appalichian hunter
75 Cal.
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Spence, what a great ideal I like the possibility of either a notch or peep. Some one should re-produce these.
Trouble seeing sights in the woods
- Thread starter rja72
- Start date
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You are almost ready to take the next step to a sightless smoothbore. Flintlock zen. Ommmmm.
I see you shoot a lefty. I don't know how period that is, but I want you know that I shoot one also. Trying to shoot a right-handed when you're lefty kinda blinds the eyes. out of respect for my fellow shooters I had a gunsmith make me a Frizzen Shield so that I don't blow fire at the fellow on my left. Helps for the windy shots too.I finally had to do away with open sights altogether. Now my hunting rifles have a simple peep mounted on the tang. I make my front sights from steel with a brass base. The front sight is painted with the most flourescent, blaze looking orange I could find by looking at a lot of fingernail polish. In most light conditions the front sight shows a a blaze orange post against the target. When it doesn't show orange it's a clear black post.
I tried a lot of stuff to get my accuracy back after the vision started to deteriorate. Old age and undiagnosed diabete's really made accurate shooting impossible.
I'm a hunter and making ethical shots outweighs any concerns about PC or what others might think. This is the best thing I've done to get my sights sharp again and I'm very satisfied with the results.
Pukka Bundook
54 Cal.
Stumpkiller has the same idea as me, a silver sight that can be blacked . The silver to me is best in the woods.
FWIW, peep and tube sights have been used for at least the last 500 years. I like them !
FWIW, peep and tube sights have been used for at least the last 500 years. I like them !
Brokennock
Cannon
Good stuff as always Spence. I'm betting that middle hole shoots a bit to the right though.
I don't know how PC a lefthanded rifle is either. But I know I don't care. I currently have 5 LH rifles, 2 of which are flintlocks, I had a third one but sold it. Both my current flinters have the proper "cast on" for a LH shooter and I made them to fit me as much as possible. I'm 66 and have shot a lot of RH guns over the years but as soon as I could afford a proper LH'r I bought one, and bought LH ever since. I shoot mostly on my own range at home so I don't need to worry about Frizzen Shields.
I may have been unclear in my earlier post but what I use to paint the front sight is Finger Nail polish, I found the brightest, almost blaze orange, nail polish I could find and I use that on several firearms front sights. It does'nt show up in the photo as bright as it really is. I use nail polish because it sticks to the front sight better than other products I've tried. I roughen up the area I want to paint then clean it a couple of times with alcohol and let it dry. It usually takes just a small dab to do the job.
Howard Pippin said: "I see you shoot a lefty. I don't know how period that is,.."
and Darkhorse said: "I don't know how PC a lefthanded rifle is either."
I don't know why it matters to you, but you can relax, left-handed guns are HC/PC.
The Pennsylvania Gazette
September 19, 1765
European and East India goods, for cash or short credit, to be sold on the lowest terms, by JOHN KAIGHN,....pewter spoons, felt and castor hats, bar lead, powder and shot, a neat left handed fowling piece, &c
The Pennsylvania Gazette
March 5, 1772
PHILIP WILSON, ...has for sale,...straw and hay knives; pipes, and 6 d. nails; and a very neat left handed fowling piece.
Spence aka hater
and Darkhorse said: "I don't know how PC a lefthanded rifle is either."
I don't know why it matters to you, but you can relax, left-handed guns are HC/PC.
The Pennsylvania Gazette
September 19, 1765
European and East India goods, for cash or short credit, to be sold on the lowest terms, by JOHN KAIGHN,....pewter spoons, felt and castor hats, bar lead, powder and shot, a neat left handed fowling piece, &c
The Pennsylvania Gazette
March 5, 1772
PHILIP WILSON, ...has for sale,...straw and hay knives; pipes, and 6 d. nails; and a very neat left handed fowling piece.
Spence aka hater
Skychief
69 Cal.
To the original poster and the board...
Another alternative exists, to painting front sights and widening notches in the rear sights, both of which I've done due to aging eyes with some specific vision problems to boot. Those results were less than stellar in my case.
I've had a heck of a time the last few years with my vision, especially trying to find my open sights while lining up a squirrel shot. Deer hunting has posed less of a problem for me but, it's not as automatic as in younger days.
The other alternative I'm thinking of is foregoing a rear sight altogether.
I've been awestruck when viewing the simple turtle sight on my smoothbore sans a rear sight.
With some practice, I'm confident with it in the deer woods.
For trying to line up shots on backlit grey squirrels way up in the canopy, there's no contest between it and conventional open sights. Granted, I'm loaded with shot during these times, but one still has to see where things are pointed!
So, I'd suggest exploring the possibility of a front sighted gun. Preferably a flintlock smoothbore.
You can thank me later.
Best regards, Skychief
Another alternative exists, to painting front sights and widening notches in the rear sights, both of which I've done due to aging eyes with some specific vision problems to boot. Those results were less than stellar in my case.
I've had a heck of a time the last few years with my vision, especially trying to find my open sights while lining up a squirrel shot. Deer hunting has posed less of a problem for me but, it's not as automatic as in younger days.
The other alternative I'm thinking of is foregoing a rear sight altogether.
I've been awestruck when viewing the simple turtle sight on my smoothbore sans a rear sight.
With some practice, I'm confident with it in the deer woods.
For trying to line up shots on backlit grey squirrels way up in the canopy, there's no contest between it and conventional open sights. Granted, I'm loaded with shot during these times, but one still has to see where things are pointed!
So, I'd suggest exploring the possibility of a front sighted gun. Preferably a flintlock smoothbore.
You can thank me later.
Best regards, Skychief
As my eyes have changed for the worse with time I have done OK with my long barreled flintlocks and won't change things, enter a TC kit build with a very short sight radius that I would like to hunt with some because it was my dad's. The front sight is only visible to me if I have the sun to my back or am shooting at a light colored object, neither of which happen in the woods in the fading afternoon light.
I could make a lot of excuses for my blasphemy, cataracts getting larger, trifocal glasses are always a little off, I am 71 years old etc. Today I did something I never thought I would do to be able to shoot the TC, I will say a bunch of hail Marys for my transgression but I can see no other solution.
I could make a lot of excuses for my blasphemy, cataracts getting larger, trifocal glasses are always a little off, I am 71 years old etc. Today I did something I never thought I would do to be able to shoot the TC, I will say a bunch of hail Marys for my transgression but I can see no other solution.
Eric, for a modern handgun I used to shoot a lot in the woods, I painted the front sight with bright orange paint used on model cars. It was the brightest and most durable paint I could find for this purpose.
I can attest to this solution. It worked for me.
Darkhorse, can you share a detailed pic or dimensions of of the rear peep to assist with making one? Thanks BWMI finally had to do away with open sights altogether. Now my hunting rifles have a simple peep mounted on the tang. I make my front sights from steel with a brass base. The front sight is painted with the most flourescent, blaze looking orange I could find by looking at a lot of fingernail polish. In most light conditions the front sight shows a a blaze orange post against the target. When it doesn't show orange it's a clear black post.
I tried a lot of stuff to get my accuracy back after the vision started to deteriorate. Old age and undiagnosed diabete's really made accurate shooting impossible.
I'm a hunter and making ethical shots outweighs any concerns about PC or what others might think. This is the best thing I've done to get my sights sharp again and I'm very satisfied with the results.
BWM,
I drilled and tapped a 8/32 hole through the tang just behind the plug. Great care was taken when drilling as to be square with the bore the drill had to enter the material at a angle. Plus it had to be in the centerline of the bore as the only windage adjustment was with the front sight. I made the first prototype out of a .40 S&W empty case and worked most things out with that. One reason the position of the hole was chosen was to give room for a 8/32 lock washer and nut beneath the tang.
This position beneath the tang was worked flat so the nut would seat without touching the rear of the plug. I wanted both an adjustable sight and one that could be positively locked in position. Where the adjustment screw touched the stock mortice, I drilled it a little deeper for clearance and also chiseled that location for clearance for the lock washer and nut. Then sealed all new wood with Jim Chambers oil finish.
For the final version I cut off a section of 8/32 tangbolt and screwed it into the sight base using J&B weld in the theads to lock it in place. If you don't do this the sight will rotate on the screw when you try to tighten it or could get bumped off center easily in the woods. By turning the screw up one complete turn you move the sight .031" The photo's of the first 2 prototypes should give an idea of how things work. The next one I do for my .54 I'm thinking about using a set screw drilled to intersect the 8/32 hole so the rifle will not need to be taken apart to make elevation adjustments.
If making a peep for a straight barrel just measure the height of your current sights and that will get you real close. On the other hand a swamped barrel is more difficult to get the sights right. Best way I’ve found is to just make the front sight higher so you just file off the top of the blade until the rifle is sighted in.
I used 1/8” X 1/2” weldable steel for the peep.
I drilled and tapped a 8/32 hole through the tang just behind the plug. Great care was taken when drilling as to be square with the bore the drill had to enter the material at a angle. Plus it had to be in the centerline of the bore as the only windage adjustment was with the front sight. I made the first prototype out of a .40 S&W empty case and worked most things out with that. One reason the position of the hole was chosen was to give room for a 8/32 lock washer and nut beneath the tang.
This position beneath the tang was worked flat so the nut would seat without touching the rear of the plug. I wanted both an adjustable sight and one that could be positively locked in position. Where the adjustment screw touched the stock mortice, I drilled it a little deeper for clearance and also chiseled that location for clearance for the lock washer and nut. Then sealed all new wood with Jim Chambers oil finish.
For the final version I cut off a section of 8/32 tangbolt and screwed it into the sight base using J&B weld in the theads to lock it in place. If you don't do this the sight will rotate on the screw when you try to tighten it or could get bumped off center easily in the woods. By turning the screw up one complete turn you move the sight .031" The photo's of the first 2 prototypes should give an idea of how things work. The next one I do for my .54 I'm thinking about using a set screw drilled to intersect the 8/32 hole so the rifle will not need to be taken apart to make elevation adjustments.
If making a peep for a straight barrel just measure the height of your current sights and that will get you real close. On the other hand a swamped barrel is more difficult to get the sights right. Best way I’ve found is to just make the front sight higher so you just file off the top of the blade until the rifle is sighted in.
I used 1/8” X 1/2” weldable steel for the peep.
RHensley
Pilgrim
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Now at 69 my eyes are not quite as good as they once was. I tried peep sits on my half stock and although they did quite well I was never happy with them. I ended up changing those to a larger and taller set of sights. this worked good after I moved the rear sight a little farther away from my eye. On my flinters with 42 in. barrels I changed to a taller rear and front sight with a wider notch in the rear. I also moved it a little farther from my eyes. So far so good. They also make a white florescent pant you can use on the front for low light. My gunsmith had some and that worked really good.
BWM,
I drilled and tapped a 8/32 hole through the tang just behind the plug. Great care was taken when drilling as to be square with the bore the drill had to enter the material at a angle. Plus it had to be in the centerline of the bore as the only windage adjustment was with the front sight. I made the first prototype out of a .40 S&W empty case and worked most things out with that. One reason the position of the hole was chosen was to give room for a 8/32 lock washer and nut beneath the tang.
This position beneath the tang was worked flat so the nut would seat without touching the rear of the plug. I wanted both an adjustable sight and one that could be positively locked in position. Where the adjustment screw touched the stock mortice, I drilled it a little deeper for clearance and also chiseled that location for clearance for the lock washer and nut. Then sealed all new wood with Jim Chambers oil finish.
For the final version I cut off a section of 8/32 tangbolt and screwed it into the sight base using J&B weld in the theads to lock it in place. If you don't do this the sight will rotate on the screw when you try to tighten it or could get bumped off center easily in the woods. By turning the screw up one complete turn you move the sight .031" The photo's of the first 2 prototypes should give an idea of how things work. The next one I do for my .54 I'm thinking about using a set screw drilled to intersect the 8/32 hole so the rifle will not need to be taken apart to make elevation adjustments.
If making a peep for a straight barrel just measure the height of your current sights and that will get you real close. On the other hand a swamped barrel is more difficult to get the sights right. Best way I’ve found is to just make the front sight higher so you just file off the top of the blade until the rifle is sighted in.
I used 1/8” X 1/2” weldable steel for the peep.
Dave Orchard
Pilgrim
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I've been getting re-acquainted with open sights by increasing their distance from the butt-plate.
Your eyeball loses elasticity (accommodation of focus) as you age.
Open rear sights come into focus for me 28" to 30" from the buttplate now that I'me 70 .
I went to peep sights long ago, and examples can be found on crossbows and surviving matchlock barrel breeches.
You just have to decide whether you are going to pay attention to the rule-book nazis, or if hitting center and killing clean in the woods is a higher priority.
Dave
