How do I use my sights?

[laagamer]

Apologies for dumb questions, but how do I use my sights?

I've never shot a gun before I started shooting flintlocks, and I really can't hit anything.

To quote the great Crash Davis, "Ya? From what I hear, you couldn't hit water if you fell out of a boat."

I tightened the elevation screw all the way down midway through last shoot, and that really screwed things up. It's definitely a combination of my flinching from a flint, and not knowing where to line up the sights. I was a bit better with the percussion guns I tried.

I looked up the Lyman Great Plains user manual, and it looks like:

So, like, should the target bullseye be where the dotted line is? Or in the center of the gap between the front sight and dotted line?

Since my elevation screw for the back sight is fully tightened, what does that really mean? Also, the guide mentions filing down the front sight? I have no idea why you'd do that? Apologies, I didn't really understand the manual.

Any help or tips are appreciated! Thank you!

 

[Colonial Boy]

Don’t apologise; we all started out once; in my case some 79 years ago and today I moved my rear sight in the wrong direction,

 

[Brokennock]

should the target bullseye be where the dotted line is? Or in the center of the gap between the front sight and dotted line?

That is somewhat up to you and may be a bit dependant on your purpose for shooting.
Personally I think that dotted line is too far from the front sight. I prefer to sight in so I'm holding the top of my front sight in the middle of the bullseye. If you are only target shooting and will be shooting the same size target at the same distance all the time you could sight in so that the bullseye, or entire target, sits on top of the front sight like a ball sitting on a post. The front sight being held at 6:00 if the round target were a clock, thus "six-o-clock hold."

Maybe Google sight picture and sight alignment, your question pertaining more to the latter.

 

[Old Grunt]

Adjust rear sight the direction you want to move ball.
Adjust front sight opposite direction you want ball to move.
Sounds like rear sight is adjustable so if rear sight maxed out to raise ball impact then you can file down front sight to raise ball.

Some guys set bulls eye on top of front sight so it looks like a lollypop,I prefer to have spot I want to hit right even with top of front sight.

I would advise not getting to carried away adjusting sights untill you can shoot a reasonable group,if your off paper completely gets closer until your on paper and can see where your balls are impacting.

Don't get to concerned where group is,just try to be consistent and get decent groups,then worry about adjusting sights.

 

[Bushfire]

You point the front sight at your target and line it up as in the picture.

Filing the front sight will give you more elevation fir your point of aim.

 

[LME]

Don’t apologise; we all started out once; in my case some 79 years ago and today I moved my rear sight in the wrong direction,

You just proved that you are normal! I would lay odds that we all have moved the sights the wrong way at least once in our lives? LOL!

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

Everyone is a bit different with their preferences, but I like what’s called a 6 o’clock hold…Like this.



There are folks who like a center hold…

Find which sight hold you like best first. Then adjust your sights to that hold.

Center the front sight and leave it there. Make your adjustments using the rear sight. Don’t do any filing on that front sight until you have made sure it cannot be corrected by the elevation adjustment on the rear sight.

 

[French Colonial]

The best advice you will ever get if you are a new shooter Dry Fire Dry Fire Dry Fire Dry Fire.

For a flintlock this requires replacing the flint with a piece of wood or other material, (do not do this without something in the jaws of the cock, bad things will happen) aiming the rifle and squeezing the trigger, if you can do this without the sights moving from the intended target until after the hammer fall, you are on your way to learning to shoot.

This will make you a better shot no matter what kind of rifle or pistol you pick up.

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

I would advise not getting to carried away adjusting sights until you can shoot a reasonable group,if your off paper completely gets closer until your on paper and can see where your balls are impacting.

This is GREAT advice.

When sighting one in, I like to shoot a 3-5 string each time before deciding how I want to move my sights. After an adjustment, 3-5 more before the next adjustment.

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

The best advice you will ever get if you are a new shooter Dry Fire Dry Fire Dry Fire Dry Fire.

For a flintlock this requires replacing the flint with a piece of wood or other material, (do not do this without something in the jaws of the cock, bad things will happen) aiming the rifle and squeezing the trigger, if you can do this without the sights moving from the intended target until after the hammer fall, you are on your way to learning to shoot.

This will make you a better shot no matter what kind of rifle or pistol you pick up.

More great advice for a new (flintlock) shooter.

 

[nit wit]

Start off shooting from a bench at 25 yards.
Nit Wit

 

[laagamer]

Thank you, guys!

I really appreciate it!

I'll let you guys know how the results go!

 

[laagamer]

Thank you, guys!

I really appreciate it!

I'll let you guys know how the results go!

 

[centershot]

From my days of coaching a Junior Smallbore Rifle Club:

The Five Steps of th Integrated Act of Firing a Shot

1) Sight Alignment - Acquire proper orientation of your front and rear sights.

2) Sight Picture - Bring your properly aligned sights to bear on the target, using a six o'cock or center hold, as you prefer. (Note - The six o'clock and center hold did not apply in smallbore rifle as both front and rear sights were aperture sights, you held the target centered in the sight aperture.)

3) Breath Control - Take three deep breaths, as you slowly exhale the third breath, stop half way and hold your breath, no longer than 3-5 seconds, as you squeeze the trigger. If you run out of air, you know, you get that "Breathe Now!" feeling, then stop and breathe and start this step over!

4) Trigger Squeeze - Exactly what it sounds like! Slow, steady pressure applied to the trigger face, taking no longer than 3-5 seconds, while you hold the gun steady on the target. If you are not able to execute the squeeze in 3-5 seconds, STOP! Start over again and do it properly. Do not jerk the trigger, this will only throw your shot off target and supply you with a poor score and lots of reloading practice!

5) Follow Through - When the shot discharges, do not move, roll with the recoil and hang on to the gun while you count off three seconds - one-thousand one, one-thousand two, one-thousand three. If done properly, the sights should point at the target exactly where they were before the gun discharged. Then you can lift your head off the stock, but not until! This is the most critical step, if you do not follow through you will move the gun while the bullet is still in the bore! "Well, it won't move much!" you might say. Did you take Trigonometry in high school? Do the math, if you didn't, let me tell you that the bullet can easily move three or four inches if you don't follow through. Do you ever wonder how you get four shots into one ragged little hole and the fifth is 2 or 3 inches out? Stop blaming the wind...........

laagamer, as a new shooter these are the skills you need to learn and master. Recite these steps as you practice, they will soon become second nature, if you stick with it. For you, right now, shooting is a conscious act, it needs to become a conditioned response. It will, through repetition. The old saying "Practice makes perfect" is all so much horse puckey, because it DOES'NT! Only perfect practice makes perfect, and as I've told my students so many times, you can't call a shot back. You can only do the work to make it as perfect a shot as your skills can make it. Put in the time, burn the powder, shoot the targets, recite those steps, over and over and over......you'll get it! Aside from what I've stated above, my best advice to you is to buy a .22 rimfire rifle with iron sights on it and a bunch of ammo and learn to shoot with that, instead of the flintlock.

​

 

[Crow#21957]

Look at v this pic and just imagine the two ears on top and dotted line are not there. The sight pic. Is like the pic shows.
Shoot it like that awhile I mean weeks so you really get the feel for it. Ajm at that 6 o'clock position on the yellow no matter wher it his the target keep doing that until the all start hitting fairly close to each other. Then read up on adjusting the sight.Flintlocks are cool but for a non gun shooter you bit off a tough piece of leather to chew.

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

a .22 rimfire rifle with iron sights on it.

It was a Winchester 67 for me.

 

[The Appalachian]

Find an experienced shooter to shoot with. Doesn't have to be another flintlock shooter, just somebody with a solid reputation as a good shooter. Make some friends at your local gunsmith if you don't know anyone personally. I suggest this, because a bad habit is easy to start, and very hard to break. Someone with experience can watch you, and point out problems.

 

[centershot]

Find an experienced shooter to shoot with. Doesn't have to be another flintlock shooter, just somebody with a solid reputation as a good shooter. Make some friends at your local gunsmith if you don't know anyone personally. I suggest this, because a bad habit is easy to start, and very hard to break. Someone with experience can watch you, and point out problems.

Amen to that! And, that is why it is so important to learn to do it correctly from the beginning!

 

[R Ellis]

Just keep at it until you stop flinching and your groups will improve

 

[SDSmlf]

Thank you, guys!

I really appreciate it!

I'll let you guys know how the results go!

Where are you located? Your profile gives us no clue. There may be someone near where you live that could possibly provide hands on assistance.