Story by Shane Jahn

There are three basic categories of sights to install on a hunting handgun. Choosing which to use can depend on several things including personal preference, competent shooting distances and type of hunting being done.

Another influence is our own ocular ability — how well we can see the sight. There are advantages and even disadvantages from one sight to another depending on choice of hunting handgun and type of work it is subjected to.

No matter the sight used, each presents its own challenge to the handgun hunter. Here are some sight options and the pros and cons of each.

The most straightforward sight is open, or iron, sights. These normally come on the gun and are used as is or modified to suit specific needs. I’ve come to like a little color added to the front sight on my handguns. A dab of bright orange paint makes the sight stand out, especially in low light. Bright green also seems to suit my eyes.

One friend paints his front sight a bright color and rear sight another making each prominent to the eyes.  Gold or brass beads and fiber optic sights also tend to work well.

Occasionally folks have problems figuring out how to aim a front sight that has a bead or fiber optic rod in it. For me the circular bead or rod is used for quickly picking up the sight with my eyes.

For precision shooting I focus on the top edge of the bead of the front sight, leveling it with the top of the rear sight. The same principles of sight alignment are utilized when shooting a gun with a Patridge or ramp front sight. If the factory sights aren’t to your liking, there are several manufacturers who specialize in replacement sights for most handguns.

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