Trouble with a peep sight on a Marlin 336

[Nulik]

I got a chance today to try adjusting some new sights I put on my 336. Unfortunately no matter what I tried it always seemed to shoot a foot or more high at 100 yards. I adjusted the rear sight all the way up and all the way down with no real difference in where it was impacting. Would this indicate a problem with the front sight height?

At this point, having tried to sight in these sights twice, I'm considering just getting a set from a different manufacturer. I'd been looking at the Williams sights and was wondering if anyone had any recomendations there. Are the sights with the Target Knobs worth while?

 

[R.W.Dale]

I tried it always seemed to shoot a foot or more high at 100 yards. I adjusted the rear sight all the way up and all the way down with no real difference in where it was impacting.

If using the full range of adjustment yeilded NO change in point of impact it would almost have to be the shooter.

 

[Nulik]

That would by my thought as well but the .22 I had along with me did just fine.

I wouldn't say the adjustments made no change, just not enough to make any difference. It may have moved from 3 feet high to 1.5-2 feet high though it's real hard to tell since I was just judging by impact on the hill behind the target. I know that when it was adjusted all the way down I had to aim about three feet low to hit a large peice of metal resting against the hill. Adjusting it all the way up I wasn't able to hit the target any better.

 

[Shawnee]

Assuming the shooter to be fine, it sounds like your front sight is too high for the rear sight you are currently using. Williams 5D arperture sights can be used with the standard factory-issue front sight on the .336, and the Williams 5D is a very good sight.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

...it sounds like your front sight is too high for the rear sight you are currently using.

That is backwards.

OP is already shooting high. Lowering the front sight will raise the point of impact (POA), which is not what he wants. Raising the front sight will lower the POA. So, he needs a higher front sight blade.

Unlike the adjustment process applicable to rear sights, when adjusting the front sight on a firearm, you need to move it in the opposite direction from how you want to move the point of impact. This is true for both elevation and windage. E.g., if you want to raise POA you need to lower the front sight. If you want to move POA to the left, move the front sight to the right.

 

[R.W.Dale]

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/GunTech/sight.aspx

A very valuable equation allowing you to calculate how tall your front sight needs to be

 

[Mike 56]

I just put a Williams FP rear sight with a front fire sight on Model 94 Winchester the front fire sight that came in the sight set were too low. I phoned Williams and they told me what front sight i needed.

Mike

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

If your rifle is shooting too high with the rear sight all the way down you need a higher front sight. Williams can tell you the correct height.

 

[Glenn Kelley]

some rear sights have 2 holes to screw the aperture into.The situation that your discribing sounds like you have the aperture in the top hole.This does 2 things,makes you shoot high and hides the lower hole from casual view.

 

[Nulik]

Just to make sure I'm using the sight correctly, you want the top of the front post centered in the aperture and the target sitting above the front post. If that is correct does that work with any diameter aperture?

 

[Brassman]

I always use the FORS method of sight adjustment to keep this straight.
"FO" = front opposite "RS" = rear the same. I always think sight movement backwards until I remember FORS.

 

[SSN Vet]

that's why Williams offers a set with two different fire-eye front sights along with the Fool Proof rear peep sight.

I'll bet your Marlin is a newer one (post 1981) which did not come from the factory with the holes pre-drilled and tapped in the side of the receiver for mounting a peep.

Williams offers two versions of the FP for Marlins. One mounts to the side. The other mounts to the scope holes on the top.

The height of the top mount one is taller and will require a taller front sight to match.

You may have to ditch the front sight shroud though.

 

[Avenger29]

Who is the manufacturer of sights that you are using currently?

XS Sight Systems shipped a couple of segmented plastic test posts with their sight set. One post was the height of the sight included, and the other was a taller post. You drifted the factory front sight out and put the test posts in and shot it. Mine was fine with the sight that shipped with the set, but if I had needed a different height, I was to measure the height of the test post and exchange the sight blade with them.

I purchased both the XS Sights and a FoolProof with target knobs from Williams. Haven't tried out the FP sights yet, but I like the XS Sights for their speed and slimness.

 

[Duckbill]

I've mounted several Williams peep sights on Marlin 336's and all required a taller front site. I don't remember the exact size, but Williams told me exactly what I needed when I called them. Williams Firesight is an excellent choice. It shows up nicely against most any backdrop.