If I wanted to add iron sights to my T3 Sporter what are my options?

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Tikka223

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As the title states ...

I have a great amount of fun shooting with the iron sights on my M14/M305 but the Norinco just isn't anywhere near the quality or accuracy of my T3 Sporter or any of my other bolt actions. If I wanted to outfit the T3 Sporter with some irons what would I have to do?

Do I need to take the barrel to a smith to have the barrel end diameter reduced to accept a front sight mount? One google page I found says the Anschutz mounts need a .75" barrel diameter I think.

Second, I already have a picatinny rail mounted to the receiver. Are there any rear iron sights that would mount to the rail (Weaver style)?

I've never been very interested in full-on TR shooting but I think it would be fun to have a USGI sight picture on the T3.

Suggestions?
 
I should add that I know nothing about TR shooting either. I've just had the occasion to watch a few shooters with their sun shade hats and leather jackets.
 
I already have quite a few rifles and using the T3 for one purpo would mean less load development and less money .... but I am curious to hear what you were going to propose. I also like the idea of using the one rifle because it already has a very adjustable stock.

I also forgot to add that my T3 does not have threads on the barrel.
 
Centra and RPA make rear sights that will fit on a picatinny rail. For a front sight, if you do not want to have the end turned down, you may have to go with a custom made barrel band with a dovetail. Barrel bands usually come with either .750 or .812 holes for the barrel diameter. If you went with an Anshutz front sight you could use a post insert if you are looking for that USGI sight picture. These days most TR shooters are moving away from the small 18 mm Anshutz sight and have moved up to 22mm and 30mm.
 
There are a number of photos online showing T3 Sporters being used for target shooting. If you look at the comments in the Flickr album the set up is identified as the "Sako TRG 22/42 Match Site Mounting Set" using Anschutz front and rear sights. If you go to the Beretta USA site and search under "Gun Accessories > Rifles & Carbines > SAKO TRG Accessories" they want $155 USD for the mounting set (looks like it's made by Hammerli -- a very good thing). I don't know if they're available up here, but if they're an accessory for a TRG I don't know why a Canadian distributor couldn't bring them in.

I'd like to know what you decide to do, because I've had my eye on the Sporter since they came out for precisely this reason -- just not sure I'm ready $$$ to step up from being a purely rimfire target shooter.
 
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JasonJ said:
There are a number of photos online showing T3 Sporters being used for target shooting. If you look at the comments in the Flickr album the set up is identified as the "Sako TRG 22/42 Match Site Mounting Set" using Anschutz front and rear sights. If you go to the Beretta USA site and search under "Gun Accessories > Rifles & Carbines > SAKO TRG Accessories" they want $155 USD for the mounting set (looks like it's made by Hammerli -- a very good thing). I don't know if they're available up here, but if they're an accessory for a TRG I don't know why a Canadian distributor couldn't bring them in.

I'd like to know what you decide to do, because I've had my eye on the Sporter since they came out for precisely this reason -- just not sure I'm ready $$$ to step up from being a purely rimfire target shooter.
Click to expand...

A sight set using Anshutz sights would be great for use at 300m or for one fixed range. The lack of a vernier scale and limited elevation would become a problem if you wanted to shoot distances from 300-1000 yards. And would also be a PITA for big wind change where you need to go from 12 minutes left to 3 minutes right between shots. Without a good vernier you would be lost counting clicks.

A ladder front sight would help for distances from 300-1000 because the rear sight would only have to be moved a minute or 2 if adjustments for elevation were made to the front. But a good wind scale would still be the problem using Anshutz rear sights at longer ranges.
 
I just went back to the Beretta USA site and noticed that they have back-up iron sights for the TRG -- for your USGI-style sight picture -- that would likely fit the T3 as well but they're $239 each.
 
"...what would I have to do?..." Have a smithy drill and tap the receiver. You won't get M1 Rifle sights, but you can certainly put on good target sights. I'd forget about a rail myself.
 
For a front sight, you could have the muzzle area turned down to one of the two standard sizes, 0.750" or 0.812" diameter (this is straightforward and easy lathe work, any machinist can do it). Depending on the lather, it might not be necessary to remove the barrel from the action.

It is also possible to mount a front sight using a couple of screws instead - this would involve drilling and tapping a couple of holes near the muzzle. Might be a fussier job to do though than just turning a cylindrical section.

What I've described above is how you'd go about mounting a target front sight. Perhaps instead, you might want to look into mounting an AR-15 or an M-14 front sight? It ought to be straightforward to get a sight; the next question would be how to do a good job mounting it.

Would you want an all-up target style rear sight (i.e. a large adjustment range, clicks, and a readable scale)? Or would an adjustable but semi-fixed sight (e.g. a Williams type) be satisfactory?
 
You may want to consider an AR-15 rear sight as well -- you can get them for a Picatinny rail for a reasonable price (check Brownells for a guide to pricing). I think mounting a front sight is going to be your biggest challenge.
 
I much prefer the idea of mounting an AR-style front sight that would work with a picatinny compatible rear sight. Too bad Tech Sights don't make something for the T3s.
 
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