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Old February 9, 2016, 10:26 PM   #1
HistoryJunky
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Proper sight picture with AK rifles

Recently I have bought a Yugo N-PAP 7.62x39 AKM. I haven't had a lot of experience with AKs, and I find it hard to focus on the front sight.

I shoot pistol with both eyes open, and I am trying to transition to doing it with rifles as well.

I don't really know what a proper sight picture is supposed to look like with an AK, where my head should be on the stock, etc.

I'm hoping to go to the range to shoot next week, but the max distance is 25 yards. With my current sighting difficulties, that may even be a challenge.
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Old February 10, 2016, 09:36 AM   #2
AK103K
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Your sight picture is the same as any other of that type. Focus is still on the front sight.

As far as your head position, you want it forward, with your nose at, or alongside the top cover. Your cheek weld should be on the narrow portion of the stock, just behind the top cover.

You often see people trying to shoulder the rifle with their head back, and the cheek weld on the comb of the stock, which is incorrect. I often wonder if this isnt why you hear so many complaints that the AK's stocks are too short, which they arent. They have the same LOP as most other combat stocked rifles.
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Old February 10, 2016, 09:41 AM   #3
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Ah I see. Yes when I was shouldering it last night I noticed a lot better sight picture when standing with my head more forward.

I guess I am positioning the gun right, I just have a hard time picking up the front sight.

Does anyone have recommendations for a front sight replacement that is more visible? Or maybe open up the rear sight notch a bit?
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Old February 10, 2016, 09:56 AM   #4
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Id play with it awhile before you start changing things. Youre likely to find things arent as bad as you first think as you get used to it. The AK's are "AK's", and are different than the AR's and others. Once you get used to them, they are really a handy rifle and things youre always told are negative, seem to go away, as you become more experienced with the gun.

I dont find the stock sights to be bad, and they are fine enough to offer good precision at longer distances.

I have Meprolight night sights on a couple of my AK's. They are bigger than the standard sights, and have a larger rear notch to accommodate the larger front sight. They work well for quick, close range shooting, but tend to limit your range at the longer distances. Beyond 200 yards or so is a challenge.

I like the front sight lit, but the dots on the rear sight, are too big for as close to your eye that they are, and they "fuzz" out. I did replace the stock rear on a couple of them, and while it is a tad narrower, it still works well. The front sight is quick to pick up, and the rear doesnt distract. The range is still reduced though, due to the "fat" front sight.
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Old February 10, 2016, 10:11 AM   #5
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I also find it difficult to focus on my Aks front sight, for one I have astigmatism in both eyes and am far sighted. Also since the rear notch is so narrow and the front post is so wide, there is no room for light on the sides of the front post, and my eyes automatically want to focus on the rear sight, glasses or not. I have though about mounting a red dot, but since the problem is really only indoors and at the indoor range, I think I'll leave it be. Outdoors in daylight the issue virtually goes away. I can hit a roughly 12" wide by 4 foot tall steel oxygen tank every shot at about 300yds so I am not too concerned. There are aftermarket sight options such as peeps (both long and short sight radius), wide and adjustable target style rear sights and different front posts as well (narrower, wider, tritium, fiber optic, different colors, cross hair)

If your AK has a side rail, and you aren't happy with any style of irons, try a red dot atop a low profile side rail mount
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Old February 10, 2016, 11:22 AM   #6
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The red dot is the way to go, with any of them really, not just the AK's. With the AK's, it brings the gun into the 21's century, right along with the AR's, and they shoot very similarly when shot side by side with them.

Ive had Aimpoints on two of my AK's fro about 15 years now, and they work great. With the right sight and mount, you can still cowitness your iron sights with the dot too.

This is my Saiga with its Aimpoint Comp M2 mounted (it also has a set of Meprolights on it).....



Theres no doubt the red dots are the better sight set up, but the irons arent all that bad, even indoors. The AK's are easy to shoot "over the gun" with, so the sights really arent all that necessary at reasonably close ranges. They arent target rifles, and their sights are more than capable, and in some cases, more desirable, than the peeps sights so often touted as superior.
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Old February 10, 2016, 11:46 AM   #7
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I would give a BIG +1 to the red dot. I ran an Eo-tech on my AK while in Afghanistan and LOVED it.

With the mini red dots available now, I would use one of those and not affect the balance or handling at all

If money was no object, an Aimpoint T1 would be AWESOME. If cash is short a Primary arms micro dot would work too
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Old February 10, 2016, 06:04 PM   #8
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... I just have a hard time picking up the front sight.

Does anyone have recommendations for a front sight replacement that is more visible? Or maybe open up the rear sight notch a bit?
Yes, widen the rear sight notch just a little bit. I've done it to mine and it helps big time. Just a little bit wider allows more light through to either side of the front sight post. (Don't over do it or you will ruin long range precision!) Supposedly rounding the outside top edge or the sight helps too, but I've never done that. FYI, this is also known as the "Fuller AK Rear Sight Mod"

Another thing that helps a lot is to get some flat black and flat red or orange spray paint. Mask the sight and paint that flat part "where the notch is" flat black. Paint your front post flat red or orange. That will limit reflection, setup some stark contrast and draw your eye to the front sight.

Quote:
The red dot is the way to go, with any of them really, not just the AK's. With the AK's, it brings the gun into the 21's century, right along with the AR's, and they shoot very similarly when shot side by side with them.

Ive had Aimpoints on two of my AK's fro about 15 years now, and they work great. With the right sight and mount, you can still cowitness your iron sights with the dot too.
I run red dots and magnified optics on all my AKs, but I still practice with the irons regularly. The factory AK sights are my BUIS so I want to make them usable. (gottta love QD RS Regulate side rail mounts!)



.
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Old February 10, 2016, 06:16 PM   #9
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The typical AK notched battle sights are not the most friendly for shooting your typical recreational small black target bulls. I too took a small hobby file and enlarged the rear leaf sight notch. Helped me out a lot as far as my poor eyes aquiring my target. I also use 9" white paper plates with a 3" florescent orange bullseye as target instead of a black and this also makes for easier target to sight contrast.
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Old February 11, 2016, 08:15 PM   #10
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It seems that even aiming around my house I have problems with it.


I wish I had another rifle to compare it with. I haven't got aiming with both eyes open with rifles down yet.
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Old February 11, 2016, 08:25 PM   #11
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Keep at it, youll figure it out.
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Old February 11, 2016, 09:40 PM   #12
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Regular AK sight is serviceable but I prefer the peep of the Valmet and Galil.
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Old February 11, 2016, 10:21 PM   #13
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Proper sight picture with AK rifles.
There is no such thing. It's an AK. You're not supposed to "aim" the sights at a specific target, like you would with an M1 Garand or AR.

Nope, just point your AK's muzzle in the general direction of the target, or enemy, or civilian non-combatants, or whatever, and blast away. For 60 years, that's been the easy-to-learn manual-of-arms for conscripted peasant serfs worldwide.

Still popular with ISIS fighters today.

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Old February 11, 2016, 10:40 PM   #14
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There is no such thing. It's an AK. You're not supposed to "aim" the sights at a specific target, like you would with an M1 Garand or AR.
If you arent supposed to aim, there would be no sights.

If you cant make reasonably good hits on targets out to 300 yards or so with an AK using its iron sights, its not the guns fault. Id be willing to bet that a shooter who can shoot an M1, or AR reasonably well, could do so with an AK.
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Old February 11, 2016, 11:25 PM   #15
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For what it's worth, I struggle with cross dominant eyes and can shoot handguns with both eyes open but not rifle iron sights. Especially Russian style. I learned to focus well on my vz58 sights but only with my left eye. I do much better with both eyes on a red dot or scope
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Old February 12, 2016, 12:49 AM   #16
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I was thinking about maybe going with TechSights. Anyone use them?
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Old February 12, 2016, 01:17 AM   #17
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OP, I would watch this video before buying any aftermarket sights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPcdndVpfaA
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Old February 12, 2016, 02:28 AM   #18
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I have a Krebs Custom Peep Sight blade on my Sar-1. Makes target acquisition easier / faster for using Iron Sights.

I also have a Russian Kobra Red Dot on there - that really makes things easy.
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Old February 12, 2016, 07:23 AM   #19
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If you cant make reasonably good hits on targets out to 300 yards or so with an AK using its iron sights, its not the guns fault.
Exactly. These guys are making 300y and 200y hits with no problems

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozKCl2gbdbE
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Old February 12, 2016, 07:39 AM   #20
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I was thinking about maybe going with TechSights. Anyone use them?
I have the AK Tech Sight setup that I have put on my AKs. I love Tech Sights on my SKS, but I keep taking them off my AKs after playing with them. (and right now it's in a box with spare AK parts)

First the positive:

The sight picture is excellent. It gives you a true aperture sight setup like a Garand, M1 Carbine or AR, just as it gives you with the SKS.

If you run a red dot on an Ultimak rail or a good side rail mount like the RS Regulate AK301 and AKM/AKML/AKMD on top, it will work great. You can lower 1/3 co-witness with the right optic and a very low mount

The Negatives:

It hinders field stripping somewhat. There is a good technique to help that and once you learn and practice how to do that, it's mostly a non-issue, but you'll still need a tool or the nose of a round to field strip. Here's the Tech Sight video on that: Link

If you run a magnified optic on a side rail mount, you most likely will have interference issues at the rear of the scope and/or will not be able to slide the mount on the rail unless the optic is mounted way too high.


So overall, the Tech Sight does work great with caveats. After a lot of trial and error, I figure that it is easier for me to work the OEM irons and consider them a BUIS. Most of my guns (and all my AKs) run some type of optic anyway.

If I want to shoot irons for fun, I have an M1 Carbine, Garand, a few SKS and a few "fixed carry handle ARs that are better suited to that.
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Old February 12, 2016, 09:49 AM   #21
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Are the sights solid and maintain zero well?
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Old February 12, 2016, 09:55 AM   #22
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Originally Posted by Model12Win View Post
OP, I would watch this video before buying any aftermarket sights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPcdndVpfaA
I have to say, that video put a smile on my face. I guess I should probably get in more trigger time before I go trying to change things.
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Old February 12, 2016, 09:59 AM   #23
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Sounds good. ^

I think you will find your groups will shrink, and you will get better. I'd much rather get a red dot setup before fooling around with peep sights. Just be sure to maintain profficiency with iron sights and sight in the rifle properly with them. If/when your red dot fails, just pull it off the mount and keep fighting with the irons.
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Old February 12, 2016, 07:35 PM   #24
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Are the sights solid and maintain zero well?
Absolutely. Tech Sights do hold zero. You have to remove the sight to field strip the rifle, so this is a necessity.
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Old February 12, 2016, 07:37 PM   #25
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I have to say, that video put a smile on my face. I guess I should probably get in more trigger time before I go trying to change things.
Rob Ski makes great AK videos.

This one is good too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcYKbo--K5c
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