Installing sights question

[Little Brother]

To start I just generally eyeball them and work from there at the range.

What's the best way to adjust the front sight? A drift of do they make a tool?

 

[andy52]

What's the best way to adjust the front sight? A drift of do they make a tool?

Windage is moving front sight right or left with a non-marring punch.
Elevation has more variables, but mainly shoot and file, shoot and file. All done from a bench, so it counts. Just about all my muzzleloaders have had the front sight replace. I like starting from scratch on elevation.

 

[Pete G]

Traditional M/L dovetails are tapered from left to right, like lock screws. Modern guns are tapered the other way. I don’t know when the change occurred ,but I suspect that it happened when machinery took over.

 

[user 48679]

What is the reason behind such a short distance? I was alway taught (which doesn't mean I am correct) that a group needs to be worked up first, then adjust sights. A short distance can't possibly determine a decent group. Help me out here.
Thanks
Larry

That's like putting the horse before the cart.

When installing sights, you should be more concerned with zeroing the rifle, and not on group size.

At the close distance, you should be able to keep a sighting shot(s) on paper at least, then adjust the sight(s), move further away, re-shoot/adjust - gradually moving out to your desired zeroing distance (100yds, etc, etc).

After the rifle is zeroed is when you can play with variations in fine sight adjustment and load development (not to mention shooter's methods) to get the desired/best grouping.

IOW, ya gotta walk before ya kin run/

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

That's like putting the horse before the cart.

When installing sights, you should be more concerned with zeroing the rifle, and not on group size.

At the close distance, you should be able to keep a sighting shot(s) on paper at least, then adjust the sight(s), move further away, re-shoot/adjust - gradually moving out to your desired zeroing distance (100yds, etc, etc).

After the rifle is zeroed is when you can play with variations in fine sight adjustment and load development (not to mention shooter's methods) to get the desired/best grouping.

IOW, ya gotta walk before ya kin run/

Whoa!! Stop the horse. 🖐🖐With all respect to you I totally disagree. How can one adjust POI to a zero when the impacts are all over the target? Before I typed this reply I messaged a friend/mentor rifle-smith and NMLRA Friendship competitor and winner. The following is his reply: "After I have a group I use trigonometry to make my first sight adjustment..then fine tune the p.o.a. vs. the p.o.i."
I welcome any thoughts about this disagreement from other posters.
Larry

 

[TDM]

What's the best way to adjust the front sight? A drift of do they make a tool?

Buy a piece of 3/8” brass rod, need about 4”-5”, clamp it in a vise and file it to shape like this one I made. I put a slight overhang ledge on top. This keeps the drift from slipping off the base.

 

[Little Brother]

Buy a piece of 3/8” brass rod, need about 4”-5”, clamp it in a vise and file it to shape like this one I made. I put a slight overhang ledge on top. This keeps the drift from slipping off the base.

Thank you

 

[Col. Batguano]

A chunk of wood can work too and won't mar anything.

 

[LME]

This is a new one on me. What is the reason behind such a short distance? I was alway taught (which doesn't mean I am correct) that a group needs to be worked up first, then adjust sights. A short distance can't possibly determine a decent group. Help me out here.
Thanks
Larry

It will tell you if you are grossly off. Then you can test at whatever distance.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

It will tell you if you are grossly off. Then you can test at whatever distance.

I agree with the grossly off! Whenever I had a where in the heck am I hitting, I just posted a 36" chunk of cardboard. Then, I am still bench set up for the distance I am trying to zero on. To each his own I guess.
Thanks
Larry