Home Forums Hunting & Shooting BPCR Received this in the mail awhile back...

How so,then what's its purpose? Still clears up my sight pic same as the Vernier,can't see where its much slower than raising the ladder if you know your zero for given ranges on the scale.

Ok go ahead and get the thing. Hands on experience is the best teacher.

Glad to be of help Woody. As another neophyte to this "bidness" and fortunate enough to still have good eyes, there is no question that every time I've changed from "V" type sights to peeps, my groups have at lease halved in size (1895s, Savage 99 and Mod 71 Winchester). I did not care for the vernier, because it got in my way when I aimed, shot and reloaded, yet ET's pretty good with his. The only thing I can bring to this conversation is that use what works for you. Enjoy it Woody. j

Thanks jorge.. I haven't decided on which way to go as there have been many suggestions posted by those way more edumacated on the subject than myself and I've looked at almost every conceivable sight combo in existence of late for a Sharps.

For all concerned a few things to clear up....I'm not Mr.Magoo just yet, nor do I have any aspirations for competitive target shooting.I'll hunt with this gun and only hunt so getting the sights right for me is #1 priority.

I appreciate all suggestions so feel free to keep em coming..

Folks, thank you for the open and frank discussion some of the practical characteristics of vernier sights and 19th Malcolm-style telescopic sights when used for hunting with BPCR rifles. I've learned a lot about various issues whose existence I had not even suspected.

Woody you'll likely need to drill out the aperature on a tang sight quite a bit to be able to see that front blade in low light hunting situations.
If you look at the second sight you posted , to adjust the elevation on the thing you'll need to loosen the eyecup and while looking at the left side of the staff move the slide to what ever setting you think you might need. This is not going to be fast, and doing it with a gloved hand is not going to be an exercise in precise sight movement.
If you must go with a tang sight at least go with the screw adjustments, so that way after with enough practice you can at adjust the elevation fairly precise according to the number of "twists" you give the knob. (hopefully you won't go the wrong way in the heat of the moment when that buck steps out).

Tnx Don,good points all I'll certainly archive those as this trial run moves forward.I do see inherent disadvantages of a Vernier vs barrel sights under adverse weather conditions but the extremes we hunt under almost every late season can and will render any barrel varieties useless as well.

Maybe we're just gluttons for punishment but I've been hunting these conditions since the middle 70's with irons and glass...snow,sleet,single digit temps nothing new just cover the sights the best you can and try to stay warm.Glass on board doesn't fair much better either.

Woody back in the bad old days Shiloh Long Range Express model were shipped std with what they called a sporting tang rear and had no rear barrel sight. They worked but not real good, no where near the quality of the one you are looking at but same principle operation. Problem was the staff was not plumb and only by shimming the base was I able to correct that somewhat. You would be better served with a #130, #134, or a #131 for what you want and the small Hadley Disc as well to tune for light conditions. I BTDT. Magnum Man

Ranch and Magnum Man--I think Woody is going through the "Tang Sight Infatuation Phase" with his Sharps. You guys have done it, I've done it, all of the old hands that actually hunt with their Sharps have done it. Your eyesight gets a little fuzzy, and you manage to get your hands on a tang sight, and put it on your rifle. It just LOOKS SO COOL on the gun, that's what the old buffalo rifles looked like, right? Then you look through the eyepiece, and the sight picture is so clear and sharp you can't believe it. This is THE answer, it's just gotta work, right?

Then you waste a whole hunting season trying to use the damned thing, lose several shooting opportunities because of the gadget sitting on the wrist of your rifle, and finally come to the realization that despite what some of the magazine articles say, the old timers really didn't use them on their buffalo guns. We've all BTDT, and Woody is just gonna have to get skinned up and find it out for himself. This is one of those deals where the lesson "If it's too good to be true, it probably is" comes to mind. I don't know of anyone who has been able to avoid the trap yet. Looks like Woody's next.

For whatever it might be worth, I purchased one of these for my Stevens 44 some time back. It is a #104 Schuetzen.



My intention was not for hunting applications but it could be used for that purpose without a lot of grief. I am not however a knob twiddler in the field. Within the viable range for that particular gun I would have it zeroed and know the intermediate POI elevations to include 25-50 yards beyond zero. I do not find the aperture difficult for finding the blade or target. My eyes are however not terribly successful with the original buckhorn sights.

My .02, FWIW

I'd enjoy proving you wrong my friend but not counting chickens just yet specially since you seem to be right 99.9 percent of the time. A good clear sight pic trumps infatuation anyday IMO,we'll see come November

Peeps on my smokeless rifles work great from 0-200 yards, I think the sight DD showed us should be no different?

Think again. It ain't the same ballgame. Not even close.

The only reason I bought into the tang sight bit was for a creedmoor shoot that didn't happen. If it hadn't of been for thinking about going to that thing, and then getting snookered into "getting serious about these matches" I probably never would of put one of the damn things on my gun.

There is a LOT of insight and wisdom in that post. And the thing is, as long as you have one on your rifle, that sight keeps you from learning how to really use the gun.

That's true , but it's dang hard to dial in the xring on a 1000 yd target with the ladder and blade. But I seriously don't think a person would be handicapped much by using the natural sights for most gong shoots and leave the fancy addons alone.

Aw crap, now I got to go murder a hog with that rig.

On the range an aperture sight works fine. This is a 98 from 1000 yds. shooting my .50:

50 2 1/2 Group by Sharps45 2 7/8, on Flickr

When I hunt...I take that sight off and use the standard barrel sight and it still shoots!

Acespades by Sharps45 2 7/8, on Flickr

There just ain't enough time on most occasions to be fiddle-pharting around twisting knobs on a tang sight!

Outstanding shooting RM...

The area I hunt in central Kneebraskee is for the most part wide open rolling terrain with deep canyons scattered with occasional pockets of hardwoods and cedars.. 90 percent of the shots are usually 250 minimum and 3-400 most often except for one area along the Middle Loop river where my Marlin 444 shines.

I have plenty of time for target acquisition as this is all thousands of pristine ranch land acres where the deer rarely see orange.

As I mentioned previously I'm good to go out to 250 with barrel sights but beyond is ???

Beyond 250 my military training kicks in and says don't press a bad position,disengage,regroup and reacquire.The addition of the Vernier has permitted exactly that. Two weeks ago on the first outing I was busting lased rocks out to 350 and beyond with ease via my cast 525 gr PP launched from my 110 with jorge's sight on board.

Heretofore it's only been a pipe dream but the aperture seems to work just fine which has certainly extended my range of comfort and without a doubt I'll hunt it this fall.

FlyboyFlem

"I have plenty of time for target acquisition as this is all thousands of pristine ranch land acres where the deer rarely see orange."

That's a good point because the type of terrain you're hunting does make a difference!