Trouble seeing the brass bead

[Eventually_Africa_Again]

Good morning/afternoon all!!

Well, as some of you may remember I had bought a Chapuis 450/400 double that I could not get to center. We got that all sorted out with Champlin Firearms (who I highly recommend!) and now she prints very nice touching groups at 50 yards. The problem is, I keep loosing the sight beads! The brass front beed just seems to merge with the target for some reason and I lose it. I'm not interested in putting a red-dot on my rifle (at least not yet) so I am asking if anyone has any tips or tricks to increase the visability of their front bead! Thank you all for your time!

 

[Red Leg]

Get someone (competent) to put an ivory (or equivalent white) bead on it. It will be far more visible and instinctively useful in a follow-up.

 

[freefall]

I would hit the bead with white appliance paint, then touch it with bright orange nail polish.

 

[Velo Dog]

At 68 years now, I have the same problem, unless ambient light conditions are perfect.
We all know very well, how often “perfect” happens.

I’m +1 with Red Leg on the white bead concept.
My rifles are equipped with largish white porcelain front sight bead configuration.
Mine came from a company called:
“New England Custom Gun” aka, “NECG”.

With open rear sight, (I like a wide, shallow “V” if not using an aperture or peep sight).
For such open rear sight arrangement, I “zero” my rifle for a “six o’clock hold”, at whatever distance I deem appropriate for the cartridge and game hunted, etc.

My front bead is slightly oversized, and combined with the rear “express sight, it can potentially block out a lot of the target.
Nonetheless, since I hold at the lower edge of the bullseye, in this way, it lets me see my target well.
And, it is surprisingly accurate.

With “peep sight”, I zero for center hold.
As long as you don’t use too small of an aperture, and our eyes are young enough for a simple front sight blade (pretty much identical to a pistol front sight blade), the peep and blade is superior in every way,
However and unfortunately, my geezer eyes as already mentioned, do need the generous white bead front sight these days.

 

[DWB]

Make sure your target is contrasting with the bead. I.e. a big black circle.

You can also file the bead flat with a slight forward angle. Pics up light much better and you see it better.

 

[Treemantwo]

I cleaned the front brass bead on my double with a thinner, let it dry, then used a Q tip to dab it with white nail polish. Don’t like the color .... I would try the fluorescent red or orange next. Very durable.....

 

[baxterb]

Make sure your target is contrasting with the bead. I.e. a big black circle.

You can also file the bead flat with a slight forward angle. Pics up light much better and you see it better.

I’ve known a few makers who always do this and never leave a bead round due to the effect caused by light hitting a sphere from an angle.

 

[IvW]

 

[318AE]

Try putting some whiteout on it - that old school stuff for corrections on paper- and see if/how much it helps, at the range etc. If you like that, the more permanent suggestions above are all great. If that doesn’t work for you - it comes off easily...

How much it helps and how it works, depends a lot on your eyes, the light at the rifle, the light at the target, contrast etc

 

[ZG47]

Good morning/afternoon all!!

Well, as some of you may remember I had bought a Chapuis 450/400 double that I could not get to center. We got that all sorted out with Champlin Firearms (who I highly recommend!) and now she prints very nice touching groups at 50 yards. The problem is, I keep loosing the sight beads! The brass front beed just seems to merge with the target for some reason and I lose it. I'm not interested in putting a red-dot on my rifle (at least not yet) so I am asking if anyone has any tips or tricks to increase the visability of their front bead! Thank you all for your time!

A number of guys have answered with suggestions of painting the dot and/or filing the face. These are good suggestions BUT you should get a spare bead before before trying these modifications, because firstly: it is a standard precaution with such modifications; and secondly: you may discover, during the process of testing, preferably by closing your eyes and then bringing the unloaded gun to your shoulder before opening your eyes, that gun mounting is also an issue.
I know from experience that when you fully investigate such matters there is often more than one factor involved and seemingly small changes can make a significant difference. I further suggest that you start the testing when fully relaxed and validate improvements by coming back to the rifle when tired and sore, i.e. ensure that your testing is valid for a day or two of hunting.

 

[Ike85123]

Clear fingernail polish works great for me. It just adds a little shine that my eyes catch easier. Almost lites up in sunlight against the target.

 

[Newboomer]

Try a HiViz red or green fiber optic sight . Green shows up better than red. I have them on all my handguns.

 

[Ray B]

I've been considering looking for a jeweler that could make a small bead of gold and affix it to the front sight. Problem is, besides finding someone qualified for the job I also need to find one that isn't averse to guns- which in Seattle is a major hurdle.

 

[degoins]

Champlin offers a warthog ivory sight in their services section. That might be an option. I'm thinking about it myself for a couple of my rifles.

 

[Red Leg]

Champlin offers a warthog ivory sight in their services section. That might be an option. I'm thinking about it myself for a couple of my rifles.

JJ Perodeau (the best on this continent) does that work for them. I can not recommend him more highly. No one else touches one of my doubles - rifle or shotgun. https://jjperodeau.com/

 

[Longwalker]

If you don't mind giving up on the open rear sight, one of the great virtues of an aperture sight mounted fairly close to your aiming eye is the fact that your focus and depth of field is improved. Looking through an aperture increases the contrast / resolution of the front sight.

 

[Woodcarver]

Does anyone make a ghost ring/peep that will clamp on the EAW rear base? Thus making it relatively quick to go from scoped to irons...

 

[C.W. Richter]

Look at the necg website they have a ridiculous amount of open site options and they've done fine work on my guns that originally had no iron sights.