Marble's Tang Sight- Any Input?

[Woodtroll]

Hello, folks!

I am looking for an affordable tang sight to use for hunting with my Sharps 1874. I was considering a Marbles tang peep, since it is click adjustable for both windage and elevation. Does anyone have any feedback on these sights? Are they repeatable and reliable- if I fold it down for cleaning, will it reposition in the exact same place? Does the "Improved" model have any advantage over the standard sight, for use at hunting ranges?

Any idea what the thread on the sight aperture is (will other brands of apertures fit it)?

Thanks for your help!
Regan

[Wind]

Hey there Woodtroll -- I'm a big fan of the Marbles sight. I have only used the "standard" model and you can usually reach 300 yards with one easily. Depends on front sight height, but you can mix or match there. The newer ones with the taller, interchangeable staffs are interesting to me, but I already have Mid and Long range staffs on the rifles that I use to 1200 yards, so I have not bought one of the newer ones. I build cards for "clicks", yardage, and specific ammunition, so whether it's silhouette or tin cans, it's a simple adjustment. I note the zero windage setting on the card also. I have experienced a windage shift due to folding, but rarely. I do check and re-zero before silhouette matches, but not for general purpose shooting unless I notice frequent missing (excuse #39!!). Elevation is positive and quick to change, even in a hunting situation. Hope this helps. Best regards. Wind

[fatoldfool]

I use one of the older and one of the newer models which adjusts for windage too. As far as folding it up and down it will repeat. I havn't tried real long range with it, as it is a hunting/plinking sight for me. I zero a tad high at 25 and have at them! They sure are much better than open sights!

[firefuzz]

I love the one I put on my '86. Saving to put them on my '92 and '94.

Rob

[AJMD429]

I've used a Taurus one of similar design, and not found any problems with zero changing. For a 24" barrel if you got a 30" sight radius, you'd get a 120:1 ratio of inches-at-100-yards vs. inches-of-sight-movement, so if the sight DID shift say 1/60th of an inch (and I can't imagine it wouldn't do that on occasion; it seems to have that much 'play' in it just when you try to wiggle it), that would mean two inches shift at 100 yards. Still, it doesn't seem to do that (...or maybe I'm just too bad a shot to notice... ).

[Chuck 100 yd]

I own 5 at this time. Mounted on.....
Browning 53 .32-20 (old style Marbles)
Rossi 92 .45 Colt (old style Marbles)
Uberti 73 .32-20 (improved Marbles)
Uberti 73 .45Colt (improved Marbles)
Chaparral 76 .50-95 (improved Marbles)

They all work just great but I need to get the longer (mid range) staff for the .50-95. When shooting soft
loads I can just center the impact point @50 yd. with the staff adjusted all the way up.

I am sure you will be happy with the Marbles. I would get the improved model and start with the short range staff for use with full power hunting loads. You can get
the taller staff later for around $35 bux if you need it.

[kimwcook]

Woodtroll, I haven't ever seen a Marbles sight on a '74 Sharps, but I would think it would be a little weak at the heighth it would need to get to get you over the barrel and especially at any long range. I would save my money and get a MVA or quality type sight and never look back. If I had my MVA still mounted I'd take a pic and post it. I still have the tang sight, it's just not mounted.

[jnyork]

I have to agree with kimwcook. I have 5 Marble's tang sights and they are a quality item, sharp crisp clicks, return to zero every time, they do not change zero when you fold them down and put them up again. I had a Taurus and had no luck at all, IMHO no good. The Marlbles do exactly what I want them to do, which is shoot silhouette with my lever actions.

For your rifle, however, the MVA sight would definitely be the way to go, I have never seen a Marbles on a Sharps. I know a LOT of the guys who shoot the Sharps at BPCR Silhouette, they all use the ladder type sight.

[Woodtroll]

Thanks for the help, folks!

I will not be using this for long range, just for hunting out to 150 yards or so.

Kimwcook, is your MVA adjustable for windage at all, and is it click adjustable for elevation? I asked MVA about this via email, but haven't heard back from them yet. I guess they're either out huntin' or eating turkey! I wouldn't mind to save for an MVA- I know the quality as I have one of their Soule sights I use when I shoot the occasional BPCR silhouette match- but I'd like some adjustment in it for the $225 price tag. The Soule is just WAY too much sight for the hunting field.

Thanks again, y'all take care!
Regan

[O.S.O.K.]

They are excellent - the best of the kind IMHO.

In my experience, mine is repeatable yes. Though, I have mine on a 30-30 AI and it doesn't get adjusted back and forth continually.

They beat the heck out of the Lyman tang sight which has no windage adjustment and is not repeatable.

[Old No7]

Another vote for the Marble's tang sights!

But... for a Sharps??? Doesn't seem or sound right to me...

Here's an idea meant to help... Go and browse the selection over at http://www.buffaloarms.com and that will give you some other options to consider.

If I remember right, they also have some "short range" sights which might be more affordable and look more "period correct" on a Sharps. Their sales/customer service team is great too, so if you had questions about any sights, a call to them would get you answers. They're a great bunch over there -- and they're shooters too!

Tight groups.

Old No7

[jhrosier]

I have one of the Marbles tang sights on a Browning HighWall.
I don't care for the amount of wobble when the sight is near the top of it's range.
I had to move it up quite a bit for use with cast bullets.

Jack

[Jeff Quinn]

I really like the Marbles. They are easy to use and repeatable.

[lthardman]

I have a marbles peep tang sight on my 1886. Works well, but I have not tried to do anything too fancy with it. Sure beats the factory Winchester sight. I like the selection of apertures mine came with.

[kimwcook]

All of the ladder/soule type sights I've seen or used aren't click adjustable for elevation or windage. They are precision tools and are marked with a gauge some where on the unit for both directions. You just need to shoot your ranges and keep a table of where your sights should be adjusted for the ranges and wind conditions as needed. You should be able to Google it and get some reading material. I've found them before, just don't remember where at the moment. I'll see what I can find and link it.

Here's one: http://www.uslink.com/~tom1/vernier.htm

The sights aren't cheap, but anything worth having usually isn't.

My tang sight is currently off my Sharps as I'm trying to get used to shooting it a little quicker with the factory sights. That's why I didn't post a picture of it mounted.

[Woodtroll]

Thanks, guys, I appreciate the input.

KimWCook, I have confused everybody, I think, by talking about the MVA sight. I already had looked at this one, similar to the Marble's:

http://www.montanavintagearms.com/combo_rear.html

so when you mentioned you had an MVA, I guess I just assumed that's what you meant. That's why I asked if it had windage adjustment or clicks. My apologies for muddying the waters. I have a vernier and a Soule from MVA, and they are fine sights, but are not meant for hunting, at least not the way I hunt. Even their 130 "Sporting Tang" sight folds down over the whole tang area, and touches the comb. It is hard to shoot with barrel sights with one of these verniers on; if it's folded down, you can't grip the tang, plus it is pointed right towards your eye.

I have worked with barrel sights the last couple years on this rifle, and had gotten pretty good with them at different ranges, but now I am at the point in life where my near vision is changing as well as my distance vision, and I'm starting to have a hard time with the barrel irons at extended range. I would like to still be able to use them up to 75 yards or so, especially in very low light where the peep sights become a disadvantage, so that leaves a vernier tang sight out. Plus, that's a lot of sight to drag through the brush. The New Ideal sight I'm using now is pretty compact, similar to the Marble's, but it is just "loose". I can't get C Sharps' website to load the site page, or I would show you a link to that one, too.

Thanks, Old No. 7, for the suggestion of Buffalo Arms. Theirs is one of my favorite catalogs to browse, and that's where I got the idea of the Marble's sight.

I sure appreciate your interest and your help, folks!
Regan