A little front sight help please.

[cool45auto]

My SKS shoots about 2" to the left at about 30 yards. I know this should be simple but I can't make my brain understand.
Which way do I need to drift my front sight to get the shots where I want them? I'm guessing to the left?

Please don't laugh too hard at me.

 

[hansolo]

SKS Sight adjustmant

"...my guess would be to the Left..."

Either that or the Right..........(I'm purdy sure it IS to PORT - Left - , not starboard).

P.S. I just got an SKS a couple weeks ago...and to think I was going to buy a .22 Lr.(Relax, I already have one!)

 

[Stinger]

Front sight should be drifted left.

Stinger

 

[swingset]

Always remember when moving sights that they should move to the side your bullets are going. This seems counterintuitive, but is the way it works.

Sight goes left, gun shoots right. Sight goes right, gun shoots left.

When looking through a scope, the reticle must also move this way. Shooting too high? Make reticle move higher....etc.

Not hard, just have to commit it to memory.

 

[BamBam-31]

Good advice so far. For the front sight, if you want the groups to move right, you gotta drift it to the left, and vise versa.

I think of it this way: the shots are going left, meaning when your sights are lined up, your muzzle is pointed too much to the left. Gotta move it to the right.

Put one finger up on each hand and pretend one is the front sight and one the rear sight. Now, if you move the front sight a bit to the left, when you line the two sights up again (rear sight doesn't move), WHAMMO!!, the muzzle is now pointed more towards the right! And so will your groups.

Make sense? If not, just move your front sight opposite the direction you want your groups to move.

Good luck. You have the SKS front sight tool, right? Makes it easier.

 

[cool45auto]

Yep, I just picked one up for this the other day!

 

[Preacherman]

Just don't confuse front and rear sights when making adjustments...

Front sight moves IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION to the error to correct it: ie. if gun shoots right, front sight moves left, and vice versa.

Rear sight moves IN THE DIRECTION of the error to correct it: i.e. if gun shoots left, rear sight moves left, and vice versa.

 

[Remander]

I try to remember that you can not change where the bullet goes by moving the sights.

You have to move the sights so you are aiming where the bullet is going.

Then I still get confused and get out the manual.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Just don't confuse front and rear sights when making adjustments...

Front sight moves IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION to the error to correct it: ie. if gun shoots right, front sight moves left, and vice versa.

Rear sight moves IN THE DIRECTION of the error to correct it: i.e. if gun shoots left, rear sight moves left, and vice versa.

This is backwards!

The REAR sight moves opposite the direction of the error, while the front sight needs to be moved in the same direction as the error. I.e.:

If adjusting the rear sight, to move the point of impact (POI) to the left, move the sight to the left. To move the POI to the right, move the sight to the right. To move POI down, move the rear sight down. To move POI up, move the sight up.

If adjusting the front sight, to move the POI left, move the front sight right. To move POI right, move the front sight left. To move POI up, lower the front sight (through adjustment or with a file). To move POI down, you need a front sight that allows you to move it up.

 

[zahc]

I find it easiest to envision the sights as being fixed, and the gun as the movable unit. For me this makes it very easy to see what needs moved.

 

[blue86buick]

wow, it's amazing how many people (don't know)....well, [edit] we'll take care of that! [/edit]

I second what frodo said: you move the rear sight in the direction you want the POI to move. Say, left. That will swing the a...back...end of the gun the other direction (right, with the axis/pivot point being the front sight), bringing the other end of the lever (the POI on the target) the opposite direction (left), thereby bringing your POI and your POA together.

::edited for clarity/politeness::

 

[tac17]

Am I the only that occasionally has a brain fart and just can't understand how to set sights? Occasionally I just can't figure it out, I just have to walk away for a little while and then come back to it.

 

[blue86buick]

no, you're not. My apologies. Hence the "well, nevermind"....i wasn't going to say "are dumb???es", rather somethign along the lines of "are misinformed".

I'll edit for niceness.

 

[Art Eatman]

Draw a slender "X" on a piece of paper, representing the rifle as seen from above. You want to swing the legs together so you have a single line.

So, you move the rear sight toward the line of the barrel. Left to move the bullet impact left; right to move the bullet impact right.

And so moving the front sight laterally brings about the opposite result...

, Art

 

[slabsides]

You'll never have any trouble if you just use a little imagination. Suppose the REAR sight could be moved six inches to the right of center. Now if you lined up the sights on an aiming point, where would the barrel be pointed? Waaay to the right. Right? Right.
Similarly. lets say you could slide the bead of the front sight six inches to the LEFT. Now, when you lined up the sights on your point, where would the barrel be pointing? Once again, Waaaay to the right. Right? Right!
Rear sight: moves poi (point of impact) in the SAME direction
Front sight moves poi in the OPPOSITE direction.

 

[ShaiVong]

Slab has it right. When dealing with rear sights, move them in the direction you want your bullet to go.

Front sights are bass ackwards. Wasted about 20 rounds of 303 in my enfield figuring that one out :banghead: