Sights on a Smooth Rifle

[Ajgall]

Planning to build a smoothbore after the first of the year. I have a straight octagonal barrel I’m going to use. Would a rear sight typically have been used or just a single front like a fowler or modern shotgun?

This rifle will get used more with shot than PRB’s I’m leaning towards leaving the rear sight off, but I was curious what was typical.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I have an octagon to round barrel on my smooth bore. I soldered a front sight made from an umderlug on it. I use the slot of the tang bolt as a rudimentary rear sight. I dont plan to use roundballs in this gun but added the sight for just in case I ever decide to.

 

[user 48679]

My T/C Renegade 56-SB was issued with iron sights, and I liked them for deer hunting (YMMV, tho).

 

[appalichian hunter]

My .62 cal smooth bore octagon to round barrel has both a rear sight and a blade front sight, works great for round ball, if using shot I just get a ghost sight picture of the rear sight and aim low on the front blade, works fine for me.

 

[rich pierce]

When I make a smooth rifle for a customer or on spec I add a rear sight plus a “filler” for the dovetail so they can use it in smoothbore matches and meet the “no rear sight allowed” requirements. If one makes a nick on the barrel and rear sight it’s easy to slip it back in and be very close to “on target”.

 

[Notchy Bob]

Planning to build a smoothbore after the first of the year. I have a straight octagonal barrel I’m going to use. Would a rear sight typically have been used or just a single front like a fowler or modern shotgun?

This rifle will get used more with shot than PRB’s I’m leaning towards leaving the rear sight off, but I was curious what was typical.

In my opinion, you would be best served with a front sight only, if you plan to use mostly shot for aerial targets or wingshooting. You mentioned a "full octagon barrel," though, and this may be a little front-heavy for wingshooting.

I suppose your choice might also depend on what you are hunting with your shot loads. I could see that a rear sight would be a good thing for any sort of deliberate aiming at stationary game, such as turkeys, even with shot. If you think you might try hunting with ball for big game, such as deer, you would want the sighting system that will give the best accuracy for a humane kill. Modern hunting ethics may trump any sort of tradition in this case.

The "Trade Gun" matches sanctioned by the NMLRA require a smoothbore with no rear sight. If you think you might want to shoot in those competitions some day, that would be a consideration.

There were rifle-sighted smoothbores back in the day, and even some trade guns, such as the Carolina guns, had rear sights. NMLRA rules notwithstanding.

Don Bruton addresses these choices on his website: Don Bruton - Gunmaker

You have a lot to consider, in making this seemingly simple choice!

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

 

[Ajgall]

In my opinion, you would be best served with a front sight only, if you plan to use mostly shot for aerial targets or wingshooting. You mentioned a "full octagon barrel," though, and this may be a little front-heavy for wingshooting.

I suppose your choice might also depend on what you are hunting with your shot loads. I could see that a rear sight would be a good thing for any sort of deliberate aiming at stationary game, such as turkeys, even with shot. If you think you might try hunting with ball for big game, such as deer, you would want the sighting system that will give the best accuracy for a humane kill. Modern hunting ethics may trump any sort of tradition in this case.

The "Trade Gun" matches sanctioned by the NMLRA require a smoothbore with no rear sight. If you think you might want to shoot in those competitions some day, that would be a consideration.

There were rifle-sighted smoothbores back in the day, and even some trade guns, such as the Carolina guns, had rear sights. NMLRA rules notwithstanding.

Don Bruton addresses these choices on his website: Don Bruton - Gunmaker

You have a lot to consider, in making this seemingly simple choice!

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

It would be more squirrel, rabbit, or turkey than wingshooting. Thank you or the link to Mr. Burton’s work a lot to ponder with what seems like a simple choice.

 

[Relic shooter]

On a .62 cal. French style flint smoothbore I built years ago I engraved a decorative arrow on surface where the tang meets the breech plug in order to line-up point of impact with the front sight.
To make the groove & front sight align it required removing & re-installing the barrel from the stock several times as I made these minor 'tweaks' & stress-relieving's to get the 42" barrel aligned with the sights.
These adjustments were made between a couple of properly spaced large diameter wood posts with a piece of rubber padding.
After half a day & a few adjustments the barrel shot spot-on & produced tight groups at 50 yards with the right load & PRB combo & proved to be a fine pheasant getter as well.. It also won a 100 yard rifle match for me at a Pagosa Springs rendezvous in the mid 90's.
NOTE; I do not recommend trying barrel tweaking on a thin-walled smoothbore barrel unless you have the skills to do it properly. A kink could ruin your day & a barrel.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Mine has a rear sight. I don't notice it wing shooting but it sure comes in handy when I'm.......pretending to shoot ball.

 

[tenngun]

You said you were making a smooth rifle. And that’s a different kettle of fish then a fusil or a fowling piece.
Smooth rifles or rifle mounted fusil was made by a rifle maker back in the day. Or was a rifle at one time and bored smooth later. In both cases the gun was a rifle of its time and place in all respects but the absence of grooves in the bore. It had rear sights.
Many smoothbore fusils were also fitted with rear sights. About 10% of NWG had one added, Carolina guns came with them. I’ve had one on all my smoothies.

 

[Pete G]

It is a smooth rifle and rifles have sights.

 

[Musketeer]

Smooth rifle... That still gets me...

 

[tenngun]

It was just that it looked like a civilian style rifle in all respects except that it had a smooth bore. I have read the ‘rifle mounted fusil’ from the time, so old times seem as uncomfortable with’ smooth rifle’ as much as you are.
About 10% of the known American made long guns from that time with smooth bores but otherwise rifle mounts seem to have been made that way.

 

[Art Caputo]

I dovetailed a smallish rear primitive style sight on my 62 cal fowler that I have used for all game (turkeys, deer, birds, coyotes, and small game). Fifty yard accuracy with a roundball is much improved, and comparable to my rifles. My instinctive style wing/moving game shooting is unaffected.

 

[Hatman/2nd line]

I just finished a Kibler smooth rifle in .54cal., didn't come with the rear sight dovetailed which normally would in their kits, gave me the option. I did my own dovetail in the barrel and installed a rear sight, they had them back in the day as I think that was how a lot of the guns were then. When the weather gets better and I figure ou the camera stuff to take pictures I'll post some.
Merry Christmas!