I am seeking some sage advice regarding the proper distance to sight in a rifle new to me. It is a Eddystone 1917 made March 1918. I already took it to the gun shop to be examined and was advised it has good rifiling, the head space is almost like new and the gunsmith told me "it is a tank so shoot the hell out of it" and I intend to do just that. The information I have seen suggests the battle sights (no, they are not ground off) are set for 200 to 300 yards. The current barrel length is 22 1/2 inches as it was cut down from the orginal 26 inches and a different front sight was placed on it. I would appreciate any and all advice regarding my question and to all that respond THANKS IN ADVANCE..... Westy39 living the dream in the Big Sky Country.
Eddystone 1917 question
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Jim Watson
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Adjust the sights for zero at the distance you will be shooting it.
If for hunting, I would zero for 200 yards which would be 1.5 to 2 inches high at 100 yards.
The GI battlesight setting and leaf graduations mean nothing with the barrel sawn off and the front sight replaced. You must shoot the gun to know where it will hit.
If for hunting, I would zero for 200 yards which would be 1.5 to 2 inches high at 100 yards.
The GI battlesight setting and leaf graduations mean nothing with the barrel sawn off and the front sight replaced. You must shoot the gun to know where it will hit.
Kendal Black
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It's like JW told you. With the sight radius altered and probably the height too, the sight settings have only nodding acquaintance with reality, and because you probably won't be shooting doughboy ammo anyway, all bets are off.
So you sight in as usual, but you ignore the numbers on the sight.
The battle sight... Hmm. This CMP document suggests it is 400 yards, on an original Seventeen, but maybe the previous owner fixed that for you with the new front sight.
It's an unfathomable mystery just where it's going to shoot, until you shoot it. Sorry I can't be more help. I would begin at close range.
So you sight in as usual, but you ignore the numbers on the sight.
The battle sight... Hmm. This CMP document suggests it is 400 yards, on an original Seventeen, but maybe the previous owner fixed that for you with the new front sight.
It's an unfathomable mystery just where it's going to shoot, until you shoot it. Sorry I can't be more help. I would begin at close range.
To Jim and Kendal;
I went out behind the house and finally fired that new to me Eddystone 1917 and I was using the amilitary surplus ammo I also got with this purchase and WOW can that thing shoot. I have about 100 rounds of ammo some from the Twin Cities arsenal and some from the Denver Ordance Plant. The ammo is in grey paper boxes both are marked to indicate it is ball,calibar .30, M2 arms. I tried a couple of rounds out about 300 yards or so just to see if this thing would shoot or blow up....Well is just spit out the ammo, then I tried a couple of rounds of the holding the rifle to my shoulder and I will say the recoil was not as strong as I thought it would be. Then I put a couple of rounds into a steel 24" I beam I use as a target.....Distance approximately 35 yards. OOPS now I have two rather large holes completely through this 24" I beam, I guess that this old ammo still had that kind of power... I was going to go to my local gun club and shoot at a couple of metal targets set at 100 yards and now I am not too sure about that as the gun club frowns at blowing holes completely through these targets. Soooo I will just shoot at the metal targets set at 300 yards or should I just use paper targets to sight in this monster????? I am not sure if I am bragging or complaining but DAMN that thing can shoot..... Thanks in advance Westy39
I went out behind the house and finally fired that new to me Eddystone 1917 and I was using the amilitary surplus ammo I also got with this purchase and WOW can that thing shoot. I have about 100 rounds of ammo some from the Twin Cities arsenal and some from the Denver Ordance Plant. The ammo is in grey paper boxes both are marked to indicate it is ball,calibar .30, M2 arms. I tried a couple of rounds out about 300 yards or so just to see if this thing would shoot or blow up....Well is just spit out the ammo, then I tried a couple of rounds of the holding the rifle to my shoulder and I will say the recoil was not as strong as I thought it would be. Then I put a couple of rounds into a steel 24" I beam I use as a target.....Distance approximately 35 yards. OOPS now I have two rather large holes completely through this 24" I beam, I guess that this old ammo still had that kind of power... I was going to go to my local gun club and shoot at a couple of metal targets set at 100 yards and now I am not too sure about that as the gun club frowns at blowing holes completely through these targets. Soooo I will just shoot at the metal targets set at 300 yards or should I just use paper targets to sight in this monster????? I am not sure if I am bragging or complaining but DAMN that thing can shoot..... Thanks in advance Westy39
Kendal Black
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I'd start on paper at about 25 yards, aiming carefully off the bench, just to get an idea where the sights are pointed, then shoot at a hundred, again on paper, noting your hits and seeing what sight adjustment to use. Write down the setting that gets you on target at 100. Repeat at other distances if you like.
As was said above: the graduations on the sight don't necessarily mean what they used to, since the rifle has been modified. When the sight says 300 the rifle might be on target at 200 or 375 or who knows what-all. You'll have to find out by experiment.
It's possible that whoever modified the rifle did the arithmetic to figure out the front sight height that would give the same elevation angles as before, but it's not very likely.
Ask the club about what kind of ammo is acceptable on their steel targets; generally there is some kind of policy about that.
As you have discovered, the .30-'06 is no slouch!
P.S. G.I. armor piercing ammo has the tips of the bullets painted black. Don't use it on other people's steel targets.
As was said above: the graduations on the sight don't necessarily mean what they used to, since the rifle has been modified. When the sight says 300 the rifle might be on target at 200 or 375 or who knows what-all. You'll have to find out by experiment.
It's possible that whoever modified the rifle did the arithmetic to figure out the front sight height that would give the same elevation angles as before, but it's not very likely.
Ask the club about what kind of ammo is acceptable on their steel targets; generally there is some kind of policy about that.
As you have discovered, the .30-'06 is no slouch!
P.S. G.I. armor piercing ammo has the tips of the bullets painted black. Don't use it on other people's steel targets.
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Kerf
Member
Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't some of the "early" Eddystones plagued with the same heat treat problems as the Springfields? I used to keep a list of serial numbers for both actions in my wallet to avoid getting stuck with a brittle action. As I recall, a lot of the Eddystone actions were cracked by gunsmiths improperly removing the barrel, and blaming it on the "brittle action".
Hatcher's Notebook, P.O. Ackley, and Frank deHass, have written on the subject if you care to research the topic.
I'm glad those good old days are gone.
Hatcher's Notebook, P.O. Ackley, and Frank deHass, have written on the subject if you care to research the topic.
I'm glad those good old days are gone.
velocette
Member
Kerf;
The '17 Enfields never had a heat treat problem of their receivers like the '03 Springfields did.
What they did have is some rifles made in the Eddystone arsenal had their barrels screwed in so tight that when a smith attempted to unscrew them, the receiver cracked.
Many '17 Enfields had their barrels replaced during arsenal rebuilding, then fired very little. My '17 has an arsenal replaced barrel from long long ago and shoots nice little groups.
Roger
The '17 Enfields never had a heat treat problem of their receivers like the '03 Springfields did.
What they did have is some rifles made in the Eddystone arsenal had their barrels screwed in so tight that when a smith attempted to unscrew them, the receiver cracked.
Many '17 Enfields had their barrels replaced during arsenal rebuilding, then fired very little. My '17 has an arsenal replaced barrel from long long ago and shoots nice little groups.
Roger
Start shooting at 25 yards at a large target to see where the rifle shoots. Then adjust the sights and shoot at a longer distance and adjust the sights. Repeat as necessary until you reach the range you want to shoot at. No use throwing lead down range and not knowing where it is going when you don't print on the target.....too bad someone cut down the barrel taking a 800 dollar rifle and turning it into a 200 dollar rifle, if that.....chris3
Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
ball3006, somebody might have taken a ten-dollar rifle and made it more usable. That's what I did with my 1917--back in 1950.
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