Newbie rifle man needs some help with iron sights

[diogenes_RN]

Hey everybody,

I'm not new to guns, but I'm sort of new to hunting. I've been shooting all my life (30 now) but I've mostly been a handgunner and shotgunner up until this point. I've shot all kinds of rifles for fun here and there, but I've never been overly concerned with shooting them accurately. The few rifles that I've really tried to shoot for accuracy have all had optic sights. I need some help with the iron kind.

I recently picked up a winchester model 1894 30-30 to use on feral hogs during the Alabama feral hog special season in September, and deer in the Fall. It's got the old semi buck horn sights. I shot it today and I love it, but it shoots high about 2 inches and to the left about 5-6 inches. Through trial and error I was able to walk a few shots onto a 4" orange disc at about 25 yards, but I'm having a hard time with the sight picture.

It takes me a while to line them up, and I'm not sure whether I'm supposed to line up the front blade with the tops of the rear horns, or bury the blade in the notch.

I read in the new 1894 manual that I can tap the rear sight to the right with a wood dowel and a mallet. Is that correct for a model made in 1982? Would I be better off installing a peep sight? It's been drilled and tapped for a scope mount, would those holes work for a receiver mounted peep sight? Are skinner sights any good?


Can anybody help out here? Feral hogs get awful large down here, and I'd rather not get into hand to hand combat with one if I can help it. I'm hoping I can dial this thing in and make pigs DRT.

Any help would be much appreciated.

-Matt

 

[Tommygunn]

If the rear sight is dovetailed in (my Winchester 1894 is) you can move it with the mallet as the instructions you have state. You want to tap it to the right in real small increments. The blade should stay in the notch.
My .30-30 has a different rear sight but I have a .44magnum Browning B-92 with that kind of rear sight. I love that kind of sight.
I really can't help you with Skinner sights or others; I suggest you set the sight on your rifle correctly and get used to it first, you might like it that way, and then when you're hitting on center naturally, reconsider if you want to change out the sights or add stuff.
I don't think Winchester 1894 scopes well and don't know if it will accept a peep sights but they probably will be more useful than a scope.

 

[dprice3844444]

http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/58...894-pre-2001-and-1895-pre-1994-aluminum-black
http://www.brownells.com/rifle-part...ester-lever-action-fire-sights-prod26035.aspx

 

[allaroundhunter]

I use the above linked Williams peep sights on my '94and it shoots great. Is it as quick as the buckhorn rear? Nah, but the accuracy makes up for it.

 

[jstein650]

Is yours one of the newer 'angle eject' models? I would seriously consider a peep sight either way. I've put one on my Win. 94/22 and a No. 4 Enfield, and love them both. Surprisingly accurate on the Enfield even to 100 yds. Check out this link. I've not put one on a '94 30-30, but take a look. You may not have to drill & tap if yours will take the FP-94SE. They may not be in stock there, but it may get you started with other suppliers.

http://www.midwayusa.com/find?users...s&itemsperpage=24&newcategorydimensionid=3543

 

[diogenes_RN]

thanks for the info everybody. I may try those williams sights. How would I know if it was angle eject or not? It seemed to throw brass over my right shoulder, one even landed in the crook of my right elbow while holding the rifle in a shooting position.

Anybody have any load recommendations? I was thinking hornady superformance, leverevolution, or the new remington hog hammer with the barnes all copper triple shock bullet. Something in the 170gr department for the traditional rounds, 150gr for the barnes. Thoughts?

 

[jstein650]

The AE models have the right side of the receiver cut a bit lower to facilitate throwing the brass to the right, (for mounting a 'scope) which sounds like yours does. not that that matters for peep sights, but if I read right, one of those Williams peeps can mount with the existing top holes. Others here should be able to verify that, maybe they've mounted one of those. All those factory loads you mention sound very good. I've not hand-loaded for the 30-30 specifically.

 

[tahoe2]

peep it !

It's the way to go with iron sights ! That Williams 5D-94/36 is the one in the far left pic. love it !
went on in less than 5 minutes, in the factory holes. As far as loads go, you'll just have to play
with it. Mine likes Rem 150 core-lokts, but I prefer to roll my own.
185260 185261 185263

 

[BCRider]

The way you describe it throwing the brass I'd say that it's a straight up sort. Even the straight ups use an ejector which gives it a slight bias to the right. But mostly it's only just enough that the casings don't rain on your head and arms... barely.

A rear peep sight set up with a slightly larger aperature to serve more as a "ghost ring" can be very quick to shoulder and acquire the sight picture. And if you let your aim center the front bead reasonably close within the fuzzy looking ghost image they are surprisingly accuracte and consistent. Meanwhile for close in and quick just getting the front bead pretty much anywhere within the ghost ring and pull the trigger will still give you a 3 inch or less accuracy potential within 15 to 20 yards. And for longer shots if you get stable and focus on centering the dot a little more accurately you can keep them within 6 inch groups out at 100'ish.

A TRUE smaller aperature target peep will do a little better than this is you can hold the gun steady enough. But with the bigger occlusion disc to block out the outer light it can be a little tougher to pick up and see the target through the smaller hole. A ghost ring is small enough and close in enough that it remains fuzzy to the eye that your image of the target simply is never blocked even during the shouldering and sight picture acquisition. So for fast up and shoot situations the ghost ring setup might be more what you're after.

One feature that a proper smaller aperature peep with larger occlusion disc brings is the ability to sharpen up your vision. The small opening acts like a pinhole lens or a small aperature on a camera. This effect extends your eye's depth of field AND reduces fuzziness to some extent caused by astigmatism or near/far focusing difficulties. So if your vision is a big "old guy" like a proper small aperature CAN sharpen up your sight picture and make you more accurate in the same way a low power scope provides but without the magnification.

You can see this effect for yourself by cutting a clean round hole in a small piece of black tape or in some thin metal. Punch or drill such a hole then look thru it. The effect is easily noticed by those of us with less than ideal vision with holes even as big as 1/16 and 3/32.

Some options put this ring out at the front sight position. But at that point the ring or peep is too far forward to go fuzzy to most folks' vision. The PROPER place for a peep or ghost ring is back at the rear of the receiver or within an inch or two of that point.

Note that this ghost ring option is similar to the rear sight found on the Garrand rifle and some other military rifles.

 

[rodinal220]

http://www.skinnersights.com/winchester_26.html