Red Ramp vs Black Sight, again

[David Bradshaw]

To shoot is spiritually healthy. Regular. As a pistol shooter you are a musician. You have an instrument, play it. Call it Affinity or HARD WIRING, it is real.

Lately packing an old, nickel plate, Smith & Wesson Model 29, 8-3/8-inch barrel. Rides in a laced holster I water-molded decades ago; leather better all these years than a whole lot of skins made yesterday. The kind of leather you can swim in a river when you climb out, holds its shape. So I rubbed the holster with Pecard's Leather Dressing, getting my hands hot rubbing it, and set it to bask on the dashboard of the truck a few days this summer. Now, it's a happy holster.

To pretend to be READY, I take a shot now and then. Two shots a day is better than three. This is how it works. 200 yards into the west pasture there is a 4-foot granite boulder, surrounded by smaller rocks. A heavy gauge aluminum spaghetti pot sits atop the rock. A stainless steel milk can sits on a stone to the left. An other aluminum pot to the right. Various small stones, invisible to unscoped eyes, are set up for the smashing by rifle fire.

The idea is to take a poke at the spaghetti pot----with iron sighted revolver, pop it with a forty-four. Nearly always a breeze nibbles from 9-to-1 o'clock, mostly 10-to-11. This slant of wind easily drifts a .44 magnum 1-2 feet at 200 yards.

To dope wind, trees clouds grass are trusted only so far. To shoot wind, one must read its breath on their skin, face, neck, back of hands. In the northern hemisphere the sun is always south. Sunrise southeast, sunset southwest.

Lucky lately, getting off two shots per day. But when it's bad, it's really bad;. Like I need a cylinder-full to wound a spaghetti pot? Burning off ancient ammunition, a box of this, a box of that. That's where things get queer. Good sight dope and random ammunition may travel parallel, but they seldom cross.

The pallet of fall is upon us. Holstein heifers paint black & white dots across a camouflage landscape of green tan brown orange red yellow.

Between the M-29 red ramp and a plain black sight, in the hunting field, there is no choice. Red ramp wins.
David Bradshaw

 

[David Bradshaw]

The other day I pulled out the 5-1/2-inch REDHAWK. Unlike the S&W M-29, which is so beautiful in original configuration, living in the shadow of the Colt Peacemaker, that other revolvers must live in the shadow of it.

The Redhawk is ugly. In a handsome sort of way.

The two cannot live without each other: the parent a violin, the son a logger.

Today I pulled out the logger. Trouble is, I'm getting stingy with my hunting ammo. So, these guns must go to the trough for old loads. A week or two ago I unlimbered the Redhawk with six remaining rounds of a Hornady 240 grain silhouette reload. Bottomed the elevation screw and counted up 48-clicks. (The second generation Ruger elevation screw has 16-clicks per revolution, whereas the first gen screw is 8-clicks per rev. The Redhawk was introduced with the 16-click screw.)

Five shots of Hornady 240 JTC-SIL print 12" @ 200 yards. One shot remains in cylinder. Ear back hammer. No, fool, do not shoot before you dope the wind. Touch right corner of front sight to left side of spaghetti pot.

BOOM----tink!----pot topples behind rock.

This afternoon, gray, round about sunset, load Redhawk with Speer IHMSA bullet----240 grain TMJ (Total Metal Jacket) electro-plated copper over 24/296, Fed 155, Fed brass. Rest revolver over doghouse roof, padded by doomed sweatpants. And, yes, dope the wind. Old, tired eyes tune oxygen to front sight. Squeeze...

BOOM----poof----bullet puff right edge of pot.

Shift sight picture a couple thousandths left, to hold the merest sliver of light between red ramp and spaghetti pot. 10-inch target, 200 yards.

BOOM----tink!----pot topples off rock.

These shots desire visible sights. Shooting deer in the woods desires visible sights. For this job, I must see the sights!
David Bradshaw

 

[Snake45]

When I first started shooting, back in the early '70s, an old-timer at a gun shop introduced me to S&W RR/WO sights. I think they might have been on a Kit Gun. I fell in love with them on the spot and most of my handguns have worn them to this day--revolvers and autos alike. I have a few I shoot with black sights, or white dots, just to keep familiar with them, but my first preference is the red ramp with white outline. What a beautiful sight picture it makes!

 

[trouble]

All of my wheelguns have RR/WO.

 

[WESHOOT2]

All my wheels wear Millett orange-ramp front blades (wife's GP and S&W M38 wear stock black fronts; she's younger).

 

[hutchman]

For those of us with aging eyes, I am wondering if the new fiber optic sights might be a good tool? I recently shot my first handgun with them and I certainly could see the front sight much better. They may not be very traditional, but if they work............?

 

[Revoliver]

I had replaced my front sight on my 6" ss GP100 with the old GBVR gold bead front sight. It looks fantastic and is a joy to get a sight picture with. However, it is just too tall, even after adjusting the rear sight elevation to max, it still shoots disturbingly low at 25yds, even after aiming well above the bullseye it's still way too low.

I did however try out the v-notch w/white vertical stripe rear blade as well as the One Ragged Hole rear aperture blades, and have fallen in love with the 7/32 rear aperture. It is wonderful to have and use, not blocking of the target at all!

So, for now the gold bead front stays on because it looks fantastic, but when I go shooting it will be replaced by either the red insert ramp front sight or the black ramp front sight. I'll probably break down and get a high viz, but damn do I wish that I could find a way to make that gold bead front work.

 

[David Bradshaw]

Don't know whether Ruger still makes a solid steel black ramp Redhawk insert. Give customer service a call. The red ramp insert is steel, and a post may be fashioned from it. I have tried all the colored plastic inserts, and found them all less versatile than the red-insert ramp.

By careful use of a file, a bead (including a low bead) could be fashioned from the steel ramp. How you fasten a brass or gold dot to it, might be work for a jeweler.

The Ruger "express" sight offers a ridiculously tiny bead. Bill Ruger, SR was an admirer of express rifles, which feature fat beads. How the Redhawk bead got so tiny, I do not know.

The field is open for a durable, less-hideous fiberoptic sight.

A large aperture rear, in conjunction with bead front, is a means of extending the limited range of traditional express sights (shallow V-notch rear, bead front). Express sights trade precision for speed, which speed is defeated by a tiny bead. The express sight offers no index of elevation. Elevation with the square post/square notch is established by the plane across the top of the sights. Elevation with an aperture/bead is established by the "keyhole" effect, as the eye automatically centers itself in the hole. Closer to the eye, the more precise the centering.

Kimber bought Meprolight, and Meprolight makes Redhawk sights. I have Meprolight sights on the Ruger 03. This is the tritium 3-dot arrangement. More visible than white dots in daylight and perfectly visible in total darkness. Tritium inserts are said to last 10 years, but 7 is more like it. (Tritium sights offered on police trade-in pistols are generally dead, although the sellers never say that.)
David Bradshaw

 

[Tommy Kelly]

I am a older shooter with bad vision. What I have found that I like is testors model paint. It comes in some very bright colors that show up very well on front sights. I have tried the fibre optics and with my eyes and glasses the fibre optics give a starburst effect. The only time they work for myself is in very low light then the starburst effect is not there. With normal daylight it's back. I use a toothpick to paint about the top half of the rear of the ramp usually using either red or orange model paint. after cleaning the ramp with alcahol and letting dry. The testors paint will last a long time usually about 2 years or more with normal use. When it needs repainting I take a stainless steel brush and remove the old paint and reapply. I have been using a bottle of this paint for about 10 years. I paid fifty cents for the paint and have painted hundreds of sights from this one bottle. There are 2 things to remember only dip about 1/16 of a inch of the toothpick in the paint that's more than you will use and screw the top back on tight to keep the paint from drying out. I have had great luck for years using this as my red ramp sights. The paints come in a wide array of bright colors so everyone can find a color they like from greens to yellows to white.

 

[don44]

I am a older shooter with bad vision. What I have found that I like is testors model paint. It comes in some very bright colors that show up very well on front sights. I have tried the fibre optics and with my eyes and glasses the fibre optics give a starburst effect. The only time they work for myself is in very low light then the starburst effect is not there. With normal daylight it's back. I use a toothpick to paint about the top half of the rear of the ramp usually using either red or orange model paint. after cleaning the ramp with alcahol and letting dry. The testors paint will last a long time usually about 2 years or more with normal use. When it needs repainting I take a stainless steel brush and remove the old paint and reapply. I have been using a bottle of this paint for about 10 years. I paid fifty cents for the paint and have painted hundreds of sights from this one bottle. There are 2 things to remember only dip about 1/16 of a inch of the toothpick in the paint that's more than you will use and screw the top back on tight to keep the paint from drying out. I have had great luck for years using this as my red ramp sights. The paints come in a wide array of bright colors so everyone can find a color they like from greens to yellows to white.

That is the same thing I do to my front sights and to outline some rear sights. Good info!

 

[Snake45]

The testors paint will last a long time usually about 2 years or more with normal use. When it needs repainting I take a stainless steel brush and remove the old paint and reapply. I have been using a bottle of this paint for about 10 years. I paid fifty cents for the paint...

You'll find that that little bottle of Testor paint will run you close to $2 today, even at Walmart. :shock:

I use the stuff, too. One more tip on it: When it's dry on the sight, rub it with a pencil eraser. This kills the gloss of it, giving you a bright, nonglare red (or whatever color) surface to look at.

 

[CraigC]

I despise orange insert and white outline sights. I have no use for them. There are guns I just won't buy because of them. Same for V-notches, beads and fiber optics. Make them all black and preferably a front post for me.

 

[Three44s]

I'm still sold on a straight black blade and a partridge black front.

But on my SRH 9 1/2" I resorted to the One Ragged Hole 7/32" peep (small one) (ORH) that a neighbor gave me and that Ruger front bead (I painted it black). This one is gone and the .480 SRH that took it's place is RR/WO and it's not my cup of tea at this time. There is a good member on this forum that makes the ORH and I am going to get some made for a number of the Rugers here on the ranch. My 84 year old father deserves to try it on his Blackhawk as well ........ he's the peep sight fanatic that got me going on them on rifles ............ a model 341 Rem (22 lr) factory peep that's been his since he was a teen and if it could tell stories ........... oh!!

I have a Security Six 4" that's RR/WO and I left it alone for defensive purposes and close range/quickness and low light. This is my "bedtime" special .357!

One thing about handguns ......... they are "personal" and as long as we live in a free society ........... it's all about choices!

Viva revolvers!!

Three 44s

 

[Rodfac]

I'm not a red ramp fan either. In hard sunlight, that S&W Red Plastic shows up as a white blur from the reflection. And you can't blacken it with a kitchen match either...well, I guess you could once! For me, it's a black post or Baughman ramp for target work or hunting, and I whiten them for woods use and general hunting...white shows up well in the shade and is brilliant against KY whitetail hair. I use typewriter correction fluid to whiten the post or ramp front; and it will last through a day in the holster, but comes off with a finger nail when it's back to target punching again. Best Regards, Rod

 

[MikeMcD]

As of late I have been tinkering with my Redhawk front sight. I ordered a plain black front sight from Midway for under $7. It is the same height as the original. With a little file work the new sight was narrowed a bit with a finer profile at the top of the sight. I blued it and degreased the "ramp" part and painted it bright red. (I almost used the blaze orange rustoleum, but I may try that another time...) So, it has some benefit of a finer sight, like the gold dot, but more durable.
By the way, I had to wait a couple of months for the sight to get back in stock. If you see it in stock, get it, and avoid the delay.
Model paint, nail polish, lure paint -- seems to me that a good white prep coat (I use white lure paint) means more than the paint concoction.

 

[Snake45]

I'm not a red ramp fan either. In hard sunlight, that S&W Red Plastic shows up as a white blur from the reflection.

There are ways to "matte" it so it doesn't reflect. One is to rub it with a pencil eraser.

 

[JesterGrin_1]

I have a Ruger Super Blackhawk Stainless with a pinned front sight. Does anyone make a replacement with say Orange or White inlayed?

I know my Option is Paint but I would like to do it right if I am able.

 

[contender]

To read Davids writing is a way to start my day with a smile.
Due to different things, (age, eyesight, amount of sunlight etc) we all prefer different sights on our handguns & rifles. None are wrong. I always say, find what works for you.
I wouldn't want to be those pots a 'settin on that rock.