Aperture sights

[6thtexas]

I have been wondering-y'all that have aperture sights mounted on the tang of hooked breech rifles-do they hold their zero well after removing the barrel for cleaning? Is there anything you do to keep the sights zeroed when removing and replacing the barrel? I have several of Those Other Things with peep sights and was curious.

 

[Bullitdog]

Just don’t remove your barrel to clean it. Grease the underside of your barrel and wax the wood underneath. Read the article link below. It works great.
https://researchpress.uk/marksmanship/lrml/bedding-the-parker-hale/

 

[52Bore]

Sights & barrel removed from hook breech, after each match.. put back in case.
My settings are the same as they were decades ago. I’d say the previous owners since 1864 might say the same.. Tweek an moa here/there on different days with lighting, conditions and different ranges, but nothing crazy.

 

[wiscoaster]

You're not disturbing the sight at all if it's a hooked-breech barrel when you remove it, so I think you should be OK. Depending on your gun, you probably don't really need to remove the barrel, anyway, as noted above.

 

[yonderin]

Unless you're trying to shoot the fleas off a dog's arse at 500, I wouldn't worry about it.
If it does concern you overly, don't remove the barrel or bed it to minimize any displacement when replacing. Which might very well open another can of worms.
Shoot it as is for a while, carrying on any cleaning or maintenance routine you want and learn from the experience if you can live with the results.

Most likely, varying conditions from session to session will have a bigger impact.

 

[Urban Coyote]

Sights & barrel removed from hook breech, after each match.. put back in case.
My settings are the same as they were decades ago. I’d say the previous owners since 1864 might say the same.. Tweek an moa here/there on different days with lighting, conditions and different ranges, but nothing crazy.
View attachment 324231

Wow! A real Rigby, awesome. I'd be curious to know the stats of that beauty.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

I have a shooting buddy who said his groups tightened up considerably after he soft soldered the standing breach to the barrel and didn't remove the barrel for cleaning. Others have said it's a waste of time. I don't have any experience to comment on it myself.

 

[6thtexas]

That Rigby is gorgeous!

Looks like not removing the barrel to clean is the surest option

The comment about bedding brings up other issues. I always try to treat the wood underneath the barrel so it won't absorb moisture. Older, better finished guns are generally okay, but the last wooden stock I fooled with was bad. I bet the squirrels were still living in it just 2- 3 weeks before it got carved into a stock.

 

[Daveboone]

I have apertures (Lyman) on a Lyman GPR and a Thompson Renegade. Both barrels are routinely removed for cleaning. No concern about any change in zero.

 

[Newly O’Brian]

I have and had several hooked breech barrels all w peep sights and family members w the same.

Technically, it's plausible to have change in impact. We clean the barrels removed in a pail of hot soapy water and never have seen a significant change in impact.

100 yards targets and hunting whitetail deer, never have been surprised w changes in bullet's impact. With that said, the FIRST round is allows different on a clean barrel vs fouled barrel