Rear sight, I may have killed the magic

[54ball]

Well, I did it. I put rear sights on my smoothbore.
I had a long and mistake laden sight in but I figured some things out.
I'll have to bring the group down by filing the rear notch but I have the windage figured out.

The gun always shot pretty good groups before but at the range I was shooting a pattern a pretty poor one. Past 50 yards I might have well been throwing rocks.

It's like a new gun now and I have a lot more shooting to do.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I may be putting one on mine. I have not yet found my 'anchor point' for consistently putting my shots where I want them.
But, I rankle at the idea of a rear sight on a smoothbore. I know all the arguments that they are 'authentic' but the natural born stubborn on me still thinks there should be no rear sight. Oh, well.

 

[Billnpatti]

When I had my smoothie, I wrestled with the same idea. In the end, I decided not to put a rear sight on it because many of the smoothbore matches at Friendship did not allow a rear sight. I had a friend of mine show me how to use the slot in the tang screw as a rear sight. it was legal to do so because the tang screw did not extend above the line of site along the top of the barrel. You have to turn the tang screw until the slot lines up with the barrel. Then you use it as more of a reference than an actual sight. Once you work with it and shoot using the slot as a reference, you can get pretty darned accurate with your smoothbore. If you haven't tried that idea, give it a try before adding a rear sight.

 

[kingsax26]

darn it all....I wish I had known about that idea....I am havinga new england fowler built for me and I opted for a rear sight as I will mostly be hunting deer with it ....maybe its not to late to call him and say leave it off...

 

[Billnpatti]

Don't be hasty. Unless you are going to be shooting in NMLRA sanctioned smoothbore matches, or are wanting to be historically correct, there is no reason not to have a rear sight. If you are going to be using it for hunting and shooting in matches where rear sights are allowed, go ahead and put it on your smoothie. I just used the tang screw trick because I wanted to shoot in matches at Friendship where rear sights were not allowed on smoothbores.

 

[Alden]

hotoSmile:

Love to see what you did...

I have a .50 smoothbore I bought here with a big blade front sight that I think needs a rear installed to be a more proper "smooth rifle."

 

[54ball]

Looks 100% better now since the sight has been blackened with powder fouling. Darkening it kind of took the edge off.

 

[hanshi]

When I first ordered my fowler I asked for a rear sight to be installed; and I'm glad I did. I shoot it just like a rifle so there's no learning curve. My intention was to hunt deer with ball and squirrels/turkey with shot. I did get the deer but lost the turkey before I could bring the gun to bear.

 

[Grizzled Roberts]

Most of my shooting is NMLRA or NMLRA rules. The guide lines are. If it has a rear sight it is a smooth rifle, if has no rear sight it is a smoothbore. I actually have one smooth rifle I had made up for shooting the smooth rifle matches at Friendship. I shoot so much smooth bore with no sights I rarely ever use my Smooth rifle. Perhaps next year.

 

[Alden]

Fan-cy. Tapered octagon to round. I like it on that. 28 ga.?

 

[tenngun]

Most of my shooting is NMLRA or NMLRA rules. The guide lines are. If it has a rear sight it is a smooth rifle, if has no rear sight it is a smoothbore. I actually have one smooth rifle I had made up for shooting the smooth rifle matches at Friendship. I shoot so much smooth bore with no sights I rarely ever use my Smooth rifle. Perhaps next year.

Is there a smooth rifle class of competition? I have a rear sight on my tulle and no sights on my nwg both shoot well. I agree with rifle man until I shoulder the gun then rear sights make me feel better :grin:

 

[Joe Ruley]

I believe there is, calling them Sighted Smoothbores. It looks like there are some competitions for this set up. Other times you may be shooting against rifled barrels.

 

[kingsax26]

i guess if I want to change I can always fill the dovetail with a sight blank :idunno:

 

[Grizzled Roberts]

At Friendship we have matches for Smoothrifles on the primitive side. On the modern side of the road they have matches for sighted smoothbores which is the same animal with different names.

 

[hanshi]

I knew of the sight rules for matches; but since I don't compete in matches it didn't matter in my situation. I envisioned my smoothbore as a hunting tool like my rifles. Saying that I must admit that when I finally get a canoe gun kit it will have a slick barrel.

 

[palladius]

Funny, I just put my rear sight back on my Tulle yesterday after an afternoon of putting 20 rounds through that were not up to par.

It came with a homemade peep sight that was dead on and which I kept on long enough to train myself to put my cheek in the same spot every time to automatically acquire the same sight picture. Maybe it's because I'm wearing a heavier jacket which is affecting where I place my cheek. It groups well but too far to the left for what I would like, so I figure I need to put the sight back back on to retrain myself. I'll need the sight off if I do a primitive biatholon in February.

It does seem odd to me to have a rear sight on a smoothbore but if I hunt with it I definitely will have the sight on.

 

[Jim Vatt]

I had similar thoughts of installing a rear sight until I discovered exactly what you've described. It sure makes a huge difference in the target or harvest.

 

[54ball]

hotoSmile:

Love to see what you did...

I have a .50 smoothbore I bought here with a big blade front sight that I think needs a rear installed to be a more proper "smooth rifle."



Fan-cy. Tapered octagon to round. I like it on that. 28 ga.?

That's a very nice gun you have. Impressive.with James Earl Jones' voice. It's up to you if you want to put a sight on it. Most Smooth Rifles had rear sights but some did not. I chose to put sight on mine because the way I hunt.

Without the rear sight it was a good point and shoot, or snap shoot gun. Now if I was in an awkward position or had enough time to take a fine bead, I did not do so well. This was proven in target shoots and hunting.

This year I missed a deer at about 30 feet. I had stalked up to her, wind was with me and I was on a clay path. She was feeding on acorns. I was behind some cover instead of side stepping a step or two to be in a good shooting position I decided to shoot from a awkward position through an opening in the brush.
As you know with smoothbore, shooting position is everything so, a dead miss. I found where the ball hit a tree.
That's why I decided on a rear sight. No matter what position I'm in the gun will be or should be on if the sights align.

I wish it did have a full tapered barrel. In the picture it looks like it does. It has a straight barrel until the ring then the round portion only tapers and comes to a small flare at the muzzle.

It's a Jackie Brown Gun. Jackie is part of Corinth School along with both TVMs and Jack Garner. Jackie's quality is at times hit or miss. Mine has been a very good gun even though it was not quite what I ordered. Oh yes it is a 28.

 

[courdebois]

I also have a tulle ,but with no rear sight,i only take it out to rondies,an shoot squirels with it,anyway i hope everyone had a merry christmas an have a safe an happy new year, its -38c out rite now,?? is it to early for eggnog

 

[S.Kenton]

Thanks for sharing.. I too have thought of putting one on my 20 ga / 62 cal. smoothbore. I have the same barrel octagon to round, as you do and was curious as to what it would look like with a rear sight on it...now I know. I also like the style of sight you chose,I might use the same one, or at least the same style. Have a GREAT NEW Year all!