Smoothbore Rear Sights

[Jerry]

Smoothbore octagon to round rear sight or no rear sight. Would like some smoothbore shooters
opinions. Will be hunting using round ball and shot. Also some target shooting. Thanks, Jerry

[Dennis Glazener]

Jerry,
I put a rear sight on my 16 ga oct to round fowler and I am convinced it helped me on live birds. I did far better with it than the next hunt where I used a different 16 bore (had sold the other one) without a rear sight. Sorry this was only a two hunt comparison but I would not hesitate to put a rear sight on the next fowler I build.

Dennis

[Jerry]

Many Thanks Dennis. My first thoughts were that it would definitely help. Definitely for deer and target. Regards, Jerry

[hanshi]

When My smoothbore was built I had a rear sight installed and I'm glad I did.  It makes it much easier, for me, to hit moving targets and running deer.  Maybe not for everyone but it is historically correct.

[Mike Brooks]

If you're going to shoot birds on the wing no sight. If you're going to shoot round ball you'll want a sight. Either is historically correct. I also put rear sights on guns intended for turkeys.

[Jerry]

If you're going to shoot birds on the wing no sight. If you're going to shoot round ball you'll want a sight. Either is historically correct. I also put rear sights on guns intended for turkeys.

Thanks Mike, That is it. Wing shooting, no sight. Target or deer, sight. Jerry

[Brokennock]

While I can hit okay with roundball from my smoothbore with no rear sight, it takes a lot more practice and consistent shooting position than it does with my smoothbore that has a rear sight. I find the rear sight an advantage for consistency when developing a load too. Wing shooting might be another story but I do little of that with my m.l. guns. Most of my shot shooting is still done rifle style, squirrels, stationary rabbits, turkeys, and such, as opposed to wing shooting.
It's one thing to be able to hit a paper plate reliably and consistently without using a rear sight while on the practice range when one is standing or sitting the same way shot after shot. Get in the woods and fields and body position can/does change, which can then change point of impact.

[ron w]

 smooth bore or not, if your going to shoot any solid projectile, it should have a rear sight, in my opinion. the rear sight doesn't hinder you when shooting shot either. the sighting process is the same rear sight or none. both eyes open, three points of alignment......
  even a peep can be used for either load.   when used correctly,....with both eyes open,....you get a full view of the sight picture with the peep and front sight projected onto the sight picture.

[iloco]

I have a Mike Brooks fowler that he installed a rear site on.  I like having the rear sight.  If he hadn't installed the rear site I would have had someone to install one for me.
 I can shoot a fowler with round ball better with rear sight.  I see no reason it would interfer when shooting at flying birds.

[Daryl]

When shooting birds, I do not see the sight - just the bird. There is perhaps a ghost of the barrel under the bird in my peripheral vision.
I would not "see" a rear sight.  When shooting birds, more elevation is given to the rear of the barrel due to the drop/trajectory of the shot.
 I am speaking of normal wing shooting 30 to 50 yards on birds.

[Mike Brooks]

I'm one of those that simply can not hit flying targets with a gun with a rear sight. I have tried, but it just doesn't work for me. That's all right though, more reason to have more guns.

[ron w]

 Mike, don't feel alone...... last time I went duck hunting as a teenager, I burned through 2 boxes of shells for two ducks !.

[Mike Brooks]

Mike, don't feel alone...... last time I went duck hunting as a teenager, I burned through 2 boxes of shells for two ducks !.

Oh, I have no problem shooting flying with a gun with out a rea sight, I'm a better skeet shooter than a rifle shooter by a bit.

[Nessmuck]

Gonnah play with this temporary peep sight...to work up some loads from the bench...then take some measurements  and make a solid sight to mount on the tang screw.

[Daryl]

That one would be in the way on a smoothbore, for me as I do look over the barrel.

[Hungry Horse]

 I will tell you what works for me. My smoothie is a twenty gauge home grown chiefs grade with a 30” barrel. When I built it I got impatient to shoot it, and rushed things. I had bought one of those fancy brass front sights that looked like a turtle, but couldn’t find it. So, I took a steel solder on barrel lug, and filed it into a sight blade, and soldered it on the barrel. In my haste to get the gun running, I got my new sight about a sixteenth to the left. After shooting it quite a bit I elected to bend the barrel up at the muzzle. What I found was that if I put my target in the right side corner where the blade and the square shouldered base converge, that where the ball went. I do have the tang screw oriented so the slot can be used as a reference, but not an actual rear sight. This little gun will shoot like a rifle out to about sixty five yards. It kind of like having a peep sight on the muzzle of your gun.
 I started shooting bare ball loads in this gun because the pressure from the patched ball loads eventually straightened out the barrel, and it had to be re-bent.

  Hungry Horse

[Mike Brooks]

I have never built a gun where the tang screw was at the same level as the plane of the barrel. All it would be for me is a blur anyway.

[Daryl]

I have never built a gun where the tang screw was at the same level as the plane of the barrel. All it would be for me is a blur anyway.

I have seen guys re-trofit a very high domed screw with the slot showing and running down the over the bore. The claim was it wasn't a sight.
Some people just seem to be always be somewhat "0ff-Centre".

[Mike Brooks]

I have never built a gun where the tang screw was at the same level as the plane of the barrel. All it would be for me is a blur anyway.

I have seen guys re-trofit a very high domed screw with the slot showing and running down the over the bore. The claim was it wasn't a sight.
Some people just seem to be always be somewhat "0ff-Centre".

I can't even see where the breech of the barrel is any more let alone a screw slot that is a couple more inches closer to my eye. If I'm going to have a rear sight on a gun it's got to be at least 13" down the barrel before I can even see what it is. 15" is even better.

[Jerry]

I have never built a gun where the tang screw was at the same level as the plane of the barrel. All it would be for me is a blur anyway.

I have seen guys re-trofit a very high domed screw with the slot showing and running down the over the bore. The claim was it wasn't a sight.
Some people just seem to be always be somewhat "0ff-Centre".

I can't even see where the breech of the barrel is any more let alone a screw slot that is a couple more inches closer to my eye. If I'm going to have a rear sight on a gun it's got to be at least 13" down the barrel before I can even see what it is. 15" is even better.
Mike, That's exactly right. My rear sights now are near the entry thimble on my rifles. Jerry

[Jerry]

Many Thanks to all who shared their thoughts on fowler rear sights that helped me make my decision to add an adjustable rear sight on my fowler. I had made up a couple rear sights sometime ago, but never used them. I picked the lower of the two sights to install. I used a brass front sight. Pictures show the position of the sight on the barrel. Regards, Jerry

[Huntschool]

Jerry:

Is that sight a solder on fixture ?  Also what are you using for a front sight ? 

Thanks

[heelerau]

Guess I am lucky with my old smoothie !


aston martin cygnet 0 60

[Mike Brooks]

That would be a big blurry blob that close to my eye.

[Daryl]

VERY Blurry for most of us, Mike.

On second thought, due to it's size, it could be useful afterall.