Peep sights, thoughts suggestions?

[doskiez]

Hello all,
I am new to the forum, new to lever guns (first one I have owned not first I have been around), but not new to rossi/ taurus. I recently got a remarkable deal on a used rio grand in 45-70 at my local cabellas. I was looking for a Marlin 1895 and couldnt bring myself to buy a remlin that looked like a cheaply made toy. I have older marlins and love them but I wanted something of good quality.

Now on to the sights, I have a few scoped rifles, some buckhorn, and some peep sights. Scopes are all fine and good for some hunting situation but this rifle will primarily be my brush/ ranch gun where shot distance will be limited to 100-150 yards and quick target aquisition will be key. I also bow hunt so I am very used to looking through peep sights and I am also very accurate with my bow. Given this I have pretty much decided I want to add a peep sight to the rossi.

I have looked at quite a few different sights, I like the looks of the skinner sights and their seemingly robust construction but I am still wondering if I would be better off with a micrometer adjustable sight like the Williams fool proof. My question to you is should I find a good all around load, stick with that, and zero the skinner at 100 yards and be done with it, or should I find a couple loads I like and find an adjustable (on the fly click adjust not brass drift and tool adjust) and sight in for each noting my zero point so I can switch back and forth.
Thanks in advance

[akuser47]

I like the looks and biuld of skinner also like the williams this can only be answered by how you will use the gun as you already stated try the loads you plan on using and see what the rifle likes for inteneded distances and let your gun choose for you this is what I would do as some loads can perform poorly. You may not need the benefit of the williams micro adjustments unless your gun can handle the loads. I love the look of the skinner peep sights but that is just by looks no hands on as of yet.

[doskiez]

I like the looks and biuld of skinner also like the williams this can only be answered by how you will use the gun as you already stated try the loads you plan on using and see what the rifle likes for inteneded distances and let your gun choose for you this is what I would do as some loads can perform poorly. You may not need the benefit of the williams micro adjustments unless your gun can handle the loads. I love the look of the skinner peep sights but that is just by looks no hands on as of yet.

I think your right, I will shoot and see. I think I will end up with the skinner, I need something simple and rugged since this will be an all purpose multi use gun, and I really dont see myself having too many different loads. Also, in emails to Skinner they told me they have an adapter that will allow the use of a Merit adjustable aperature peep so I would have more versatility in changing light and distance conditions. I think that will be the prefect storm so to speak and will be where I start out. I will keep you posted.

[doskiez]

After thinking more about it I now have more decisions. My only hangup on the peep sight is it may not be the most advantageous sight at night. Since I plan on doing a good bit of hog hunting with this gun I am assuming I will be hunting at night and during the day. For this situation the smaller skinner peep, the one that only goes on the rear 2 reciever holes, could be used and a scout scope mount could be installed with the front 2 reciever holes and rear dovetail. This would allow me to mount a scout scope with quick disconnect bases for night time hunting and quickly remove it for daytime use.
Now the only question is do I really want to put a scope on this beautiful rifle

[pricedo]

Might take a little DIY gunsmithing but Williams peep sights work very well on short to medium range big bore rifles.
I have a Williams on my chopped & re-crowned (20" bbl) Remington Model 700 in .416 Remington Magnum which I affectionately call "Big Bupkas" that is my most powerful (5200 ft-lbs) big bore (for me the African PH standard of .400 cal & above).
Sighting "Big Bupkas" in from a bench is a real treat as it only weighs 7 3/4 pounds !........................Caldwell Lead Sled and a shoulder pad is the only way without breaking a collar bone.

[Ranch Dog]

...and a scout scope mount could be installed with the front 2 reciever holes and rear dovetail. This would allow me to mount a scout scope...

You would need to manufacture a base as the taper of the Rossi base moving forward would no longer fit.

[doskiez]

...and a scout scope mount could be installed with the front 2 reciever holes and rear dovetail. This would allow me to mount a scout scope...

You would need to manufacture a base as the taper of the Rossi base moving forward would no longer fit.

What exactly do you mean? I was thinking about the xs scout scope mount which uses the forward 2 holes and a dovetail mount of the sight. This fits the marlin 336, will this not work on the rio grand? I was going to use the rear 2 holes for the small skinner peep.

[Ranch Dog]

I talked to XS a year ago and they said that their product would not fit the RG.

[Ranch Dog]

I'm going to add that with the call the mention of "Rossi" had a very negative impact on the communication. I could tell they didn't think it worth their time to talk with me. It would be nice if a fellow was both a Marlin/Rossi shooter and owned one for his 336 so that he could make an educated comparison. At the time, I did not think it worth the $60 investment to find out.

I really don't get it. I'm not sure why an outfit like XS, Ramline (stocks), Wild West Guns or any of the others just doesn't invest in a Braztech R92 and RG and get with the program. The first one in tends to win and there is no doubt that BT is getting their stuff together. I would love to have XS on my four R92 scout rifles, that would be the cat's meow. I would even chip off my JB Weld and start over or have the rifles rebarreled!

[pricedo]

I'm going to add that with the call the mention of "Rossi" had a very negative impact on the communication. I could tell they didn't think it worth their time to talk with me. It would be nice if a fellow was both a Marlin/Rossi shooter and owned one for his 336 so that he could make an educated comparison. At the time, I did not think it worth the $60 investment to find out.

I really don't get it. I'm not sure why an outfit like XS, Ramline (stocks), Wild West Guns or any of the others just doesn't invest in a Braztech R92 and RG and get with the program. The first one in tends to win and there is no doubt that BT is getting their stuff together. I would love to have XS on my four R92 scout rifles, that would be the cat's meow. I would even chip off my JB Weld and start over or have the rifles rebarreled!

The companies you speak of look at development/retooling costs VS projected sales & profits.
Maybe they didn't think that Rossi levergun sales would "take off" like they are.
In physics vacuums tend to be filled. In marketing it's no different.
The demise of Marlin & Winchester as sources of realistically priced utility leverguns has created a market share vacuum that Rossi is filling.
Shooting accessory manufacturing companies like any other business enterprises succeed or fail by keeping their ears to the ground in regards to predicting future market share and beating their competitors to the punch.
Perhaps in the future in light of marketing trends that favor Rossi the accessory companies you speak of will re-examine their positions.
I have no idea how Rossis sales are faring.
Maybe the accessory companies are right and it isn't worth it to retool to accommodate Rossi leverguns...........BUT the fact that you can surf the internet and street gun shops and not find a single Rossi levergun cause they're sold out tells me something different.