A friend of mine gave me a red glue on true glo fiber optic strip that butts to the front bead and a green true glo screw on bead. What do you guys prefer for dove and skeet shooting? I am debating using either of them. I do like a true glo on the turkey gun but never shot skeet or birds with it.
fiber optic or metal bead?
- Thread starter Axis II
- Start date
- Status
If it was a choice between a fiber-optic glowing bead and no bead I would go with no bead on the barrel. The last thing you want is to be seeing the bead at the end of the shotgun, you want to be focusing entirely on the target that is flying and not the bead. If you are trying to line up a bead to your shot you will usually miss because you are not really seeing the bird or other moving target. Now if you are shooting at a stationary target, by all means use sights or bright fuzzy beads. Almost all my shotguns sport a Bradley White Front bead, not obtrusive, but subconsciously you know it's there without it dominating your vision. The rest have a plain simple brass bead.
I have fiberoptic beads on my go-to shotguns. Of course they get used 90% of the time for turkey hunting. I used to do a lot of deep woods waterfowl hunting over beaver ponds. It is still pretty dark at legal shooting time and the bright sight helped figure out where barrel was pointed when couldn't see anything else.
I'm used to it being there and find it to be no handicap when i shoot clays or dove. In full daylight I don't even notice it.
I'm used to it being there and find it to be no handicap when i shoot clays or dove. In full daylight I don't even notice it.
slickracer
Member
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2013
- Messages
- 254
If you're looking at the front bead you will miss at least 80% of the time.
Where should I look?
Focus on the target. Mount the gun making sure the barrel is lined up, then forget about the barrel and let instinct take over as you focus on the bird or target. Shotgunning is best done with both eyes open and your dominant eye looking over the barrel. If you are right handed left eye dominant it takes lots of work to get to be a decent shot, up to changing shoulders and hands to shoot with.
mgmorden
Member
I prefer brass beads on my shotguns but love the fibers on handguns. All in what you're used to 
.
.
nettlle
Contributing Member
Brass beads on my shotguns and a fiber front on my handguns.
icanthitabarn
Member
I use all fiber optic type front sight on all of mine and swing the dot and shoot, one eye, like a rifle. Inconsistant, but sometimes ok. Mostly not too good
sparkyv
Member
I'm just used to the gold colored bead on my shotgun. I don't think I'll change. I do much prefer the fiber optic on my handguns, however.
Virginian
Member
I have always had a bead. Just for grins, I stick a Hi-Viz glow tube on behind the bead. Couldn't detect a bit of difference so took it off.
herrwalther
Member
- Joined
- May 1, 2013
- Messages
- 8,124
Current shotgun has a brass bead sight. It will soon be replaced with a fiber optic sight when I find one I like.
ColtPythonElite
Member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2011
- Messages
- 10,462
My trap gun has a Hi Viz on the front. My skeet gun has a bead. Either works for me. I like the Hi Viz when shooting at night under lights.
You don't look at the bead. You see it, though.
You don't look at the bead. You see it, though.
Random 8
Member
Depends on the situation. For normal daylight, I prefer a matte metallic or soft white bead. On my trap shotgun, I have two dull white beads (scuffed them myself with 220 grit from the high gloss paint that was on them). Not that i really look at them after a target is pulled, but I use the 2 to index my cheek weld, and gun position prior to calling the bird. Ditto for daylight bird shooting, I like a dull metallic or white bead, single without rib in this application.
This changes a bit when I hit the duck slough though. Best duck shooting is right at the start of shooting hours, and in heavy timber and overcast, it is still quite dark. In this application I prefer a smallish fiber optic sight in bright orange, but not a big stoplight as some guns are equipped with these days. I find it helps me index the end of the barrel vs a bird and relative size is also helpful in determining range and lead in low light. As for the actual shot, it should disappear shortly before slapping the trigger.
This changes a bit when I hit the duck slough though. Best duck shooting is right at the start of shooting hours, and in heavy timber and overcast, it is still quite dark. In this application I prefer a smallish fiber optic sight in bright orange, but not a big stoplight as some guns are equipped with these days. I find it helps me index the end of the barrel vs a bird and relative size is also helpful in determining range and lead in low light. As for the actual shot, it should disappear shortly before slapping the trigger.
eastbank
Member
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2009
- Messages
- 5,020
if you don,t have the money or to lazy to have your gun custom fitted, throw away the beads and watch the birds sail into the sun set. I myself use the beads to line up the shotgun and then shoot with one eye closed and carry a lower 90 pecent hits, some times a little higher. last sunday I shot a 24-25 and a 23-25. my best was a 25-25,25-25,24-25,23-25 for a 97-100, at 76 I just get tired on the last leg. I shoot a bt-100 for singles trap.
Attachments
eastbank
Member
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2009
- Messages
- 5,020
three clubs(trap-skeet-sportingclays and one private, spancakes that has trap-skeet and at elyesberg pa. I keep a record of my shots(hits-misses) and the clubs use pat traps and are regulated for speed and drop(hoops), 16yrd-27yrd, .so if that's backyard level powder puff to you, your a expert and would find it to easy for you. I admitt I,m no expert and only been shooting the clay games since the mid 60,s shooting my first 25-25 in 1967. if some thing works for you or me, doesn,t mean it will work for every body. I,ll leave it at that.
George P
member
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2018
- Messages
- 7,772
Trap and skeet never change; go shoot sporting at a NSCA tournament. I can go break an average of 23 on a skeet field screwing around - that average won't win tournaments, but it's good enough for quail hunting practice. But, if I want to do well on sporting, I hope to break 75% to win my class - and I am NOT in the top class by any means
You can never go wrong with the classic bead but I like using fiber sights. They have the advantage of redirecting any light that you get in lowlight situations. As stated in previous replies though you don’t need much for sighting mechanisms on a shotgun but as always it’s personal preference, what looks best for you.
entropy
Member
A white Bradley bead, and a silver mid bead is what I prefer. I have a Hi-Viz Spark-II on my Ithaca 37 HD shotgun. As George P says, you should not be looking at your bead. In trap it is there for a reference only, to be sure your mount is consistent. 90% is the bottom of C class in ATA trap.
Last edited:
- Status
