No4 Mk1 Sighting help

Rimfire

Rimfire

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Hey Enfield Lovers (and people who love to read the Enfield posts and then post how much you hate them)

I just got a Savage No4 Mk1. Gave her a good cleaning and headed straight for the range. I set up a target at about 100 yards and took 20 well aimed shots at it. Once everyone else was done shooting, we all headed down to swap out our targets. As I got closer with my new target in hand, I realized I wouldn't need it, as approximately 0% of my shots made the paper (which was about 12"x12")

I have the very basic 300 or 600 yard rear sight and the front sight is marked with an "F"

Is the rifle only accurate at those ranges?
Any ideas what I can do to improve the accuracy? (besides replacing the shooter!)

Thanks!
 
My No.5 shoots 3-4" at 100 yards with factory ammo off sand bags. That's using the aperture sight not the combat sight.

I'd bench it and shoot at 25 yards, use a large 36" x 44" piece paper as a backdrop so that you can see where it is printing and then adjust the windage and elevation before you try grouping it at 100 yards.
 
My Savage No.4 will hit the paper everytime at 100 yds using the combat sight and cause the steel plates ping at that range and beyond most times. It may just be a problem of windage ajustment and I agree with the idea of setting up a large paper back drop to see where your shots are going.
 
Sight in at 25 yards.
And at 100 or more use a spotter with a spotting scope.

Reload to adjust your point of impact accordingly, or find a way to adjust your sites.
 
As mentionned, start close with a large target to find out where the rifle is shooting. Then adjust the sights. Elevation by changing the front sight, windage by moving the front sight lateraly. With a 300 zero, the rifle will shoot high at 100, perhaps 5 inches above point of aim. If you want it zeroed at 100, you will need a higher front sight. You might also consider installing an elevation adjustable rear sight.
 
Thanks guys!

I'll try what you mentioned. Unfortunately I don't have a spotting scope, but a pair of binos may work at the closer ranges.

If I were to get an elevation adjustable rear sight, can it be adjusted for closer ranges?

If I were to shoot at 300 yards, what would be the best target to use?

Thanks!

P.S. What is the "6 O'clock" setting??
 
Hold the tip of the front sight at the bottom of the black bull instead of trying to guess where the middle is. The Lee Enfield usually has no sight adjustment for lower than 200 Yds, even with adjustable rear sight, but the battle sight is usually for 300. As the other guys said, start @ 25 Yds. If your rifle is shooting too high or low, the only adjustment is to change the front sight for higher or lower. They are marked, but I don't remember all the different heights and numbers. Find out where your gun is shooting before you try to figure out what you need to change.
 
Available front sights for the #4 are as follows;
-0.045
-0.030
-0.015
0
+0.015
+0.030
+0.045
+0.060
+0.075
+0.090
+105
+0.120

Never, ever use a drift punch to remove the front sight!! The proper front sight tool is more efficient and can be manufactured out of an old screwdriver.
 
Thanks everyone

I took the old girl out to the range and tried her at 100 yards. I set up lots of paper and when I started firing at the left target, I was actually hitting the one on the right. I tweaked the front sight and finally got it hitting what I was aiming at.

Now the problem is it's hitting way low even at 100 yards. I would have to aim up about 6-8" to hit dead center. That seems odd since everyone says the gun is usually sighted to no less than 300 yards...

My front sight blade is numbered .075. Is this maybe a bit too high for longer range shooting? What sight blade would you recommend??

Is it normal for the barrell and receiver to have a little bit of play within the wood? When I grab the end of the barrell I can jiggle it around ever so slightly

My last question is, are the No1 mkIII front sight blades interchangeable with the No4 blades?

Thanks again!
 
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The end of a No.4 barrel should have a few pounds of pressure placed on it by the tip of the forend. It shouldn't rattle loose in the stock. Is the action loose too?
You need a lower front sight, to raise your group. If you wanted, you could get a 100y zero with the 300y aperture. For the 300 zero, the point of impact would be several inches high at 100. A 0 or .015 front sight should get you pretty close to a 100y zero.
 
Thanks, do you know if the sight blades are interchangeable with the No1 and the No4? I see some No1 blades for sale and will take them if I know they will work

Thanks again!
 
Don't know, never tried, no harm in trying. There are two types of No. 4 sights, solid dovetail ones for the clamp type front sight bases, and the split dovetail ones for solid bases. All SMLE sights are solid.
 
I believe my sights would be the solid dovetail type which requires the small tool to loosen the base. I might just try them

As for the "movement" it's just the barrel at the end. The action seems to be solid and doesn't jiggle. I'll try tightening some screws

Thanks again Tiriaq
 
Take an old Phillips head screwdriver, cut it off, and grind a little slot across it, until it is a nice fit on the clamp screw.
 
Will do. Unfortunately the head of the screw is a little beat up from previous owners trying to use whatever they had on hand, but I'll make a new tool for it. Thanks for the tip!
 
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