M1 Garand sight for tired old eyes

[BrocLuno]

Yeah, I had the feeling he knew what he was doing

 

[1KPerDay]

Or put 15 consecutve shots in a 3" spotter disc from prone @ 600 yards with no artificial rest and iron sights?

Wow!

 

[carbine85]

Hps1, I like what you did there. I didn't know those mounts existed.
I have the same Burris sight. I wish I had something good to say about the Fastfire. I have cheap dot sights that work better, have clearer dots and don't require special tools to sight them in with.

 

[hps1]

Thanks, guys.

I do want to clear up my previous post a bit and state that the targets and spotter were not shot with an M1. I posted the targets shown in order to illustrate my point that, while shooting fundamentals are important to accurate shooting, these fundamentals are not all cast in stone and each shooter must find what works for him/her based on proven fundamentals.

For example, I am short and stocky and the M1 stock is about 1" too long for me to achieve a good spot weld. Rules do not allow any external modification of the rifle. Solution was to grow a moustache which served as "feelers" allowing me to reach a proper, repeatable shot to shot position.

Any rate, didn't want anyone to be confused & think I was claiming to have shot those targets with the M1. Both were fired with my bolt gun several years after I had to abandon the service rifle. Not that the M1 would not have been capable, it was the shooter's eyes that gave it up.

Don't be afraid to stretch the envelope when the fundamentals are concerned; who knows, it just might work! One change at a time, though, until satisfied the change is for the better or not.

Regards,
hps

 

[BCRider]

Hps1, that's a nice solution you came up with. By using a smaller red dot and placing it back that far it blends in nicely with the styleing.

A suggestion for you that'll clean up the look even more. Get some button head screws and THIN washers to replace the current heavy washer and cap head screw. The button heads will look a lot cleaner and neater and the thin washer will protect just fine.

You may have to buy a box of 100 of each but the cost for the two boxes will still only be around $10 to $15. And the ol' girl is worth it.

 

[henschman]

M1 or not, that's some damn good shooting hps!

I'm glad you're still in the shooting game even though your body can't quite handle the positional stuff anymore.

I tell people to always try to use proper fundamentals... but if you can't do it exactly the right way for whatever reason, just do the best you can. Like how some guys can't get their elbow all the way under the rifle or get their trigger knee all the way up because of injuries or age... you just make do the best you can with what you have, and if the rest of your fundamentals are solid then you can still do really well.

I say if it works for you and keeps you out on the range instead of in the recliner, there ain't a damn thing wrong with that! And if you're mostly shooting from a bench, the cheek weld thing obviously doesn't matter near as much as in prone.

Keep em in the black,

henschman

 

[hps1]

Looking over the match listings for WA state, there is a any rifle any sight match listed 1 time for the entire State of WA for 2012.

Not my idea of a good time.

Yep, there weren't many in my neck of the woods when I was still shooting, either.

I have the same Burris sight. I wish I had something good to say about the Fastfire. I have cheap dot sights that work better, have clearer dots and don't require special tools to sight them in with.

Sorry to hear the FFII dot is not clear for you, I was hoping it was just my eye.

I am reserving my overall opinion of the FFII until I have shot it a bit more, however, I can't say much for their moa gauge that fits on the screwdriver either. I prefer to sit the rifle firmly in the bags and the reticle over the bullet hole (not easy w/no magnification and a 4 moa dot) and adjust sight so that dot is centered on bull without moving the rifle. This, of course, is much easier with a regular rifle scope and works every time.

A suggestion for you that'll clean up the look even more. Get some button head screws and THIN washers to replace the current heavy washer and cap head screw. The button heads will look a lot cleaner and neater and the thin washer will protect just fine.

That would be neater, alright.

I tell people to always try to use proper fundamentals... but if you can't do it exactly the right way for whatever reason, just do the best you can. Like how some guys can't get their elbow all the way under the rifle or get their trigger knee all the way up because of injuries or age... you just make do the best you can with what you have, and if the rest of your fundamentals are solid then you can still do really well.

I say if it works for you and keeps you out on the range instead of in the recliner, there ain't a damn thing wrong with that! And if you're mostly shooting from a bench, the cheek weld thing obviously doesn't matter near as much as in prone.

Absolutely! The high sights are not conducive to good prone shooting, as you say because it puts the shooter's neck in such a bind. It is not as much of an issue from bench or shooting offhand or sitting using shooting sticks in the field as I now do for predators.

Regards,
hps

 

[Joelogic]

A red dot makes any gun easier and faster to shoot regardless of age. My partner and I took a look at the same problem and wanted a solution that did not require a cheek riser and would maintain the aesthetics of gun.

This is what we came up with. A micro red dot direct mount for the M1/M1A receiver. Pictured is a Hopco USA MRD Mount with the Burris FastFire II.



www.hopcousa.com
[email protected]

 

[1KPerDay]

FYI I just got one of Hopco's setups. Looks to be stellar quality... I'll do a video of installation etc. and run it in a 3-gun next month. I'll let you guys know what happens.

 

[hps1]

Hi Joe, Well done!

As I stated previously, wish I had known you were making the Hopco base back when I dropped my M1 along w/my plans for the FFII base at my gunsmiths shop in early December last year; sure would have saved me a lot of time and trouble.

I also like the fact that you mounted the FFII directly to the base instead of using the rail, resulting in about .400" lower mount than mine making for a bit better cheek weld on the rifle w/your base.

I got mine out to the range again last week after adjusting the pitch on the base and got it zeroed in @ 100 yds. The target I was using had 5.75" aiming black, which is a bit too small for the 4 moa dot. Next time out, I plan to find a larger aiming black, somewhere in the neighborhood of 7-8" as I had to really pay attention to exact eye position in order to be able to see a very thin black ring around the red dot and caused quite a lot of eye strain w/my old eyes & progressive bifocals.

The thrree shot group, while not what I would call great, was fired w/LC M2 ball ammo (usually capable of 2 moa groups w/scoped rifle) & measures 4.75" including the one "flier". Two shots measured 1.125" so feel confident w/rested eyes and a better aiming point I can shrink the group considerably.



I would not hesitate to recommend the Hopco base to anyone w/tired eyes wanting to resurect their old garands. All in all, I am happy with the results and look forward to renewing my long time "affair" with the garand.

Regards,
hps

 

[BrocLuno]

I've also been looking at the AimPoint PRO as a viable forward mounted optic. It's a 2 MOA dot and that might be just the ticket. Since it's non-magnified optic it might work in the rear position if it's not too long?

I'm writing them to see what the lowest mounting configuration could be? I'll advise as soon as I know.

 

[dprice3844444]

they make dioptors that fit in the m1/m1a sights to save all the trouble
http://forums.thecmp.org/showthread.php?t=35404&highlight=optical+garand+sights

 

[rondog]

Or put 15 consecutve shots in a 3" spotter disc from prone @ 600 yards with no artificial rest and iron sights?

Wow! I couldn't see that 3" disc at 600 yards with a telescope! Let alone hit it with iron sights! Impressed isn't the word.

 

[hps1]

they make dioptors that fit in the m1/m1a sights to save all the trouble

Happy to see CMP now allows use of the diopter sights, but diopters are limited as to their use. One can increase the correction only so far in order to sharpen the front sight, then the target deteriorates to the point that it becomes the problem, so they are just a compromise, not a total solution. I used diopters for several years, shooting in the NRA match rifle category, and the front sight is the most important part of "sight picture", but you still have to be able to see target clearly enough to hold consistently and no lense will focus properly at the two distances from the eye.

Wow! I couldn't see that 3" disc at 600 yards with a telescope! Let alone hit it with iron sights! Impressed isn't the word.

I doubt that anyone can. I could see the standard 6" spotter at 600 yards, but not the 3" spotter. Spotter is placed in each successive shot while the aiming point remains the same (the black aiming circle of the target) for each consecutive shot.

Regards,
hps