Ruger 10/22 Peep Sight Roundup

Hello,

I’ve gone through several iron peep sight setups trying to find the best for my application. I shoot 25M and 50M and the competitions I shoot allow 4x scoped or iron sights. I have been using an old bolt action Mossberg 46B with aperture sights and found with the round target pips the aperture sights worked as well if not better than a 4x scope.

I bought a nice 10/22T and although it came with a scope I really wanted aperture sights. Since the 22T doesn’t come with any sights it is commonly scoped. However many people still prefer the aperture sights and I have tried several of them out and evaluated them at 25 and 50M ranges. You mileage may vary, but here are my results.

The participants:

Additional items:

Sights

fpag

I wanted to make sure each sight could bottom out below 25M and adjust to 100M. I tried using the front post sights that came with the Tech-Sights units and found the best results when lollipopping the target pips, but the Lyman front apertures provided a naturally better sight picture. This is especially more accurate to those of us with aging eyes…. Those little pips sight easier in the round apertures than on the top of a post. I also did not want to have a front sight band adding weight to the rifle, so I had 3/8 dovetails cut in the rifles I was testing. (Russian Biathalon Basic and 10/22T)

dove

If you do not want to have dovetails cut, you can use a barrel band and mounting base, you will just need a sight that uses a front to back dovetail.
.922″ Barrel Band
Sight Base

DPMS Detachable Rear Sight
The DMPS sight was familiar to me and it’s adjustments familiar as they would be to anyone else that’s been in the Army. It gets good marks for the clickable adjustments and familiarity. This sight was too high to be able to get zeroed at 25M even with the tall Lyman globe sight.

Tech Sights TSR200
This is the go-to sight for many .22 users. It did require the tall Lyman globe sight to hit below 25M. (The included front post is the proper height of course). If you were in the Army very long ago, you will be familiar with the windage adjustment on the rear, and the vertical front post adjustment and the nifty little tool needed to make the adjustments easy. All around I liked this sight, but found the vertical adjustments a little too difficult. That tiny little vertical wheel is hard to turn and easy to scratch up while you try to adjust it. There’s also no vertical visual cue on the sight to mark your zeroed ranges at. It precludes using a rail for a scope.
(picture from manufacturer’s website)

Williams WGRS-RU22
This sight screws right into the receiver and is an OK sight but has a few drawbacks. First, the adjustments are not click-able, and you often lose where the sight ‘was’ when you loosen the set screws to make adjustments. Once you loosen those screws, you can accidentally tap the sight off sight with no reference to get it back to. It also precludes using a rail if you want to swap back and forth with a scope. The plus points are that it can accept different Williams apertures, is small, and will use the short regular Lyman front globe. Also comes with the Firesight front post.

Tech Sights TSM200
This is my second place choice. It would NOT fit on the stock 10/22T rail though. However it worked just fine on the Weaver T0-9 rail which is properly drilled and provides the screws for attachment to the stock 10/22 receiver holes. Tech Sights markets this as their Marlin 60 & 795 sight, and it’s a bit shorter than their TSR200. I do like the clickable adjustments that hold firm, but the drawback is the vertical adjustment is difficult with that little tiny wheel. They have since added a tool available on their website for making this adjustment easier.


Williams FP-AG Receiver Peep Sight
This turned out to be my favorite of the lot. It has EASY click-able vertical and windage adjustments, mounts to the T0-9 rail and larger rails with locking mounting screws. A simple little screwdriver will click right through the adjustments and there are scales marked on the sight for vertical and windage reference. Fits right around the 10/22 receiver and no stock inletting was required. I replaced it’s stock aperture with a larger disk that has a smaller hole. Williams has apertures in several sizes and hole diameters.
So the recipe for my favorite final setup is as follows:


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50 Responses to Ruger 10/22 Peep Sight Roundup

  1. Ed W says:

    Does the Williams FP-AG require a new front sight? If so, what do you use? Thanks.

  2. admin says:

    Hi, Just used the Lyman tall front globe sight with one .250 stand off.

  3. admin says:

    I have updated the post with the detailed parts for the complete final set-up.

  4. David says:

    Excellent review!!! I see on the your list it doesn’t say T0-9 rail; do I need to get that too? I also have a “standard” 10/22 – does that make a difference on what to get? Finally, do you have any recommendations on where to get everything for the “best” price? Thanks again!!

  5. admin says:

    I have a regular 10/22 and it has no mounting on the receiver, but it is tapped for a rail that matches the TO-9. Not sure if it came that way or if it was tapped later, but these rear sights all require something to mount to 😉

  6. Mike says:

    I was looking at getting some kind of a peep sight for my rugar. i was wondering how these would work for hunting.

  7. admin says:

    Not sure, I buy my meat at the store.

  8. AaronC says:

    I want to keep the front sight band on my 10/22. I noticed you took yours off and and had the dovetails cut into your barrel. If I keep the band… can the Lyman Front Globe Sight, #17ATC @ .852″ height and Williams front sight riser block .250″ Height still be used?

    I was thinking the reason you used the riser block was to compensate for taking the front sight band off??

  9. admin says:

    Actually the 22Ts didn’t come with a sight band, the assumption is that they will use a scope so I had to use something to mount the front sight. The tech-sight didn’t seem solid enough so I had cuts made to mount the dovetailed adapter. I bet you could use the Lyman adapter without the standoff and get the same result.

  10. AaronC says:

    When you say without standoff, do you mean the I don’t need the front sight riser block?

    Also, would this mount work with the setup?:

    http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=531713

    OR is the Weaver T0-9 better?

    Thanks for all the great info!

  11. AaronC says:

    Almost forgot….on Lyman’s website it lists the Front Globe Sight #17ATC as a muzzle loader sight. Just curious why you chose this one for the Ruger 10/22.

  12. admin says:

    It’s the only one tall enough to get the group acceptable at 25-50M

  13. admin says:

    Yes, correct, probably would not need the additional block. As far as the rail, I have not tried that other rail, as it is taller than the TO-9. It might be fine for a scope though.

  14. AaronC says:

    I noticed that Williams makes the FP-RU Peep Sight specifically for the Ruger 10/22, but it has to be mounted to the side of the receiver. I’m guessing you didn’t choose the FP-RU because of this? Looks like it would be quite a chore to side mount that sight. I couldn’t imagine drilling into the side of my receiver!

    I would like to find a fiber optic front sight that would be tall enough to work with the Williams FP-AG, but so far no such luck. Know of anything?

    I called Williams and they said that if I choose to side mount the FP-RU the correct front sight height would be .450″. When I told the tech guy that the front sight height requirement for the FP-AG mounted on a Ruger 10/22 was .852″, he said, “holy geeez!” LOL.

    Will your current setup work out to 100M? I’ve also heard it’s extremely difficult to remove (you have to hit it REALLY hard) the stock front sight from the dovetail and the new front sight has to be filed down because it’s such a tight fit.

  15. Ian says:

    Great review, very informative!
    However I would rather not cut dovetails directly into my barrel, but I would like to add iron sights.

    Any ideas on where to find a front sight band for a 10/22?
    I’ve looked everywhere and can’t seem to find one.

  16. admin says:

    I just put the link to the clamp-on style mount and base in the writeup.

  17. Greg Coupe says:

    Thanks for the good info above.

    I have a Ruger 10/22 carbine with the standard barrel and the barrel band near the muzzle. If I install the Williams FP-AG-TK rear peep sight is .852″ still the correct height for the Lyman front globe sight? Your rifle has the target barrel so I didn’t know if the standard barrel takes a different height front sight.

  18. admin says:

    Depends where you want to zero at…. Will probably be a hair higher but within adjustments on the regular barrel.

  19. edgar conejo says:

    For those with a standard 1022 barrel, you can use a williams FP GR TK rear sight and a .852 Lyman globe sight. You do have to inlet your stock in order to fit the rear sight.

  20. john says:

    Thanks a lot for putting together all this information in one place!

    I have a 10/22 with a factory taper 22″ barrel…..would the set-up you recommend work for this longer barrel?

  21. admin says:

    As long as the dovetail in the front is in the same position in respect the bore it will. If not the rear adjustments should be able to compensate. Might take some trial and error with some different front posts to be sure. There are clamp on dovetail bands that may be better suited since there’s less meat to cut a dovetail with on a tapered barrel.

  22. Tim Edes says:

    My 10-22 came with a dovetail style front sight. I have purchased the Lyman per your recommendation and now need to remove the existing sight. I am unsure as to how much force to use to remove the sight from the dovetail and don’t know which way it should slide out. And,… I may be being too gentle. Does it take quite a force to remove the sight?

  23. admin says:

    I am not sure which way it comes out, but I’m 99% positive it only goes one way. Please let me know what you find out.

  24. Mark says:

    This is a wonderful review and quasi-instruction manual. I have to questions for you:
    1: The link to the Weaver rail at Brownells doesn’t seem to match the rail you have in your pics. Am I missing something? The rail that looks more like the one you photographed is this one from Midway:

    2: Ideally, I’d like to switch from aperture sights for 100yds and under to a scope for 100yds plus (100yds has been my limit for aperture shooting in other rifles). Do you happen to know if with the Williams FP on the Weaver rails if there’s enough room to mount some quick release scope rings?

    Thanks for your reply, and I greatly appreciate the time you put into this review.

    Mark

  25. admin says:

    I checked the link to the brownell’s page and it goes right to the list of bases, with the TO-9 at the top. Ignore the generic picture used on their landing page, click on the top selection which is the TO-9 rail.

    Not sure about which rings and scope combinations will clear the sights. I have seen some pretty tall rings so Im sure there’s a set that will do.

  26. Mark says:

    Thanks for your reply. I thought of two more questions to ask, if you don’t mind:
    1: Did you have to make any modifications to your stock to make the Williams sight fit?

    2: If you have a moment, could I trouble you to measure how much room there is left on the Weaver mount — i.e., how much room from the front of the Williams sight to the front of the rail. I’m trying to prevent buying and returning bits and pieces and get shooting ASAP.

    Again, thanks, and I’m eager to get rolling. I just put down the deposit on the Sporter model at my local gun shop. It should be in by Friday or Saturday.

    Mark

  27. admin says:

    No mods needed for the sight. The top of the aperture is 1 and 1/8th inch high.

  28. Ian says:

    Hi.
    Thanks for the great round up of sights.

    I have a standard 10/22 which came with a sight mount rail. It has a 3/8″ dovetail on the top of it.
    I purchased the Lyman globe sight 17 ATC @ 0.852″, and the Williams FP-AG-TK.
    When I am at 50 yards I am about 12″ high and can not lower the Williams FP
    any more, it bottoms out.
    Any suggestions?
    Thanks

    Ian

  29. admin says:

    .250 riser block for front sight 😉

  30. Ian says:

    Hi.
    Thanks for the quick response.

    So I need to raise the front sight even more for a total of 1.102″.

  31. admin says:

    Looks that way

  32. Thomas says:

    I have been seeing some talk on forums about the xs ghost sights and was wondering if you had any plans to review them since you provided such fantastic insights on the other options out there.

  33. RON says:

    I have just equipped my standard 10/22 with your Williams, Lyman, Weaver setup and found I could get no lower than about 4″ high at 50 yards. I did the math and came up with needing a .25″ block under the Lyman if the Williams is at it’s mid point.

  34. admin says:

    Yep, I had to do the same thing.

  35. RON says:

    When I went to the gun shop I do most of my buying from and told them about needing the .25″ riser he gave me one at no charge. when I picked up the gun a couple of days ago everyone behind the counter loved the looks and had to hold it and look through the sights. I realy like the design of the Williams rear sight and I am going to be gust fine with it, but I am not as happy with the overall quality as I would like to be. I wish Lyman made one like it. Lyman makes a better product for my money.

  36. Don Alexander says:

    Hi, thank you for posting this. We just got my son signed up with 4H shooting sports. I got him a Ruger 10/22. I have a couple questions before I buy some sights. Do you still watch this post.

  37. Don Alexander says:

    I ended up purchasing everything you suggested for your favorite set-up. I even went ahead and bought that riser also based on a couple of replies. My son shoots an A-32 target at 50 feet. Do you think with the riser and the .852 lyman, we can get this sighted in at 50 feet. Or do you think we need to be higher with the lyman. Thanks so much for researching and posting this, my son seems more accustomed to the peep sights..

  38. admin says:

    Probably, at only 50 feet the bullet is still ‘on the way up’ so you may not even need all the front elevation on the sights. start with the front sight and see where it lands and add the risers only if needed.

  39. Mike C. says:

    Excellent! What a huge help. You saved me a lot of trial and error and $ if what I would have chosen didn’t work. I took a leap of faith and ordered all four items you listed as your favorite set-up for my 10/22. I can definitely relate with your comment about aging eyes. I look forward to trying it.
    THANK YOU!

  40. Rob Sim says:

    Thanks for a most informative series of information.
    I am a new shooter and want to improve my 10/22 sights and this article your preferred set up hit the spot. I am not to familiar with some of the technicalities and have four further questions:
    My 10/22 Sporter came with an attachable rail. Would the Williams FP- AG-TK sights fit to that?
    The front sight on my rifle fits into an existing dovetail. Will the Lyman #17ATC fit directly into that?
    I checked the link to .25 riser block and found it was no longer sold, apparently being replaced by a 0.34 block.will this do the job?
    Will the block fit directly into the existing dovetail on my rifle? ( I guess the Lyman will fit directly into the block)
    Many thanks for your help.
    Rob S.

  41. Troy says:

    Just bought a new Ruger Target model and wanted to install Williams peep sights on it as a souped up Appleseed rifle. I had a dovetail cut in the barrel. I used the tall Lyman front sight, .852. I initially had a FP-AG-TK rear sight. Bullet impacts were 6 inches high at 50 yards with the sight all the way down. Installed a FP-GR-TK after talking to Williams. Now my 50 yard setting is the upper half of the adjustment range on the sight, perfect. Getting groups at 50 yards of right at 1 inch depending on ammo. Thank You

  42. admin says:

    I’m glad someone still reads this article!

  43. dave says:

    Nice writeup, I am thinking of going with the 962-000-050WB (drill and tap) rear sight it should be lower since there is no added rail. The Classic V 10/22 has a barrel strap at the muzzle so the lyman globe without the riser should be close. This is guess work on my part for now but I will naturally try to pin it down before I order. One question though I have read some reviews lately on the williams gun sites complaining that they did not maintain zero on the 10/22. Have you experienced this

  44. admin says:

    Never heard that, they work fine and hold fine.

  45. Anonymous says:

    Lyman still makes the old 90 MJT target peep sight with quarter-minute adjustments. It mounts to a rail that has to be attached to the left side of the receiver. Oddly, the receiver rail is (supposedly) available from Williams, as an uncatalogued item, rather than from Lyman. Installing it will require quite a bit of inletting on the stock above the trigger on the left side, though.

    I have even heard of people using the Daisy 5899 peep sight, intended for air rifles, which clamps to rail-type mounts on top of receivers:

    http://smg.photobucket.com/user/mac66/media/image_zpscd0b408f.jpg.html

    I don’t know what front sight they use with it, but it must be pretty tall. It’s said to be not bad for the money–and I will assume no one is going to have tremendously high expectations of a $20 entry-level air rifle sight that’s made mostly of plastic and potmetal.

  46. Gene says:

    I’ve been studying this site the last day or so, how would this apply to a non target model?
    Thanks

  47. admin says:

    Not sure what the non target has for a front sight mount, i think it is dove’d in.

  48. Chris says:

    7 years later and this article is still relevant. Thanks again for the write up!

  49. Gilbert M. Ruiz says:

    Just discovered your site. I love target shooting with peep sights.
    My question is how would your set up work for an Appleseed shoot vs Tech-sights as the
    project Appleseed recommends?