What a difference a year makes. In the past we’ve raved about the rugged durability and simple-but-smart design of Copper John’s Dead Nuts sights, but for 2007 that proven line has been completely revamped and replaced—by the Dead Nuts 2 line that is sleeker and more functional in several key areas, especially the unique pins.

Case in point is the Dead Nuts 2 Micro, one of line’s higher-end models featuring a familiar, tough-as-nails all-machined-aluminum bracket and pin guard. Although CJ pioneered the use of a completely round pin guard and bright aiming ring to help center in your peep for increased accuracy, the "hybrid" guard on the Micro forms a "C" that performs the same task—and allows for the unique fiber-optic/pin structure that is as strong and innovative as we’ve seen. The new steel pins improve on previous models by supporting all exposed fibers completely, and the .029-inch fibers themselves are unique in that they’re one continuous filament. That is, a single fiber optic filament illuminates two different pins, by running out of the first and then around the outside of the pin guard, and back into the second pin. Which is why the Micro is available in either 4- or 6-pin (even) configurations. And because the fibers are encased in clear plastic around the pin guard housing, they were among the brightest in this test.

Also impressive was the smooth finger micro gang-adjust for both windage and elevation. (Note that .019 pins are available in the Dead Nuts 2 Supreme $140, which also adds individual- pins and third-axis micro adjust).