Fullbore target rifle equipment/Sights questions

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Before the end of this season I plan to try fullbore/TR a few times(currently shooting F-class). Our club mainly shoots 300-800M, but I also plan to practice on my own at 100-200M.
We have excellent shooters locally that can help me with the coaching/technique.
What I'd like to know more about and educate myself on in the meantime is equipment, mostly Sights related. Is there anything online that gives a good description/review of all the different types of front and rear sights, iris's and so on? I could not find a good educational video on youtube or such, any pointers? I need to know everything from sizes/models, to which is more or less prone to get messed up in the rain and so on.

If you have suggestions for what is a user friendly and good value/simple one to start with(and won't need to upgrade 6 months later...) that would be great. Seems easy enough to find them for .22lr match rifle, but do they transfer right over to a fullbore rifle?
For now I will try to piece something together from various parts other members have, and buy a few things extra bits if needed, and if it works well I will look at building a new rifle for it over winter.

thanks.
 
You will need a rear sight with 1/4 minute clicks and a vernier scale. It can be as simple and as cheap as a Central sight (some of these are 1/3 clicks, you don't want that). If money isn't an object check out the Warner rear sight. If you look at Manitou's link the RPA Trakker is a very solid sight. Also some of the older Centrals have the small iris hole. You can buy adaptors that go from the small hole to the larger hole for the iris. The larger iris hole sights will allow the modern iris', Gehmann, Anshutz, Centra to screw right in.

Some people love all the gadgets on the iris like filters, polarizers, diopters etc. All these add another lens or lenses to look through. A simple iris is sometimes your best bet.

For front sights you can use anything from a 18mm Anshutz, Parker-Hale, up to a 30mm ladder Right sight, Riles sight, RPA. Most of these can also be fitted with a .3 or .5 diopter (eagle eye) to improve the sight picture and make the target look bigger.

Depending on your eyesight front iris' come in different ranges. Some may range from 2.4 up to 4.0. Others can range from 5.5 to 7.5. It is always better to have the front iris too big than it is to have it too small. If I was coaching a new shooter with fair to good eyesight, I would glue a 4.0 insert into their front sight and make them shot it at all ranges from 300 to 1000 yards for one year before letting them change the size of their front sight.
 
Maynard's comments are useful wise. We, along with FB Chair Bill Giles, will lend all kit required. More importantly, Bill is well-schooled in set up, having been trained through the British NSRA. Then we have Marcel (AKA Squarehead) who just shot the PEI Provincials without dropping a point. Marcel was on the Swiss National Team years ago and knows set up very well.
 
If you shoot F Class, you rub shoulders with TR shooters. One of them will lend you a complete rifle. Shoot that for awhile and you will develop an idea of what you like and what needs improving.
 
"There is no substitute for trigger time. Perfect practice makes perfect." Actually, proper set up is initially more important. We have seen TR shooters drop out due to lack of instruction, and getting position correct for you is what some instructors do very well.
 
There is a lot to fullbore shooting. Knowing how to hold the rifle will minimize that part of the game of getting into the bullseye. Then learning plotting etc etc can get the attention it deserves.
 
Thanks for the replies and information.
I've borrowed an excellent TR rifle, got most of the other required things together thanks to a few club members and Peter/Hirsch Precision. Hopefully I will be able to do my first practice early next week if schedule allows.

Regarding the rear sights, does anybody make one that has an elevation/windage that works just like on a scope? as in not reversed, and no weird vernier scale thing going on ?
 
Forgot to mention the vernier. Any F'er that started with TR would give their first born for a vernier like on irons. With practice it is virtually an instant read. There is a reason these sights really have not changed for 100 years.
Warner makes his original sight with a pointer scale in both the USA type rotation and the commonwealth rotation. After these he started making the vernier model, a fantastic sight. The PNW sight is known jokingly as Pretty Near a Warner.
You will also hear about Australian minutes and British minutes. The Brit version is closer to a true minute while the Aus version is smaller. Again for team use you will need the Brit version although for personal use it doesn't really matter. A number of years ago Warner donated sights to the DCRA so a team could be all the same (coaches usually turn the knobs). Since then I think most of the top shooters have bought their own Warners. Yes I use Warners. The best front is a Riles.
 
Thanks for the additional info. If I do get into it seriously next year after trying it a bit this year with borrow gear, I do plan to buy the best I can get. I've got Riles website bookmarked.
I think a few local shooters use the Stalling front sites, seems decent quality as well. I haven't looked close enough to know much about the differences yet.
 
Just a small update, I finally tried it a little on tuesday to find a load and shoot 3 groups at only 100yard to see if I was on target and get a feel for position/eye relief and so on.
I ordered a Saeur Exakt IV sling, should be here next week.
Shot a few rounds at 300m this evening to get another zero at that distance and get some coaching on position/set up.
I have to say this is a LOT of fun, it actually feels like "shooting" and although I've only shot maybe 45 rounds so far, I can feel its forcing me to work a lot harder and be a lot more careful about how I shoot.
I was very surprised at the lack of felt recoil vs FTR. I'll try to do another small practice next week and then we have the Atlantics championship 5-6th. I figure so long as I keep them on my target I'll be happy, and 140rounds over 2 days will give a good taste of what I'm in for.
 
I ended up receiving the Sauer sling today, surprisingly fast since I ordered it from tesro wednesday, really nice sling. Included was a bunch of other documentation of jackets, sights and other equipment, mainly for .22 match/air rifle but still neat stuff.
I'll be able to tweak things and practice getting into position at home. Getting in and out of the jacket is proving the be a challenge so far.

Now regarding the Jackets, are most of you TR shooters using the ones with the buttons, or the snaps? seems there's a lot more that come with the buttons. I'm guessing either one doesn't matter so long as it fits properly eh?
 
The jackets with the buckles and straps are fullbore jackets and not legal to ISSF smallbore competitions. Usually the jackets with the buttons are ISSF legal (depending on the length, button overlap, sleeve length, stiffness and a host of other things) Over the last 20 plus years of fullbore shooting I have used a few jackets, mostly fullbore jackets. Everything from off the rack leather to custom Monard fullbore jacket ($$$) that I ripped the shoulder out of in less than a year. This year I have been using an off the rack Freeland ISSF jacket that I have found to be very comfortable.
 
I think you will find that for prone use both jackets will be about par. The ISSF jackets with the buttons are adjustable by moving the buttons, no sewing needed. This way you can meet both rules. I think the Kurt Thune jackets are the best technically, their prone coats especially. Canvas is the way to go, cheaper, stiffer and does not stretch like leather. Remember that these coats are designed for shooting and not standing around in. Wear a sweatshirt under. When it's really hot out, after you shoot, flop it open in the sun to dry, sweat shirt as well, it feels sooo good when you take it off!
 
I noticed most or maybe all do wear a sweatshirt under, does it do anything regarding the shooting/more padding or is it really just to soak up the sweat? cause it does get crazy hot in that thing.
Starting to think maybe that's where the name sweatshirt came from...

Thanks for the info, I didn't realize the buttons were adjustable.
 
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