GPR. If so, it is a great sight. I have one on my T/C Hawken and it makes a HUGE difference in groups. My groups shrunk by half when I started using it.

HD
 
I've got it on one of my GPRs and it works really well, but it's awfully big. On my other GPRs and my wife's Deerstalker I mounted the T/C Hunter Style Tang Mount Peep Sight (No.7194). They're a little cheaper at under $50 from Midsouth and just over $50 at Cabelas. They're also a whole lot less bulky- less than 1/4 the size of the 57. Best of all, they fit right onto the GPR and Deerstalker with no drilling and tapping, even though Lymans aren't on the list of guns that they are supposed to fit.

I just picked up another one and will be replacing the last 57 with it. That should tell you something!
 
Yes, I actually prefer the peep. I used this site extensively in the military. Only problem here in PA is that I don't think they allow a peep sight on a flintlock in the late post Christmas season. Heck if I know the reason, since they allow the fiber optics. Thanks for the response.
 
You can use a peep now in PA, see the Deer Season and Bag Limits section.
Flintlock Muzzleloader Season: Flintlock ignition, single-barrellong gun, 44 caliber or larger, or 50 caliber or larger handgun, using
single projectile ammunition. It is unlawful to use telescopic sights.Peep sights are permitted. Crossbows permitted, but users must
have a muzzleloader stamp.
Rmcsports.com has an interesting V-peep, works real nice on my GPR.
 
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I've got the GPR 57 on mine and it works great.
only problem is I have to take it off and change barrels for our club shoots and rendezvous. Don't know why they are so one way about that? :surrender:
 
". Don't know why they are so one way about that?"

Most clubs or events ytry to stay hostoricaly correct and while there were forms of peep sights pre 1840 they were nothing like the modern micr click high tech ones we have today, ML clubs and groups were originaly organized with the purpose of stepping back in time to a simpler technology not to try and upgrade all the old stuff to current standards/performance
 
The Lyman #57 SML Peep Sight works great on my son's Lyman Trade Rifle. He's beaten me several times with that set-up in various competitions: League paper target shoots, novelty shoots, etc.

This sight doesn't appear to be too clumsy in my opinion. I'd recommend it to anyone that's serious about shot placement. Remember one big thing though: If you can't hold the rifle still, the peep is not any kind of advantage, but it turns into a disadvantage. Practice your offhand hold so you stop waving the muzzle in the air, then spend the money on the peep!

Saw a custom flinter last week hanging up in Dixon's Shop...complete with a peep sight and a 21 pound barrel, .50 cal, circa 1830 built by J.H. Ford. That sorta puts to rest whether or not peeps were around prior to 1840! Dixon said that they were on crossbows back in the 1600's!

Enjoy your peep, and good shooting!

Dave
 
NO, Dave, you are wrong. Our Hairsplitting " purists" now want to argue about whether your peep sight must be crudely made, and non-adjustable, or if it might be screw adjustable, can it be " Micro-screw " adjustable????? Anything to try to keep THEIR IDEA of what existed before: {pick one} a. 1865; b. 1850; c. 1840; d. 1820; e. 1800; f. OTHER, and mostly designed to exclude people from our sport. :cursing:

Its not enough that shooters are notorious for coming up with excuses for why they didn't perform the best today-- part of the culture, and the fun. No, they have to engage in endless arguments about what did or didn't exist, challenge any artifact found as not being " proof" that something actually existed at a given time, etc. ( It might have been " altered later", offering no proof to back their suspicions.

Tg is not going to be satisfied with the discovery of a ball board dated 1751 as proof that these items existed before the 19th century, and telling him that there were peep sights on Cross-bows is not going to satisfy him the peep sights on traditional rifles existed before the mid-19th century, either.

He loses his self-appointed Authority to be the ultimate critic, and arbiter of what is, and is not traditional on this forum, and elsewhere. His whole reason to exist is challenged by the suggestion that what he believes IS the Historic fact might be wrong!

So, thank you, Dave, for the observations, and your courage to comment. I wish this were so simple a task- this laying to rest these questions about when something was first done. I just have NO faith that Tg is going to ever let this issue rest, and resign himself to pondering that other great imponderable- when where patches first wrapped around a ball to be fired out of a smoothbore!

Personally, I am still wanting to learn when the first person decided to use a lace to tie a shoe to his foot, and which kind of knot was used first for this purpose, but I am not having any better luck with that imponderable than Tg is with this one. :blah: :surrender: :hatsoff:
 
Did you use the existing screws on your GPR or use the screws that came with the TC hunter tang sight? Lyman makes good products, but I'm with you. Those other sights are too bulky. Would you be able to send me some photos of your GPR with the TC tang sight installed? :)
 
Hey Brown Bear,

I'm interested in hearing your answer to the same question. I just filled my last ML tag and now I'd like to install a peep sight. I'm real intersted in the Thompson sight you're talking about, but would like to know more about the install first.

Also, generally speaking I'd like to hear some opinions on peep sights versus standard iron sights.

Here are the reasons I think I'd like a peep sight:

- quicker aiming
- better sighting in low light

Am I wrong? I've never shot a gun with peep sights. I've looked through a peep before, but never shot the gun.

Thanks. --Nodak
 
Wojo said:
Did you use the existing screws on your GPR or use the screws that came with the TC hunter tang sight? Lyman makes good products, but I'm with you. Those other sights are too bulky. Would you be able to send me some photos of your GPR with the TC tang sight installed? :)

One of each. I don't have it in front of me, but as I recall the front screw on the site base is a machine screw that engages the threads in the middle hole on the Lyman tang. The rear screw is a wood screw that goes through the tang and into the stock. I just used the Lyman screw for that. The only "glitch" if there is one, is that you need to remove the aperture from the peep, then only screw the front screw in part way so you can lift the sight slightly while aligning the rear one to drop through the hole. Once that's done you lower the sight into place, tighten both screws and screw the aperture back into the elevation stem.
 
nodakhorseman said:
Hey Brown Bear,

I'm interested in hearing your answer to the same question. I just filled my last ML tag and now I'd like to install a peep sight. I'm real intersted in the Thompson sight you're talking about, but would like to know more about the install first.

Also, generally speaking I'd like to hear some opinions on peep sights versus standard iron sights.

Here are the reasons I think I'd like a peep sight:

- quicker aiming
- better sighting in low light

Am I wrong? I've never shot a gun with peep sights. I've looked through a peep before, but never shot the gun.

Thanks. --Nodak


You're not wrong, at least in my hands. They're much quicker in low light, especially if you screw the aperture out while the light is low. It's about as fast as shooting a shotgun with only a front bead. You don't even see the peep sight.

I do most of my deer hunting in tight cover, which means low light and fast shots. Conventional sights are definitely my second choice there.
 
The modfern peep sight has a screw in disc with a usually very tiny hole. Its great for use in strong sunlight- like you might find on a target range.

However, in low light, or overcast skies, as we more usually have when we are hunting in November, or December, the tiny hole is TOO SMALL to see through clearly. That is when removing the Disc all together, and using the 1/4" diameter screw hole in the transverse bar as a " GHOST RING " peep sight becomes the shooter's choice.

In low light conditions, you normally are not going to see game at long ranges either. But out to 100 yds, you can both see the game, and still see the game looking THROUGH ( not at) the peep sight.

A peep sight needs to be within 5 inches of your eye to do its best work. At this short distance, the eye will naturally center the sight in its field of view, so that you only have to focus on the front sight of a rifle. It takes some shooters, who have only shot OPEN sights, most of their lives, a period of adjustment to get used to the idea that you look THROUGH a rear sight, and never at it.

The larger " GHOST RING " peep sight has gained some popularity as younger shooters are finding out that you can get good accuracy using a peep sight, even when the hole is very large compared to the more traditional target peep sights that are sold.
 
Since I'm already on the %^&*$ list, :rotf: :blah: :shake: :barf: :haha: I'll put my :2 in at this point and say that the Lyman comes with not one, but two disks. They are of different aperatures for different lighting conditions. And Paul's idea to remove the disk altogether to use the hole left over as a ghost ring is well thought of in plenty of shooting/hunting circles, and not just on deer sized game either!

The wider aperature disk works well on overcast days :thumbsup: , but the ghost ring is best early & late in the day, especially for hunting :wink: .

That 1830 rifle has a provenance (if I spelled it correctly) to a renowned Pennsylvania maker. The peep sight isn't an after-thought, it's custom built to that smokepole!

But what do I know? I only use a cap lock, so I'm the Anti-Christ :bull: :surrender: :haha:

Dave
 
I have been using Lyman 57 SML’s on three rifles all TC Renegades. The things I like about the 57 SML.

1- I can take the sight off in a second. I find that I keep my sight in my pocket to keep it from getting damaged in any way. I can slip it back on and it is still sighted in.

2- This sight can be used like a vernier tang sight. While I am hunting if I see an animal I want to shoot, I hit it with the range finder, Adjust the sight to the yardage, and I hold DEAD ON the animal. No hold over at all. This is the most accurate way to shoot at game. Holding over is too hard to guess.

3- When this sight is coupled with either a Lee Shavers Globe sight or a Lyman 17 AML globe sight with Lee Shavers inserts, it is a long range sight.

4- With a peep and a good globe front sight you can aim small and miss small.
When using the OEM front sight of a TC I can’t aim small the front blade at 150 yards covers up a house. The front sight is just too big and covers up WAY too much of the target. The FINE long range pin’s in the Lee Shavers sights are easy to aim at either small targets or to accurately place a precision shot.

5- The scale on the side of the peep is accurate and repeatable.
When I sighted in my rifles I sighted them in out to 300 yards. I painted the 100, 150, 200, 250 and the 300 yard marks. When I want to make a 134 yard shot I set the peep for what I think it will be. I won’t be off my a couple of inches either way. Even out to 243 yards if I guess a little off on the setting it is ok. 10 yards either way is only + or ”“ about 3 inches. If I set the sight for 250 on a 243 yard shot it is only 2.25” low. Being able to set the sight for the shot is an amazingly accurate way to shoot. I don’t take a first shot at big game over 150 yards. If I get a chance to fling lead at a coyote at 250 yards I am on that right NOW!

I have killed several deer now with this set up and I can tell say that it works good for me. In my opinion I have the perfect rifles for my style of hunting. Ron
 
BrownBear said:
One of each. I don't have it in front of me, but as I recall the front screw on the site base is a machine screw that engages the threads in the middle hole on the Lyman tang. The rear screw is a wood screw that goes through the tang and into the stock.

The more recently produced GPRs are factory ready for the installation of the Lyman peep (no need to drill and tap). Would I be safe to assume that this is the case for the T/C peep (even though Lyman is not on their list) on a GPR from your experience? If so, I'm going to be getting one.

From the sound of it, I'll be a real fan of the peep sight. I seem to take most of my hunting shots at first and last light of each day. I'll also enjoy the quickness of a peep. I also have trouble focusing with traditional iron sights at times.
 
Ron,

It sounds like you've got that peep sight nailed-down :thumbsup: . My son and I don't have a range longer than 135 yards, nor a rangefinder, but if we did, we'd be doing the same thing you did!

Accurate shot placement requiring no "hold-over" sure sounds like a good way to harvest game!

My son Andy doesn't want to put the globe sight on the front of his trade rile. I bought him the peep and the globe at the same time. He is always good with the sights on my M-1 Garrand, and just feels comfortable without the globe. So far, he's won several league competitions at two different BP clubs's matches, including a Meat Shoot (first place, filet mignon) and high over-all at a cup shoot where a trophy is won. He's putting 5 shots through a single ragged hole at 10 rods' distance. I don't want to discourage him or take any of the challenge/fun away of doing it "his way", so I just leave well-enough alone, if you know what I mean :wink:

Thanks again for a great "how-to" post on the Lyman Peep!

Dave
 
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