express sights

[ltdann]

Been looking at express sights on Brownell's and following along when it is discussed here.

After you get sighted in on the first leaf (windage and elevation), say at 50 yards, how do you adjust elevation when you flip the next sight up for 100?

Just one of the things that keep me up at night.....

[snapper]

not sure I am following you but let me try to answer what I do.  You can file the next sight down if you are shooting too low.  Or you can adjust your sight picture to match what you want your zero to be. 

fleener

[snapper]

Dang it.  I misspoke on filing the REAR sight down for moving your shot up.  Got is backwards.

Move the rear sight in the direction you want the bullet to go.

Fleener

[snapper]

For a target rifle, I will also vary the powder charge to give me different point of impacts.  For one rifle that has express sights, I keep a book with sight pictures drawn in it with powder charges for different point of impacts. 

Fleener

[smylee grouch]

Make sure you are shooting your best shooting combination, sight gun in at 100 with your highest rear sight then sight in the lower rear sight for what ever shorter distance you want with the same load combo. Shoot 5 shot groups. 10 is better.

[ltdann]

So sight in at the longest distance first...file the front side, drift for windage etc...

Then go for the next leaf for the shorter distance?

Since you can't change the front sight height, you file DOWN the top of the next leaf?  The assumption being that you're shooting high at the closer target?

Did I get that right

[smylee grouch]

In your first post you mention flipping up the high sight for 100 so I assume you have a two leaf rear sight and you want the high one for 100. Yes sight in for 100 first with your best load. And yes after you have it on at 100 you might have to file the lower rear leaf down for what ever range you want. If your rear leaf is too low for the range you want you will have to go back and file front sight down and rear sight down for 100 then go as before to the rear and it should be shooting higher as you lowered the front sight. It might sound more complicated than it really is.

[ltdann]

Got it, that makes sense.  Now I can sleep.

[smylee grouch]

It might take a lot of shooting but it gives you a good chance to get to know your gun.   

[Daryl]

I initially sighted in my STANDING rear sight for 100yd. zero, then the first flip-up leaf for 150 yards, then the next leaf for 200 yards. My 3rd leaf was then sighted for 300yards as we had a gong at that range.
Now I had previously worked up to my most accurate load which happened to be 165gr. GOEX 2F, a .030 12oz. Denim patch and a .682" pure lead ball. After sighting this in I happily found that a light plinking load of 3drams hit spot-on at 25 and 50yards with the heavy hunting load's 100yard standing sight. The first flip-up leaf gave me a zero at 100yd with that light load.
Note- my front sight was a Purdey designed bead barely higher than the top flat of the barrel.