Front Sight Inserts - Get me up to speed

Oz · Post by Oz » Wed Aug 25, 2010 6:25 pm

I'm an air pistol guy with an injured elbow. I miss precision shooting while this heals so I bought a used AR to allow me to keep shooting some 10's. I'm learning as I go and I'm having a blast. The rifle really is a lot of fun. If it weren't for the two suitcases of gear needed to be a competitive AR rifle shooter, I might consider shooting for score at the local PTO's ;-)

Anyway... this rifle has the traditional black metal ring with an inner metal ring, supported by two bars on the left and right. I understand that these swap out (mine only came with one) so I started doing some research.

Have the new acrylic front sights gained the popular vote over the metal inserts? I'd love to hear the thoughts on the two vastly different front sight inserts.

Personally, being a pistol guy who uses a sub-six hold, having that actual black target center distracting me inside the black ring with the black bars is... well, distracting.

The inserts aren't expensive so I bought a set of the acrylic inserts thinking it might suit my tastes a bit more.

Give me your thoughts. I'd like to hear the arguments for and against.

Oz

Roodaddy600 · Post by **Roodaddy600** » Wed Aug 25, 2010 7:18 pm

For what you are using it for the plastic will be great. But I believe that the most popular inserts now are the Centra glass inserts that screw in. All of us on the team use them and are just about a necesity if you shoot 300 meter stuff. The plastic will warp from the heat of the barrel which is not good obviously. But they are not cheap. Its been years since I bought one but I know 11 years ago they were 14 dollars a piece so I only can assume they have gotten higher.

Shane

JH · Post by JH » Thu Aug 26, 2010 5:02 am

I shoot with a metal insert and have adjusted my front sight so that the bar is level, as my rifle is canted when I shoot. In that way I use the bar to verify that my cant has not changed from shot to shot. That is my preference, but I know of a lot of shooters at my club who shoot with plastic inserts.

The end state is to centre the target within the fore sight ring. How you do that, and with what type of inserts you use, is for your own preference. It's good that you have different sizes in your set. You can experiment with the different sizes and types to find one insert that suits you.

I am not sure that an air rifle barrel would generate enough heat to warp a plastic insert.

RobinC · Post by **RobinC** » Thu Aug 26, 2010 5:23 am

Oz
With a peep sight you are not limited to ring foresight elements, as a pistol shooter who also drifted into rifle shooting many years ago I used to use a post foresight insert for standing shooting and I believe that Raimond Debevnec a world level shooter still does.
Robin

Oz · Post by Oz » Sat Aug 28, 2010 12:55 am

Very interesting. I really appreciate everyone's time and thoughts.

Charlotte · Post by **Charlotte** » Sat Aug 28, 2010 7:28 am

I'm a smallbore shooter, so I don't have the heat issue to deal with, but I use the plastic insert and love it. I have a Gehman adjustable front iris with crossbar and don't like it as well as the plastic. One of the things I like about the plastic inserts is that the ring is thinner. I used a felt tipped pen and darkened the beveled area to give the ring a little more contrast.
When I get all my other issues sorted out and back to shooting my 1907 I want to get the insert Roo was talking about but currently my russian rifle has a globe that won't take that one.
BTW, we love having the AMU guys shoot with us at Riverbend.

Roodaddy600 · Post by **Roodaddy600** » Sat Aug 28, 2010 11:30 am

A few of us might come up for the match here in a couple weeks, possibly eric and myself. We always like going up to the matches there at riverbend.

Shane

Charlotte · Post by **Charlotte** » Sat Aug 28, 2010 4:48 pm

It's great to shoot with you guys. It gives me something to brag about. We do like it when you guys show up and I hope y'all always feel welcome. I think we might do a cookout for the Sept match.

Eric U · Post by **Eric U** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 11:21 am

On the schedule the September match is over three days. What is the extra day for? Shane and I are planning on shooting...maybe some others too.

Thanks,
Eric U

Charlotte · Post by **Charlotte** » Sat Sep 04, 2010 11:09 pm

Eric,
we usually shut the range down on Friday in preparation for the match and to give out of towners as well as us locals a chance for some range time before the match on Saturday and Sunday. It really is just a 2 day event but the range is reserved for us for three days.

daveed · Post by **daveed** » Thu Sep 30, 2010 4:55 pm

My 2 cents. I've started using the Shaver inserts along with a Redfield Olympic front sight. The scores are more consistent, and more X's.

Dave

KennyB · Post by **KennyB** » Fri Oct 01, 2010 4:43 am

Centra Hi End inserts are getting a lot of use over here:

http://www.edinkillie.co.uk/ecatalog/ce ... p-158.html

Not cheap at £15 a go...