Rear sight on a smoothbore

[Col_Houston]

Bobby Hoyt will take your .58 calibre out to .62 calibre…I don’t know his prices; I’ve personally never used him; but people here that I respect…swear by him, and the quality work that he does…

I can attest to his magic! He bored my 50 out and installed a 54cal sleeve. That rifle has NEVER shot better than now. It is amazing. Mr. Bobby said he believed it would be a shooter, commenting that he believed "re-sleeving one does something to the "harmonics" of the barrel." It must, because it will hairlip a knat now!
As far as price, he charged almost $150 and that included making a new breech plug and installing it to match the larger inside bore. He is a wonderful gentleman!

 

[tenngun]

I don’t see how a rear sight on a bess will make much of a difference, I’ve seen many Dutch and early dog lock muskets with a groove in the beech, this would be my choice of a rear sight.

Not on a bess but on my Centermark TFDC, I have a Lancaster style sight. I just need a good sight picture that I just am unable to get without a rear sight
I’m kinda sold on a pre FAnd I fusil right now i plan on this fall, and I’m pretty sure I’ll fit it with some sort of sight

 

[rusticbob]

I made a crude rear sight for my Pedersoli trade gun, made all the difference in the world.

 

[Mike in FL]

I got on this thread late. Hope I'm not too far off topic. My interest in muzzleloader is hunting although I sure enjoy my time at the range making them hunt ready and learning the individual characteristics. Just wanted to say I would not consider hunting with a smoothie that didn't have a rear sight no matter what kind of meat I was after. No offense, but I would feel silly just hoping my gun was pointed in the right direction. I know shot gunners who can break clay pigeons with no sight at all, I just ain't one of them. And if shooting ball, no way would I be successful with only a front bead or blade.

 

[French Colonial]

I got on this thread late. Hope I'm not too far off topic. My interest in muzzleloader is hunting although I sure enjoy my time at the range making them hunt ready and learning the individual characteristics. Just wanted to say I would not consider hunting with a smoothie that didn't have a rear sight no matter what kind of meat I was after. No offense, but I would feel silly just hoping my gun was pointed in the right direction. I know shot gunners who can break clay pigeons with no sight at all, I just ain't one of them. And if shooting ball, no way would I be successful with only a front bead or blade.

Well, the thing is Mike is that some of us have learned how to aim our smooth-bores without a rear sight and do very well with them. Just because you do not have a rear sight does not mean you can't have the same sight picture every time.

Some of the matches I shoot in you can not have a rear sight, hasn't been a problem for me.

 

[Mike in FL]

I envy that ability. I never shot in competition; I would surely lose.

 

[BP Addict]

Well, the thing is Mike is that some of us have learned how to aim our smooth-bores without a rear sight and do very well with them. Just because you do not have a rear sight does not mean you can't have the same sight picture every time.

Some of the matches I shoot in you can not have a rear sight, hasn't been a problem for me.

In most of my NRA Training, they say that the Front sight is the most important!

Walt

 

[French Colonial]

I envy that ability. I never shot in competition; I would surely lose.

After bending the barrel to get my smooth-bore shooting where I wanted I bench rested it quite a bit.

ON MY GUN if you hold the front sight in the middle of the rear tang screw (its lower than the barrel so its a quesstimate) and you lower the barrel until the front of the barrel just barely disappears from view due to the rear of the barrel (does that make sense?) at 25 yards the top of the front sight should be centered on the target.

It is a Caywood type C and I am using a .600 ball and a 10 thousands spit patch it will shoot cloverleafs at 25 yards.

Do not let anyone tell you a smooth-bore will not shoot accurately, not like a rifle obviously, but pretty good, just shoot it a lot and you will get to know what your doing. The more you shoot the better you will get.

 

[Kentuckyjed]

Thought about a rear sight for my trade gun. I had an extra front turtle sight and was going to turn it sideways and solder it on the flat then file a notch across the raised turtle back and viola turtle rear sight. Haven't done it yet though, gears are still spinning wildly out of control thinking on it.

 

[tenngun]

Well, the thing is Mike is that some of us have learned how to aim our smooth-bores without a rear sight and do very well with them. Just because you do not have a rear sight does not mean you can't have the same sight picture every time.

Some of the matches I shoot in you can not have a rear sight, hasn't been a problem for me.

No doubt about it sights don’t make a gun accurate. However I never could get the cheek weld, and spend so much time thinking about the tang screw alinement with front sight I don’t see my target.
When I added a rear sight my shooting improved greatly.
Even so….. I wouldn’t want to bet the farm on me with my rear sight vs you with out one.
70- 80% of my shooting has been smoothly since the 1990s, and almost all my deer hunting

 

[bud in pa]

I wish that I could find my book on French Fusils by Gladzyn(sp). There is a sketch of a Tulle with a tear sight. Clay Smith used to sell them.

 

[centershot]

In most of my NRA Training, they say that the Front sight is the most important!

Walt

Yes, you need to focus on the front sight, BUT, at the same time, you need to maintain the proper sight picture; Target, front sight and rear sight aligned properly with your FOCUS on the front sight.

This does not apply to a "shotgun" which typically has no rear sight. Wingshooting and rifle marksmanship are two separate entities. When you add a rear sight to your smooth rifle the implied intent is that you are going to shoot it as a RIFLE.

 

[rusticbob]

My gun will have a rear sight on it that helps me shoot it better.
You can do anything you want to with your guns.

 

[user 43911]

To each their own on sights.

My 2 cents,
I'm good without the rear sight, shoot like a shotgun, eyes on the target let your peripheral view pick up the guns location relevant to the target but a hard focus remains on the target .
Cheek weld is key and some shooters may have a problem with a given gun because it does not fit them, cheek weld determines the location of your rear sight THE EYE. If your face is floating around above the stock no two sight pictures will be the same, poor accuracy is the result.

I look at the target through my sights on a pistol also (ghost the sights on target both eyes open).

 

[Brokennock]

Cheek weld is key and some shooters may have a problem with a given gun because it does not fit them, cheek weld determines the location of your rear sight THE EYE.

Exactly.
And it doesn't take much to change that relationship. Different clothing, an odd position to shoot from..... things that can be different from range to hunting field.
I can shoot okay without a rear sight at known distance on the flat range. But I don't get to practice enough year round to be able to account for the heavier clothing I will have on come muzzleloading deer season here, and the positional factors.
I owe it to the deer to make sure I can account for those factors.

Some day I'll win the lottery and buy property that allows me to shoot enough to not worry about it. (Probably someplace warmer too so clothing won't be as much of a gun fit factor)