aging eyes... best target sights for traditional muzzleloader???

[Magnum Wheel Man]

so I took 2nd at MRS cousin's muzzleloader shoot... ( 2nd place has to buy the beer for the next year ) so I guess I'll be going again next year... needing to practice more 1st thing, but on the 100 meter target, the front post ( ramp ) covered the 8" black square completely so it made it difficult to adjust my shots a little... I'm using my FIL's old 50 caliber, & it has a cheap ( non screw windage adjustable ) tall rear tang sight, & maybe the stock front sight???

the guy that beat me ( has won 1/2 or better of the shoots, since the 90's when they started ) uses ( I think ) aperture sights both front & rear... I'm wanting to add a better quality rear sight that as a windage adjustment, that is better than loosening the aperture to slide it one way or the other, also I don't need a tall sight, the one currently on the gun, has a ball detent to fold, & I don't think it's very repeatable... so something shorter & more ridged...

& for the front sight I want something that won't cover up my spot at 100 meters... perhaps something with an insert??? what ever I end up getting should be versatile enough for 25, 50, & 100 meters of target work...

anyway... I plan on practicing 1st & foremost, but want what ever I buy & install to work well as my eyes start to age...

& I want to make sure I'm not buying the beer again in 2 years

[Smoke & Recoil]

Shooting with both eyes open works great for me...you don't sight
in on pretty girls with one eye do ya ?, anyway, try with both eyes open.

[TXAZ]

Would a 4x scope on a muzzle loader be too much of an anachronism?

[Magnum Wheel Man]

don't know about anachronism... but these were traditional muzzle loaders, so optics aren't legal

[swathdiver]

Was having trouble seeing the target clearly recently at just 25 yards, let alone 50 and 100. Wouldn't you know, that lightly sanding the silver front sight allowed me to differentiate between the target and front post again!

Then purchased the Merit Optical Attachment for my eyeglasses...

[Magnum Wheel Man]

that's funny, because the guy that hosts the shoot has a brass sight on his rifle, & he had to take a black marker & blacken the edge of his front sight...

I suppose that what works for one, may not work for the other... colors of targets may be different as well ???

[Pahoo]

Understand that I no longer shoot in competition. However I still use some target sights. On one, I have the Lyman tang sights with the matching front globe with ring or donut insert. I also have a TC tang that is a little fussier to set up. I also have an older TC short range vernier tang sight as well as a Pedersoli long rang tang Vernier. I prefer the short vernier tang. All sights mentioned, are still available on the internet. ....

black marker & blacken the edge of his front sight...

I believe this is a hooded from globe, made by Pedersoli. By any chance, did it fold down? ....

Be Safe !!!

[Captchee]

doesn’t sound to me like you issue is old eyes as if you having age issues , the front or rear sight will become hard to see . In most cases moving them to point where you can see them ,fixs that problem .
Peeps serve to focus your eye on a smaller area . But if you cant see the front sight anyway , they may only work for a time before you notice you need a different size hole or front silhouette
While those types of sight work and work well . You might want to look at the rules for the events your shooting in . here for the most part we call for fixed sights . Adjustable like the TC and CVA as well as adjustable peeps are not turned away . But they are not aloud to be adjusted once the event starts.

I have to ask , are you sure that the problem is the eyes , but being able to hit a target at a distance which makes the target smaller then your sight . That happens even with a target sight when your shooting at a 6 inch target at 100 yards. So you learn to sghoot at something else that in the same plane as the target and at an elevation that will let you drop the projectile onto the target you intend to hit . Other times you have to learn to float the sight through the target . It all takes time and practice no mater what sights you chose

[mehavey]

FIL's old 50 caliber...

1. Can you tell who made it ? There are stock rear sights of multiple
designs that may already be plug`n play ...depending

2. There are any number of front sight replacements to be had here:
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Search...front%20sights

3. Note that aperture front sights can very limiting (frustrating) oft times,
while a good post ~0.064"-0.080" wide can be exceptionally precise as
well as forgiving. (and very cheap to try out w/ multiple types)

4. Windage adjustments are nice to have, but a hammer-drifted front
sight can be made dead on... and stay that way.

[Magnum Wheel Man]

appreciate the comments guys... I believe the 50 is a TC gun... & right now I'm not having an old eye issue ( really ) but being in my upper 50's, I'm just wanting to make sure anything I change will work well for me for the next 10-15 years ( I really do like my scopes at distance )

front sight is dovetailed...

this is a family & friends competition, that's been going on since the 90's George runs his shoot fairly strictly, but I don't think it follows any formal specific shooting bodies rules... he's looking for "traditional" if at all possible

targets at 25 meters are 2.5" squares 5 alternating black & white, target backers are sheets of cardboard covered in a cream colored paper... 50 & 100 meters both use 8" black squares on the same cream colored back ground... 25 meters are shot from the standing position... 50 meters are shot from sitting on the ground ( & as the age has climbed on the shooters, they also allow the use of a chair, & "natural" shooting sticks ( no bipod or adjustable length sticks )... I have a whittled forked stick, I whittled on one of the last times I went deer hunting... 100 meters are shot from prone, or from a little portable shooting bench he puts on that range...

everyone there, this year was shooting round balls, but they allow Minnie balls, or "other" bullets, just no plastic sabots, on the 100 meter shoot only...
I just figure next year I want to try to get the best grouping load possible... I need to practice my standing shooting, & get a couple good slings on the rifles we'll take back next year, & try to improve my sights on the 50 at least...

[44 Dave]

I saw a Hawken, that is used for hunting, with fiber optics. At least he was using a good looking gun but the bright front sight sure looked out of place.

[mehavey]

See:
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Catego...83/1/RS-57-SML

and/or

http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/348...-aluminum-blue

[4V50 Gary]

You can also get a globe front sight like they had on some muzzle loading target rifles.

[Magnum Wheel Man]

MEHAVEY... thanks for the links... that is what I was thinking I wanted on the rear... anyone out there know the specific difference between the 57 & 87???

I'm also thinking a globe front, possibly with interchangeable inserts...

hoping by next year, I can dial in a charge & loading regiment that gets me the most consistent groups, & figure out what sight I like best at 100 meters...

I'm the worst at standing shooting ( at least, the least practiced ) good slings on the rifles should help... I was hoping this year if I could nail the 50 & 100 meter distances that the numbers would be lower ( at least possible ) at 25 meters... but then I found out they shoot twice as many shots... I almost had the best score on the 50 meter, but fell back some from what I was hoping for on the 100 meter...

thinking a shorter barrel would help on the unsupported standing targets... both the 32 & FIL's old 54 caliber ( or was it 58 caliber ) have shorter barrels... I can switch guns if I thought it would help...

[Pahoo]

anyone out there know the specific difference between the 57 & 87???

I guess I am not familiar with the 87 but the Lyman 57-SML is one I use on one of mine. The 57-SML, is a tang mount and if you indeed have a TC, you might want to look to see if you have a 3-hole tang. If so, this will fit right on. If you don't, then you can always drill and tape the third. ....

I saw a Hawken, that is used for hunting, with fiber optics. At least he was using a good looking gun but the bright front sight sure looked out of place.

Yes, they do look "Goofy". A conservation officer ask me to install one on TC White Mountain and I did so but even on that one, didn't "feel" right. ..


Be Safe !!!

[darkgael]

You want to get the Lyman 57 SML....it fits your criteria. You want to get a globe front with inserts. You use the aperture inserts, not the posts. You end up with an aperture centering an aperture centering the target. A classic and very accurate combo.
Note:

Peeps serve to focus your eye on a smaller area .

Aperture ("peep") sights operate like the aperture on a camera. They effect depth of field. The smaller the rear aperture, the more the focus moves towards infinity.....and, since the hole is smaller and less light gets to the eye, the darker the image.
Apertures front and rear allow for clear focus on the target since the apertures align naturally...different than using a post where you have to focus on the post and have a fuzzy target.

[Magnum Wheel Man]

thanks... that's the direction I'm leaning as well...

[Magnum Wheel Man]

I removed the old sight off the rifle last night... one screw was drilled & tapped, the other screw was a wood screw that went through the tang into the stock... will these work with the 57 SML, or am I going to need to drill & tap a 2nd hole

pretty crusty under the sight... is this something I want to remove every couple cleanings, & clean & re-lube & re-install???

cleaning... "another book" I immerse wet wash the barrel, & spray wet wash the lock on my guns, then dry them best I can, & spray with WD-40 any areas of "layers" that would be hard to get dry, then assemble & leave set a day muzzle down, then run a lightly oiled patch down the barrel the next day, & lightly oil any lock parts... should the sights be removed every couple cleanings??? how about the hammer??? any difference between the flintlock & the percussion guns

[mehavey]

Flintlock Cleaning (each range session): Pull the lock and scrub down/around w/ common dish-soapy water and a toothbrush. "Sling" dry and throw into warm/170° oven for 5 min. Rub the warm/exposed surfaces/down between springs with a patch having some BreakFree on it (which will spread/creep on its own) Walk away. Total time (including oven): 8 min

Percussion lock Cleaning (maybe once a winter). ditto above

[Magnum Wheel Man]

so you actually remove the lock from the stock each time you clean, after you shoot with the flintlock???

[mehavey]

Yes. By their very nature Flintlocks tend to get BP residue pushed down between the barrel/vent area and the lock plate.
May not be much, but you'll always see Flinchers tooth-brushing their locks after an event.

[Magnum Wheel Man]

thanks... I'll have to take a look... I've never removed mine... though it hasn't been shot much by me, except for MRS putting about 50 rounds through it last weekend... but I bought it used, so who knows what the back side looks like??? it's currently sitting muzzle down in front of the dehumidifier, in the gun safe room

I've been cleaning them in the bath tub ( MRS gives me a huge dirty look... but I explain I'm just trying to take good care of her dad's rifles ) will have to try using a 5 gallon bucket, as she makes me clean the tub afterwards, & that takes about as long as it does to clean a gun

[mehavey]

Don't OCD on the cleaning.

Wash/swab it out/over like you would a drinking glass using the same dilute dish-soap & water
Then just swab it out/over with normal CLP-like gun oil.
20 minutes MAX.
Done.

[Pahoo]

Magnum,
This is the exact set-up I have on a .45 TC-Hawken, bench rifle. Even though I have about three similar peep sights, it's my favorite and very accurate. The combination is hard to come by but they do come up from time to time. ..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Thompso...item2ee135e335

Be Safe !!!

[kwhi43]

I have finally reached the age "72" that I can no longer see my front sight on my
pistol even with a 1.75 diopter reading glasses that I use to shoot with. This I
found out last week. With the Nationals at Friendship coming up in 4 weeks I
got to do something. I browered a Merit Optical Attchment and stuck them on
my reading shooting glasses and WOW! I can see the sights clearly again as
as the target. Today I ordered one for me. Some shooters supply up in Iowa
Bullseye Shooters I think. They were the cheapest at 56 dollars. I'm going to
shoot the 100 yd pistol match this time. I expect to win it too! My little 32
ought to be deadly at 100 yds. I know some of you are probably rolling your
eyes by now, but hey, the old mans got to have a little fun.I promise I will
post and let everybody know just how I did.
Phil

PS. Anybody know what the drop is going to be at 100 yds with a 48 grain 32
round ball starting out at 1000 fps?