UPDATE: Rossi Ranch Hand Mares Leg

[Can-down]

I think a better trick might well be to jb weld the sight to something like this:

Then that goes in the gun. You could never take it off the mirco sight but you could take both out of the dovetail and put something else in later if you wanted.

Seems like a better way to go, considering it's only a ten dollar part.

You could also just use the rear Rossi sight. It's fit pretty snug in the hole and you could drill it in a couple of places and cut it off where the slot for the elevation ramp is.

 

[Z06corvette]

Can-down, thanks for your sight mod details and the video clips!

Gary says I've got a 50% chance of seeing mine by the end of September, looking forward to getting it home and making it hit where it's aimed!

Cheers,
Z06

 

[BabySeal]

The recoil doesn't look too bad at all. And fwiw I am getting similar accuracy with my .22 Henry version. Just bought a schwack of bullets for mine when it arrives. At least I have time to get reloading.

 

[canuckgunny]

can-down, thanks for your sight mod details and the video clips!

+1



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZX0f4CL-T8

 

[Gatehouse]

Doubt I'd trust JB weld in that application.

 

[BabySeal]

I just got back from the local machine supply shop and have something brewing that will sort this out in propper fashion if I can get set up right.

Problem is, I don't have my hands on a Ranch Hand yet.

Can someone please post the following precise measurements for me?

1. The diameter of the barrel at the rear sight, and

2. The depth of the rear sight's dovetail.

 

[G.Mitchell]

Just took delivery on mine today.

Headed out after supper to shoot her.

Definitely need to figure out a way to do an electronic sight on this baby. That would take it to the top of my woods protection firearm list.

 

[hans slayer]

This is the view looking through the skinner barrel mounted peep sight with a green fiber optic front. The aperture has been removed making it a ghost ring. I have this setup on my 16" and 20" Rossi's and like it very much. Something to consider for the ranch hand. Excuse the poor quality phone cam pictures but I think you get the idea.

 

[hans slayer]

This is what the Rossi '92 guru "Steve Young" came up with. At first I was very interested in this idea but after giving it some thought, decided against it it favor of durability.

 

[Foxer]

Hans - how do you find your 'ghost ring' rig in low light? I like the set up but i'm wondering how hard it will be to see at dawn and dusk.

 

[Iron Sighted]

Hey Can-down, thanks for letting me take a few shots from the mares leg on Sun., that is a sweet little gun, I wouldn't mind getting one myself. Glad I stopped on my way out of the range to ask you about it. I think I prefer it to the Henry one I tried a few weeks back as it is lighter, shorter, the mag is fed through the port as opposed to having to take the mag follower and spring out to reload like the Henry, and it is considerably less expensive too.

 

[hans slayer]

Foxer,
I've only had these sights on for a short time and have only shot with them during daylight hours. That being said, I find the green fiber optic front on my .45 shows up much better in any stage of usable light than the brass front sight on my .44. If low light shooting was a priority I might consider the night sight glow in the dark dots for the front sight post. I have used their day sight dots that simulate a fiber optic dot and found them to be quite useable.

Edit: It is 2045 on the west coast. Sun is down but light is still good and I find the green fiber optic front sight to be very visible. The ghost ring is clearly visible and the sight picture overall is very good.

Edit2: 2115. Almost completely dark. Can barely make out the tree line 150 feet away and the ghost ring and fiber optic combo is still very visible.

 

[Gatehouse]

This is the view looking through the skinner barrel mounted peep sight with a green fiber optic front. The aperture has been removed making it a ghost ring. I have this setup on my 16" and 20" Rossi's and like it very much. Something to consider for the ranch hand. Excuse the poor quality phone cam pictures but I think you get the idea.

Be interesting to see if that will hit to POA on the Ranch Hand? If so, it is definitely a winner. Specially if you stick a high vis front sight on it.

 

[BabySeal]

This is what the Rossi '92 guru "Steve Young" came up with. At first I was very interested in this idea but after giving it some thought, decided against it it favor of durability.

Get a bolt or receiver bridge like like from Xs sights and not only would you have rugged sights but they might be made to co-witness

 

[G.Mitchell]

I just got back from shooting my .44 mag Ranch Hand.

Mine also require substantial adjustment to the rear sight to get it hitting near to point of aim point of impact.

I shot about 125 rounds of Custom Reloading Services 240gr JHP Max load .44 mag, the gun ran well.

A few issues, main one is the rear sight and getting POA to POI, the other issue for me is the loading gate, it seems a little stiff and rough/sharp along the edge closest to the muzzle. Another issue to me is the trigger pull, seems heavy, its smooth, but heavy.

To me, and my eyes, an electronic sight is a must, I have never been able to really get my eyes to focus on irons, that is made all the more complicated when you then extend the iron sights free hand away from your eyes.

All in all this will be a great base to modify from.

 

[Foxer]

Foxer,
I've only had these sights on for a short time and have only shot with them during daylight hours. That being said, I find the green fiber optic front on my .45 shows up much better in any stage of usable light than the brass front sight on my .44. If low light shooting was a priority I might consider the night sight glow in the dark dots for the front sight post. I have used their day sight dots that simulate a fiber optic dot and found them to be quite useable.

Edit: It is 2045 on the west coast. Sun is down but light is still good and I find the green fiber optic front sight to be very visible. The ghost ring is clearly visible and the sight picture overall is very good.

Edit2: 2115. Almost completely dark. Can barely make out the tree line 150 feet away and the ghost ring and fiber optic combo is still very visible

Thanks bud - that sounds like just the ticket. What was the model of front sight you got? I would imagine going with the highest post would help with the problems the guys are having with the gun shooting high

 

[Can-down]

I just got back from shooting my .44 mag Ranch Hand.

Mine also require substantial adjustment to the rear sight to get it hitting near to point of aim point of impact.

I shot about 125 rounds of Custom Reloading Services 240gr JHP Max load .44 mag, the gun ran well.

A few issues, main one is the rear sight and getting POA to POI, the other issue for me is the loading gate, it seems a little stiff and rough/sharp along the edge closest to the muzzle. Another issue to me is the trigger pull, seems heavy, its smooth, but heavy.

To me, and my eyes, an electronic sight is a must, I have never been able to really get my eyes to focus on irons, that is made all the more complicated when you then extend the iron sights free hand away from your eyes.

All in all this will be a great base to modify from.

I was also shooting some of John's reloads.
The sharp edge around the loading hole is standard on Rossi's from what I've seen and I think alot of the heavy trigger is the trigger return spring which feels pretty strong.

 

[Can-down]

Thanks bud - that sounds like just the ticket. What was the model of front sight you got? I would imagine going with the highest post would help with the problems the guys are having with the gun shooting high

Just looking at the skinner barrel peep I'd estimate a new front sight would have to be at least 1/4 inch higher for mine. I don't think they make them that tall!
I have seen a dovetail extender that basically raised the dovetail location but it looks a little ghetto.....I'm thinking a base sweated on to the barrel would do it best. I sent Steve Young an email to see what his tallest front sight is and if he's seen this issue with the Ranchhand.

This is the peep that I would like to use but from past experience it needs a higher sight even when the stock set up works correctly.....since my stock set up is 1/4" off I think it will be hard to find the right sized "skyscrapper" front sight!

 

[Can-down]

I just got back from the local machine supply shop and have something brewing that will sort this out in propper fashion if I can get set up right.

Problem is, I don't have my hands on a Ranch Hand yet.

Can someone please post the following precise measurements for me?

1. The diameter of the barrel at the rear sight, and

2. The depth of the rear sight's dovetail.

Unfortunately my micrometer is dead but eyeballing it the dovetail on mine is just under 2 mm deep and the barrel diameter is 20 mm

 

[Can-down]

I smoothed out the rear sight a bit last night with a dremel...