• I t i s an ax i o m among rifl emen that "no rifle is bette r than its s i g hts," but s i g hts are h e l pf u l o n ly if properly a l i g n e d . Seldom does a rifle come from the facto ry o r shop s i g hted - i n a n d ready fo r u s e , and t o o few shoote rs are able to rec o g n i z e or correct the d efect.
The p r i n c i p les of s i g hting are s i m p l e : the l i n e of s i g h t m ust be para l l e l to the l i n e of bo re, and s i g h t e l evation s h o u l d take b u l l et traj ectory i nto accou nt. The fi rst adj ustment i s for wi ndage. The s i g ht is m oved to right o r l eft in the d i rection the b u l l et m u st g o to e l i m i n ate any d i sc repancy between the actu al st r i k i n g p o i nt a n d the desi red stri k i n g p o i nt. For exam p l e , if a g ro u p of five shots, fired from a rifle stead ied i n posi tion and a i m ed at target center, h its s i x i n ches l eft of 60 center, the rear s i g ht m ust be m oved to the right to
A properly si ghted rifle takes advantage of natural trajectory
co rrect the e rror. On m i c rometer, or scope, s i g hts, t h i s i s d o n e i n g rad uated 'h - m i n ute (someti mes '/• - m i n ute, som eti m e s m i n ute) c l i c ks, each c l i c k prod u c i n g a '/• i n c h movement at 50 yards, 'h - i n c h m ovement at 1 00 yards, o n e - i n c h movement at 200 yards. (A '/• - m i n ute c l i c k produces a '/• - i n ch movement at 1 00 yard s ; a one m i n ute c l i c k a one-inch movement at 1 00 yards.)
Adj ust i n g open i ron s i g hts i n d oveta i l barrel s l ots ( u s u a l l y p rovided by the man ufacturer) is m o re d i ffi c u l t a n d n e cessari ly a matte r of trial a n d e rror. Before m a k i n g any adj ustment, it is wi se to d raw a l i n e of refere n c e from the front edge of the s i g h t base to the rifle barre l . A flat b rass p u n c h and h a m m e r m ay be used to tap the s i g h t i n the correct i n g d i recti on. To check the adj usted a l i g n m ent, a second g ro u p m ust 61
Mykrom Scope Mount
W i l l iams matted front-ramp sight cuts g lare S I G H T I N G THE RIFLE
be fired. I f the amount of movement h as n ot been suf fici ent, the refe rence l i n e s h o u l d again be consu lted and the sight tapped unti l the d i ffe re n c e i s e l i m i n ated. E rrors i n e l evation are corrected in a s i m i l a r man n e r. In a rifle that sh oots l ow, the rear s i g ht m u st be rai sed ; if it s hoots high, the rear s i g ht m u st be lowered. In m i c rometer and scope sig hts, there is a second d i a l by w h i c h adj ustments c a n be m a d e i n '/• - m i n ute, 'h m i n ute, or m i n ute c l i c ks on the same bas i s as correc tions are made fo r w i n dage. Open i ro n s i g hts are adj usted by tapp i n g . There is one except i o n to t h i s relatively s i m p l e pattern. Occas i o n a l l y a r i f l e wi l l s h oot h i g h when the rear sight is set as low as it wi l l g o and can not be l owered. In s u c h cases, a h i g h e r front s i g ht m u st be i nsta l l e d w h i c h , i n effect, lowers the m uzzle. The m ost d iffi c u l t problem a s h ooter e n c o u nters in 62 s i g h t i n g a rifle is d i scove ring its p o i nt- b l a n k ran g e .
Unusual for shotguns is W i l l iams ramp sight
(above, left) which raises eye leve l , improves accuracy. Scale on W i l l iams 50 receiver, or peep, s i ght (ri ght) simplifies adjustments for wind, elevation
That is, the rang e at which no cal c u l ation fo r traj ectory i s n ecessary when tak i n g aim : a b u l let d i rected at tar g et center, h its target center. Point- b l a n k ran g e d i ffers with cartrid g e s and with variations in b u l let weig hts and shapes in the same cartridge. To dete rmine it p roperly, experimentation o n the target ran g e and a study of bal l i st i c charts i s necessary. K n owledge of a rifl e ' s point- b l a n k ran ge is i m portant for it rel ieves the shooter of c o m p l ex cal c u l ations. A b u l l et as it is d i s c h arged rises s l ig htly, then fo l l ows a gently sloping tra j ectory. I f a h ig h -veloc ity l o n g - range rifl e, s u c h as the W i n c h este r Weste rner, is sighted in at 1 00 yards, the b u l l et p ath sh ows an exag g e rated d rop at l o n g e r ran ges (eight inches b e l ow a i m a t 250 yards) . Y e t t h e s a m e rifle s ig hted - i n a t 250 yards shows o n l y a s l ight rise in b u l let flight between 50 and 250 yards, sh ooting about 2.5 i n c hes above po int of a i m at 1 00 yards, two 63
K-3 Weaver scope on Savage Model 99 S I G HT I N G THE R I FLE
i n c h es at 200 yards, and h itti ng o n target at 250 yards. • Three types of s i g hts are avai lable. The sh ooter's c h o i c e depends o n price, · what fee l s c o mfortab l e to h i m , and the type of shooti n g h e expects to d o .
SCOPE: By f a r the best s i g h t i n g d e v i c e avai lable,
although it is fai rly expensive, adds bulk and wei g ht to the rifle, and i s a l m ost usel ess i n rai n , fog, o r s n ow. At d u s k , d awn, o r on hazy days, when it wou ld be d iffi c u lt t o fix i ron s i g hts on target, t h e scope's l i g ht-gath -
K-1 Weaver scope on Remi ngton Model 1 1 -48 shotgun
J -25 Weaver scope on Remington Model 572
devices-dot, c ross h a i r, post-and magn ificat i o n s i m p l ify the shooter's p r o b l e m s a n d p resent a c l ear i m age.
Dec i d i n g how much power to use i s often a p r o b l e m when c h o o s i n g a s c o p e , but u s u a l l y th i s i s determ i ned by game and te rrai n . In timber reg ions, w h e re g a m e is moving and at mode rate ranges, low-power scopes (3X o r less) which p rovi d e wider fields of vision are best. In open cou ntry, where game g e n e ra l l y i s n ot
movin g and ran ges are l o n g , h i g h-powe r scopes (6X
Weaver scope, Echo mount, a lmost hide a lternate receiver s i ght S I G H T I N G THE RI FLE
PEEP SIGHT: Less expens ive than scopes and far m o re d u rable, the peep rates second a m o n g s i g hts. The p ro x i m ity of eye to s i g ht perm its an u n u s u a l l y wide field of v i s i o n , and the eye's i n stin ctive ab i l ity t o peer through the smal l apert u re, auto matical l y ce nter i n g the front s i g ht, i n c reases the chances of accu racy. S i nce the h u nter needs o n l y to a l i g n the front s i g h t w i t h the g a m e , the p e e p is f a r faste r to use t h a n open rear s i g hts wh i c h have three poi nts of refe re n c e : rear s i g ht, front sig ht, and game.
OPEN REAR SIGHT: Ran k i n g t h i rd i n performance,
but by far the least expensive, are open i ro n s i g hts. They are rugged, easy trave l e rs, and o n bright days g ive an u n o bstructed view of the target, perm itt i n g the h u nter to sh oot tight (to keep h i s s h ot-groups with i n a smal l c i rc u lar area) . With n o l i g ht-gath e r i n g proper ties, they are a l m ost u s e l ess when l i g ht is bad, and fo c u s i n g with them is extrem e l y s l ow. The shooter's eye m ust center the front sight i n the rear s i g ht, then a l i g n t h e front s i g ht with the game. The d i ff i c u lty of the process i s often i n c reased because l i g h t str i k i n g the front s i g h t tends to prod uce a h a l o on o n e o r the oth e r s i d e o f it. As the eye attem pts to center t h e s i g ht, it i s l i ke l y to m i sj udge what is actual and what i s i l l usory. T h i s can sometimes be e l i m i nated by p l a c i n g a hood