Temporary Rear Sight on Fowler

[Dirty Rotten]

I've spent some time researching a muzzleloader for hunting in NJ. I am now focused on a Jim Chambers Pennsylvania Fowler kit. Should do the job for me on squirrel, rabbit, turkey and deer. My problem is, that in NJ, deer hunting requires a fixed, adjustable rear sight. Is there a temporary solution to a rear sight that would satisfy the state's requirements or do I just need to build one on there as if a smooth rifle? I would prefer something that I can take off. In theory, the sight might come in handy for squirrel and turkey but I think it might get on my nerves when shooting shot most of the time if I don't really need it. What type of solutions have you guys used for this?

 

[buford87]

I think I would try to find some type of tang mounted peep sight. That would be very easy to remove when you didn't want it , and should fill the bill for legal requirements...................watch yer top knot.....................

 

[Dirty Rotten]

Didn't think about the tang sight. That could be a good call. Drill tap the tang with a Lyman levergun sight for deer and it won't comprimise the barrel itself. Then just drop some screws or decrative whatever in the tap holes when not in use. Perfect! Genious! Didn't think of it that way.

 

[rabjr]

One could probably modify a strong small magnet to resemble a rear sight that would stay put enough to use and easily removable or the use of an adhesive strong enough to do the same yet easily removable with either heat or a solvent. :idunno:

 

[Dirty Rotten]

Swampy,

I thought about the magnet or adhesive solution or maybe some kind of strap on or clamp on device. But this is Jersey. I don't want to have any question that my weapon is within regs. And I don't want to comprimise the barrel with cuts that don't need to be there. Another idea I had was a plug to fill the dovetail. Could be anything really, wood, metal decrative insert. But this idea of the tang site speaks to me. It's clean and proven, can't be argued and does the job without any work on the barrel itself. Now it might not be authentic to a fowler in any way shape or form, but for a practical small game fowler turn deer gun for one harvest a year I like really like the tang site approach. Still very curious on how other guys solve this problem. My intent is to have a small game flintlock to take a deer with a round ball at 50 yards as well. The 20 gauge fowler seems to fit the bill.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I have tried the rare earth magnets and they do not hold up under recoil to mount sights! They are great for positioning sights to find your focusing point out the barrel for old eyes , but not for actual mounting. :idunno: :idunno:

 

[Black Hand]

Didn't think about the tang sight. That could be a good call. Drill tap the tang with a Lyman levergun sight for deer and it won't comprimise the barrel itself. Then just drop some screws or decrative whatever in the tap holes when not in use. Perfect! Genious! Didn't think of it that way.

Rather than tapping the tang, why not use the existing tang screw/bolt hole? You should be able to rig something that could be removed and not leave any extraneous holes behind.

 

[tg]

I would dove tail a regular small period rear sight and make a witness mark on the barrel the remove it and install a blank when not using the sight, the blank could be ornamentaly engraved out of brass I desired, but a blank common color to the barrel would not show very well.Keeping it all as small as possible will also help, you may find it hard toget a peep down low enough to be of use, a seperat tang screw with an small angle iron "washer" notched as a sight may work better,one would have to have maybe several small notches for it to be considered "adjustable"

 

[Dirty Rotten]

I think I could use that same hole. I did a search on Flintlock tang sights. Other guys have done this. I think the key will be to encorporate it into the initial build so it won't be an afterthought. I have plenty of time to figure this all out and look at some other examples. Going to research how they may have done it on these flints back in the day. You don't see the tang sight much until the sharps rifles come into play and the centerfire guns but I imagine guys were doing this before then as well. I'll post back what I find.

 

[Black Hand]

I think TG may have the answer. A removable sight in a dovetail with a replaceable filler.

 

[tg]

I am just having a hard time seeing a peep off the tang being low enough to be of any use with a typical fowler front sight?

 

[Dirty Rotten]

Typically the tang sight would sit back a bit and be lower than the barrel at the base with the peep level with the front post. Here's another post on the subject I found in the furum here. Post: T-C Vernier Tang sight (Topic#255923)

Could be a bit cumbersome in practice. The insert idea might be simpler. This is a fowler after all and not a long range rifle.

 

[varsity07840]

Swampy,

I thought about the magnet or adhesive solution or maybe some kind of strap on or clamp on device. But this is Jersey. I don't want to have any question that my weapon is within regs. And I don't want to comprimise the barrel with cuts that don't need to be there. Another idea I had was a plug to fill the dovetail. Could be anything really, wood, metal decrative insert. But this idea of the tang site speaks to me. It's clean and proven, can't be argued and does the job without any work on the barrel itself. Now it might not be authentic to a fowler in any way shape or form, but for a practical small game fowler turn deer gun for one harvest a year I like really like the tang site approach. Still very curious on how other guys solve this problem. My intent is to have a small game flintlock to take a deer with a round ball at 50 yards as well. The 20 gauge fowler seems to fit the bill.

I'm from NJ.
I think you have misinterpreted the regluations regarding sights on muzzleloaders. Shotguns using
slugs must have an adjustable rear sight or scope. Muzzleloaders, smoothbore or rifled, are a seperate clasification. Even if used during the permit shotgun season I can't see how a rear sight would be required on a smoothbore since you wouldn't be shooting slugs out of it(at least I wouldn't recommend it!).

Duane

 

[Rifleman1776]

I am just having a hard time seeing a peep off the tang being low enough to be of any use with a typical fowler front sight?

From what he said, the law requires that he have one. It doesn't necessarily require using it. Just look over it and aim as one would do with a front sight only smoothie.
For a nice tang peeper with a traditional look, check out: http://muzzleloaderbuilderssupply....d=5007221.27235*Zu2Lu7&next=25&product=Sights

 

[Dirty Rotten]

Duane,

I was thinking patched round ball for deer. For muzzleloader rifles and shotguns with slugs you need the sights. They don't address smoothboore muzzleloaders specifically so I figured if I'm shooting a single projectile, round ball, I would need the sights like the shotgun regs. Maybe I should just start with a true rifle kit and follow up with a smoothbore for the other critters down the road instead of trying to force the design into something it's not.

 

[Black Hand]

Call the agency and get the info from the "horses mouth". No guesswork....

 

[B.Habermehl]

Just biuld a type "g" rear sight into the gun and be done with it. It would be correct and be removeable if you wish. Make a blank for the dovetail before you finish the barrel from brass. A .050 deep dovetail cut in any where in the octagonal part of the barrel will not structurally hurt the barrel if done properly. OTOH if you want a rear sight peep, drill and tap the bolster of the breech plug. Then take a 8 or 10-32 screw and remove the head and slot it for a washer,file a flat on the bottom of the washer,solder the washer in the slot. This will get the hole in the peep closer to the top of the barrel if needed for use with a proper low front sight. Pluss be easily removeable to be leagle trade for gun compitition. BJH

 

[varsity07840]

Duane,

I was thinking patched round ball for deer. For muzzleloader rifles and shotguns with slugs you need the sights. They don't address smoothboore muzzleloaders specifically so I figured if I'm shooting a single projectile, round ball, I would need the sights like the shotgun regs. Maybe I should just start with a true rifle kit and follow up with a smoothbore for the other critters down the road instead of trying to force the design into something it's not.

I don't think a rear sight would be out of place on a Chambers fowler. Lots of American fowlers had them. And, it does not have to be adjustable. In fact, I don't see ANYTHING in the digest about sights on muzzleloaders other than scopes being legal. My personal reservation about the fowler is the barrel length. 46'' is awful long if you hunt from a treestand, as most of us Jersey boys do. Even worse if you're in one of those pop
up ground blinds. I've hunted with a couple of muskets with 42"
barrels and they can difficult to move around and put up on a deer without it picking you up.

Duane