I know next to nothing about iron sights. There, I've said it.

I'm having a 9.3x62 built on an FN action with a LW #722 barrel. I want to be informed about how iron sights are chosen located and set up for when the time comes for my gunsmith to fit them. Just want to ask informed questions rather than just accepting what I am told.

Considering sights from Recknagel but which? These will be back up sights or occasional use irons. Mostly the rifle will have a 1.5-6x42 schmidt zenith on it.

The rifle is a late 60s/early 70s FN commercial and the finish will be hot caustic blue so looking for sights that will 'fit' with the overall aesthetic.

I'd very much appreciate some pointers on others choices, experiences etc

Thanks

G

Your gunsmith will, or should, measure the diameter of the barrel at the muzzle and at the point where the rear sight will be mounted. These measurements will allow him to get the sight heights correct so that the line of sight between them is parallel to the barrel bore. See link to Brownells calculator here: http://www.brownells.com/.aspx...ht_Height_Calculator

The location for the rear is, to me, driven by the look of the rifle. I put it where it looks right and doesn't interfere with the scope. Others, probably have a more scientific method.

I like the NECG Masterpiece adjustable rear sight. It is a Recknagel sight, but I'm not sure what the catalogue name is from Recknagel. These are tough sights and you can change your load at will.

For front sight, the NECG banded classic ramp with folding hood looks pretty nice. Even if it is not used, the folding hood lends a nice custom touch to the sight.

These sights look best on an American classic style rifle, or the more British style.

Jeremy

From an old hunter of Dangerous Game and a young man who grew up shooting iron sights I have my opinnion, and its my way or the hiway on the subject with me!

OPTI0N NO. 1:
On a DG rifle I want a barrel band front sight with a partridge gold faced post to work with my QD Talley peep sight on Talley QD Scope bases with a low power scope such as a 3X Leupold. It is a great option..I carry the talley peep in a small pouch on my cartridge belt or in my pocket, whatever.

OPTION NO. 2
I want a barrel band front sight with a 3/32 Ivory bead or gold faced bead. The rear sight should either be on a intregral quarter rib with one standing and one down. Or on an Island barrel band with one standing and one down..One standing is also optional with me.

Problem is most scope bases require a very high island ramp thats butt ugly because most scope base makers make their bases too damn high to see iron sights, then they make the scope rings QD, now tell me is that dumb or not? Why QD if when detached you can't see the irons, duh!

I have some old Lynn Brownell QD that have very low and thin bases and they are a dream..
The other option is Weavers with their cut out center they usually allow you to see the low barrel mounted irons quite well, and BTW, those cheap Weaver Rings actually return to zero as well and any if you keep the screw slots the same each time you remove and replace the scope..or you can have your smith weld little levers on the Weavers.

Perhaps some day some scope base designer is going to be from a hunting background, and this child will design a proper set of scope mounts/bases that work well with a low barrel mounted set of irons, but don't hold your breath, they have already had a couple of hundred years to do this and only Lyn Brownell did it right and he died, and they no longer exist...Warne came close at one time, then new management screwed them up, and converted to strictly weaver bases which is OK if you use Weaver bases and not the thick Warne Weaver knockoff bases..

Its a mess gentlemen and hasn't gotten any better as of late. Probably because this is the big monster scope generation, and almost all the guns I see won't work with irons for the above reasons and the stock demensions, and I suppose the owners don't know that as they have become mostly cosmetic over time with this generation.

On second thought the European claws are the best yet, and they do work, but they are bloody expensive..

This is my delima, and has been for many years. so much so that I like low comb rifles set up for irons and I scope them..They work very well but perhaps I was blessed with old low comb mod.70s back when scopes were frowned upon in the ranching comunity, then Bill Weaver and Dick Shaw blessed us with scopes to put on our low comb mod. 70s, and they worked wonders, and still do..

My stupid advice is to skip the rear sight altogether. Put Talley bases on the rifle and purchase a Talley peep/ghost ring that fits the rear base.

I don't think you'll ever regret it.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
My stupid advice is to skip the rear sight altogether. Put Talley bases on the rifle and purchase a Talley peep/ghost ring that fits the rear base.

I don't think you'll ever regret it.

Do you carry it in your pocket?

I also use the talley peep option and its one of my favorites as mentioned in my previous post...

I carry mine in a pouch on my cartridge belt, If I don't have the belt then I carry it in my shirt botton pocket or pants pocket, but in the real world I usually carry it on the gun and my scope in a case on my belt...It seems to work better for me that way..On long shots I have plenty of time to switch to the scope, on short fast jump shooting I like the peep..Take the disc out and toss it..

I personally dislike any sight that is not affixed to the gun. The time it has to be in your pocket it will be in the case in camp. Very few removable peeps will fit in a grip cap so it would have to be in a buttplate trap or a modified cartridge trap in the buttstock. I have a solution on one of my 375's it's a Rigby type cocking piece peep on a Mauser 98. It was made by Rusty Marlin who was on this forum once. It works perfectly and also looks good. Don't know whether he is making them still but they are a quality product. I also have a setup on my 7x57 made by Clayton Nelson which actually is a pedestal rear and ramp front. The leaf on the rear folds down and the blade in the front ramp retracts into the ramp. It leaves a totally uninterrupted sight picture thru the scope. It is not adjustable except via drifting the rear blade and filing it in for elevation. Looks nice also.

I agree with Ray's approach.

Below are some photos of my rifle and my son's. I'm lefty and my rifle is a 375H&H, my son is righty and his rifle is a 9.3x62.

Mine has a 1/4 rib, his has a banded rear sight. Both have banded front sights.

Neither option is too tall for a scope in Talley's lowest QD rings, and in any event the rear sights on both rifles is in front of the scope (I have never had a problem seeing irons in the bottom of the scope and don't even notice them when shooting.)

The further forward the rear sight the better for aging eyes.

Both rifles.


Banded rear sight.

1/4 rib mounted rear sight.

My LH 375H&H with scope removed.


JPK

Here is the rear sight that I have put on most of my rifles. My eyes still let me shoot irons but a peep is not far off in my future. What I like about this sight is the ability to look through the rear sight.
Good Luck

I just went through this exercise for a DG rifle I am getting built.

I chose an adjustable banded ramp front sight with a windowed hood with fiber optic inserts, and a fully adjustable rear sight.

Here is the link for the company, go to town .
https://www.newenglandcustomgu..._Services/Sights.asp

Thank you very much all who have replied. Some great responses and much food for thought.

Regards

G

This is my rifle, also a 9.3x62 wearing a 23" LW #718 contour barrel. The parts used are:

- NECG Masterpiece front sight
- NECG Sweat-on rear sight base with the forward slanting fixed blade
- Talley barrel band sling swivel

The front sight is placed 3/8" back from the muzzle. Rear sight was left to the gunsmiths discretion and seems to be placed based upon the contour of the barrel. The barrel band sling swivel location was based upon the length of the forend. I very much like the location on the rifle, but, if you are unsure of forend length, I recommend giving yourself some extra room as I always felt that a barrel band closer than 2 inches to the forend just looked too close.




You might try doing a search for user "TC1" with the keyword of "9.3x62." Terry has a beautiful 9.3x62 that wears, if I remember correctly, a 21" #722 LW barrel.

JPK,
A double square bridge with a quarter rib and one standing iron always works, the quarter rib is high enough to well with a low comb stock and low bases..Its as close to ideal as you can get, but not all guns have a quarter rib, so I offered several suggestions...