Author Topic: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?  (Read 4500 times)

Offline recurve

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What's the best front sight shape/angle to catch the light for hunting? I had to make a taller front sight need .03 taller to hit center at 100. sense I have to make a new one I might as well play with different shapes/angles to get that glint at the top 8). I have silver sight blanks in three widths very narrow to wide(my brass ones are to short  >:( ) Flat & square, 45..90, rounded at the top, …?
« Last Edit: April 21, 2020, 05:26:04 PM by recurve »

Online smylee grouch

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Re: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?
« Reply #1 on: April 21, 2020, 06:40:40 PM »
I don,t know where your gun was printing before but a taller sight than you have now every thing else equal will lower your point of impact. At my age I need fat sights.
« Last Edit: April 21, 2020, 09:01:21 PM by smylee grouch »

Offline Pete G.

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Re: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?
« Reply #2 on: April 21, 2020, 07:13:12 PM »
I like a 45 degree angle on the rear.

Offline Bob McBride

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Re: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?
« Reply #3 on: April 21, 2020, 07:47:44 PM »
I’m not a fan of that glint. It never seems to come squarely off the blade, but left or right causing misses. I like a sight shade on a fine sight like a squirrel rifle for the silhouette it provides. That being said I like a long ramp. 45 degrees or so on the front.
« Last Edit: April 21, 2020, 08:11:40 PM by Bob McBride »

Offline smallpatch

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Re: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?
« Reply #4 on: April 21, 2020, 07:52:55 PM »
Were you shooting too high at 100yds?  You won't be with a taller front sight.
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Offline recurve

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Re: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?
« Reply #5 on: April 21, 2020, 08:20:49 PM »

The group at 100 yrds is 2.75in  above dead on so 100yrds =3600in the space between front sight &rear 35.75(36 in) so if my math is right I need .03(.029) height 
The point of aim is at the base of the brass peep in photo   so if I need to make a new front sight I might as well try different angles/shapes   

this is the new sight before shaping & filing to point of impact went with the same thickness (I have other blades thinner & thicker in silver )my brass ones are to short

I had filed the base of the peep sight to lower the 2 shot group But was getting to low to remove any more soooo a taller front  :o
« Last Edit: April 21, 2020, 08:49:00 PM by recurve »

Offline Daryl

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Re: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?
« Reply #6 on: April 21, 2020, 09:10:26 PM »
We like about a 45 degree angle to \catch' the light. This works on blade sights as well as beads.
If you enlarge this picture, you can see the shine from the STEEL Blade on Taylor's Kuntz rifle. This one has a 45 degree angle cut to shine when need be.


I've published these pictures here "add nausium" sry
The brass bead has a 45 degree angle to catch and hold the light for shooting in dark places.
I carry a (dull black) dry-erase felt pen in my 'kit' for blackening the front sight when shooting in the sun. This is easily removed with a swipe of the thumb or finger.








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Daryl

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Offline hanshi

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Re: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?
« Reply #7 on: April 21, 2020, 10:14:12 PM »
I'm another shooter who doesn't like reflective front sights.  The glare makes it impossible for me to sight on a target.  I've missed a couple of close shots at varmints due to glare.  As a result I only use two colors, flat black and flat white.  The flat white shows up well in the dark woods and the flat black works well for all else.
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Offline Fyrstyk

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Re: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?
« Reply #8 on: April 22, 2020, 12:53:13 AM »
I have replaced several of the front sights on my rifles with a bone blade.  It shows up well in the shadows and does not reflect light or glare.

Offline John SMOthermon

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Re: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?
« Reply #9 on: April 22, 2020, 04:59:52 AM »
I have replaced several of the front sights on my rifles with a bone blade.  It shows up well in the shadows and does not reflect light or glare.


Did you make the bone sight? Got Pics?

Here’s the front sight I shoot, in nickel silver.
I file a slight 45’ at the very top of the ramp.

I also carry a black marker..... when needed.

My eyes pick up the nickel silver in the woods better than any other material....
Except maybe bone....

« Last Edit: April 22, 2020, 05:03:03 AM by John SMOthermon »
Smo

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Offline alacran

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Re: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?
« Reply #10 on: April 23, 2020, 03:08:46 PM »
If you are planning to use this rifle for hunting, I would't change the sights till I shot the rifle off hand plus other supported field positions. What you get using a Lead Sled is not what you are going to get in the field.
A man's rights rest in three boxes: the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box.  Frederick Douglass

Offline D. Taylor Sapergia

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Re: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?
« Reply #11 on: April 27, 2020, 02:21:25 AM »
I file my front sights with a 45 deg angle but only at the tip of the vertical blade.  The filed tip gives a picture that appears to be a dot of light in the gloom of the bush.  The filed tip is only as long as the blade is thick, making it a square flat, but it appears round to the eye.
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Offline Daryl

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Re: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?
« Reply #12 on: April 27, 2020, 03:18:08 AM »
We like about a 45 degree angle to \catch' the light. This works on blade sights as well as beads.
If you enlarge this picture, you can see the shine from the STEEL Blade on Taylor's Kuntz rifle. This one has a 45 degree angle cut to shine when need be.
It should appear as a dot of light.

Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline Fyrstyk

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Re: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?
« Reply #13 on: April 27, 2020, 03:46:20 PM »
I have replaced several of the front sights on my rifles with a bone blade.  It shows up well in the shadows and does not reflect light or glare.


Did you make the bone sight? Got Pics?

Here’s the front sight I shoot, in nickel silver.
I file a slight 45’ at the very top of the ramp.

I also carry a black marker..... when needed.

My eyes pick up the nickel silver in the woods better than any other material....
Except maybe bone....


Yes I made the sights from some deer leg bones.  Sorry, no pictures at this time.

Offline John SMOthermon

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Re: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?
« Reply #14 on: April 27, 2020, 03:59:07 PM »
Thanks
Smo

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Offline Craig Wilcox

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Re: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?
« Reply #15 on: April 27, 2020, 09:21:57 PM »
When you are adjusting your sight, always remember FORS.  Stands for "Front Opposite, Rear Same", for the direction when correcting.  So if you are too high, you can lower your front sight, or raise your back sight.
Craig Wilcox
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Offline recurve

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Re: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?
« Reply #16 on: April 27, 2020, 10:26:02 PM »
"So if you are too high, you can lower your front sight, or raise your back sight." ???

 :o I might be wrong but if you're to high you raise the front or lower the back

Offline Hungry Horse

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Re: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?
« Reply #17 on: April 27, 2020, 11:05:30 PM »
IMO, the last thing in the world you want that front sight to do is catch light, unless you are always shooting in the black timber. Dazzle, and reflection, from a “light catching sight” can fool even young eyes. I prefer a sight with a straight vertical edge facing me. I also like to just barely round the top of that edge thats facing me, so if there is any light catching going on its a very small spot at the top of the blade.


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Offline taco650

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Re: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?
« Reply #18 on: April 28, 2020, 07:42:01 PM »
IMO, the last thing in the world you want that front sight to do is catch light, unless you are always shooting in the black timber. Dazzle, and reflection, from a “light catching sight” can fool even young eyes. I prefer a sight with a straight vertical edge facing me. I also like to just barely round the top of that edge thats facing me, so if there is any light catching going on its a very small spot at the top of the blade.


  Hungry Horse
"So if you are too high, you can lower your front sight, or raise your back sight." ???

 :o I might be wrong but if you're to high you raise the front or lower the back

I've always lowered my front sight to raise the hit location of my shots.  I had to file the front sight on my caplock last year to raise my shots high enough to be dead-on at 75yds.  My rear isn't adjustable.

Offline Craig Wilcox

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Re: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?
« Reply #19 on: April 29, 2020, 12:06:11 AM »
Recurve, remind me to not post when I have a bad head cold!  Yup, if you are shooting high, you can raise the front or lower the back.
Wish the dratted cold would realize it is no longer winter.  At least by the calendar - we did have snow a couple days ago.  In the 60's today tho.
Craig Wilcox
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Offline WadePatton

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Re: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?
« Reply #20 on: April 29, 2020, 12:46:03 AM »
How tall is your rear sight?  That's a mighty tall front sight to be adding height (from my angle). 

Also I'd make sure I got it too tall and then filed it to final desired POI.  Not long ago a fellow as "using math" to adjust his sights and he had to do it twice because the math didn't pan out.

And as noted above, for best results, you should shoot from hunting positions/rests for final sight tuning.
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Offline John SMOthermon

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Re: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?
« Reply #21 on: April 29, 2020, 01:52:17 AM »
I used the formula from Marbles web site when I replaced my front sight.

Amazingly it was almost dead on.
I was shocked to say the least.
Smo

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Offline alacran

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Re: What's the best shape or angle for front sight to catch the light?
« Reply #22 on: April 29, 2020, 02:49:09 PM »
The formula is always right. The measuring is the problem.
A man's rights rest in three boxes: the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box.  Frederick Douglass