Ok another novice question

[Daryl Pelfrey]

 Have alwas used the primitive type rear sight and a fairly thick frot blade and both are kind of tall i guee. My question is do you like the eal low profile sights and small V in the rear sight?  Im going to start me a flintlock and want to make it as usful as i can.
 My eyes are getting old bbt maybe tte small V ad sjort thin front blade would be the ticket.

[J.E. Moore]

I'd say use what works best for you. I used the tiny antique sights on mine but I've never been a fan of big sights on anything. If your going to use that Dickert stock you want have any trouble getting down on it to look through the small sight. I've thought about enlargeing the v in the back sight just a little.
 Down side to short small sights on a long barrel is if the sun's out and it warm out you will get heat waves down the top. I haven't had any trouble with that this hunting season though.

[Daryl Pelfrey]

Thanks JE. Looks like sighting in would be more diffcult due to less sight to file or mess with to get poa and poi toether.

[smylee grouch]

My eyes are not what they used to be so I need a larger front sight and a wider V in the rear if I am to use those types of sights. My main hunting rifle has a shallow wide V and some what bead front sight almost 1/8 inch in dia.

[J.E. Moore]

Thanks JE. Looks like sighting in would be more diffcult due to less sight to file or mess with to get poa and poi toether.
[/quote
I lucked.up and my elevation is real close, good enuf for deer work but about a 1/2" low on the paper, shouldn't take much filing to get it point on I wouldn't think. The small sights I used have no real advantage being low, just a personal thing . I'd go with what's comfortable for you unless your making a replica of something.]

[Curtis]

A small V in a low profile rear sight and a decent width front sight works well for me - if the rear sight is far enough down the barrel for me to see it properly. 
Curtis

[M. E. Pering]

I guess it all depends on preference, but I use traditional low sites, and have no problem with them, and have 54 year old eyes.  I do find where I mount the rear site has more effect, though.  I usually mount mine at the balance point.

Matt

[smart dog]

Hi,
I've built guns for target shooters, hunters, old guys with old eyes, young guys with young eyes, and folks wanting something as historically correct as possible.  Beside placement of the rear sight on the barrel, there are a few "almost" universals.  Target shooters who fire many rounds at a range usually want high sights because after a few shots the heat waves on a barrel obscure the front sight.  I've tested this myself with rifles that had historically correct low barley corn sights.  After 3-4 shots on a warm day, I can no longer reliably see the front sight.  For a hunting situation involving one or 2 shots at most, the low sights were fine and just as accurate as any other. However, on a shooting range, they are not so good.

dave

[hanshi]

I like the idea of the aforementioned wide "V" rear and bead front.

[Daryl]

If shooting in subfreezing temps, just 2 shots can produce heat waves making hitting a "spot" difficult. The higher sights are a definite benefit under these situations of heat waves, whether it's cold or hot. It's the difference in temp that makes heat waves that make the target jump away from your front sight.
For older eyes, as Hanshi stated  wide V with a bead, as in English Express sights can be quite beneficial.
Other guys find relief with really wide rear notches. I personally prefer the wide V.
It is a simple matter of filing out the sight.
With a wide V  there are usually no problems with seeing multiple notches or fuzzy sides with indistinct heights as happens with v and u notches with blades or beads

With the wide V  even if a bit fuzzy the ball strikes in the middle of the fuzz-ball - always.  There is ZERO problem with elevation.

 

[Daryl Pelfrey]

Could someone post a picture of thir wid V  rar sight and front sight.
 Thanks

[Scota4570]

My eyes are going south fast.  I have an astigmatism and my ability to focus at varying distances is shot.  With two sets of different bifocals I can get by.  For shooting I prefer the glasses that let me see at distance clearly.  I can not properly focus a rear or front sight.  If I use glasses that let me see the front sight crystal clear but a fuzzy target, I shoot worse. 

I gave up on moving the rear forward and tried a different tactic.  I moved it to the the minimum allowed by NMLRA, 6" from the tang.  I also made the rear into a slit.  The slit is the width of a Dremil cut off disk (.022") and 0.050" deep. The front sight is wide,  0.090".  On a 36" barrel that allows enough light one either side of the front sight to be obvious in the rear when you have it aligned right.   The height in the rear sight is easier to judge with the chunkie front sight.   The big front sight is much easier to see fairly clearly with a 6'O clock hold on a bulls eye target.   My scores have improved quite a bit using this system. 

If you want to shoot your best there is no beating a peep sight.  The slit rear sight is seems to give  some degree of pin hole effect.  Is it a "Friendship Cheater sight",  I'm not sure.  Nobody has given me any guff about it yet. 

[Vicanddogs]

Daryl please show your picture of wide v sight and front bead that you have shown us before

[Vicanddogs]

Oh and Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all

[Mike Brooks]

Height doesn't matter for me so much unless I'm shooting a bunch of rounds real quick then heat waves become a problem. These days for my stuff I use a .080 silver front sight and a wide notch in the rear. One sight combo I stumbled on I can FINALLY SEE!
 I think low sights like the originals look nice, but aren't always practical for todays application.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Daryl's in Maui and doesn't have access to his computer files.  He has already posted images of his favourite sights on a number of occasions....perhaps a search would help you.

[thecapgunkid]

Mike Brooks...One sight combo I stumbled on I can FINALLY SEE!
 I think low sights like the originals look nice, but aren't always practical for todays application.

I'd advise you to repeat this over and over until you start to dink around with combinations so you can find your best fit.  I backed into mine  just that way.

At 70 I finally found it.  I cut a notch in my rear sight  with an off the shelf hacksaw, down to the depth of the teeth.  Then I take some scrap iron for my front sight base, dovetail it and drill and tap to an 8X32 bolt.  Screw a bolt in tight, solder it and file it flush on the bottom  and cut the top to about a quarter of an inch in height.  I dunno why I bother because it is inherently ugly, but I round the top.

I move the rear sight backwards on the barrel until the front sight fills the notch and dovetail it there.

From the front thimble back, my rifles can please my eye.  From the front thimble forward, I guess they look like frankenrifle.  But I can hit stuff reliably.   Thank God I don't do this for a profession.

[moleeyes36]

Could someone post a picture of thir wid V  rar sight and front sight.
 Thanks

As Taylor mentioned, his brother Daryl has posted his sight solution a number of times.  Here is one of those posts http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=48744.msg484274#msg484274

Mole Eyes

[B.Habermehl]

I’ve found that I like a bit wider v than I used to. Having finished my teen age grandsons rifle, and shooting it side by side with my own favorite hunting rifle I noticed that I cut a wider v in his rear sight in the shop to suit my present eyesight unconsciously. I can see his sights better than mine. Looks like it’s time for new sights on my rifle. I use a brass barley corn shaped front sight, polished and approximately 1/4” high or a bit less. I can see in the future, I’ll be useing a thicker front sight like the thick front sight that Dru Hedgecock, offers. BJH