Sight setups?

[BigBoreBLR]

I see very little on how folks setup their sights. I am refering to regular open sights.

How far away the rear sight from the eye. The shape of the front sight, and how wide to gap it.

I am working on building an early virginia 45 cal rifle. This will be my woodwalk target gun. I put a small notch in the rear sight for accurate work.

I hunt in open large AG fields about 300 yard wide. So, edge of day shots are common. However, most often the deer is real close to the stand. This year corn was harvested into the 3rd week of modern arms season in NY. I harvested a deer at 40 yards this year over there. And another at 8 yards with a bow.

Another situation I hunt is on foot in wooded wilderness areas of the Adirondacks of NY and large public land spots in PA. Low light capability is appreciated, but finding those sights quick is a bigger plus. Would a touch fatter front sight with a deeper rear sight groove be better? Would having a bit wide rear gap be easier to find?

Would you setup all the guns the same? I have no problem temporarily painting the sights. I learned the hard way that rear sight is tough to see in low light....

Also, does anyone use a brass rear sight, or does something permanent to make the rear sight more visible. Perhaps a line of glow in the dark paint in a filed line on the top edge of the rear sight?

 

[Phil Coffins]

I set up my rear sight with a good amount of slope to the rear and a slot that is wide enough to have about 1/4 of the front sight gape width on each side. A dark rear sight and a brass front has worked for any light that I feel comfortable hunting in. The front sight is in focus and the rear sight is as far forward as my eye requires to be fairly clear which has moved forward over the years. In a few more years they may touch! 🤓

 

[Don Steele]

My aged eyes are happier if the rear sight is 12" or so forward of the breechface. That's with special shooting glasses on which my optometrist "juggled" my normal prescription for iron sight shooting.
The open sights I use vary depending upon what type of competition the rifle will primarily be used for. I have a rifle dedicated to Chunk and Table shooting with very "fine" sights. That is to say...tiny notch rear and small "dot and post" front. That rifle is always used in good daylight conditions on an open range. Those sights would be a hindrance on some of the Woodswalks I've done where the targets are in dimly lit, heavily shaded areas.
For hunting, once again..consider the conditions and choose accordingly. I hunt in thick cover, close shooting and the best times are just at dawn or just at dusk. As a result I installed "Firesights" on the rifle I hunt with. Early morning in the Georgia pine rows you can easily see a hog 30 or 40 yds away but when you pull your rifle up and try to line up those black rifle sights and make a well placed shot...you find you can't see those sights worth a darn.

 

[BigBoreBLR]

I just cut the dovetails on my woodwalk shooter. The rear sight looked good at 12 inches from the breech, but added an extra inch.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I like to handle the rifle. Where I like to put my hand while carrying the rifle is the area that I avoid in placement of the rear sight. I have in the past moved the rear sight on finished rifles and factory rifles because of this. IF I move it it's toward the breech.

The cut in the rear sight can vary. Some like a |_| cut and some like a \/. The closer the rear sight is to the eye, the smaller the opening can be. Some like to have the front sight post even with the sides of the rear sight opening so \|/, and some like the very top of the front sight post at the bottom of the aperture \./. Some even like method A for specific distance such as 50 yards, and method B for say 75 or even 100 yards.

I prefer a thin silver front sight post, as I tend to get the most accuracy out of that. Factory rifles seem to be mounted with steel front sight posts so wide it's like looking over a 2x4 when trying to draw a bead downrange at 100 yards. :shocked2:

LD

 

[Rifleman1776]

How far away the rear sight from the eye

That varies with the shooter. As we age that sight must often be moved forward to get a clear picture. It is often said you can tell a shooters age by looking at where his rear sight is. Many rifles, old and current, might have two or more dovetails cut as the sight is moved forward. Best way to figure this out for yourself is to get someone to help hold the rifle and move a loose sight forward until you like what you see and cut the dovetail there. But, I see from your posted age you are right at the point where close vision is going to become a problem (any optometrists or ophthalmologists here?). Do use the idea I suggested for rear sight positioning. As for the choice of sights, the time tested 'patridge' style are great. Others disagree, but I find a black front sight can give good contrast even in fading light. When you can't see it, that is time to go home. (and, yes, I have tried others, silver, plastic red, white, yellow, etc. and even ivory, the light colors have more downside, for me, than worthy qualities.)

 

[Kansas Jake]

One of my favorite set if open sights are the "primitive" sights that were available for TC Hawkens. They may still be available from places like Track of the Wolf. They are non adjustable patridge style. The rear is a square notch with the front blade being square shaped. They can be drifted in the dovetail for windage and filed for elevation. I put them on when I had young eyes over 40 years ago and they still work well with older eyes.

In many ways they are similar to sights on modern pistols.

 

[Billnpatti]

My personal preference is a blade front sight with a buckhorn rear sight with only a little bit of light showing on either side of the view of the front sight. The positioning of the front sight is pretty well fixed in all cases. It is the position of the rear sight that a personal preference. Each persons eyes will differ and will require a different position of the rear sight that will give him the best view of his sights. Once you have installed the front sight, place your rear sight atop your barrel and move it forward and backward until you find the best position that suits your eyes. Once you have found the best location that suits your eyes, this is where you cut the dovetail for your rear sight.

 

[nhmoose]

I have two rifles I have moved the front sights forward to see. I am about 66 years old in 3 days. I have diabetes eye problems needing laser corrections to the insides of the eyes and get shots of a medication to stop the degeneration of my retinas.

Imagine without help 150-200 years ago I would be dead and blind. Dead before blind I bet.

 

[Tom Compton]

Well you might be toting a twice barrel smooth bore w buckshot in em.

 

[rushlake1]

Small low tang peep..short brass front.. white back.
Imagine having a 42" sight radius.
With the option of making the sight aperture as big as you need. no dovetail..no sight near balance point during carry.
a boone to aging eyes.

 

[smo]

I like a Vee notch rear sight and prefer a bead front.

This one is a blade type front, I filed on a 45 on the top back edge to catch more light in the woods.

I apply Liquid Paper to the top part of the front sight as well.

 

[Billnpatti]

I have two rifles I have moved the front sights forward to see. I am about 66 years old in 3 days. I have diabetes eye problems needing laser corrections to the insides of the eyes and get shots of a medication to stop the degeneration of my retinas.

Imagine without help 150-200 years ago I would be dead and blind. Dead before blind I bet.

"Dead before blind I bet" Yep, blindness following death would be expected. :haha: You might want to try a peep sight. I think Track of The Wolf has some that would fit your rifle. https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Search.aspx?search=tang sights After that, you could be faced with installing a scope. I know that is a hateful thought but the possibility exists and as a way of continuing your ability to shoot your rifle, it is a possible choice. :thumbsup:

 

[nhmoose]

Nope I use the 44 inch club butt .62 with no rear sight. works good till 50 yards. Only Single shot ML allowed in NH during ML season.

Pushing the rears forward allows me to see both sights on the rifles but I caught the smoothbore bug.

My unmentionable rifle do have peep rears that I remove the inserts on to hunt and have for over 30 years.

 

[Billnpatti]

Well, if you ever had to go to a scope on your muzzleloadng rifle just to be able to shoot targets, Dixie Gun Works has a couple that are appropriate for muzzleloaders of a late period https://www.dixiegunworks.com/inde...me/EP0006+Brass+Tube+Telescopic+Sight++18+12" I have one of these that I put on a Hawken rifle. It looks okay and I can shoot it a lot more accurately. They are legal for hunting in Texas. Fortunately, I have several other muzzleloaders of an earlier design that I have traditional open sights on. Blade front and buckhorn rear. I have been wanting a smoothbore for quite a while but, alas, lack of funds has prevented me from getting one.

 

[nhmoose]

Being retired I know that feeling! :metoo:

 

[Grimord]

I have moved a few rear sights forward towards the bore end to accommodate my ageing eyes, and it seems to work. Try using some magnetic tape on the top flat of the barrel to hold the rear sight, and move your rear sight until you get a good sight picture, then add an inch in the same direction that seems to be better to compensate for ageing eyesight.
For me, the old type "express" sights seem to be the fastest for me to pick up in twilight conditions. A shallow "V" rear sight and a gold or ivory bead front sight seem to work best.

 

[R.C.BINGAMAN]

Hey Smo, that there target got horns. R.C.

 

[smo]

Yep, he was wearing two 4” long spikes.

I let him walk.

 

[R.C.BINGAMAN]

Good for you, This past season in Maryland I left a coupla smaller boys walk by,resulting in a fine 6 on the ground. Gotta give them time to grow up. R.C.