Building a long barrel muzzleloader (42") 54 cal.

The geometry of the stock puts the breech end about 5" from my eyes.

I'm using this sight on the rear:



1st off, the sight dimensions would nearly work out if the base leaf is set at 100 yards, it would put the peep window on the flip up almost dead on at 200.

2nd off, I am far sighted like hell.

How far from my old eye should I dovetail this baby in?

All things considered, what should I build/buy for a front sight?

I'm partial to hoods or globes on my front sights. Especially like the ability to swap inserts, but could make a custom blade, or for that matter, a custom insert on the globe.

Brownells has dovetailed flat front irons you can shape, adjust height, narrow, or eventually put a bead in.

I'll try to get you a linky.


http://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/sights/front-sights/oversize-dovetail-front-sight-prod55.aspx

Saw them Nate.

I can churn one out in the dungeon quicker than it can ship.

Make it brass or steel.

Even drill a hole and stuff a fiber optic insert in it.

Or steel with a brass bead.


You think a flat blade would be the way to go?

I have a NIB Lyman MJT 20 globe front sights with changeable inserts I would part with.

I bet you I could cut a smiley face in the side of that baby

I like blades; just me.

Brass would be nice, and if you're a bead guy, round the top and black out the rest.

I know you're a file wizard....

Now that you blew up that pic, those really look like schit....

Used to like the old Brownells book better. They used to sell one that was milled with a better base set-up.
They also had a front to rear sight height scale chart; I'm sure someone here will be able to help you there.

Always thought something like the old Redfield would be cool.

Think the sight height there is 0.70"

I would probably need a 17AHB, with the 0.40"

The top of the notch on the low leaf is about 0.36", which is almost too low for globes, unless I build a platform for the rear - or take a few hundredths off the bottom of the AHB.

To start with, you choice for a rear site sucks and blows. You need a peep of some sort.

For a front site, just pick front base easy enough to solidly install, then order some plastic test posts from XS sights. Go to the range and just keep whittling on a test post until you have a good zero, then measure its height and call up XS and order a dovetailed steel "white-stripe" front sight and drift it in place. Once you get it zeroed/checked, then dribble a bit of loctite green in the dovetail. It won't be going anywhere without a torch.

There's a goal here in that if a load can be worked out adequately to achieve deer kills at 200+/- then I would prefer to do that without a lot of holdover.

a single fixed peep takes away the versatility of chunking a big piece of lead downrange.

Most, if not all of my local hunting stands provide close range FOV, but have at least one tree line that is between 160 yards to 220 yards either along a bean field or the edge of a cutover, especially my back porch which provides a 220 yard shot to the treeline across the field. So a flipping rear will let me engage targets in both "worlds" so to speak.

There goes TAK, talkin' rifles again.

Too fuggin' funny.




Travis

Well, if it were a quicker rifle to swing and not a 42" 54 cal, and had a flatter trajectory/ a tighter point blank range, then the peep may have been a good idea.



A little disconcerting that the sight I got both sucks and blows at the same time.

Well, having run irons in competition, post front only, for yeras, what I can offer, I would do nothing on the front other than a square post.(rectangle) Any other shape does not give you crisp enough reference to the front, especially the fire type optics.

The front is the most important and has to be as clear as possible.

Secondary to that is clarity of target and it can be pretty fuzzy.

Rear sight distance can be very iffy to my eyes on a groove. But a peep is not nearly as picky IF you can control the size of the aperture.

IF I had to go with what you are using for a rear, I'd put the front on first then tape or glue the rear in a few differnet places and just go outside and see what my eyes, with correction that you would be using, tell me is best.

Something you may not have on file, very handy when sneaking up on projected heights.

Formula.....

Overall sight radius X .00029 = 1 MOA value in .001"

GTC

Amen !

...preach it, Bro !

GTC

yup

I figured cross would have the dope.


I'm thinking something like a Redfield Sourdough blade....but that's just me. My preference is like Jeff's; black, solid and square. A target handgun sight, square notch rear.

that looks buildable.

I think I have some steel, brass and a couple of files around here...

It's in the file now...

Last night I did some measuring and such.

I put this sight on my SxS 45 colt sledgehammer.



Worked better with the 15" sight radius.

Looking for an old redfield tang peep for a savage 99.

I can fit that to the muzzleloader

That sounds remarkably similar to the barrel sights on some of the older Sharps buffalo guns. They are - and are - remarkably accurate.

Another big "amen". You can't deal with personal visual idiosyncrasies by applying a formula. You really need to get out and shoot, or at least see the sights under realistic conditions. As noted, even a temporary cobbled together setup can be useful.

A real bonus would be to find an eye professional, probably an optometrist, who understands shooting, and is willing to work with you.

Man, I wish those old Redfield Patridge blades, later made by Burris, were still available.

Paul

I've been searching and measuring and looking at all sorts of stuff, to-wit:


or



or one similar with a buckhorn.

which most closely resembles the sharps BG barrel sight.

I must admit, the slick top and tang of the underhammer is quite a different "visual feel".

I could mount almost anything on there, just got to find something I like.

Going to go sight in the sledgehammer....

which is why the sight ended up on my SxS Colt..

After taping and adjusting, and spending an hour having my wife sliding that rear sight all over the place, I took a break, slapped it in the dovetail on my colt, and angels began to sing, a light broke through the ceiling, and I heard a voice say, "IT IS GOOD"

Those ladder sights are damn good, and work surprisingly well!

Had a Model 66 Winchester 24" in 44-40 that would really lay them in there at long range. 600 meter Ram silhouette was not even a challenge.

I have a combination "Shooting Optometry" Rifle / Fixture that I built, years ago.

Basically a good ( Winchester Marksman) target rifle stock fitted with an adjustable for length "Barrel".

The Rear sight is an enormous "Hadley" style cup (built here) that's got a LOT of aperture sizes.

The "Barrel" is removed from the stock (one big captive knob, a salvaged handstop adjustment piece)....barrel / (now in fixture mode) is muonted so's to allow optometrists big "Viewer" to apply, OR he can hold the lenses manually.

Your "Shooter's Optometrist" has blown a regular eye chart down to the proportions at which it's corect for YOUR chosen sight radius, and with you reading the chart through the largest aperture you think you'll ever use. You're not just looking at Is and Os,...your reading the ENTIRE CHART.

Once your presription is chosen, the "barrel" goes back in the stock, and you set the almost infinately adjustable rear aperture sight to conform to YOUR rifles geometry, and try the whole process from that angle.

If you're seeing and reading to everybody's satisfaction, theres one more CRITICAL step,.....With a good straight length of TIG welding wire run through your regular rifle's front and rear apertures, and the rear of that wire daubed with a little blob of paint, one assumes a good "Hold",....the optometrist plinks the rod into your regular glasses, and the mark left on the lens will be the OPTICAL CENTER of your new prescription lenses. Promotes COMFORTABLE shooting.

Sounds complicated, ....AIN'T.

Anyone wants to broach the subject of running this eye test with their Optom., the rig's available as a loaner. If the optometrist doesn't have the wherewithal and knowledge needed to blow the chart down for your sight radius, I would look for someone who CAN, and understands the principles involved.

I'll get some pictures of that goofy lookin' thing, later today, and post em' this evening.

Greg