My smooth 28 gauge has a low front sight. I filed a v-notch center of barrel extending onto the breech plug as an aid in sighting. I found that the groove was not very useful because of not being able to focus in that area. Any comments are welcome. Thanks!
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Smoothbore Rear Sighting Groove
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Hi JK,
When shooting a smooth bore without standard front and rear sights, your rear sight is actually your cheek position on the stock. It is usually worse than useless to try and sight down a shallow groove filed into a breech because even if you can see anything, after the first shots the heat waves will obscure your view. I shoot a smooth bore well and for me the rear sight is my cheek fit to the stock and I only use the sighting groove on my breech to help me make sure my front sight is centered in my view. I actually look over the barrel at the front sight not along it. It is much like shooting a bow instinctively. The position of your fingers on your cheek is your rear sight and the tip of the arrow is your front sight. You don't actually sight down the arrow shaft.
dave
When shooting a smooth bore without standard front and rear sights, your rear sight is actually your cheek position on the stock. It is usually worse than useless to try and sight down a shallow groove filed into a breech because even if you can see anything, after the first shots the heat waves will obscure your view. I shoot a smooth bore well and for me the rear sight is my cheek fit to the stock and I only use the sighting groove on my breech to help me make sure my front sight is centered in my view. I actually look over the barrel at the front sight not along it. It is much like shooting a bow instinctively. The position of your fingers on your cheek is your rear sight and the tip of the arrow is your front sight. You don't actually sight down the arrow shaft.
dave
Dave, Thank you for taking the time for your response. Finger placement totally makes sense. So, the groove can have a useful purpose, although maybe not as much as I thought it would when filing it in. I like the comparison with bow and arrow. Many Thanks, Jerry
TIPs: To add to Dave’s input.
For a smoothie ... is best to create ”˜muscle memory’. I leave it out and practice picking it up & cheeking it, as if to shoot it, to build this memory. Works great!
Another tip ... most smoothies you need to ”˜see barrel’ so temporaily tape a dowel or stub of a pencil across the breech and have the base of your front sight sit on that. Again, build muscle memory until you know instinctively where to hold.
Also determine, by your hold & load once you are hitting to your aiming point ... where the barrel is in relation to the front sight. With repeated firing, if the sight blade is obscured by heat waves, you can still ”˜see the barrel’ and adjust/sight from there.
For a smoothie ... is best to create ”˜muscle memory’. I leave it out and practice picking it up & cheeking it, as if to shoot it, to build this memory. Works great!
Another tip ... most smoothies you need to ”˜see barrel’ so temporaily tape a dowel or stub of a pencil across the breech and have the base of your front sight sit on that. Again, build muscle memory until you know instinctively where to hold.
Also determine, by your hold & load once you are hitting to your aiming point ... where the barrel is in relation to the front sight. With repeated firing, if the sight blade is obscured by heat waves, you can still ”˜see the barrel’ and adjust/sight from there.
Grandpa Ron
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I filed a groove in the rear tang. Yes it is too close to the eye to use as a rear "site". However if you fill it with bright pink chalk, you can align it with the bottom of the front sight.
I got this idea from a fellow who inlet a short piece if ivory into the center of his tang.
I have super glued a rear sight on my barrel where the octagon changes to round. I did this to shoot the Sighted Smooth Bore match at the muzzleloader nationals in Friendship IN. Then I pried it off to shoot the regular smooth bore match.
There are a many ways to shoot a smoothie as there are people shooting them.
Good luck
I got this idea from a fellow who inlet a short piece if ivory into the center of his tang.
I have super glued a rear sight on my barrel where the octagon changes to round. I did this to shoot the Sighted Smooth Bore match at the muzzleloader nationals in Friendship IN. Then I pried it off to shoot the regular smooth bore match.
There are a many ways to shoot a smoothie as there are people shooting them.
Good luck
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A scratch made rear sight can be epoxied on a barrel band, trimmed to suit and later removed. That reminds me to go look at Track's site for a possible permanent one.
I'm not much on permanent modifications, but if you have a short tang, I have been known to register the groove in the tang screw longitudinally so as to use it as a very crude alignment point.
Doc
Doc
