What dia hole is good for hunting? I’ve got a target aperture and it’s just right for precision but I’m going to try to hunt with my rifle. I think that a ghost ring would be a little too big.

Just drill it out one size at a time with number drills. A small lathe task, creep up on the diameter till it suits you.
kw

  What sight do you have?
I went back and looked more carefully at your original post; the "ghost ring" is the size you want for hunting. It may look big, but is what you want for hunting.

I would agree with Jeff_Schultz. A large aperture allows you much better peripheral vision in relation to the intended target. The old Lyman advertisement for an aperture sight demonstrates this point. The eye naturally seeks the center of a circle, and the less interference or covering of the target for hunting purposes is desired.

My guess is practice is not a bad idea, and big game season is winding down in many areas. From what I know of ghost ring sights, it's for close up snap shooting, hopefully shouldering an aligned rifle is instinctive.

I have a Lyman 57 on my Swedish Mauser. I use an aperture when sighting in at the range. For hunting i simply remove it and use as is. I guess that would be considered a ghost ring. it works well that way and has accounted for some of my longest range kills on deer. Without an aperture I can get on target faster.

John

Thanks for all the input. I found an aperture with 7/32-40 threads and drilled it out to about .150 dia. That’s as far as I wanted to go. The original aperture with the tiny target hole is over 130 years old and I didn’t dare mess with it. The new aperture screwed into that antique sight perfectly. I love it when things like that work. I’m a machinist and I thought of that guy way back in his day doing the same task that I had just done. My attachment to this rifle grew a little stronger.

I have hunted with Tang sights. I found that just removing the insert that is screwed in gives me a good rear sight as is. No drilling  of what may be a hard to get screw in insert. HTH FITZ OLD TUCK.

My only success with aperture front sights away from bullseye venues was when shooting smallbore silhouette, and then only when the targets stood out from their backgrounds.

My iron sights are all from MVA.  I just spend the extra few shekels and get the Montana Magnum disc.  IIRC, there are eleven different sizes to choose from.

Rich

Hunting or shooting fast targets you can’t go too big. Other day had 5 8inch plates set up for 3 shooters .Two mid 70s little experience & 14 year old who can shoot.  10 yards timed with several pistols. As many shots as they wanted to shoot stopped the watch after the last plate was hit. It’s not bullseye shooting is very much like live game.

Back to 20 yards with a Marlin Texan 30/30 carbine 1400 FPS lead bullet largest posable aperture in a Williams receiver sight, gold bead front. Hit rates much higher and way faster than the partridge sight pistols. Even old inexperienced eyes can pick the spot and hit with good open rear disk. 

Few sights faster with plenty of precession than a big Aperture . Have to go to a low power scope to improve.

Boats