Long Range front sight mods

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Steve Myers

Single-Sixer
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I have a pair of Lipsey Flattop Blackhawks. They have std front sights. I used to do some long range shooting (200 yds) w/ other Rugers in the past.

Both Lipseys have 4 5/8" bbls. I have seen pics of custom front sights with either brass or gold lines/bars in them. I would like to put a gold/brass line at mid-point and another one at the base of the sight ramp. To do so, have to cut channels in the sight ramp and then peen the brass/gold into the channel.

Any recommendations on how to make the sight ramp cut/channel, and the best way to fill it with brass of gold? I would have to get brass wire, but have some gold I could melt and use as fill.
 
Before you mess with it I suggest you simply use some paint and a tiny paint brush. Get your "bars" set where they do you the most good long before you inlay some brass wire, etc.

Been there, done that.

JMHO,

flatgate
 
flatgate said:
Before you mess with it I suggest you simply use some paint and a tiny paint brush. Get your "bars" set where they do you the most good long before you inlay some brass wire, etc.

Been there, done that.

JMHO,

flatgate
Click to expand...

Flatgate - good feedback! I don't really a given distance I want to shoot at. Just looking for basic additional reference points on the front ramp for use in kentucky elevation! Figured I would put on 1/2 way down. Might put a second one at the bottom, but my experience has been to simply put the front base at the top of the rear sight for real long range.

I used to shoot a 265 grn RNFP out of a 10 1/2" SBH at a 24" square at 200 yds. All I did was the above - bottom of front on top of rear. I figure with my BH 4 5/8" 44 SPC and 45 Colt, a middle bar would be good for 50-75 yds, and the above good for somewhere b/n 100-125-150 yds.
 
Be advised that the 10-1/2" Bull Barreled Supers and .357 Maximums are/were equipped with "narrow notch" rear sight blades. Just the ticket for zeroing in on those long range targets.

:D

flatgate
 
Flatgate - Couldn't tell ya... Sold the artillery model years ago. Kinda wish i still had it. It shot WELL. But then, IIRC, sold it to buy a 7 1/2, which I thought would be more handy... hardly ever shot it. sold it recently - because I got the Lipsey flattop 4 5/8" bbl 44 SPC and 45 Colt Conv!

Figured no need for the Mag with the SPC and the 45 Colt replaces a BH I custom built to nearly the same specs and sold off years ago, again to finance something else - who know what. But it was one I REALLY missed and now able to replace it with a VERY COOL flattop on the smaller 357 frame. I love both these smaller frame guns.

Also think that if I can go to the range and hit a man-size silhouette at 100 yds w/ a 4 5/8" bbl handgun, iron sights, with cast lead bullet reloads - at least someone will envy me - even if it just my slug teenagers and their buddies.
 
30+ years ago I was big into handgun silhouette. Shot a NMBH 41 mag in the standing production class. Used the standard rear sight and had the "clicks" recorded for adjustment from chickens to rams. Shot 47 of 80 standing to win my class one year. Rear sight was about out of adjustment for the 200 yard rams.
 
This was a popular mod to S&W front sights back in Elmer Keith's day..........I have seen Model 29's with the patridge sight "notched" for ranges out to 200 yards.
 
stantheman86 said:
This was a popular mod to S&W front sights back in Elmer Keith's day..........I have seen Model 29's with the patridge sight "notched" for ranges out to 200 yards.
Click to expand...

Seen those, as well on SAs. What I want to do. Prob is, finding someone that does it - or just do it myself. If the Ruger sight were screwed on, and could be replaced easily, I would make a quick go of it. If I screw up, it is harder to replace the sight.

THE ONE thing I wish Ruger would change on the SAs, is to use sights that screwed on. I would have no hesitation working on them.
 
Steve Myers said:
THE ONE thing I wish Ruger would change on the SAs, is to use sights that screwed on. I would have no hesitation working on them.
Click to expand...

Amen to that. Love the look of the blued guns but I hate the fact that the sights are silver soldered on.
 
Hamilton Bowen has you "covered". His system is nice. Mill off the front sight blade. Center up the barrel then "plunge cut" a slot in the front sight blade's base. Rotate assembly 90° and drill a hole for a "roll pin". Install Bowen's sight blade, go shooting, trim accordingly.

flatgate
 
When I shot silouette I found that the front sight post obscured the target too much so adjusted the rear sight and recorded the number of clicks for the 150 and 200 meter targets like mhblaw said.

But I understand your need. If a target of opportuniy arises, you don't want to be cranking away on the rear sight. Something much easier is using a gold tire marker crayon in one of the serrations in the front blade. They are very durable once dry.
 
Hondo

Hadn't thought about paint or crayon. I have tried some, but had bad luck with them. Might try that before I cut/groove a sight. At the least, it would let me play with where I locate the gold line on the front post.

And target obscuration is a non-issue for me. I shoot everything with a 6 o'clock hold. Always have.
 
Steve Myers said:
Hondo

Hadn't thought about paint or crayon. I have tried some, but had bad luck with them. Might try that before I cut/groove a sight. At the least, it would let me play with where I locate the gold line on the front post.

And target obscuration is a non-issue for me. I shoot everything with a 6 o'clock hold. Always have.
Click to expand...

But even lining up your gold bar on a 6 o'clock hold will leave the amount of front post above the bar obscuring your target, but not as bad as a center hold however.
 
I figured you would still line the front post up on target like you normally would, then drop the rear to line up with the gold bars. That way you wouldn't be obstructing the target.

Does that make sense? I'm getting a new Blackhawk and would love to eventually put a 50 yd bar on the sight.

William
 
weconway said:
I figured you would still line the front post up on target like you normally would, then drop the rear to line up with the gold bars. That way you wouldn't be obstructing the target.

Does that make sense? I'm getting a new Blackhawk and would love to eventually put a 50 yd bar on the sight.

William
Click to expand...

I don't think it would work that way. I believe bullet pt of impact would be below point of aim. I'm pretty sure the gold bar has to be aligned with where you want the pt of impact. But I'm gonna test it to be sure!
 
I'm pretty sure weconway has it right. Think about shooting the revolver at whatever range is "dead-on" for the top of the front and rear sights aligned. This is not a 6-o'clock hold, but holding for the top of the front blade to be point of impact.

Now keep the top of the front blade aligned with the target, but lower the rear sight so the top if it is halfway down the front sight. You'll shoot way high at your sighted-in distance, but you'll be "on" again way out there somewhere.

Figuring out where to put the rear sight for different yardages is the hard part.
 
Here's what I'm talking about for a center hold (my preferred sight picture for field work):

gold_bar.jpg


The target is exaggerated, of course.

Seems like you can get the elevation anywhere you want to, depending on where the bar is.

It also seems like you'd want to take the top of the sight down at an angle away from the rear edge to ensure you're getting a crisp edge to aim with.

gold_sight.jpg


If the top of the front sight is parallel to the barrel, it may be hard to distinguish the front or rear edges.

William
 
William, this is really making me turn my wheels, I have to admit.

Nice illustration. I was thinking your gold bar was placed for point of impact, say for discussion purposes, at 200 hundred yards. So if your red target is at two hundred yards, in your example the POI would be at 6 o'clock for the gold bar.

JLarsson, and that doesn't jive with your explanation so you guys are on the same page.

So to figure out where to put the rear sight just stick the tip of front sight on the ctr of your 200 yard target and keep dropping the rear sight down the front blade until the bullet holes walk their way up to the pt of aim (tip of front sight/ctr of target). And that's where you put the gold bar on the blade.

I really don't know how gold bars are supposed to be used and maybe that's my problem.

But you have to line up two different planes for the shot: top of blade with target ctr and gold bar with top of rear sight blade.

I was thinking in terms of normal aiming, line up rear sight, bar on front sight and target ctr, all on the same plane. So I'm still in the table of contents. (smile)
 
Hondo44 said:
I was thinking in terms of normal aiming, line up rear sight, tip of front sight and target all on the same plane. So I'm still in the table of contents. (smile)
Click to expand...

That would work, too, but the advantages to the other method are 1) you don't cover up your target with the front sight and 2) you have a LOT more range to work with. Even without using gold bars, you could - if needed - use the top of the front sight base as a reference. Admittedly, this may prove to be too much of a good thing depending on the load being used. I've often used this technique with my Webley Tempest .22 pellet pistol. It's amazing how far out there you can actually hit stuff with a pellet.

The disadvantage is, as you said, having to have the top of the front sight lined up on the target, and the top of the rear sight lined up lower than that, but it really doesn't complicate the sight picture that much at reasonable distances.
 
Hondo44 said:
So to figure out where to put the rear sight just stick the tip of front sight on the ctr of your 200 yard target and keep dropping the rear sight down the front blade until the bullet holes walk their way up to the pt of aim (tip of front sight/ctr of target). And that's where you put the gold bar on the blade.

I really don't know how gold bars are supposed to be used and maybe that's my problem.
Click to expand...

Heck, I've never shot a handgun with them either! It's all good!

I'm still trying to find a place that will let me shoot a handgun 200 yards.

William
 
I don't know how you would do it, but I will let you know that you would have to undercut both sides of your grove to get the brass/gold to stay in.

Like this: /__\
 
Hondo44 said:
Please tell us how you sight with them. What's your sight picture look like when you sight on a long distant target?

Thanks,
Click to expand...

Something like this:

Clementsightalignment.jpg


The bar is a reference, it lets you be more consistent with your hold over, but still be able to see the target.
 
ButchG17 said:
Hondo44 said:
Please tell us how you sight with them. What's your sight picture look like when you sight on a long distant target?

Thanks,
Click to expand...

Something like this:

Clementsightalignment.jpg


The bar is a reference, it lets you be more consistent with your hold over, but still be able to see the target.
Click to expand...

OK - THIS is how I used to do it! I just kept putting more front sight above the top of the rear blade. The gold bars are purely for reference! At 200 yds, I used to line up the bottom base of the front sight with the top of the rear sight. Then I simply put the target on top of the front sight blade (a basic 6 o'clock hold).

Bars are just a ref point on the front post.
 
Right on Butch. I load my .44 Special SS FT with 240 hard cast LFN (Keith type) @ about 1000 fps. The factory setting was dead on at about 40 yards. I have shot gold/brass bars and liked them. I just never owned them as iI normally reach for a rifle if greater distance is needed, but they would be handy. jack
 
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