Moving a rear sight

[eagle24]

I have a Lehigh Valley Barn Rifle I bought to deer hunt with this fall.  The rear sight is positioned 7" forward of the breech.  I knew this when I bought the rifle, but convinced myself at (46 yrs old) I still had "young" eyes.  A couple of trips to the range have changed my thinking.  I hate to cut a new dovetail, but I hate the blurred rear sight worse.  When a sight was moved on an original did they usually fit a filler piece and file level to the top flat to fill in the old dovetail, or just leave the old dovetail unfilled?

[smshea]

It is not at all odd to see an old dovetail plugged and filed flush.

[Eric Laird]

One option you might want to consider before moving the sight is opening up the notch. The rear sight on my rifle is 6 1/2" from the breech - that's where it was on the original that inspired my rifle so that's where I put it.  I'm 50 and have been known to put on two reading glasses at the same time to see stuff up close, but opening up the rear sight notch made all the difference in the world. It's still fuzzy, but plenty of light to center the front sight beween the fuzz. It might even have helped overall 'cause now it's easier to just concentrate on the front sight. Worst case is you'll be out a couple of bucks for a new rear sight if it doesn't work for you, but it might save you having to cut one dovetail and fit two. Just my 2 cents!
Eric

[J. Talbert]

On a barn gun, I wouldn't think twice about plugging the old dovetail and moving the sight forward.  A friend of mine has been shooting a gun for years with a copper plug in the old dovetail.  It looks right in place on that gun.
Anyway,  it ain't gonna get any better, so why fight it.

[Scott Bumpus]

I just moved the sight about 8" up the barrel on a flintlock i built back in my 20's  now at 43 it was nothing but fuzz.  I plan to fill the old notch with brass and maybe engrave my initials.

[sz]

I'd recomend installing a new one where you want it, and then file off the old one so it becomes it's own "slot blank".
  Easy and effective.

[ironwolf]

  Try Elaird's suggestion before you cut a new dovetail.  Here's the thing, you can't focus on both sights and the target at the same time anyway.  It ain't possible. 
  A wider but fuzzy notch will give a similar effect as a ghost ring, and you retain your longer sight radius to boot.  Nothing to loose.

  KW

[California Kid]

G Hall,
I went through the same thing myself, and I've got 10 years on you.
I tried elairds solution of opening the notch. I would try it. Another thing is to change the front blade to a wider one as well

[B Shipman]

I agree with all the above

1. Open up sight and give it a try. If no good-

2. Use old sight as a plug. For a perfect job, flux and draw some soft solder into the dovetail and file all flush.

3. Cut a reasonable notch on a new sight and move it up and down the barrel to choose your spot. Seeing is better than a small advantage in radius.

[Ky-Flinter]

GHall,
Another option would be to purchase or make an aperture (peep) sight and install it in the existing dovetail.  Track of the Wolf, and others I'm sure, have them for sale.  Peeps work great for older eyes.
-Ron

[eagle24]

Thanks for the advice all.  The notch is already wide on the rear sight.  It is definitely fuzzy and I think I would like it better if it were forward a few inches.  If there was ever a rifle that moving the sight and plugging the old dovetail "would look at home on" this has to be it.  I had a pretty good day shooting it Saturday, so I'm going to give it a little longer before I do anything, but I bet before it's over, I will cut a new notch and move it forward.  Good idea on filing the rear sight down and leaving it for the filler, but it has a nifty forged rear sight that I would really hate to make a plug out of.  Again thanks to all!

[Ken G]

Instead of trying to hid it I'd be tempted to use a copper or brass piece to fill the old dovetail.  Things like that add character to me and tell a story. 
Cheers,
Ken