Ghost rings vs. bead sight

tools · February 28, 2009, 10:52 PM

What is the general consensus about bead sights vs. ghost rings? My understanding is that ghost rings help with further distance shots at the expense of some close range target acquisition speed. Is this correct?

So, I may want a bead sight on my home defense shotgun but ghost rings on my property patrol shotgun?

SMiller · February 28, 2009, 11:03 PM

I am NO expert but... I bought a Mossberg SPX that comes with great ghost ring sights, I also looked at lots of other tactical shotguns that just had the bead front. I find that both are very fast to get on sight (target) maybe even say they are so fast that they take the same amount of time to bring to sight. Having said that the advantage goes to the ghost ring sights because you can shoot a lot farther out since you have a fiber optic front that you put in the middle of ghost ring.

Using bird shot or buck shot it really doesn't seem to matter, but if you even thought you might shoot a slug you will want a set of sights.

Slopemeno · March 1, 2009, 01:44 AM

Ghost rings are incredibly fast. A home defense shotgun will be perfectly useful with a bead/base combo, but for anything like outdoor use, the ghost ring setup is better.

hogdogs · March 1, 2009, 03:47 AM

BEAD BEAD BEAD AND BEAD are my 4 favorite sight set ups on a shotgun... Nothing, IMHO YMMV, is faster to come on point than a single bead.... In all actuality, I couldn't tell you what color my bead is when pointing on a moving target. I also have no use for the bead in a HD/SD situation. For a bunny sitting in the garden eatin' mrs.hogdogs carrots.. sure I aim with the bead and plan my alignment for range but it is no requisite. I could shear off the bead and have exactly the same rate of mortality.
Now to add a GR sight setup would SEVERELY hinder me. It is poking up in the air and is wide. I do not aim any SD/HD weapon like I would a rifle on a deer. It is more along the lines of a fluid "point" I can't really describe it proper but imagine putting up yer dukes and scrapping... Do you aim for the nose or just throw a punch and it lands there as planned..
I am in a 2 dimensional vision mode when bringing a shotgun to bear on a moving or sd/hd target. In a fuzzy perception the barrel is kind of visible but I am focused on the target and I have good reason (due to practice) to feel my payload is about to hit the mark. I am also able to work peripheral vision scanning for other targets.
It is a proven fact that just like a high dollar camera, the human vision capacity is very limited in number of distances it can focus on. If one vision requirement is 2-3 feet away and small (sights) and the other required image is 10-20 feet away, one is not in focus... Ask your self, "What do I want to see clearly?" I prefer to have a slightly blurry black metal "thingy" pointing at a clearly identified threat... or game animal.
There are guys here better at describing in less words than I, what I typed too many words for...
Brent

wyobohunter · March 3, 2009, 12:42 AM

I'm a novice shotgunner. I briefly considered affixing a ghost ring to my new shotgun but... I think it'd lead me to aiming the thing and I'd never learn to point it. In that case I might as well not have a shotgun and use one of the rifles, so, I'll stick to the bead and practice instinctive shooting with my shotgun.

February 28, 2009, 10:52 PM	#1
tools Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 2006 Posts: 124	Ghost rings vs. bead sight What is the general consensus about bead sights vs. ghost rings? My understanding is that ghost rings help with further distance shots at the expense of some close range target acquisition speed. Is this correct? So, I may want a bead sight on my home defense shotgun but ghost rings on my property patrol shotgun?

February 28, 2009, 11:03 PM	#2
SMiller Member Join Date: January 29, 2007 Posts: 71	I am NO expert but... I bought a Mossberg SPX that comes with great ghost ring sights, I also looked at lots of other tactical shotguns that just had the bead front. I find that both are very fast to get on sight (target) maybe even say they are so fast that they take the same amount of time to bring to sight. Having said that the advantage goes to the ghost ring sights because you can shoot a lot farther out since you have a fiber optic front that you put in the middle of ghost ring. Using bird shot or buck shot it really doesn't seem to matter, but if you even thought you might shoot a slug you will want a set of sights.

March 1, 2009, 01:44 AM	#3
Slopemeno Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2007 Posts: 2,663	Ghost rings are incredibly fast. A home defense shotgun will be perfectly useful with a bead/base combo, but for anything like outdoor use, the ghost ring setup is better.

March 1, 2009, 03:47 AM	#4
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	BEAD BEAD BEAD AND BEAD are my 4 favorite sight set ups on a shotgun... Nothing, IMHO YMMV, is faster to come on point than a single bead.... In all actuality, I couldn't tell you what color my bead is when pointing on a moving target. I also have no use for the bead in a HD/SD situation. For a bunny sitting in the garden eatin' mrs.hogdogs carrots.. sure I aim with the bead and plan my alignment for range but it is no requisite. I could shear off the bead and have exactly the same rate of mortality. Now to add a GR sight setup would SEVERELY hinder me. It is poking up in the air and is wide. I do not aim any SD/HD weapon like I would a rifle on a deer. It is more along the lines of a fluid "point" I can't really describe it proper but imagine putting up yer dukes and scrapping... Do you aim for the nose or just throw a punch and it lands there as planned.. I am in a 2 dimensional vision mode when bringing a shotgun to bear on a moving or sd/hd target. In a fuzzy perception the barrel is kind of visible but I am focused on the target and I have good reason (due to practice) to feel my payload is about to hit the mark. I am also able to work peripheral vision scanning for other targets. It is a proven fact that just like a high dollar camera, the human vision capacity is very limited in number of distances it can focus on. If one vision requirement is 2-3 feet away and small (sights) and the other required image is 10-20 feet away, one is not in focus... Ask your self, "What do I want to see clearly?" I prefer to have a slightly blurry black metal "thingy" pointing at a clearly identified threat... or game animal. There are guys here better at describing in less words than I, what I typed too many words for... Brent

March 3, 2009, 12:42 AM	#5
wyobohunter Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2008 Location: Back in Wyoming Posts: 1,125	I'm a novice shotgunner. I briefly considered affixing a ghost ring to my new shotgun but... I think it'd lead me to aiming the thing and I'd never learn to point it. In that case I might as well not have a shotgun and use one of the rifles, so, I'll stick to the bead and practice instinctive shooting with my shotgun.