What's new
What's new

Tell me how to put a rear bead on my shotgun

Andrew T

Aluminum
Joined
Jun 8, 2005
Location
Iowa
I just got my first gun, a plain jane Rem 870 12ga,with a rib on the barrel. My buddy has the same gun, and we are getting ready to pattern our guns for spring turkey.

We were looking at fiber op sights but had already spent to much. I would like
to try a rear bead.

Are they all tapped? What size? Do they make press fit? Where along the length of the barrel do they sit. I was hoping to do both guns for 10-15$. Tell me all you know, thanks Andrew
 
Never heard of a "rear" bead. I have heard of a middle bead. Sight picture is the front bead over the mid bead, sort of a figure eight appearance.
 
Tapped is the most common that I have encountered.
Made a few, but front beads only.
#6 threads or #8 threads are common.

Some are press or glue in as well.

You can file them out of a piece of brass rod in a drill press if you dont have a lathe.

As long as they go into the rib and not into the breach either should work well.
 
Thanks for the replies, does any know why the mid
bead is put in the middle instead of closer to your face like rifle sights?

I checked out Brownell's, lots of choices, I don't know what would work. I was hoping to find something that said mid&front beads for Rem 870.

I would make my own but I would be guessing what to do. Mabye I'll just spend the 40$ on true glow.

Any shotgun deer/turkey hunters out there with some more ideas?
 
You might check with Numrich Arms. They sell the sight beads cheaper than Brownells. Here is a link, you will have to scroll thru the page to find the shotgun beads.

Numrich

I believe the mid length bead is to help the shooter keep the shotgun aligned vertically. If the mid bead is directly in line with the front than the gun is vertical. If the gun is canted the beads will not align.

With a shotgun you are looking more towards the muzzle of the gun when aiming. A bead at the breech would be harder to align. This is just my opinion.

If you have a rib on your barrel then you could drill and tap a hole for the bead. If there is no rib, I would be leary of trying to drill and tap the barrel itself. Again just my opinion....

KJ

ETA: No Gunsmithing Rifle Sights for 870

Here is link for clamp on rifle sights for a 870shotgun.
 
If you want to use the shotgun more like a rifle, then you should put a ghost ring aperture in the back. Beads are primarily for flying targets where you don't really sight like a rifle.

Look at Brownell's part # 962-150-124 and # 962-100-037.
 
Does your 870 have a feature to adjust the butt to make the gun fit you? If so, you may be further ahead to make that adjustment. Then practice to perfect your mount. That may be all you need to do.

If you intend to shoot slugs thru' it, I'd add a rear sight with a large enough aperature to allow for low light conditions, then adjust the butt after shooting for POI (point of impact). The greater distance between the front bead and the sight will give you a degree of greater accuracy over a front and mid rib bead.

Shotgunning is all about gun fit. A comb too high will give too much space between the two beads; too low will give too little space. If you can't "figure eight" because of poor stock fit, then you will have to remember the sight picture needed to compensate. But..........

You are using the shotgun as a rifle where you can mount the gun deliberately so I feel the rear sight is best for your application unless you will be using it for upland birds.

If the cost of a sight is out of the question:
Pattern for POI, pattern again on another day....pattern again. Remember to do this from the position/distance you will most likely shoot. Then adjust the butt so the gun shoots exactly where you want it with a flat rib and sighting down the middle of the rib.

Now, you can add a bead to the "back" of the receiver if you want, note the sight picture and align the beads the same way each time. The back of the receiver eliminates the worry of drilling thru' the bb'l.

Remember the axiom: 1/16" of butt correction will equal 1" of POI change at 16 yards. Naturally 1/8" of correction will = 2" at 16 yards or 4" at 32 yards. Take the butt "up" to raise POI and "down" to lower.

Cast (right/left), if needed will require you to use a rear sight since you will no longer be looking down the middle of the bb'l.-Jerald
 
I'm using a fiber optic sight that uses a two sided sticky piece of mylar type material. Its been on there over a year and I shoot every weekend, hot or cold. An Exacto blade is used to take it off.
P210AM.JPG

http://www.uni-dot.com/Uni-Dot/Unihome.htm
 
I used a piece of delrin and turned the contour of my barrel and filed a groove so it would fit down over the rib and epoxied a short section of tubing for the hood and threaded the sight up from the rib groove for my front. For my rear I took a piece of metal and cut out for the rib and threaded for a set screw to grip the rib and file a set of rifle sights in the top and when I am not using them for slugs or turkey they come right off. Use set screw with soft point.
 
does any know why the mid
bead is put in the middle instead of closer to your face like rifle sights?
Because you don't really "aim" a shotgun, you point a shotgun. Your eye is the rear sight.

Shotgunning is all about gun fit.
If the shotgun doesn't fit correctly, the rear sight/eye wont be in the right place. And you wont hit what your shooting at. For shooting turkey, I'd forget about a rear bead/sight and strive for a consistent mounting of the gun. If the fit is WAY off, have the gun fitted.

For deer, buy a slug barrel. Its got sights on it. :eek: Just my 2¢


Wayne

[ 02-24-2006, 05:05 AM: Message edited by: W. Johnson ]
 
Most of the time I would agree that for shotgunning you point don't aim but when you are using a shotgun for slugs or for turkey hunting where precise aiming is required it is no longer a shotgun as such. Turkey hunting is not like jump shooting quail. Most of the time the hunter is seated and in an entirely different position than normal shotgunning so having the shotgun fit for these kind of shots is near impossible. Try shooting a round of trap setting on the ground with your gun that fits perfectly. Just my 2ct wrth. Sicero
 
To install a midbead:
It will have 3-56 threads. It should install between 12 and 14 inches back of the front bead.

Buy a tap and the beads from Brownells.
 
If you have the rear sight too far back, it will just be a blur and very hard to aim. This is one of the reasons a mid bead is used. Check around (local gun shops, Brownells, etc.) for some inexpensive fiber optic turkey sights for the vent rib. Once you try the fiber optic you won't want any others. Just remember to sight them in like a rifle before the hunt. You don't want to miss that big tom.
Good luck,
Ed
 








 
Back
Top