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Fiber optic sights-why?

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Savage99Stan

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Judging from what I'm seeing in the shops, at the range and on the field, fiber optic (light pipe) sights are all the rage. I can't, for the life of me, see why. I remember the red ramp on revolvers fifty years ago. In sunlight, they flare and I can't get a clear sight picture. I painted mine black. On a shotgun they distract from what you should be seeing. I have a tritium front on my SD pistol but it is non-glowing in daylight.
I encouraged my "student athletes" on our high school trap club to get their alignment and then forget the sights. None of them have those glow worms now.
I've had guys complain about a sudden decrease in their scores. Almost invariably, they had added a magnetic light pipe, and in a few cases, higher than the original.
I can see the use in something like 3-gun but not where precise sight pictures are important. I don't even care for red dots other than on an action pistol type gun. Dots are way too big.
I'm an old fart and grew up with Patridge sights on my revolvers, Redfield Sourdoughs on my 94, and brass beads on my shotgun. I do have Bradley ivory on my trap guns.
Living alone in the past, I remain, Stan.
 
#2 ·
Well to each his own. I have struggled with intermittent cross-firing for about 15 years. About 12 years ago I put on a 2mm diameter Uni-Dot hooded fiber optic front bead the same green color that Harlan Campbell uses. This worked for me until 2 years ago when I finally decided to use the Magic Dot tape patch on my left lens. I never look at the front bead but it is there in my peripheral vision.
 
#6 ·
pheasantmaster said:
People think these dang things help them. Then when they're putting together a winning score, they'll get to looking at them and become an "also_ran," at the end.

If you can't figure out where the end of the barrel is, strap a hot dog on it.
Click to expand...
How do you tell if they are NOT helping someone else? Do you have the ability to look through their eyes?
 
#7 · (Edited)
I had no clue what was going on with my second shot of doubles. I put in a green fiberoptic, and it helped, for a while. Then I put a white bead back on. At the time, it wasn't that I was looking at the bead, it was more about being able to vaguely recall where the tip of the barrel was when I hit the targets. I only hit them when I wasn't looking at the bead, so even vaguely being aware of the bead was almost too much attention payed to the bead.

I think they can be of some benefit, as long as you dont look at them. Now, that seems ridiculous, but it is not. If only your subconscious sees it, and it improves your targeting computer running in the background, maybe its useful to someone, sometime, somewhere.
 
#8 ·
tomk2 said:
I think they can be of some benefit, as long as you dont look at them. Now, that seems ridiculous, but it is not. If only your subconscious sees it, and it improves your targeting computer running in the background, maybe its useful to someone,

I think Tomk2 has it right. Your ‘computer’ sees it and plugs it into the firing sequence.
Click to expand...
 
#9 ·
I personally do not care for them on shotguns. We use them on several pistols as they seem to be much quicker when we are shooting at steel targets. Have used a couple on 22 rifles and that was ok as long as we a doing steel targets. When 3 or 4 buddies are all shooting at the same time at steel targets, seems the ones using the fiber optic are able to shoot quicker with better accuracy. We all have different likes and dislikes.
 
#10 ·
Fiber optic sights? Pistols yes. Shotguns no.

Remember, with a pistol your focus needs to be on the front sight. The target should be a blur.

In trap it's the exact opposite - your focus is on the bird. Anything that pulls your focus off the bird and onto the front bead will likely result in a miss. As a one eyed shooter, this is something I feel like I have to re-learn every couple of weeks. At this point I avoid even checking the alignment of the front and mid-bead because otherwise my focus can return to the front bead once I yell "pull". Between shooting a rifle offhand and shooting my shotgun I'm confident my mount is very consistent and that I'm far more likely to miss a bird because my focus moves from the bird to the bead than I am because my mount is slightly misaligned.

BTW - I took a Nora Ross clinic a few years ago and I know she feels that fiber optic sights on a shotgun are a mistake.
 
#11 ·
I prefer them on some of my pistols for 3 gun and steel challenge games where you aim…. I bought into putting a few on my shotgun clay sports guns when I started competitions but I grew out of that stage fairly quickly. All my beads are white and usually partially blacked out with a sharpie. Helped pattern a buddies beretta in the other day and he had a 4” long giant light pipe magnetic sight on the front with green and orange colors… It was terrible… he loves it.. IDK 🤷‍♂️
 
#12 · (Edited)
I like them. Focus on the target and there is no need to wonder where the bead/barrel is. It is glowing out there, I just move it to the target. I like Meadow Industries Vari-Brite-Site III. This has a glow rod and a channel. I had a gun that shot so low that I had to raise the comb a bunch. I had to look down on the sight. A tube blocker would not have worked. The channel blocks the off eye from seeing the sight. Make it easy for me to know which of the 2 barrels is the correct one.I have a weak master eye.

They are not for everyone. If you find it distracting it is not for you.

Jason
 
#13 ·
dan-l said:
How do you tell if they are NOT helping someone else? Do you have the ability to look through their eyes?
Click to expand...
First, the only reason you would use one was if your aiming at the target. If a gun is properly set up for the shooter, the barrel follows the eye/eyes to the target thus really nothing should be needed on the end of a barrel unless a shooter is trying to make themselves fit to the gun.

Iam a study of shooters and styles. Always have been since I was a kid. Thus I have a tendency to watch/study/evaluate individuals and there equipment along with their performance.

I do a bit of one on one coaching. I most definitely tell what happens through a shooters eyes when using these pimp sticks.

I also am a president of a gun club and score several rounds weekly along with our weekend 300 target programs. I most definitely see what happens and tendencies of shooters using these sights. It almost funny to watch how a body reacts when a shooter fires at a target while actually looking at their pretty glow worm.

Alot of people here and gun clubs across America tell about the merits of these sights but typically their B class or below and short yardage. But some fancy storybook writer printed an article on them and so they must work!
 
#15 ·
pheasantmaster said:
First, the only reason you would use one was if your aiming at the target. If a gun is properly set up for the shooter, the barrel follows the eye/eyes to the target thus really nothing should be needed on the end of a barrel unless a shooter is trying to make themselves fit to the gun.

Iam a study of shooters and styles. Always have been since I was a kid. Thus I have a tendency to watch/study/evaluate individuals and there equipment along with their performance.

I do a bit of one on one coaching. I most definitely tell what happens through a shooters eyes when using these pimp sticks.

I also am a president of a gun club and score several rounds weekly along with our weekend 300 target programs. I most definitely see what happens and tendencies of shooters using these sights. It almost funny to watch how a body reacts when a shooter fires at a target while actually looking at their pretty glow worm.

Alot of people here and gun clubs across America tell about the merits of these sights but typically their B class or below and short yardage. But some fancy storybook writer printed an article on them and so they must work!
Click to expand...
OK coach.Your eloquent prose shows your strongly held opinion.out
 
#19 ·
pheasantmaster said:
People think these dang things help them. Then when they're putting together a winning score, they'll get to looking at them and become an "also_ran," at the end.
Click to expand...
Your opinion, except that it's wrong. If it works for folks, who cares?
 
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