avg height of sights of the barrel

[ERH]

I am wondering  what the avg height of the sights off the barrel ? I know the old ones where real low .I am having trouble with heat waves and am looking for a good balance of height so they look good (like the old guns)but can still shoot a five shot paper mach and not have real bad heat waves.
I am shooting a 54 cal with 80 grain of 3 f   and it a swamped barrel

[wmrike]

Since you asked, mine range from 0.09 to 0.125 in.  I think that generally you can get by with a lower sight if it is a smaller caliber that generates less heat.  My tallest sight is on a .54 using a load similar to yours and I get some mirage on warm days.  I tend to shoot fast, which doesn't help.

Not to change the subject, but as picky as some are about the authenticity of the details of a rifle, how come no one quibbles about 1/4" high sights?

[Standing Bear]

I have several with 1/2" high sights.  Some for the heat waves and a couple because there isn't enough drop in the stock for me.
TC

[M Tornichio]

I just measured mine about 15 minutes ago before I saw this post. I have a 7/8" barrel .36 cal. shooting 40 grains fff. my rear sight is 3/16" and the front is about 1/32 shorter. I consider these to be short by modern standards and way to hight for most antique rifles that I have viewed.

[Daryl]

Sight height depends a grat deal on whether the barrel is swamped or not - and to which taper/design it is as well.  The smaller the muzzle is to the breach (sight mount area), the higher it will have to be. Some swamps are almost equal in diameter (where the sights are mounted) and this makes it easier when building.

 1/4" high for the rear sight and appropriate height front works faily well & looks OK as well - in my opinion.
Temperature when shooting makes a big difference as well.  During the winter here, you can get heat waves after 2 shots if they are fired quickly.

[hanshi]

If I measured correctly the rear sights on my flinters range from 1/4" to around 3/8".  They sure look higher than that.  My fowler has the lowest.

[Daryl]

Front sight height is the important one, I think.  Rear is whatever height to obtain the desired trajecotry. 
I just measured mine - favourite trail rifles run;
 .150" for my .45 longrifle - lots of drop at the comb and heel - (centre of the bead)
 .235" for the .40 English styled 1/2 stock- straighter stock (blade)
 .200" for the .32 Tenn. rifle - more drop than the English stock (blade)
Favourite hunting rifle .69 is .115" to the centre of the bead.  This one gives me a moose hunting point blank range, where the ball is not more than 4" above nor below the line of sight, to 135 yards.  Since I am more comfortable with a 2 1/2" mid range and drop, the point blank range is 115yards (95yard zero).  This lower mid range allows good hits on deer with a centre of the deer hold.  If the animal is further than that, I have time to find out exactly what range it is and use the appropriate sight leaf.

[Daryl]

As to figuring drops and trajectories, etc, I believe the sight height that needs to be used in computations, is the height of the front sight above the centre of the bore (projectiles axis), just as that is used in figuring drops and trajectories in modern guns with iron sights and scopes.  This makes a considerable difference in the actual trajectories produced by the ball.
 
To figure the actual sight heigh above the bore's centre - merely divide your muzzle diameter by 2 (assuming the bore is in the middle), and add the front sight height to the product.
 
The rear sight height is not important in equations, as every zero sighting hinges on the height of the front sight above the centre of the bore - it stays the same no matter the zero range.