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fixed sight sight in yardage
- Thread starter Rod
- Start date
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My guns are sighted in for point of aim at 50yds. That suits my caliber, powder charge, and area I hunt in just fine. I can always aim higher for longer shots.
Rebel
Cannon
Same here, 50 yds. Most of the shots i take are 50 yds or less.
MikeChapin
58 Cal.
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2005
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I use my 100 yard target load to hunt with. I just aim dead on on anything under that. A deer's lungs are a lot bigger than the inch or two high that it will shoot at shorter ranges.
I like to take a 6:00 o'clock hold on a 6" bull at 50 and file my sight to shoot center. I can then use a center hold at 100 and also shoot center, or just a bit above center. I'll be a couple of inches low at 125 but in the black.
That gives me the maximum dead on hold range and some margin for error in range estimation. I'd not intentionally try a shot beyond 100 yards but sometimes things look closer than they are and with that sighting I'm OK to 125.
That gives me the maximum dead on hold range and some margin for error in range estimation. I'd not intentionally try a shot beyond 100 yards but sometimes things look closer than they are and with that sighting I'm OK to 125.
For big game, I zero for point of aim at 100 yards, keeps it on for anything in betwixt, and out to a bit over for kill zone.
Bob Spencer pretty well lays it out here.
[url] http://home.insightbb.com/~bspen/trajectories.html[/url]
For target or small game, I adjust those gun's sights accordingly.
Bob Spencer pretty well lays it out here.
[url] http://home.insightbb.com/~bspen/trajectories.html[/url]
For target or small game, I adjust those gun's sights accordingly.
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I think the old advise was to sight dead on at 13 yards with a 50 caliber gun using a 100 grain hunting load. That put you about an inch high at 30, about 2 inches high at 50, back on somewhere in the 80 yard range, and a little low at 100.
I sight my guns at 30 steps, dead on. At fifty they are a touch high. At 100 they are a little low. 70 grain loads.
It is my opinion that you need a few days shooting a gun under your belt before hunting with it or taking it to a shoot. I sight my guns standing up shooting groups just like I would shoot them in the field. I am slow to make sight adjustments until a pattern appears with that gun repeatedly. Then I make one adjustment a day right before I put the gun up. After you get your gun rough zero'ed at 30 or 50 yards, go slow and shoot a lot before you change anything.
I sight my guns at 30 steps, dead on. At fifty they are a touch high. At 100 they are a little low. 70 grain loads.
It is my opinion that you need a few days shooting a gun under your belt before hunting with it or taking it to a shoot. I sight my guns standing up shooting groups just like I would shoot them in the field. I am slow to make sight adjustments until a pattern appears with that gun repeatedly. Then I make one adjustment a day right before I put the gun up. After you get your gun rough zero'ed at 30 or 50 yards, go slow and shoot a lot before you change anything.
bullofthewoods
32 Cal.
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2006
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I am new to this so..
A few questions regarding sighting.
I have a Traditions, Shenandoah, 50 cal, sidelock.
I was told once that the gun requires some shooting to make the barrel "settle down". I am assuming that means it will take some time or "seasoning" for it to shoot consistently. Approximately how many shots is that with a PRB?
The reason that I ask is that currently my gun at 50 yds shoots a 3 shot group in a coffee cup (regular size) :winking: , dead center but 6 inches low. I have fixed sights. To correct for this drop I need to
A) shave some off the top of the front blade to raise it or
B) find a sight system that can be adjustable. Preferable something that looks closer to period, not fiber optic laser sights, etc.
My worries are that if I shave it off, then want to change loads, I have something irreversible, maybe, or if my barrel hasn't yet settled down, I have to chase my load again with an altered sight that can't be changed.
Is there a sighting system that can replace the one on my gun (currently dovetailed to barrel) what would be the recommendation here?
I like to plink and plan on hunting with it next fall.
Thanks
Bull
A few questions regarding sighting.
I have a Traditions, Shenandoah, 50 cal, sidelock.
I was told once that the gun requires some shooting to make the barrel "settle down". I am assuming that means it will take some time or "seasoning" for it to shoot consistently. Approximately how many shots is that with a PRB?
The reason that I ask is that currently my gun at 50 yds shoots a 3 shot group in a coffee cup (regular size) :winking: , dead center but 6 inches low. I have fixed sights. To correct for this drop I need to
A) shave some off the top of the front blade to raise it or
B) find a sight system that can be adjustable. Preferable something that looks closer to period, not fiber optic laser sights, etc.
My worries are that if I shave it off, then want to change loads, I have something irreversible, maybe, or if my barrel hasn't yet settled down, I have to chase my load again with an altered sight that can't be changed.
Is there a sighting system that can replace the one on my gun (currently dovetailed to barrel) what would be the recommendation here?
I like to plink and plan on hunting with it next fall.
Thanks
Bull
Thinking ahead can be a good thing, sometimes. You are quite right that to change loads once you've sighted in may require replacing a front sight, not a big deal but avoidable. File that sight just enough to get on paper at first. Leave it shooting a bit low while you experiment with loads. Once you have settled on the best load for your rifle and your purpose, only then do your final adjustment. Depending on the individual gun, different powder charges may or may not make a great deal of difference in point of impact. But if you're shooting a couple of inches low at 50 yards with a load of say 60 grains you should have enough sight left to zero the heaviest load you'll ever want, bearing in mind that you will want the heavy hunting load to go a couple of inches high at 50 so as to be near center at 100. Good luck and good shootin :grin:
bullofthewoods
32 Cal.
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- Feb 7, 2006
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I started out loading in front of a 75 grain charge, and went up to 90, with no perceived change. good advice
MikeChapin
58 Cal.
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2005
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All my rifles but one have fixed sights. The CVA Mountain rifle still has the original ajustable sights but they haven't been changed in 25 years. If it was me I would just leave the fixed sights on it. If you don't like the sight picture of the sights you have, get a set that you like better.
Myself, I would shave off a little off the front sight but but don't bring it in all the way. Find the best load first. Mess with the charge, patch thickness and ball size a little to bring that tea cup size group to at least an inch or so at 50 yards off the bench.
Once you get the best group then mess with the sights to bring it in where you want it. The take it out to 100 yards. Mess with the powder charge until the gun is printing dead on with a heavier charge at 100 yard and then you are in business.
Myself, I would shave off a little off the front sight but but don't bring it in all the way. Find the best load first. Mess with the charge, patch thickness and ball size a little to bring that tea cup size group to at least an inch or so at 50 yards off the bench.
Once you get the best group then mess with the sights to bring it in where you want it. The take it out to 100 yards. Mess with the powder charge until the gun is printing dead on with a heavier charge at 100 yard and then you are in business.
Thanks Runner I do that , but I'm trying to figure out how to use all 3 points on the back sight on this Ithaca Hawkin (full buckhorn) Do you pick a load and see what they hit or try different ones to see if all 3 can be used say at 75,100,125yds? If I got 3 places on the sight seems a shame to waste 2. Fred :hatsoff:
