Sight question

[Cory Joe Stewart]

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen.

I am helping my father build a Chambers Smooth Rifle Kit.  His first build, my second.  Chambers sent a lowprofile front and rear sight.  My dad could barely see the front sight so I made him another one that was wider and taller. 

Does that also mean that I need to raise the rear sight to match for both appearance and accuracy?

Coryjoe

[smylee grouch]

Shoot it first. Then you will have a better handle on what you need.  Smylee

[T*O*F]

You should measure both sights from center of bore to top of sight.  Ideally, they will both start at the same height and you can adjust as necessary.

[Bernard]

Most likely. The sights you got with the Chambers kit should have been almost right for the gun. The front sight being a bit too high if anything so you could file it down to correct for low impact point (easier to remove material to get the gun to shoot higher than to add material to get the gun to shoot lower and easier to modify the front sight than the rear). If you made a higher front sight the gun will likely shoot low. If you want to keep the height of the front sight you'll have to make a higher rear sight to get the gun to shoot higher.

[Waksupi]

As you get older, it gets harder to see the sights. I remedy this to a great extent, by widening the notch in the rear sight, until I have a nice bit of daylight showing on both sides of the front site. Bet that will cure his problem.

[Jerry V Lape]

As you have already been told, the rear sight will have to be taller to accommodate the taller front sight.  I have problems with old eyes as well.  My sights on flintlock rifle are now a very large front bead and a shallow V rear with a tiny slot at the bottom of the V.  When I say large bead, I mean almost 3/16" brass rod tapered to the muzzle end and the face of the rod cut at an angle to catch light.  I think Daryl on here is who clued me into such sights.  They are a lot like the express sights on British dangerous game rifles. 

[Hungry Horse]

The two original muzzleloaders I own, have very fine sights. That being said, they both have a very wide gradual V in the rear sight that terminates in a fine slot. I found these so easy for my sixty two year old eyes to see that I put copies on all my muzzleloaders. Teddy Roosevelt recommended just such a sight for those hunters with poor eyesight.
 These sights look better as well. Nothing ruins the looks of a fine long rifle more in my opinion than the old shark fin, and barn door, modern target sights.

                      Hungry Horse

[Elnathan]

The two original muzzleloaders I own, have very fine sights. That being said, they both have a very wide gradual V in the rear sight that terminates in a fine slot. I found these so easy for my sixty two year old eyes to see that I put copies on all my muzzleloaders. Teddy Roosevelt recommended just such a sight for those hunters with poor eyesight.
 These sights look better as well. Nothing ruins the looks of a fine long rifle more in my opinion than the old shark fin, and barn door, modern target sights.

                      Hungry Horse

What era and area are these originals?

[TMerkley]

To get you in the ball park, at least on a rifled barrel, the rear sight should sit about 1/16 of an inch taller than the front sight.  But,  I do not know the ballistics of your smoothbore, nor do I know the range at which you will be shooting.  1/16 of an inch difference (rear taller) will put you about 3 inches high at 25 yards at least on a .54 with 80 grains.  It really boils down on what you're going to do with it. 

[Hungry Horse]

Elnathan;

  Both of these originals are of the late percussion period.

                    Hungry Horse