Peep sight for older eyes.

I have excellent long range vision, always have, it's the close stuff I have a problem with. I prefer a flint or percussion with simple iron sights to the modern stuff. But in the last year my close range vision has deteriorated to the point I can't focus on the rear sight. I can never tell where the ball might hit or how large the group might be. I certainly can't see well enough to hunt.
I got by last year by fitting fiber optics to my .54 but they didn't really work for me. So something else was is in order. I've always liked peep sights. I learned to shoot with them decades ago and they always worked well both shooting targets and deer. Problem is there is no factory sight made that will work with the swamped barrels I use. And due to the fact they must be mounted on an angled surface it is tough to get both front and rear on the same plane concentric with the bore.
But I've been thinking about it for a few years and decided to give it a shot. I went through 2 prototypes before the final version. The sight is adjustable for elevation. The front sight is moved for windage. Works out real good.
The round group, the best one, was shot with the second prototype in good sunlight. The other was shot in the late afternoon shadows and is stringing vertically due to me not being entirely sure where to hold the top of the front sight. It will take some more shooting to get it worked out just right.
Then, I'll start on the set for my .54
BTW the target that has 2/22/2017 is wrong. It should read 3/22/2017.

Very nice let me know when you start selling them......

I'll take one too. I was planning on making something similar but couldn't figure out how to make it adjustable for elevation.

leoparddog, Stabow, here it is in a nutshell; I drilled and tapped a 8/32 hole through the tang just behind the plug. Great care was taken when drilling as to be square with the bore the drill had to enter the material at a angle. Plus it had to be in the centerline of the bore as the only windage adjustment was with the front sight. I made the first prototype out of a .40 S&W empty case and worked most things out with that. One reason the position of the hole was chosen was to give room for a 8/32 lock washer and nut beneath the tang.
This position beneath the tang was worked flat so the nut would seat without touching the rear of the plug. I wanted both an adjustable sight and one that could be positively locked in position. Where the adjustment screw touched the stock mortice, I drilled it a little deeper for clearance and also chiseled that location for clearance for the lock washer and nut. Then sealed all new wood with Jim Chambers oil finish.
For the final version I cut off a section of 8/32 tangbolt and screwed it into the sight base using J&B weld in the theads to lock it in place. If you don't do this the sight will rotate on the screw when you try to tighten it or could get bumped off center easily in the woods. By turning the screw up one complete turn you move the sight .031" The photo's of the first 2 prototypes should give an idea of how things work. The next one I do for my .54 I'm thinking about using a set screw drilled to intersect the 8/32 hole so the rifle will not need to be taken apart to make elevation adjustments. I might also make the rear peep a little higher off the barrel, that will allow a taller front post so I can see more of the animal when aiming.
This is a fairly easy project but it does require some skill in drilling and tapping straight holes into steel at different angles. While keeping the hole centered in the tang and not breaking a drill or tap. One must have at least basic skills in setting up your workpiece for best results. And it helps to be able to fabricate small parts with a file. I also made a new front sight made with a brass base and mild steel blade. Since 30 grains of 3fg is my most common load I sighted it in with that load by filing the front sight blade down and turning the sight one full revolution up. I had hoped to sight dead on with 30 grains and hit about 2" high at 50 yards with 50 or 60 grain loads. It was pretty much dead on so I'm ready for some turkey hunting.
If it all fits what your comfortable with then go for it.

1st photo is the original prototype
2nd photo is the second prototype
3rd photo is new front sight before I started filing it down. It is now rounded like a old front sight.
4th photo is the stock modification to gain clearance for nut and bolt.

Beautiful smoke pole and some fine shooting I might add !

I'm in sort of the same boat, only I don't do muzzle loaders. I used to be pretty good with my old 30-30, but have problems seeing the rear site, front site, and the target. I can make out 2 out of 3, but the front site gets blurry. I'm glad you worked out a solution, nice job!

I have the same problem and I hate wearing glasses, they always want to fog up when I ware a face vial or balaclava so I ended up mounting a little Holographic sight half way down the barre and it works real well, its not traditional but it allows me to hunt with my Hawkins and It keeps me from wounding or missing deer so I'm going to keep using it but I really like what you did great Idea

I've looked long and hard on the internet for a reasonably priced peep sight. Without a drill press I'm hesitant to go drilling on the tang of my Hawkens. I'm thinking about finding a piece of brass that I can bend, file, drill and shape and mount on the barrel where the existing rear sight is located. No dovetail there, the old Traditions rear sight was D&T screwed to the barrel flat.

That might work well for your Hawken seeing as it has a straight barrel. The problem is getting the peep too high. Then you gotta buy or make a higher front sight.
I first made a mount of .100" thick steel, bent to fit the curve of the tang and rear of the barrel, and mounted a Williams peep sight on top of that. The rifle shot about a foot low.
My barrel is what is called a swamped barrel, it is 1.062 at the breech end, .772 at the waist, and .957 at the bore.
By drilling through the tang, then making the peep with as low a hole as possible, it brought the peep low enough for a decent height front sight. The front sight in the photo's is prior to sighting it in by lowering the front sight. Now it is rounded and less than .300" high.
Good luck. But everybody's going to face this issue sometime. Worsening eyesight just comes with getting older.

Darkhorse,
You're my hero. I'm gonna try my hand at just such a fabrication.
I'm cobbling together a TC Hawken and what they want for a peep is a sin! Thanks for the groundwork, Sir!

Capt Quirk said:

I'm in sort of the same boat, only I don't do muzzle loaders. I used to be pretty good with my old 30-30, but have problems seeing the rear site, front site, and the target. I can make out 2 out of 3, but the front site gets blurry. I'm glad you worked out a solution, nice job!

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With a peep sight you only need to see the front sight and the target. The hole in the peep will be blurry but by some miracle of sight it centers the front sight automatically.
Usually both the front sight and target are seen clearer through a peep sight.