GPR dovetail and sight question

[Harold1950]

I'm going to replace the adjustable sight on my GPR. Two questions: Is the dovetail on all the barrels standard size, if not what size is the GPR dovetail? Where can I get a rear primitive sight with a flat top, the buckhorn and semibuckhorn sights play heck with my trifocal glasses......Thanks in advance.

 

[Birddog6]

They are a metric size & TOW. I filed mine to a std. size & put what sights I wanted on them.

 

[alc]

I am in the same boat. I have a Traditions Hawken .50cal. The stock sights are thick and with my failing sight things are getting fuzzy. Any suggestions what type of sight may help this? Keep us informed how your new sights work out and how they were to instal.

 

[hthomso]

The GPR has a .360 dovetail.

 

[kragluver]

The adjustable sight on my GPR was terrible. It was the one complaint I had about the rifle. It would continually change from shot-to-shot; not to mention that I've never cared for buckhorn sights anyway. I ended up putting one of the Lyman receiver sights on it and I replaced the front sight with a Lyman globe sight. She may not look quite as traditional now, but man, she's a shooter! Lyman makes a number of sights that will fit the GPR. My front sight went in with no hand-fitting required.

 

[hthomso]

Yeah Kragluver, I'm not a fan of the stock GPR sights myself. I have been looking at those Lyman replacement sights. I'm glad to see you have had good results. I was leaning toward the folding leaf rear sight and bead front myself.

 

[playfarmers]

I have the folding rear and white bead front sight on my Trade rifle and really like them. They are the same sights that Lyman puts on the Deerstalker. I just file the front sight a bit to make a smaller bead, and it works great.

 

[kragluver]

I had actually purchased the folding leaf and front bead for mine, but never installed them. I'm sure they work fine. Shortly after getting them, I saw the tang mounted receiver sight and since I like shooting peeps on many of my other rifles, I just had to have it.

 

[JackAubrey]

I purchased the white bead front sight and folding adjustable leaf rear sight made by Lyman and am very pleased.My eyesight isn't as it was 10 years ago.While my GPR may not have the most historically correct sights there comes a point when one must choose to hang her up or do what's necessary to keep enjoying the shooting sports.Of course,it is my understanding that Lyman was making sights back when everyone shot muzzleloaders...so,lol.I must say, my declining eyesight and my love of traditional arms has led to limiting my range to about a max of 75 yards for deer,so all's well.Best regards,J.A.

 

[alc]

Looking at the Lyman peep sight. If I go to that do I have to change the stock front sight? Should I buy the Lyman front sight that is matched to the peep sight?
thanks,
Al.

 

[kragluver]

I would say probably not, but I never shot mine w/ the peep and the original front sight. Its possible that the height may be wrong, but I don't know. My thinking was this - if I was going to spend the money to put a precision peep sight on the rifle, then why not put a better front sight on the rifle as well?

BTW - you can unscrew the target aperture from the Lyman peep and use the sight for hunting as a "ghost ring". I have peeps on my two Marlin leverguns and I target shoot with the fine apertures, but remove the fine apertures when carrying them in the field. You won't want that fine peep for field work.

 

[Semisane]

Shot this target with the Lyman peep and original front sight using a six o'clock hold on the bull.

 

[kragluver]

I'd say based on those results the stock front sight is of sufficient height

 

[alc]

Thanks for the help. I will give it a shot with the original front sight. (no pun intended)I can always change the front sight later.

 

[alc]

Another rookie question, why do you sight at the 6:00 oclock position instead of the centre of the target?

 

[Semisane]

I just like the six o'clock (pumpkin on a post) hold better. I find I can get a better, more precise sight picture. At 50 yards, that 3" dot on my target appears to be just about the same width as the front sight on my GP (i.e. the pumpkin is just as wide as the post), At 75 yards it's more like an apple on a post, with the dot about half the width of the post. At 100 yards, it's a grape on a post and I feel like I'm shooting at a horse fly. :wink:

I use the same hold for hunting - just visualize a 3" dot on the deer.

 

[MikeChapin]

It's a more precise location. It is easier to place the sights on the bottom of the bull than guess if you are in the middle of the target.

That being said, I only use a 6 o'clock hold when I'm sighting a rifle in. I shoot a lot of competition with different sized bulls and weird shaped gongs. It's a lot easier to have the rifle dead on without having to compensate for the rifle shooting high.

 

[kragluver]

For target shooting, especially with a post front sight, its the most precise way to hold on the bull. The military has taught the 6-o'clock hold since before the turn of the century (the previous century, that is)

 

[kansas_volunteer]

The military I was in (US Army) has tuaght a center of mass hold ever since the train fire program was institued, back in the late 1950s,I believe. I never shoot anything but center of mass from 1967 to 2006. I find the six o'clock hold more difficult to shoot accurately, especially if using a round bead under a round target, it'slike trying to juggle two balls.

 

[Dillohide]

I was always taught that the 6 o'clock position was for target shooting and the bead on position for hunting. Since all of mine are intended for hunting I use the bead on or center of mass position. However, getting it there I started with the 6 o'clock position. The one exception to that is my fixed military sighted rifle.