sights

[910]

I have been building and hunting with muzzle loader for a long time. Now my eyes need bifocals to reed. The rear sight is not in focus any more. I was considering a receiver sight (Lymans). I dont know which one to try, as there are many and many price ranges. I need to know what you guys have tried. What works best. Thanks

 

[Rat Trapper]

I have couple rifles with Lyman 57 rear peeps and Lyman globe front sights. These are very nice and adjustment is easy. Also have several rifles with TC peeps and issue front sight. If you are not going to be doing a lot of adjusting, they work pretty good for hunting. My go to TC 50 Hawken has the TC rear sight. I keep a aperture with a larger hole in the patch box for when I go to the woods. The TC sight is a little harder to adjust, but once you have it zeroed you are good to go.

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

I have been building and hunting with muzzle loader for a long time. Now my eyes need bifocals to reed. The rear sight is not in focus any more. I was considering a receiver sight (Lymans). I dont know which one to try, as there are many and many price ranges. I need to know what you guys have tried. What works best. Thanks

I am of the thought that when this occurs then the use of a tradegun/smoothbore which eliminates the need of a rear sight.

 

[Rifleman1776]

An old axiom is that you can tell a shooter's age by looking at the position of the rear sight on his rifle. Yes, focusing on the rear sight becomes more difficult with age. The problem starts about age 45. Moving the rear sight forward can help for several years. My Jaeger has the rear sight about half way up the barrel.
However, with age comes another eyesight 'passage'. Cataracts. Actually, almost a blessing. If you have corrective surgery in your shooting eye you will see like a 20 year old again. In my case, the position of the rear sight on the Jaeger is still very good for me. This is not the case with everyone.
Rear peeps can be very helpful also. But, for me, I cannot acquire my target fast enough with rear peeps for hunting and they prove useless in the field. And, some clubs do not allow them for all matches, particularly primitive.

 

[ihuntsnook]

I bought a double rifle with a T/C peep sight that has an adjustable aperture, a really neat feature. I don't know who makes the aperture, but I really like the T/C sight. It's tang mounted and locks up with an allen wrench and a screwdriver. I bought another one online because I liked it so much. Cost was less than $60, and requires only one hole drilled for T/C Hawkens and Rengades.

 

[Flash Pan Dan]

Why exactly do you need the rear sight to be in focus? I have shot several hundred thousand rounds of ammunition in many different rifles with open and aperture sights and never had the rear sight in focus. I was trained from my first shots under a certified shooting coach never to even try to have the rear sight in focus. Front sight in sharp focus and rear and target out of focus. Am I missing something?

 

[hanshi]

First off, welcome to the forum.

ApprenticeBuilder's suggestion is a good one. However there are many in your boat. The rear sight should be fuzzy because you focus on the front sight. The target should also be fuzzy. The front sight is the key; that's why smoothbore shooters do so well without rear sights. I have a rear sight on my smoothbore but for a different reason.

 

[Big John]

I have both Lyman 57 and Williams sights for certain target shooting, however for hunting or woodswalks you can't beat open sights for lower light adaptations.PS: A little bright orange on the front sight helps alot.

 

[Flash Pan Dan]

As a matter of fact, the older I get the easier it is getting to shoot long barreled guns. I don't even have to try to avoid focusing the rear sight. The only thing I have had to do is widen the rear sight notch to allow more light and I replaced the narrow front sights with wider thicker front sights, but I did that long before I started to get far-sighted.

Sighting is somewhat counter intuitive. Most think; if I use a narrowest front sight and with the narrowest rear notch I will be more precise, while the opposite is true. My rear sight notch is so wide it almost seems as thought I shouldn’t even use it. My front sight is the widest iron front sight I could find. I can see the front sight so clearly that if I have to shoot a narrow target, say an axe blade while trying to split the ball, I’m not thinking of putting the front sight on the axe blade but the middle of the front sight blade on the axe head. Rant over, I hope that helps someone.

 

[Robert Egler]

Yes, it helped me! I've gone to a smoothbore for squirrel hunting with BP, but I also occasionally use a .22. Just bought a new Henry (Unbelievably smooth lever action!) and have been debating about using a scope like on my other .22, but I really don't like scopes on a lever gun, or maybe going to a narrow front and rear sight. But now I'll try a wider sight first, so thanks (even though it helped in a non-PB situation)! :hatsoff:

 

[Deadeye]

You da man, Flash man Dan.
Deadeye

 

[Dphar]

I have been building and hunting with muzzle loader for a long time. Now my eyes need bifocals to reed. The rear sight is not in focus any more. I was considering a receiver sight (Lymans). I dont know which one to try, as there are many and many price ranges. I need to know what you guys have tried. What works best. Thanks

Wider front sight, wider notch.

If you build guns make a "lollipop" tang sight. Dates to the early 19th century. You can even make one with windage if you want.
This one is a 1/4 x 80 thread for fine adjustments.

This will even help with focus on the rear sight if you want to leave it one.

Yeah it needs a different screw, this was while it was under construction.

Hear is an original

If you buy or make one it has to be tight and the staff of a lollipop should be lockable in someway.
Cheap adjustable sights are hardly ever worth the money.

Dan

 

[VTdeerhunter]

45....but, but, but I'm 45....

I'm getting ready to cut the dovetails for the sights on the new flintlock I'm building for personal use....maybe I'd better slide the back one up a bit more??? Glad I went with the 42" barrel, gives me plenty of room to make adjustments as the eyes age... :shake:

 

[Dphar]

45....but, but, but I'm 45....

I'm getting ready to cut the dovetails for the sights on the new flintlock I'm building for personal use....maybe I'd better slide the back one up a bit more??? Glad I went with the 42" barrel, gives me plenty of room to make adjustments as the eyes age... :shake:

Note where to dovetail filler in on the rifle in the first photo above. Its a 42" barrel.

Dan

 

[PA.1740]

I too had that trouble but then got progressive glasses NO LINE now I can find the happy spot were I can see the sights and target all at the same time :thumbsup:
Have Fun
Phil