Adding a rear sight to my fowling piece.

[The Crisco Kid]

I'd suggest dovetailing a rear sight. You'd probably ruin the blue if you tried to solder it. Once you get the sight on and sighted in you can mark the zero with a center punch mark on the barrel and the sight. That way if you have to shoot in a match where rear sights aren't allowed you can knock the sight out and then relocate it to zero.

 

[Robin101]

As I grew older, even with my bifocals, seeing a nice crisp front and rear sight became problematic. I'd take some double backed tape and moved my rear sight out and out and outer still till I found a place on the barrel where I could get both sights in focus, marked it and dovetail it in. Heck I even retro-fitted the sight on an old favorite rifle, filling in the old dovetail with a somewhat decorative filler I made.

There are remedies for these things.
I retrofitted this sight on my fowler and haven't looked back, kind'a bold but it seems to fit the style of the gun just fine and I can pick it up pretty good with my old man eyes.

I don't think you can go wrong, it was done back in the day, just find a sight you find suitable and have at it.
Good luck!!!!
Robin

 

[S.Kenton]

I'd suggest dovetailing a rear sight. You'd probably ruin the blue if you tried to solder it. Once you get the sight on and sighted in you can mark the zero with a center punch mark on the barrel and the sight. That way if you have to shoot in a match where rear sights aren't allowed you can knock the sight out and then relocate it to zero.

There isn’t any bluing really, it’s a Jackie brown Fowler, he ages the steel somehow. However I am going to dovetail it in so I can adjust it accordingly. I made the rear sight out of brass, I’ll be dovetailing it in hopefully Thursday.

 

[S.Kenton]

Here’s what have so far, still have some more to go then I’ll darken it.

 

[Brokennock]

Here’s what have so far, still have some more to go then I’ll darken it.

Very nicely done. I just hope you didn't make it too low, considering that you will loose some height in the dovetail.

 

[S.Kenton]

Very nicely done. I just hope you didn't make it too low, considering that you will loose some height in the dovetail.

It can’t be any lower than using my tang screw.. lol. I would still be using that method if my eyes would cooperate, but alas at the ripe old age of 51 my rear sight is getting blurry. I think the bi focals had a lot to do with the blurriness, if I take the glasses off, then front sight is blurry and everything beyond that, with glasses on, the rear sight is blurry and I can see front sight and target just fine. If I move the rear sight forward about 8-10 inches it’s perfect.

 

[Brokennock]

It can’t be any lower than using my tang screw.. lol. I would still be using that method if my eyes would cooperate, but alas at the ripe old age of 51 my rear sight is getting blurry. I think the bi focals had a lot to do with the blurriness, if I take the glasses off, then front sight is blurry and everything beyond that, with glasses on, the rear sight is blurry and I can see front sight and target just fine. If I move the rear sight forward about 8-10 inches it’s perfect.

That's true.

I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around this whole thing about a blury rear sight being an issue. One person even makes it sound like he expects to be able to have both sights and the target in focus,

Our eyes can't focus on three different objects at three different distances at the same time (at least not naturally ) which is a large part of why front sight focus is preached. (Keeping the conversation to iron sights of course) So I'm having trouble understanding why some people seem to be concerned that the rear sight is blury.

 

[Grenadier1758]

What we can't do as we get older is establish that depth of field that keeps objects in focus over long distances. That is why the diopter effect of a pin hole which does establish a long depth of field at the cost of loss of brightness of the target can be such an advantage. The other issue is that the blurriness of the sights will induce an error in the position of the front sight in the rear sight. This creates an increase in the error of position on the target. A slight error to be sure but groups do open up with slight errors. That's why there is concern for the blurriness of the sights.

 

[Brokennock]

That's why there is concern for the blurriness of the sights.

If both sights are blurry,,, yes, that's a problem.
I guess part of what gets me confused is that if the front sight is in focus, the rear sight will always be blurry. So, why worry about if it is hard to focus on?

 

[bud in pa]

I started wearing glasses at the age of 6. Due to the onset of glaucoma my doc sent me to have new lenses installed in my eyes, back in 2015. At 80 yrs. old I can still see my sights. Now if I can get a body transplant I'd be in good shape!

 

[S.Kenton]

If both sights are blurry,,, yes, that's a problem.
I guess part of what gets me confused is that if the front sight is in focus, the rear sight will always be blurry. So, why worry about if it is hard to focus on?

I guess I line up both sights, then put both sights on my target.. either covering it or 6 o clock hold, that’s how I’ve always been able to taget shoot and hunt.

 

[Robin101]

Those drug store cheater glasses worked real good for a while in my fowler shooting. I cannot remember the power, 150(?), maybe. The glasses did not make all three sight planes crisp but I could see all three well enough to shoot trap without any problem.
Robin

 

[Grenadier1758]

I have found on Ebay and Amazon some very low powered readers of 0.5 and 0.75 which do a fair job of getting the front sight in focus. The problem is that these readers offer little in the way of safety protection from cap debris and scratch very easy. They are cheap.

 

[Rebel bull]

the only time i shoot a smooth bore is in a match and NMLRA doesn't allow rear sights above the plane of the barrel they have a separate match for rear sights

 

[nhmoose]

I've always seen pictures of this tool but never in person. I wish someone would make a video on its use and what makes it so special. Would like to know if it's worth purchasing.

I have had one for many years, worth it as you can cut the dovetail much shallower. That said I also have a mill.

 

[Eric Krewson]

Before cataract surgery my rear sights were a blur, I don't shoot my fowler enough to hit where I want with only the front sight. Throw in a gobbler coming in on a fast track and the adrenalin involved, I decided I needed a rear sight to be sure I was on in the heat of the battle.

I got out my files and made one out of a piece of angle iron, it was two days of filing but I consider this type of work entertainment.

 

[S.Kenton]

So how deep should a dovetail be on a smooth bore?

 

[Rob M.]

I’ve never used one, but cutting a notch is pretty easy. A three side file with one flat smoothed off finished them off quickly

Interesting looking tool ...a cold chisel does the same thing though ...

 

[Rob M.]

Depends on your base ...but deeper than that ... Set the edge of your rear sight in there ... Is that edge gonna be deep enough / tall enough to go over the rear sight edge / angle ? If not ...deeper