[bd55036]

Hey guys, I have the skinner tactical peep sight on my 336 and am smitten with it. My question is what kind of difference would a different sized aperture make? I know you focus on the front post when shooting, so would a smaller or larger aperture focus better on the post and the target, or is it more of the "aim small miss small" ordeal due to the smaller field of view and being able to see more target due to the larger?
I am curious because I have some extra money right now (never stays extra for long does it) and am thinking about ordering the different apertures for it, and would like to have an idea of any actual advantage of it before paying for it and experimenting with them myself.
Thanks

 

[swany]

Lot depends on your eyes ability to focus through the aperature. I find the small does me little good at all things just are fuzzy. I have a lathe so making a size that works well for me is easy enough to do, just keep drilling it bigger until it looks sharp to my eyes.

 

[Eli Chaps]

In general, the smaller the aperture opening, the more suited for target-type shooting and the larger the opening, the more suited for field type shooting. The larger opening may not be as precise but it is far easier/quicker to orient on a target in the field.

Pull the aperture out and look through the peep as a ghost ring and you'll quickly see the difference.

 

[Jake]

Studies have shown that the front sight width makes the most difference because no-matter
the ap size your eye still centers it.

The same studies also say that rear ap size depends on your pupil diameter at the time and how it adjust to the light in the circle.

The bottom line with peeps is, if you are trying to center the front sight, you are using them incorrectly and accuracy will suffer.

 

[sullivan]

With any kind of sight, I always keep both eyes open. This can be of help when doing a lot of range testing but is Hard to master. With me now, it is second nature but I do a lot of target shooting in strings of ten.
You want your peep to focus the fore-sight and this is not always possible with the ghost-ring size of aperture. Only you will know if the front sight is focussed but for hunting the overall accuracy of a big peep is adequate and is an aid to speed of aiming.
As an experiment you could make a tiny hole in a piece of stiff paper with a pin. Look through the hole at the fore-sight from 2 feet back and see if the focus improves.
You will be left in a quandary, however. Do you need the sharper focus of a pinhole (0.040") or will the bigger peep suffice for most situations?

 

[gcs]

I took out the aperture of my FP many years ago, I noticed essentially no difference in accuracy with or without.
You can't over think this stuff, just look through the big hole, let your eye do it's centering thing, and squeeze the trigger, just stop thinking and do it. It's really that simple.

 

[bd55036]

Thanks for all the answers! It seems that everyone is in agreement with what the perks and the differences are, Im pretty sure Im just gonna go ahead and test em out! Thanks for the piece of paper idea too, I love inexpensive ways to test things on my own before spending money!

 

[Jake]

All that stuff depends on what time of day, pupil size. and your lighting conditions. You have to focus on the front sight tip and the target. The Ghost is faster because your eye adjust to the light pattern faster and centers faster. The Ghost also works better in darker conditions with an exception but I'm not going to explain it right now.

 

[Tatersoup]

Williams makes 3 differen't "standard" size apertures: 0.05, 0.093, and 0.125".

The 0.05 is way too small to be practical in the field as it limits light transmission a lot. The 0.093" is a good average size that is workable in the field and balances usability and accuracy very well. The 0.125" is for faster target acquisition in hunting situations but theoretically loses some accuracy.

I use the 0.093" most of the time, and if it's too light or dark out, I simply unscrew it for a ghost ring effect.

I like the Williams "Twilight" apertures; supposedly they let in more light somehow.

Merit also makes an adjustable aperture that opens and closes like the iris on a camera lens.

Like GCS, I also don't see much difference in accuracy with different size apertures, unless I realllllllly squeeze it down to a very small (0.05") diameter for target shooting.

 

[M700]

When I took up long-range match shooting with sights - it was interesting to note that several of the high master competitors urged me to try larger apertures. This was for 600 yard prone matches. I'd assumed that the smaller aperture would produce better accuracy downrange. Was surprised, and pleased to learn that the larger apertures worked better for me, even at 600 yards. It had a lot to do with the amount of light getting through to the eye, and a sort of "halo" effect that I noticed around the front sight. Often a larger rear aperture allowed me to see the front sight more clearly.

In the field with my Williams peep sights, I prefer a larger aperture, most of the time.

Regards, Guy

 

[preacher]

I like the Williams "Twilight" apertures. I carry two differnt sizes with me in the field, and I change them out as the light/surroundings change. I could get by without any aperture at all, but hey, I'm having fun, and you should too! Try them out, you will have a better grip on "your hunting style". Good luck.

 

[gcs]

I tried the "twilight" aperture, seemed like a good idea, but frankly, I didn't notice an improvement over the "Ghost ring" hole.
The brass lining seemed a distraction, and of course doesn't "gather" light, just sort of reflects what's there, but that also depends on which way your facing, amount of overhead cover, etc.
I'm guessing that the supposed advantage is to be able to see the apertures outline a little longer, allowing the eye to center the bead for that amount of extra time, that amount of time is really kinda short though, if in fact you DO notice a difference, so I did away with it.

With the big hole and a Firesite bead, I can see well enough to shoot until the bead fades away, and by then it's pretty dark, and usually way past sunset.

 

[450 Sniper]

I have a Skinner on my 39A. It has the 'standard' aperture.

I tried hunting with the aperture installed and with it removed for a ghost ring. I ended up just leaving it out and set up as a ghost ring because I can pick up a wider field of view with the ghost ring and catch moving targets MUCH faster.
The peep obscured more of the targets (including paper) than I liked.
I shoot with both eyes open.

I installed a Brownells Leather lace on cheek riser to my butt stock. This gives me a solid cheek weld with proper eye alignment with my sights. I can close my eyes, shoulder the gun and press my cheek into the stock - when I open my eyes everything is aligned.
I really like this set up.

 

[jpickar]

You want to shoot smaller groups ---- get a thinner front sight. It has been said already but that is where it is at.

John