How good are Ghost rings?

I am new to the shotgun world! So Here is my question remember I am New..What exactly is the benefit of ghost ring sights over the bead sight on the shot gun if any. :D
 

hogdogs

Staff In Memoriam
For stationary targets they add a bit of accuracy. Turkey hunters love them as they are trying for a head shot. Basically they hoping to fill the ring with the head.

BTW, The ghost ring nomenclature is shotgun specific... If you are familiar with rifles, just think in terms of "peep sight" same basic concept.
Brent
 

mete

New member
For defense shotguns when using slugs or buckshot they are excellent ! Fast and accurate ! They are excellent for rifles for hunting too, accurate enough to put them in 1" groups !:). I prefer a 1/8" square front post and a 3/16" hole in the ghost ring rear.The concept is that the eye automatically centers the ring to the eye so you only deal with the post.The ring then must be mounted close to the eye.
 

Lee Lapin

New member
Cooper said, The ghost-ring is that form of aperture sight which features a small diameter ring with a large diameter aperture. A ghost-ring is not an "open sight." It is called ghostly because when it is used properly it fades out and the eye is left free to focus upon the front sight alone. This is both faster and more precise than any form of open sight, including the express sight usually featured on heavy doubles, though speed differential is very slight. -- http://molonlabe.net/Commentaries/jeff14_1.html

The first "ghost ring" I ever encountered was in the late 1970s. It was the rear sight with a large aperture that was issued along with a set of GI night sights for the M16. The front sight had a tritium vial installed in it, and the large aperture on the rear sight made it reasonably easy to put sights on any target you could see even in low light. Of course, it wasn't intended as a ghost ring, but that's how it worked- and for me, it worked very well.

And they work well for me on shotguns, too. I like 'em. Some people don't, but then some people would complain about getting hung with a new rope, too :D.

lpl
 

oneounceload

Moderator
For shooting a shotgun like a rifle, they can help over a front site alone. For wing shooting or clays, they are a hindrance and result in misses.
 

Tenshi

New member
I have ghost ring sights on my Mossberg and love them...
A shotgun with a bead sight is more dependent on shotgun fit to get proper accuracy. A shotgun with ghost ring sights is shot like a rifle. They're MUCH better for shooting slugs and buckshot at longer distances.
About the only disadvantage I've found to the ghost ring sights is that it raises your face on the comb so you don't have the same cheek weld as you generally would on a shotgun, but you get used to it after shooting it a bit and eventually get accustomed to the new position.
 

zippy13

New member
Tahitian wrote…
About the only disadvantage I've found to the ghost ring sights is that it raises your face on the comb so you don't have the same cheek weld as you generally would on a shotgun, but you get used to it after shooting it a bit and eventually get accustomed to the new position.
In a perfect world, changes in sight height would be accompanied by changes in stock fit. Having to raise your face to use a higher sight is a good way to get it smacked. It takes just a few smacks in the cheek before you sub-conscious objects and starts thinking about introducing you to the flinch.
 

Tenshi

New member
In a perfect world, changes in sight height would be accompanied by changes in stock fit. Having to raise your face to use a higher sight is a good way to get it smacked. It takes just a few smacks in the cheek before you sub-conscious objects and starts thinking about introducing you to the flinch.

have never ever had it even come close to smacking me in the cheek....
 

SiNNiK

New member
I am new to the shotgun world! So Here is my question remember I am New..What exactly is the benefit of ghost ring sights over the bead sight on the shot gun if any.

While GRS may allow you to aim more accurately than a bead sight, I prefer rifle sights on mine simply because they allow me to aim without obstructing my field of vision.
 

Dave McC

Staff In Memoriam
Sorry, SiNNik, GRS obscures less. The aperture is so close to the eye one looks through it. That's why most military rifles made since WWII, except the AK, have peep sights.

Most folks find aperture sights like the GRS and peep (a GRS is a peep sight with a LARGE aperture) faster AND more accurate than open sights and more accurate than beads.

The first GRS I ran across was when I was a teen. Pop's hunting club had a couple guys using old Remington Model 8 autos. They had peeps with the aperture disc removed. This swapped a little accuracy for lots of speed.

Slug guns, muzzle loaders and rifles here are so equipped......
 
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