Ghost ring sights on a shotgun?

Yes, I don't know much about guns but I'm going to ask this question or open this debate anyways. After looking over some of the shotguns geared more towards home defense I noticed a curious sounding sight option called "ghost ring" sights. After some further research I found out that ghost ring sights are used where fast and reasonably accurate aiming is deemed necessary. So my question is, how necessary is this on a shotgun? A shotgun carefully or even haphazardly pointed can hit a target as small as a person at 15 yards easily, so why bother? Would a fast but not as accurate sight also be bad for range with a shotgun?

That's buckshot at 15 yards. Shotguns are not as point and shoot as people think. Ghost sights aid in rapid target acquisition at a shorter range. They make sense for a home defense shotgun. If you're going to be shooting long distances then yeah they are not the best. Think combat sights on a handgun vs. target sights.

reply to post by Domo1


I hate to toot my own horn here, since I am such an amateur, but I learned to hit a gallon of water at about 15 yards by firing a shotgun one handed at age 15. If you extend your arm out in front of you and simply follow the barrel with your eyes, it's an easy task. Holding onto the gun is another story though.

On topic though, I just want the best package for overall use. I feel confident that I can hit an intruder in my home with simple point and click. Keep in mind my rooms aren't very big. I have no idea what combat sights are, but I'll look that one up too.

In my opinion, for use in home defense, Eotech is probably the best option for a sight. The only downfall is that they need to be turned on prior to use, but with practice this becomes a non-issue. The lighted holographic is a HUGE deal in low light defense situations.

EOtech Site

Ghost ring sights are a good fit for the shotgun. and or short range pistols and etc.

Ghost Ring Sights consist of a Post Front Sight, and a LARGE aperature rear sight. When looking through the sights, and focusing on the front sight, the Ghost Ring rear sight, instead of a small peephole, will appear as a large thin fuzzy ring - hence the word "Ghost Ring".

If you are shooting further than this with a shotgun chances are you're using slugs and should be using a rifled barrel with rifle type sights.

At least this is what I've always been told about the use of ghost rings.

Personally my mossberg has the plain brass bead on the top of the barrel. This has always worked well for me, but I don't really shoot at anything beyond 25 yards with my shotgun.

I went looking for combat sights, and found something called diamond sights. Those look like they're a bit of both.

Diamond sights

How do these work out on speed and accuracy? The website says they are good for both, but they're trying to sell me something and sales people are not trustworthy.

reply to post by Evolutionsend


I would bet that the ghost ring site is every bit as accurate as your shotgun is capable of shooting even with a rifled barrel at range. If you feel could do better with a scope or what not you could always mount the scope and have the ghost ring as fail safe sighting backup.

The bead sight at the end of a shotgun barrel should suffice for home defense.

Ghost ring sights would be better for hunting with longer range ammo like sabots or slugs.

You don't need ghost rings for a shotgun. I mean, you could use them, but it probably won't make much difference.

All you really need is a good fiber optic sight on the end. You look down the top of that barrel, place the red or green dot on whatever you are aiming at, and you will be good to go.

I think I opened Pandora's box. There seems to be an overwhelming amount of sights available. Which one is the most versatile at both close and long range?

Originally posted by Evolutionsend
I think I opened Pandora's box. There seems to be an overwhelming amount of sights available. Which one is the most versatile at both close and long range?

If you want the very best, imo go with an Eotech or Aimpoint T1. Ghost ring sights are great though and will work very well for home defense; it's what my Benelli M4 has.

Originally posted by CaPpedDoG

Originally posted by Evolutionsend
I think I opened Pandora's box. There seems to be an overwhelming amount of sights available. Which one is the most versatile at both close and long range?

If you want the very best, imo go with an Eotech or Aimpoint T1. Ghost ring sights are great though and will work very well for home defense; it's what my Benelli M4 has.

I Love my Eotech on my 870, daytime or night time they are crystal clear, and pretty much bomb proof.

Very fast target aquisistion.

Still operating on the same batteries it came with after many hours of shooting.

I would agree on EoTech as a good idea and probably the best option. I don't think it's all that necessary to have fancy sights on a home defense shotgun but every little bit helps.

Ghost sights are a nice middle of the road option in my opinion. The circle forces (or encourages) the eye to line up the front sight and center it in the ring, making it quicker than a conventional beaded sight. The gun is only to be used for home defense?

reply to post by mileysubet

I have been wondering about the type of sight you are endorsing for use on my otherwise tricked out but legal 870... What you have said has been what I needed to hear... My gun has pretty much been relegated to sitting beside my bed for when something goes bump in the night or the dog starts raising hell... I have seen those in combo with a laser sight and that appeals to me due to the wild hogs that I have at times walked up on when out for a walk in the wooded property I live on.. I usually jump up and down while yelling a stream of cuss words at them and they boogie off but these aren't feral domestic pigs but big nasty looking Euro-Asian looking things that can really move.. They could hurt an old man like myself if they were having a bad day.

reply to post by Domo1


It may be used for anything. I have no intentions of going hunting or anything, but I hate to ever feel like a sight design is limiting me, if I ever have to use it.

Originally posted by Evolutionsend
reply to post by Domo1

 

It may be used for anything. I have no intentions of going hunting or anything, but I hate to ever feel like a sight design is limiting me, if I ever have to use it.

The less clutter you have on your shotgun, the better. At distances of 2 to 5 yards between muzzle and invader you will not be aiming, you will be pointing. If you live in an apartment, buckshot and slugs will put your neighbors in danger along with any family members is adjacent rooms. Use #4 shot to prevent tragedy, especially if you have a newer house with drywall instead of plaster.

My dog sleeps by the front door and hears what I can't and no one is going to drive even close to the house without arousing him.. No one lives anywhere near enough that anything coming out of the barrel of a shotgun could reach them and the trees would prevent even a rifle round from reaching them. If anyone is approaching my house and doesn't respond or act right at night they have a problem because I seldom sleep and I am going to draw a bead on them before they reach the door... No one is likely to be up this way late at night since I have been here for 17 years and no one has bothered to yet but I have a feeling things are likely to change at sometime so I want every advantage I can get.. It's not like I can't hit what I am pointing at, I have had the same gun for over 30 years and have taken quite a few rabbits with it at a pretty good distance while they are running in a field of mesquite trees but that is in daylight and I am getting older.

reply to post by hypervigilant


I think you chose your name well.

Remind me not to run out of gas near your house.

No one would be on the road in front of my house with out driving through my property and the road ends at one of my out buildings... Hypervigilance is a common symptom of combat related PTSD. Everyone around that knows me will phone in advance, honk their horn or rev their engines to let me know they are here... I honestly have never pointed a firearm of any kind in the direction of anyone since I was 19 years old and there were extenuating circumstances that called for me to then.. That was 42 years ago. I just feel that times are quickly changing and that more and more people are headed toward desperation.. Not all of them are going to ask for help but forcibly demand it if things get bad enough... Even though I am old and not in great physical condition I will stop to assist anyone that is broken down on the road regardless of who they are or the time of day and will continue to be that way as long as I can get around... I really don't want to harm anyone or anything living or otherwise.

reply to post by Evolutionsend

One suggestion is to add a tac-lite to a shotgun for night. Assuming that you will have to use it inside your house you can set it up where you have a high noon circle. Where the light goes, is where the shot goes. Disadvantage is the bad guy's also know where to shoot back.

Outdoors daytime the front bead or ghost ring is great, I have used ghost rings before and find the worth the money in certain situations.

And you might think about getting a slug barrel if your shot gun is a pump or semi-auto. The slug barrel has sights on it already.