How do I use my sights?

[laagamer]

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.

Oh, I have a group I shoot with when I can make shoots! They're a great group of guys, and they taught me a whole lot. Even lent me gear and the whole shebang until I bought my own. They taught me so much, and I really am grateful. The problem is I just can't make shoots much anymore because of work.

They're happy to help when I can make shoots, but I like to learn all I can from other sources as well!

Much appreciated!

EDIT: My location can actually be inferred from my username for those with a love of national pastimes...

 

[bronko220002]

You got some good advice. I prefer the 6 O'clock hold setting the bull on top of the front post.
Why I like that with sights like the Lyman buckhorn sight is I will sight in at 50 yards then for 100 yards I can elevate the front sight to center it in the buckhorn (using the buckhorn rear sight like a peep sight).

 

[Daveboone]

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:

View attachment 244631

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!

That is a great question....zillions improperly sight their rifles, and dont understand why they cant hit anything. There is an old saying, "aim small, miss small". Sighting in at 25 yards, I place the bottom fine edge of the bullseye just touching the top of the front sight. It is best to rest your rifle on a firm padded surface to strart out for consistency. I sight to hit one inch high at 25 yards, which puts me one inch low at 50 yards, with the load I shoot. Every gun will be different. It takes practice...lots to get instinctive looking at your sights. At the risk of going into forbidden territory....(we dont talk about modern arms here), pick up an inexpensive BB gun with open buckhorn sights. All the shooting principles are the same, and you can practice indoor with a proper cardboard back stop (and no loud bang, etc). Especially as you say you are brand new to shooting and looking at your sights, it is a great way to get cheap practice in much more frequently than going to the range, cleaning the gun, etc. The Daisy Red Ryder bb gun is very cheap, and has a perfectly appropriate buckhorn sight to learn with...and you can practice anywhere!

 

[springfield art]

I've always loved the partridge sights.

 

[Crawfish]

A cheap way to learn to shoot is with an air rifle or air pistol. A tin of pellets is not expensive. Typically you get 500 pellets in a tin. Cheapest are the .177 pellets and guns.
You can easily practice indoors with an air pistol that has iron sights. Penetration is not a problem unless you get one that can be pumped up to increase power. They are available at prices from under $60 to over $1000 at Pyramydair.Com.
I have a Daisy target pistol that is wonderfully accurate, yet will not shoot through a magazine-it cocks with a single stroke, and is purely a target pistol. A Daisy 177.
You can shoot in a back yard or indoors and bother no one, yet learn to be a good shooter very cheaply.
Word to the wise, if you get a pump model, and use max pumps, penetration will become a problem. My Sheridan air rifle at max pumps and hard pellets, will usually go though close to an inch of wood. Shoot from a rest, and be careful.

 

[Sun City]

Using_the_Peephorn by Sharps Man, on Flickr

 

[snakebit]

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!

Yep. More than once I might add.

 

[snakebit]

Should probably get the flinching under control first. Then the sight picture. Then the smiles for well placed shots will follow.

 

[bronko220002]

I've always loved the partridge sights.

I just got corrected on this on the sister forum. Partridge is a bird. Patridge is a sight.

 

[wiscoaster]

OP, for all the advice you get here, just keep in mind that proper sight picture is different for every different sighting system. Some experimentation is necessary, and there's no one right answer that fits all. Have fun shooting and don't be discourage!!

 

[Sun City]

I'd venture to say that those that grew up in the '40s and '50s shooting single shot .22 rifles with nothing but standard barrel sights never had a problem learning to shoot the standard barrel sights of our ML rifles! Never let it be not said that the era that you grew up in has much to do with knowing the old ways of doing things! Look at our current military rifles and what's taken place! The ccurrent crop of youngsters going into the military have had to be furnished with scopes upon their rifles because they were not taught how to use iron sights. Wasn't a problem with the WWII or Korean War as those fellows knew how to use aperture sights on the M1 Garand!

 

[Sun City]

I'd venture to say that those that grew up in the '40s and '50s shooting single shot .22 rifles with nothing but standard barrel sights never had a problem learning to shoot the standard barrel sights of our ML rifles! Never let it be not said that the era that you grew up in has much to do with knowing the old ways of doing things! Look at our current military rifles and what's taken place! The ccurrent crop of youngsters going into the military have had to be furnished with scopes upon their rifles because they were not taught how to use iron sights. Wasn't a problem with the WWII or Korean War as those fellows new how to use aperture sights on the M1 Garand!

 

[bronko220002]

I learned to shoot with my Daisy bb gun. It was spring powered and had about the same trajectory as if I was throwing a brick. But I could knock a sparrow off a tree limb at 35 yards most of the time. I ticked off a few squirrels with it too but it only had enough power to sting them. And its amazing how far a cat can jump when you pop them in the butt. That old Daisy was my constant companion in my pre-teen days except when I was carrying my fiberglass recurve.

 

[Art Caputo]

An observation made after many years shooting with both new and even experienced shooters, the most frequent cause of poor shooter accuracy is seeing the sight picture in a one dimensional plane. Whether handgun or rifle, open sights or peep, the eye/eyes MUST focus intensely on the FRONT SIGHT with the rear sight and target slightly out of focus….but aligned. This is particularly important when shooting flintlocks as it also assists in follow-through…..IMO

 

[GriscomRun]

An observation made after many years shooting with both new and even experienced shooters, the most frequent cause of poor shooter accuracy is seeing the sight picture in a one dimensional plane. Whether handgun or rifle, open sights or peep, the eye/eyes MUST focus intensely on the FRONT SIGHT with the rear sight and target slightly out of focus….but aligned. This is particularly important when shooting flintlocks as it also assists in follow-through…..IMO

strongly agree

 

[LME]

An observation made after many years shooting with both new and even experienced shooters, the most frequent cause of poor shooter accuracy is seeing the sight picture in a one dimensional plane. Whether handgun or rifle, open sights or peep, the eye/eyes MUST focus intensely on the FRONT SIGHT with the rear sight and target slightly out of focus….but aligned. This is particularly important when shooting flintlocks as it also assists in follow-through…..IMO

Years ago before scopes, when every one had Iron sights with the exception of a very small minority. You were told to draw a fine bead. Drawing a fine bead is the answer to real accurate shooting. I have said this before but it warrents repeating. If you can get light to reflect off the front sight and you can bury the blade so deep in the rear sight that it flickers you can shoot minute of angle at a 100 yards easy providing you have worked up an accurate load.. I can and if I can you can as well.

 

[Mad L]

I just got corrected on this on the sister forum. Partridge is a bird. Patridge is a sight.

A Partridge in a Partridge sight is better then two in a bush!

 

[Greg Y]

Ounces make pounds here. Pay close attention to the amount of daylight on the sides of the sight. It should be equal.

Pay attention to the orientation of the sights as it breaks and the impact location.

A rifle with less recoil will help build fundamentals better than anything.

There's a lot of podcasts featuring a guy by the name of Joel Turner. They are typically aimed at traditional archers, but the fundamentals apply to us as well. Joel was the firearms instructor at Wa state academy and is now world renowned for his classes. The titles will be "controlled shot process" or "iron mind shooting". Totally worth the time to listen. It connects the brain to the finger and explains why we don't like loud noises and getting kicked.