I'm finishing up about a 3 year build of a M98 in 7x57. 3 years is a long time but I am on a budget so I have been hunting the net, gun shows and manufacturers over runs for good deals. Any way my last step is the express sights and what I have discovered is that if you set up a rifle perfectly to fit yourself with a scope then express sights can not be on the same plane or they block/interfere the scope.

My question is this, what set up have you guys used? My goal for the express sights is purely back up so I don't want to sacrifice the primary set up of the scope.

A little back ground; To shoot the express sights as is you really have to push/mash your face down on the stock which is fine but certainly not ideal.

So do I raise the rear sight and put a higher blade up front...may be install a 1/4 rib?

Perry

You should have stocked it after deciding on sights. However, since you already have the stock, raisingthe sighs is about the best way to bring them into alignment. Does your stock have a monte carlo? If so, consider loosing it. That will allow your face to come down lower.

I definitely stocked it for scope use. the open sights are only as back up if the scope should fail.

Why muck about with a good set up as is.

So you have to go down hard for the iron sights, how often is that going to be, and for a couple of seconds even then.

I found mashing my cheek down was no problem. I expected pain but only got shock and awe.

I know tour dilema Perry. Trying to make one rifle fit all needs is indeed tough. If you are building for the "look" an express sight is a great add to the rifle. For most purposes a single fold down Marbles would be more practical and yes you will have to change the front sight to mate the rear. And yes both can be raised so you don't have to change the stock. Buying a matched set from NECG is how I have altered several.
I had some Steel Weaver bases modified to allow me to mount an aperture sight on a P-17 and that worked great when I pulled the scope.
Frank

Frank,
Much to do has been made of this subject and I wouldn't let it worry me if I was you..

I set all my guns up for iron sights, then use the scope and it has worked for years, and I have shot a lot of game with low comb rifles.

I grew up shooting low comb pre 64 M-70s and Rem 721s and 722s with irons then Bill Weaver gave me, my dad, my uncles and my brother a 2.5X scope for our iron sighted rifles one Christmas, and we (my family) all used them on our low comb rifles..for that I am enternally grateful, I realized early on too much hype was out there on this subject...The bottom line is you lift your head just a tad, put the cross hairs on the target and squeeeeze the trigger...

Try it, you might be surprised how well it works, and it certainly won't work the other way unless you have high ugly rear sight and front sight on the scope line.

Most who adhere to the 3 point rifle grip, are just passing on what they read and have never tried shooting low comb rifles.

BTW a quarter rib won't change anything one way or the other..All it does is give you a flat sighting plane for your irons, mostly cosmetic IMO, but I like them.

There is not pat answer, but there is options.

Seems against what I've posted above, but I completly agree with Ray re scope heights.
I have never had any trouble going up to scopes, but it may depend on the shape of your head I guess.
A slightly high scope gives more room to load, and I don't believe it hurts the trajectory line either.