the best sighting in target for muzzleloading open sights

[sonny]

well!....once again here i am trying to sight in a new barrel for flintlock season which is around the corner,only to find that orange dots on white paper are hard to see.I tried orange dots on manilla paper...hummm a little better.I tried a six oclock hold on black dots which is also good but i think a little left to right shots was a,not exactly ,six oclock hold....hummm.Can anybody out there in tv land tell me is there a color combo, shape,size, on this planet,that will give exact shot placement for load work up ?maybe yellow circle on blue paper....geez...there has to be a hot target that open sights are best.......................thanks......what do ya think?..sonny

[Candle Snuffer]

I think the first thing to address is, are you seeing the front sight clearly? 

If so, what I prefer if I have a brass or sliver front blade is a black bullseye with white background. 

If I have a dark front blade such a blued iron, I prefer a white bullseye with black background.

'Course, we all see things differently, so what works for me may not work for others.  Good luck.

One last thought...  If you're not seeing that front sight clearly you may need to narrow it,,, or widen the notch in your rear sight.  Just my oppinion.

[roundball]

A few years ago a fella on another forum gave me a tip which I found to be outstanding for improving precision when trying to see how well a particular load would group at 100yds...I've used it a few times and it has been fantastic for me.

Get a few sheets of notebook sized paper that is a hot flourescent pink or red.

Fold one end over so you end up with a large triangle.

Mount your target on the target backing.

Then mount the triangle on the target with the main sharp point down, ending right in the middle of the bullseye.

The sharp point of the triangle is then very easy to see and precisely sit right on the front sight the same way every time.

[YORKTOWNE54]

sonny more than color of the target try to concentrate on shooting when the sun is at your back. It illuminates the orange dot very well at 100 yards, especially when the sun is about 1 hour before sunset.

[Roger Fisher]

Jeez, Sonny a new barrel or rifle!   Hooda

A straight barrel should have the frt sight a bit higher than the rear sight so she shoots somewhat low.  Then slowly take off the top of said frt sight, till she's on!

I start at 30 yds from a good rest. Use a black,black cross on white, white paper for the contrast.  The black arms are 5/8 inch wide (a little wider for older eyes)

Hold dead on that center of the cross  and adjust the sights from there til she is cutting one hole.  I then move out to 50 yds and use a black square on white papersquare being abt 2 3/4 inch and hold at 6 0'clock.  Works for me,  That suggestion earlier to use a bright colour folded over onto a black sheet sounds good also.  I must try that - I suspect I will lose that sharp v on the target fuzzing out?

We shoot tomorrow at Bowmanstown,  Come on down. Smoothbore, rifle, chunk, and silohuette agg.....Blanket and

[northmn]

I always liked the black cross as it shows windage errors better also.  Place some some small 1 inch marks for reference.

DP

[Daryl]

I like a 4" or 5" solid black dot or square on a white background for 50 to 70 yards. Even a 3" is easy to align out to about 45/50 yards. The contrast is good in most light conditions.  The size depends a lot on your eyes and how well you see the sights.  I find if the aiming point is too big, the group size suffers.
 Concentric circles of 1" black on a white background shows up well for me out to about 75 yards.  The inner 2" is solid white, then alternating 1" black circle, 1" white, 1" black 1" white then the border. I find this sight allows me to hold a blade front sight in the middle. Theconcentric rings give a good 'aperature' effect for a bead front sight as well.

[rsells]

I am one of those guys that has grown into the older generation with bad eyes, and have changed my way of sighting in my rifles so I can see the target and sight relationship better with my eyes.  I like my rifles to hit at the point of aim not a six oclock hold because I shoot a lot at unknown yardages.  I use white poster board with black rectangles for the target.   I have different size rectangles depending upon what range I am shooting (25, 50, or 100 yards).  I draw the rectangles to the correct size to match the width of the front post when I sight down the barrel.  Again barrel length and sight post width and yardage all pay a part on how wide I make the rectangle.  I use a majic marker and keep adjusting the size of the rectangle to I get it to match.  I align the front post to just touch the botton of the rectangle and have the top of the post in line with the top flat of my rear sight.  I adjust the sights until my rounds kiss the bottom of the rectangle target.  Most of the time the rifle will be on at 25 and 50 yards, and I have to adjust my point of aim to get on at 100 yards.  I work up a load  that gives me the smallest group shot at 50 yards before I make adjustments to the sights.  The position of the sun will play games with you especially if you shoot at different times of the day with a silver or brass front post.  I usually try to get an overcast day to do the sight in to minimize this variable.
                                                                               Roger Sells

[Daryl]

Excellent, Roger.  The size of the target matters a great deal in how tightly the gun groups as well as where the groups fall.  This all has to do with ow your eyes see the 'aiming spot and target through the sights.  Both Taylor and I hold for centre-hits.  6 o'clock holds to hit centre don't work on different size targets and give no end of problems when you are faced with shooting at gongs.  If sighted to hit 2" or 3" above the point of aim at 50 yards, they may be on at 100 and fine or perfect for hunting big game, but useless for shooting small targets on trail-walks. Where do you hold on straws, string, tacks and small steel targets at unknown ranges?

[Roger Fisher]

Excellent, Roger.  The size of the target matters a great deal in how tightly the gun groups as well as where the groups fall.  This all has to do with ow your eyes see the 'aiming spot and target through the sights.  Both Taylor and I hold for centre-hits.  6 o'clock holds to hit centre don't work on different size targets and give no end of problems when you are faced with shooting at gongs.  If sighted to hit 2" or 3" above the point of aim at 50 yards, they may be on at 100 and fine or perfect for hunting big game, but useless for shooting small targets on trail-walks. Where do you hold on straws, string, tacks and small steel targets at unknown ranges?

Now then, I use a 6 O'clock hold on that sq black/block on white paper to sight in at 50 yds.  When she groups at that 6 o'clock spot on that black block that then becomes the center of that bullseye, gong, lollypop or what ever meaning I then hold for center (best I can) and when I do my part the ol gal prints center!

[Daryl]

Exactly, you too Roger F. I was referring to Roger S.'s post. Aiming at 6 o'clock to hit on the front sight is very much different than aiming at 6 o'clock ot hit the bullseye 3" above that point.

 For instance, take a 4" bulls eye & my .40 cal. barrel, ball Ballistic Coeficient about .050, velocity 1,900fps - centre of bull is 2" above the bottom. With a blade, and sighted for the centre, but holding 6 o'clock, the ball is striking 2" high at 25 yards - with a bead and hiting centre, the ball's impact will be 3" high of the centre of a small bead. With a blade front sight, the impact at 50 yards will be 4" high at 50 yards, 4.8" high at 75 yards, 3.9" high at 100 yards and zero'd at 130 yards. Fat lot of good that does us. With the bead fron, but sighted to hit the centre with a 6 o'clock hold, the ball will be even higher at + 6.1" at 50 yds, 7.9" high at 75yds., 8" high at 100yds and 6" high at 125yds. The ball was still climbing up to it's peak at 90 yards of 8.2" high. With it's sight setting of 3" high at 25 yards, the ball never touches the centre of the sight unil it's a 157yards away- wonderful!  That 6" high at 50 yards will make shooting a 3' wide by 4" high plate at that range a lot of fun - or any other range for that matter. How about golf balls at 25 yards? - NOT!