Shotguns: Bead vs Ghost Ring Sight System

[Bill Bates]

Ghost rings have their place in the shotgunning world. That place is in situations where your shotgun is used more like a rifle such as deer hunting, coyote hunting, turkey hunting and personal defense. These are times where you are aiming a shotgun.

Ghost rings are of little use where you are shooting instinctively such as most clay games and other flying fast moving targets. On flying targets a bead is of little value and more a matter of tradition. The shotgunner should be hard focusing on the target and ignoring the bead and barrel. In fact checking the bead and barrels is a good way to miss.

So let's get back to a ghost ring and other aperture rear sights where we are aiming. Your brain and eyes automatically center the bead or from sight in the center of the aperture. Your brain will do this very quickly with a larger aperture and do it without you even thinking about centering that front sight. It would be a distraction on flying targets where you are swinging the shotgun and intuitively pulling the trigger where the target will be in an instant; not where it is at the moment you pull the trigger.

To summarize; when using a shotgun like a rifle sights front and rear work. A larger aperture sight or express sight like a dangerous game rifle work very quickly. When using a shotgun, like a shotgun, anything that distracts from a hard focus on the target is a hinderers performance.

On a shotgun for personal defense I would opt for ghost sights.

 

[C J]

I learned to shoot with a bead sight a long time ago. Being able to hit a small, flying bird with a bead seems like a pretty good thing to me. I hit the first clay I ever shot at. I was 7 at the time. Beads are almost an extension of the human form IMO. You can't shoot slugs as accurate at distance but shotguns aren't generally long distance weapons unless you're hunting deer or something. For HD a bead is plenty good.

I do have a 870 barrel with iron sights. They aren't ghost rings but the idea is the same. Personally I think a ghost ring blocks my view even when shooting slugs at a distance unless I take my time aiming. If I have a charging bear I'm not going to want that ghost ring in my way. The iron sights work very nearly like a bead and they don't obscure my vision. I don't really expect a charging bear or anything but they are pretty thick where I live and they have threatened me quite a few times. If I cook on the grill I keep my 870 close by with dangerous game slugs in it. But I'm not shooting at a bear from 50 yards away trying to kill it. I'll be waiting until it is almost point blank so I won't miss or there will be less chance of it. Same thing with a man. If I want to shoot at a distance I'll use another weapon. Shotguns are generally a close up weapon unless you're hunting from a surprise position.

 

[squidsix]

Almost all my shot gunning is with slugs.
To the end of shooting single projectile at the intended target, nothing is better than ghost ring. For shot, whatever you like works fine, but for placing a one-ounce slug into a small space for max effect, ghost ring sights win the day. Point shooting with slugs typically results in a "miss".

 

[Real Old Navy]

590 Black Aces Quad Rail with flip up ghost ring steel sights, strobe flashlight, green laser both on micro switches, MagPul stock with Limbsaver Recoil Pad (need an 870 adapter), dual point MagPul sling

 

[Watchdog]

I had a Mossberg 930SPX with the ghost ring rear sight. Loved the sights on the gun. Unfortunately, the sights were the best part of the gun. Sold it.

 

[shouldazagged]

I can no longer hunt. When I did, I used a shotgun for doves and rabbits and was rarely even conscious of the bead. A ghost ring just wouldn't have worked for me.

In my apartment, an intruder needing to be dealt with is unlikely to be as much as fifteen feet away. With handgun or shotgun, adjustable sights or a ghost ring, respectively, would be superfluous, and might get me killed if I took the time to use them.

 

[Drm50]

At SD ranges not even a bead is required. Als when you use a aperature
sight of any kind including ghost ring, you should be looking through it
not at it. People that don't understand this try to use the aperature. For a back sight. It's something like the frame on eye glasses. When you get new ones the frames are in your " vision". I a short time you aren't aware of the frames. The bigger the hole in aperature the easier it is to acquire the target. The pin hole aperatures are more for target.

 

[ExcitableBoy]

Ghost rings are fine for well lighted targets, and you are able to take a deliberate shot. Same with aperture sights on rifles. If you've ever hunted with that type of sight at early dawn, dusk or dark overcast conditions, you will get it. They are pretty much worthless, then.

I will take a bead, or fiber optic front sight any day. With the fiber optic, a nice, contrasting shallow vee rear sight is a real game changer. A similar setup was to be had on older Ithaca Deerslayers. I had one in 20 gauge that took an awful lot of rabbits, grouse and running deer in low light, rain and snowstorms. I can't really recall why I ever got rid of it.

Compared to handguns, a shotgun is quite unwieldy in a defensive situation, unless you are very good with one. At least give yourself a little edge and ignore the tacticool appeal of a ghost ring.

Just sayin'... from 58 years worth of shotgunning experience.