Question on how to use long-range vernier tang sight

[iamkris]

Hello the fire--

I've just had my Cimmarron (Pedersoli) Sharps 1874 in 45-70 out for a test firing. My club (with 50m, 100, 200 yard ranges) was closed because of heavy snow so I stopped by the local Bass Pro and used their rifle tube. Unfortunately it's only a 25 yard tube but since I was function testing only it didn't matter. The good news is that, while the rifle didn't like the 2400 reloads, the 405 gr LFN over 38.5 gr of 3031 printed into a 0.4" CTC group for 4-shots...one ragged hole. Here she is amongst my other "cowboy guns".

While cleaning the beauty I ran the vernier tang sight all the way up and tried to figure out how to use it.

*Do you keep the same cheek weld as you do short range and "tip" the rifle up? Seems like that puts the top edge of the buttplate into my shoulder...ouch.
* OR --- do you lift your head and raise the whole rifle up?

I think I answered my own question since in the second situation the sights are centered through a whole range of motion. Question is...at long ranges, how do you angle the rifle up without the buttplate becoming a painful wedge into your shoulder

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Do you keep the same cheek weld as you do short range and "tip" the rifle up? Seems like that puts the top edge of the buttplate into my shoulder...ouch.
* OR --- do you lift your head and raise the whole rifle up?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

You have three points on a straight line -- the front sight, the aperture, and the center of your eye. To maintain that straight line when you raise the aperture, you have to raise the eye -- which means breaking the cheek weld.

The old timers often used a leather cheek pad on the stock when shooting with a long-range tang sight, taking it off when shooting at shorter ranges.

 

[Jim Watson]

You just gotta get your head up to where you can see through the rear sight at high elevation. That usually means losing a cheekweld, even with the comb pad like I have. You can usually get contorted to hold a jaw weld, or maybe a chin weld, and do your best. Don't shift the rifle on your shoulder.