I use the Brockman post front sight on my Guide Gun. The Brockman has a "gold" metal vertical line instead of the white stripe on the XS post and the face of the blade is serrated where the Ashley appears to be smooth. The flat topped post makes it easier to hold for elevation. The wide post is quick to pick up when in a hurry but the fine line down the middle allows for a close hold when shooting precisely.
Quote: I am thinking of ..., or maybe a thin partridge style blade.
Contact a purveyor of old sights, like Gary Fellers in TX, and try to find an old Redfield Sourdough or the equivalent. I think New England Custom Guns may be making a similar blade front even yet. Best front blade ever made!
The best I've found overall, since you can't get Sourdoughs, is the ramped blade with the white center stripe from XO (used to be AO, Ashley Outdoors). Easy to hold elevation and windage and lets you stay out as late as a scope without the flare of the Firesights.
Posts: 231 | Location: Republic of Texas | Registered: 19 June 2003
Can you just get the front blade? I don't want a ghost ring rear. I did find unfinished square blades, so I might just custom grind my own front sight.
Posts: 641 | Location: SW Pennsylvania, USA | Registered: 10 October 2003
NECG makes a perfect Sourdough post sight as does Brockmons...I like a fairly thin post that does not cover up my animal at 200 or so yards...The NECG is perfect, as was the original Redfield Sourdough.
Posts: 41859 | Location: Twin Falls, Idaho | Registered: 04 June 2000
I have used the sourdough patridge type front sight with Williams peeps for 30+ years. The last one I got was from Marbles, about ten years ago. Don't know if they still make them or not. The last time I used it deer hunting I had trouble with the gold reflecting the light and dazzling my eyes soon-to-be 60 year old eyes. I picked up some blade front sights from Track of the Wolf which I filed down to the proper height, which have done great. One of my rifles has the Lyman 17A with the post insert and I really like that.
Incidentally, the term "ghost ring" was used in the 1960s to describe using the Redfield, Lyman, Williams or any other peep sight with the aperture removed.
I also use the Brockman partridge front sight with the gold line, but I file it thinner as I do not like a thick front sight. I file them to .085 as I recall and it gives me a great sight picture and I can take longer shots with it also, as it does not cover the animal like the thick sight will do and it still works up close.
Posts: 41859 | Location: Twin Falls, Idaho | Registered: 04 June 2000
