Ruger 10/22 Open Sights - Help!

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northerndad

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Hey folks,

Got a beauty Ruger 10/22 from my father in law. Wood stock, old gun, hardly ever been shot. It's hardly ever been shot because he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with it, packed it up, didn't use it for 30 years, and just gave it to us to maybe tune up and use.

It has 3 sights on it - a round one of the very back with up/down left/right adjustments, a standard notch sight in the middle with up/ down adjustment, and then the one at the end of the barrel with no adjustments. It's shooting WAY left right now. I still have to check the bedding etc, but these open sights are kind of throwing me off. I've checked on youtube and googled how to adjust these 3 sight 10/22s but haven't found anything, can you folks send me in the right direction?
 
Sounds like someone has installed a receiver mounted peep sight. These tend to work very well. First you will need to flip the barrel mounted sight down and don't use it, then adjust the peep sight to the right until its shooting on target.
 
If you've run out of adjustment range on the rear sight, and it still isn't on, it could be that the sight isn't suitable or the installation was incorrect. So...

If you've run out of adjustment range on the rear sight, and it still isn't on, try - or have someone else - bore sight it. If there is an issue, bore sighting will reveal it.
 
northerndad said:
Hey folks,

Got a beauty Ruger 10/22 from my father in law. Wood stock, old gun, hardly ever been shot. It's hardly ever been shot because he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with it, packed it up, didn't use it for 30 years, and just gave it to us to maybe tune up and use.

It has 3 sights on it - a round one of the very back with up/down left/right adjustments, a standard notch sight in the middle with up/ down adjustment, and then the one at the end of the barrel with no adjustments. It's shooting WAY left right now. I still have to check the bedding etc, but these open sights are kind of throwing me off. I've checked on youtube and googled how to adjust these 3 sight 10/22s but haven't found anything, can you folks send me in the right direction?
Click to expand...

You don’t use the middle sight, remove it, or fold it down, out of the way if possible. Make sure the screws holding the sight to the receiver are tight. Search on YouTube for how to shoot and how to adjust aperture sight, or peep sights. Lots of information.

The middle sight is called an open sight.
 
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northerndad said:
Hey folks,

Got a beauty Ruger 10/22 from my father in law. Wood stock, old gun, hardly ever been shot. It's hardly ever been shot because he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with it, packed it up, didn't use it for 30 years, and just gave it to us to maybe tune up and use.

It has 3 sights on it - a round one of the very back with up/down left/right adjustments, a standard notch sight in the middle with up/ down adjustment, and then the one at the end of the barrel with no adjustments. It's shooting WAY left right now. I still have to check the bedding etc, but these open sights are kind of throwing me off. I've checked on youtube and googled how to adjust these 3 sight 10/22s but haven't found anything, can you folks send me in the right direction?
Click to expand...

Your FIL couldn't hit anything and now you are shooting way to the right? Is the front sight (post) centred in the dovetail?

Fold down the open sight attached to the barrel and try it with just the rear peep sight (aperture) and see where it shoots. If you need to, remove the rear aperture sight and shoot it with just the factory open sights on the barrel. This should show you where the problem is.

Ruger made an ####illion of these so they should know where the sights ought to be. The factory sights should be centred in their mounts, and that should get you onto the paper at 25 meters.
 
Just for giggles line up a long known straight ruler along the sides of the barrel. See if it's straight. Then line it up against the side of the receiver extending forward and measure from the edge across to the barrel at the front and see if it's mounted straight. For the amount it sounds like the sights are out by you don't need a micrometer for this. Just a decent ruler with fine lines.
 
Thanks everyone for the feedback and tips, I am not super familiar with peep sights and open sights so this helps a lot. Makes sense that someone installed a peep sight, will try all your suggestions. I do have a .22 boresight laser I can use as well.
 
If the front sight/post is centred in the dovetail, and the barrel mounted rear-sight is centred in the barrel/dovetail, try using that - it's mounted on the barrel so it should be easiest to align (and won't change position if you take the barrel off).
Things to check apart from the alignment of the sights - is the barrel properly tightened (snugged) to the receiver? Take the barrelled action out of the stock and use an alan key to check that the two screws are tight - not F**KING TIGHT but also not loose enough to move by hand. (two fingers at the end of the alan wrench tight, not "your whole hand can't make it any tighter almost stripping the threads in the aluminum receiver" tight)
Is the barrelled action snug in the stock? (when you put it back in the stock you can check that.
Try shooting (say) 5 shots at 20 m onto a big hunk of paper aiming at a relatively small dot - from a bench - see if the thing at least "groups" - and adjust the sights from there...

If the barrel mounted sights are "on" (you're hitting where you're aiming) you're good. If not, make some adjustments - move the rear sight in the direction you want the shots to move and try another group, see where they're hitting, and keep moving the sights til they match the bullet holes.

Then fold the leaf down and repeat the procedure with the peep sight - is it centred on the receiver? etc., etc...
 
Lots of good suggestions here, but the good accuracy of the 10/22 warrants a scope, to take full advantage.

Whatever you decide to do with it ... Good Hunting!
 
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