Shooting with Iron Sights
 

When I shoot with iron sights I line the sights up and put the target on the top. I really like that way and wan't to keep shooting like that but I notice with iron sights that if they are not perfectly lined up you will be way off. How do you make sure your sights are perfectly lined up?

RE: Shooting with Iron Sights
 

A lot of this depends on the kind of iron sights you use. Fiber optics of course are dots, so I line the dots up, and put the target on the center dot to make a figure eight and then squeeze off.

With the old fashioned iron sights, it can be a little harder but still able to be done. One trick I used is taking white out for correcting typed paper (do they still use them typewriters still? :D) and paint the back side of the front side white. It will help the front site stand out and you then line the front to the back in a straight line, and then balance the bulls eye or the target in question on the center of the front sight and squeeze off. Use a brown paper bag to put your target on and you will be surprised at how well it shows up.

I've also done the same trick using different colored fluorescent paint. I pained the front site green and the back posts red. This helped in low light.

If you don't go the paint route, then line the three of them up and make a straight --- and balance the bull over the center - and squeeze off.

RE: Shooting with Iron Sights
 

Sharp Shooter, the reason that is a difficult question to answer is because like guns in general no two answers that work are liable to be the same.
My way of doing may be different from what you need. It did get me two state Overall one in pistol IL 1976 and one in bench rest round ball in IL in 1978 also a reentry 3 place in bench at Friendship and some medals in pistol.
# 1 focus on the sights holding the alinment in critical, even if the target blurrs a little
# 2 relax; tensing up muscle is like changing the bedding on the barrel it causes the gun to change impact point especally the arm and shoulder the gunbacks up against in recoil
#3 squeez with the whole hand especally the thumb when squeezing the trigger
#4 once you settle into your form position stay that way, move at the waist to aim the gun, if you start pushing it around with arm and shoulder muscles you will not be able to hold steady.
You must work out what works the best for you,its like finding the best load;it may be similar to some one elses but probably not exactly the same. Good Luck Lee

RE: Shooting with Iron Sights
 

This is the hardest part with iron sight. Sighting (something I call pointing alot) the same every time. Low light especially causes problems, (for me at least), because of the tendency to lift the front sight to see it more clearly. The white paint that cayugad suggested helps alot.I've thought of alot of ways to improve sighting precision with iron sights but have only used a couple. Here's a couple of things I've used.

One is a post rear sight which in MOA is about the width of the front sight and the other is a cross hair rear sight. Examples are below. On the sidekick being off just 1/32 of an inch in alignment,is 3 1/2 inches of pointing inaccuracy at 50 yards. Seven inches at 100 yards. The same sight picture on your Renegade would not be as great an inaccuracy because of the longer barrel and greater separation of the two sights. The greater the separation of the two sights the lesser the inaccuracy of the same sight picture.

For 75 yards and over, one is not allowed much in sighting inaccuracy. One idea that Ihad for my Hawken years ago, but never tried, was to have the divet in the rear sight precisely the MOA of the front sight in both depth and width. But I dont know how that would work. The biggest problems I have experienced with iron sights has alway been with vertical alignment, not with horizontal alignment.

My curent sight pictures:

RE: Shooting with Iron Sights
 

COOL! Thanks Lee. These are some things I will definitely put into practice.

Happy Hunting, Phil

RE: Shooting with Iron Sights
 

this is some excellent advice, One thing I thought I would add is a tip that my wife gave me a long time ago after missing an easy shot at a buck. She said when trying to shoot at a deer instead of sighting down on the animal pick a tree and get agood sight picture then move the sights to the animal and i tell you what guys, it's spelled the demise of many a buck since then!!She has always been a better shot than me anyway. See ya D.

RE: Shooting with Iron Sights
 

If I do not like the paint will 91% Isopropyl take it off? On my airsoft gun I painted the front blade white and that helped.

RE: Shooting with Iron Sights
 

Proably not, but sometimes fingernail polish remover or mineral sprits will. Lee

RE: Shooting with Iron Sights
 

I bought a multi package array of eight colors all florescent, model paint at a Pamida (like a Wal Mart) for I think $1.89. It was in their craft section. I painted the front site on my CVA Mountian Stalker and when I wanted it off, all I needed was gun solvent on a patch and it came right off.

It really worked out good. I was having trouble picking up the sights in the late afternoon in the balsam thickets. For those of you who have hunted one, you know what I mean. That paint made all the difference to the unfortunate fate of a deer that I managed to put the sneak on. The showed up perfect and the roundball hit right where it was aimed.

As to the White Out, you can take your fingernail and rub that stuff off..

RE: Shooting with Iron Sights
 

This is funny. I take a black marker to my traditional rifles that have a silver or brass front sight because I can't see them. I use the old pumpkin on the post for most shooting unless I know the rifle real well and know exactly where it will hit and then I zero the sights on a bull.