Preference on Tang Sights

C

ckpj99

New member
I'm shopping around for a good Marlin 336 (but I'd probably pick up a pre-64 Winchester if I found a really good deal on one.

I'll be installing a tang peep sight regardless.

It appears that I have three options. Marbles, Lyman and Varner.

Marbles sights appear to be around the $130 mark, Lyman's are $90-100, and Varner's about $75.

I was planning on springing for the Marbles, as I assume price matches quality. However, I thought I'd run the idea by you folks and see there were any other opinion floating around.

So assuming you're wanting a peep sight for .30-30 lever gun, what would you buy? And are these three options all that are available, or is there another brand I don't know about?
 
I don't know anything about the Varners, but I got the Lyman and wisht I would have gotten the Marbles. It's my unnerstanding that the Marbles has clicks, or at least some degree of tightness in the elevation adjustments. Everything about the Lyman I have is big heap loose except the mounting screws.
 
I have Marbles they are windage adjustable where I think the Lymans are not. Marbles are excellent sights have at least 2 for sure maybe three also come with two apertures one for target one for hunting. Lymans may also come with two. When I get off work I will try to post photos. Providence tool makes an interesting receiver site for Winchesters and Marlins too I think. Gus
 
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FWIW, My Taurus tang peep sight was IIRC $30.00 from Taurus.

PumaTaurusTang.jpg



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It seems like Marbles is the consensus. A few more questions for Marbles owners.

It's my understanding that I'll need to buy the mounting screw(s) separately. Is that correct?

What did you do about the standard rear sight?
Can you leave it in and still use the tang sight?
Did you drift it out and fill the empty dovetail in with a blank?
Where would you obtain such a blank?
I know some Marlins and Winchesters come with fold-down rear sights, but are they very common?
 
You do have options !!!

On the rear sight;

If you like your current rear sight; You can keep your rear sight ..... Period ...... Sorry about that .... ;)

Or if it gets in the way, your can replace it with a fold-down rear sight.
Or you can remove it altogether and put in a blank. not a problem.
Again, Marbles and go to Brownells and shop. ... :)

Be Safe !!!
 
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If you replace the rear bbl sight with a folder, you can set the rifle up with dual zeroes: The bbl sights for short range, sudenly-presented game/targets; the tang sight at a somewhat longer range, if/when a game/target presents itself further away.

There's usually ample time to fold the bbl sight & raise the tang sight, if/when a target appears "out there".

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I run Marbles sights on my Marlins, except I replaced the fixed apertures with Merits. It makes a big difference to my eyes to dial in the right aperture.
 
So now I have another question about the Marbles tang sight. On the newest one for the 336, it appears that I will not need to drill and tap another hole in the tang. Is that correct? It looks like it has a replacement tang screw and then a set screw.

I've heard not so good things about using any tang sight on a 336 because the bolt comes so far back, but I really want one. However, being able to buy one that doesn't require a permanent alteration is a big plus.

Can anyone fill me in on this? There doesn't seem to be a single set of instructions or a single video showing how the (improved?) Marbles Tang sight installs on a 336.
 
Is there some reason you don't want to use a Williams sight?

14aixyq.jpg


Having a Marble's sight on my `92Win, and Williams' on my Marlins [no drilling/tapping req'd] , the Williams is by far the most "practical".
 
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Well, "real" peep sights are supposed to be pretty close to your eye. The small aperture has effect of increasing the depth of field of your eye. Even on dim days with the right aperture size, it can make so the front sight and the target are in focus.

With a sight that's farther away (more than 2 or 3 inches from the eye), you're just using your brain's natural centering power, which means you're working with more of a ghost ring sight instead of a peep sight. It can still be plenty effective, but it's not the same.

My final reason for not using a receiver sight is that I don't think they look very good. That's just preference though.
 
So assuming you're wanting a peep sight for .30-30 lever gun, what would you buy?
Click to expand...

Originally given only three choices. Limited everyone's response to the best of the three each of us thought was simply the best for your purpose. But mehavey has done things right on his 336._ I've used William's Fool Proof peeps many times on my lever rifles over the years and never once had a single complaint about its materials and workings or its Ghost Ring capabilities. If wanting to shoot a peep similar to Grandpa's rifle than buy a Tang mounted tip-up peep. {quite similar to wanting his Oldsmobile too and you know what happen to that car line.} Those who want a tang peep should be reminded occasionally that its original intended purpose is still and always has been to be used as a (secondary sight) for distances beyond open barrel sight capabilities. After you get tired of looking thru that Tang peep sights tinny hole in the late afternoon or near dark and having to figure out where your front Bead disappeared too. {with or without the rifle's rear sight blade present.} You'll realize why so many marksman prefer receiver mounted peep sights verses Grandpa's out-dated obsolete stick peep. But whichever or however is without question your preference OP.
 
FWIW2: I'm no stranger to tang sights (this is my 45 Missouri River Hawken
with an MVA #130) ...
314uk3q.jpg

... and they are truly the cat's meow.

But I would offer that the rear receiver-mounted Williams on my Marlin Guide Gun is
no less precise as a sight, and much more practical in the field. That sight takes any
Williams aperture disk -- down to 0.050" in my case for ALL my peeps (MVA, Lyman 57,
Marble's, T/C's 7194, and/or the Willams)




** this Pedersoli/sight combination is good for reliable
100-yd 5-shot groups of 1¾" using Lyman's 451 roundball
mould; 61.1gr/3Fg GoEx, 0.010" white cotton Twill from
JoAnn's Fabric; and 7-1 water/Napa cutting oil ( -- after
I got it to quit cutting patches up going down the barrel) :eek:
 
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Sure Shot and Mehavey - I'm not dogging on receiver sights. I had one installed on my 10/22 until I sold it. Also, I'd love to do a two-sight setup with a folding rear and a then a tang peep.

While tang peep sights were typically used for longer ranges (I typically shoot at 100 yards, which is probably on the border of "long range" for a 30-30, 150 was probably closer to the range where people would flip of their peep), they are also used for higher precision.

A super high level of precision isn't needed for deer hunting at 100 yards, maybe 4 or 5 MOA. The rifle is probably capable of 1 MOA or lower with the right loads, and in theory, that's easier to achieve with an old school tang peep (over the stock sights or even a ghost ring).

I should say that this is rifle not really for hunting. It's a range toy that I'd like to wring a lot of accuracy out of with open sights.
 
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