Long Range Shots And How They Happen

A scope will help some, particularly if you have poor eyesight.

But although the rear sight will take up the whole animal, the tiny narrow dead center above the front sight (with a "six o'clock hold") can be held on a pretty specific area out to 50 or 75 yards - well within the specific vital zone.

But yeah, sound like it's time for you to invest in a good mount, rings, and scope, even if only a 1 to 4 power or fixed 4, or similar.

I assume you're talking about big game like deer; please correct me if I'm wrong. Using that assumption, I can't understand how your sight can be that large. Even head-on, a deer is at least 10" wide. That's about 20MOA at 50yd. What kind of rifle and sight are you using that's 20MOA wide?

so you're dead on from side to side but you hit high or low? try working on your breathing, trigger control, and focus on a good sight picture. iron sights often have to be just right to get the right elevation

Zero at a longer range. It's a lot easier to aim low an intermediate distances (say 100 yards) that it is to aim high (with irons) at the longer ranges. Know your dope up close, but the sight won't obscure the animal at that range so it's of no consequence. Left to right, center is center regardless of how wide the front sight is.

Well, it's the center of the front sight that should be centered on your point of aim. You should be able hit a paper plate with your rifle at 250 yards using the iron sights.

MOA=Minute of angle. 1/60th of a degree, or approximately 1" at 100 yards. Assuming a fairly modest 26" from your eye to the front sight (not far off what I see on my 18.5" Marlin), your sight would be .144" wide to subtend 20MOA, or 10" at 50 yards. Again, I wonder what kind of gun you're using, and what sights, as that sounds remarkably wide.

Please don't misunderstand me: I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just wondering what equipment you have. It almost sounds as though somebody assembled things incorrectly.

He said,

Remington 742 .30-06

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Well, nuts. I'll have to try reading for comprehension next time.

Even at a remarkably short 18" sight radius--that is, your eye is 2" behind the breechface on the legal-minimum 16" barrel (or 1.5" on a more common 16.5" barrel)--you're looking at a .100" wide front sight to completely cover a deer if he is facing you directly (wider if he's quartering or broadside).

A tenth of an inch isn't unheard-of, but you ought to be able to find something narrower if you look. Alternatively, as Dr. Winslow said, center the vitals above the top of the post (sight in for a six o'clock hold, of course), and you should be able to deliver rounds on target out past 100 yards.

4MOA (4" at 100yd) is a fair standard with an off-the-rack rifle and surplus ammo. Hie thee to an Appleseed shoot and you'll be able to do it consistently with iron sights.

Just put a scope on that gun and hit what you want . There is a point and time that shooting at targets and deer are not the same anymore.

The poor-boy's approach to righteousness: I've lived rural for a long time, so I can do my shooting in my back yard. While I've built benchrests, I guarantee you that a picnic table is better than a blanket over the hood of a pickup.

There's always the formal rifle range, of course, with benchrests.

Sandbags: I've made dozens. The little zipper-type bank bags. Pieces from the legs of worn-out pants. You don't even have to sew the pants legs. Fold one end over, pour in maybe a pint or so of sand, fold over and hold with rubber bands or baling wire or string. Whatever. Make at least four of them, two of them maybe three inches thick and the others maybe two inches. A couple of pieces of 2x4 can be handy, also.

An old towel under your right elbow saves skin from abrading during recoil.

Target: For all that I have a 100-yard backstop and use regular targets, I also use a cardboard box with a "casual" target that's just a sheet of typing paper with lines that I draw with a Magic Marker and a straight edge. One horizontal line and maybe two or three vertical lines. I use that at 25 and 50 yards for iron sights.

Cost: Danged little. Know-how: Not much, really.

So: You set up the bags so that your sights are very close to being aimed, without you having to hold the rifle. That makes it easy to get a proper sight picture.

Sight picture: My notion is that the top of the front sight should be even with the top of the rear sight. A straight line across is what should be seen. The target should be in the dead center of this happiness, sitting right on top of the horizontal line.

Start at some easy distance, say 25 yards. Adjust the sights for a center hit, being able to shoot a tight group of three or so shots. Then move on out to, say, 50 yards, and repeat. Then go to 100 yards.

With iron sights, I'd guess maybe one inch high at 100 yards for the center of a group of three or so shots is about as good as you'd want.

Now, I don't mean to be "talking down" to anybody. Could be that everybody here knows all this stuff. Like I say, I've just spent a bunch of years poor-boying my way into learning a bit about how to hit a target...

Best luck,

Art

...I think I let the back sights take up too much of my view.

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You need to focus on the front sight.


Let the target and the rear sight blur slightly and they will take care of themselves.

You can't possibly focus on all three at the same time. Or shoot small groups if you try to.

rc

Practice.

Go to an Appleseed. http://www.appleseedinfo.org/

I hit a dip can (of Skoal Berry...hate that crap) From about 35-40 yards back..

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That really should be an easy shot. Not to brag or anything but at that range the only way to miss it should be standing up in a strong breeze. 150 yard shots are pretty easy too if you are sitting. It sounds to me like you need to get a scope or your eyes are getting old.

Just out of curiosity what is your age and firearm background?
How are you shooting your gun? Rested, offhand, or what?
Does your 742 have the original sights on it?
I am trying to figure out how you can see a Skoal can and not a deer.
Dallas Jack