Best open sights?
- Thread starter 1899
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- West coast of Vancouver Island
I like Mosin Nagant 91/30s the best.
On a bolt rifle, the Number 4 wins, hands down.
Old SMLE is in second place here because of shorter sighting radius.
Both have square front sight blades, much easier to aim, especially in bad light.
For a semi-auto, the Garand or the M-14 is really nice: again, square blade fronts and aperture rears.
The secret of using an aperture (peep) rear sight is very simple: forget that it's even there, just look through the little hole, aim with the front sight and squeeze the trigger smoothly.
What messes people up about aperure sights is the strange idea that you have to have the aperture and the front sight blade and the target, all in focus. Ain't possible: against the laws of optics. However, it IS possible to have your front sight and the target both more-or-less focussed at the same time, especially if the light is good. But aperture sights win, hands down.
Old SMLE is in second place here because of shorter sighting radius.
Both have square front sight blades, much easier to aim, especially in bad light.
For a semi-auto, the Garand or the M-14 is really nice: again, square blade fronts and aperture rears.
The secret of using an aperture (peep) rear sight is very simple: forget that it's even there, just look through the little hole, aim with the front sight and squeeze the trigger smoothly.
What messes people up about aperure sights is the strange idea that you have to have the aperture and the front sight blade and the target, all in focus. Ain't possible: against the laws of optics. However, it IS possible to have your front sight and the target both more-or-less focussed at the same time, especially if the light is good. But aperture sights win, hands down.
The sights on Norwegian K98ks in .30-06 are much better that your typical mauser v-notch, inverted-v sights. For me I do find them much easier to use due to the rear sight being a square notch and a square front post. They are hard to use in low light tho that is for sure.
As far as No4 rearsights , the smaller arpeture of the Mkll (300-600) or Mklll ladder type battle peep is much better than the huge Brit Mkl micrometer battlepeep , ( unless it's the early Longbranch or Savage Mkl sight with the smaller size battlepeep ) .
Even then , one has to train themselves to aim low , especially inside 100yd.
Even then , one has to train themselves to aim low , especially inside 100yd.
The whole idea of aperture sights is to forget that the aperture is even there. The big battle sight on the Number 4 is not a disadvantage at all if you sight correctly.
P-'14, US M.1917 sights were fine, also, in fact, they were the prototype for the Number 4. Only problem with them is that the actual aperture was sort of a lollipop, easy to damage.
Same reason, as much as I love the Ross, I left it out, even though it has the ideal combination (square blade front, aperture rear) AND is adjustable for wind. It is just too exposed. Perhaps if the famous Ross Battle Aperture Sight had had a nice set of protective wings such as the P-'14 and M.1917 had, I would have gone for it. Yes, the Ross Mark III* did have such a thing, but they are anything but common around here.
P-'14, US M.1917 sights were fine, also, in fact, they were the prototype for the Number 4. Only problem with them is that the actual aperture was sort of a lollipop, easy to damage.
Same reason, as much as I love the Ross, I left it out, even though it has the ideal combination (square blade front, aperture rear) AND is adjustable for wind. It is just too exposed. Perhaps if the famous Ross Battle Aperture Sight had had a nice set of protective wings such as the P-'14 and M.1917 had, I would have gone for it. Yes, the Ross Mark III* did have such a thing, but they are anything but common around here.
"Best" sights do not mean best accuracy, so choose the gun, not the sights.
I have a K31 that will outshoot a very good P14 I have, and a No4 MkI, and a Garand,..... As further evidence, at our milshoots, there are always a few K31's in the top 10, and one often wins.
I have a K31 that will outshoot a very good P14 I have, and a No4 MkI, and a Garand,..... As further evidence, at our milshoots, there are always a few K31's in the top 10, and one often wins.
Absolutely Andy !
The large arpeture peep on the Mk1 sight was proven great for quick aquisition on a man size target , didn't matter where on the target...just hit'em.
However , when hunting deer size targets , I'm not just aiming at a deer but at the deer's heart...thats where the smaller arpeture comes in.
I would have to say the Garand. Fully windage and elevation adjustable peep sight without tools....
The enfield no4 and P14 sights are nice as well but you gotta get a hammer out for the windage.
And I agree with Andy about the K31 being a very accurate rifle but I think you also have to consider the shooter as well.
The enfield no4 and P14 sights are nice as well but you gotta get a hammer out for the windage.
And I agree with Andy about the K31 being a very accurate rifle but I think you also have to consider the shooter as well.
Well, if we're going for PRECISION shooting with military iron sights, I would have to say the 1910 Ross: square-blade front, aperture rear, wind-drift adjustable AND a 30-inch barrel. Another fellow and myself entered the 2-man Iron Sight match at Shilo a few years ago, using a pair of Rosses. We came in about 10th place out of 23 teams, but we were shooting against C7s, M-14s and Garands. I think we did allright: took all 40 targets from 80 yards to 540 metres with 75 rounds, did it in 8 minutes and a few seconds. Old Rosses were HOT, I can tell you!
You can get some awfully decent shooting out of an SMLE if you regulate it and bed it right and slap on a set of Parker-Hale apertures sights.
The one thing the 91/30 Noisy Maggot has going for it is the square-U rear sight and the square-post front sight, copied (in shape) from the SMLE..... and allied with a nice 27-inch barrel.
You can get some awfully decent shooting out of an SMLE if you regulate it and bed it right and slap on a set of Parker-Hale apertures sights.
The one thing the 91/30 Noisy Maggot has going for it is the square-U rear sight and the square-post front sight, copied (in shape) from the SMLE..... and allied with a nice 27-inch barrel.
