Shooting the Model 1905 sight on the US Rifle Model 1903

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
This afternoon, I shot my US Rifle Model 1903 with its Model 1905 sight. I had read up on the internet several descriptions of which part you were suppose to use at what distance and in what light conditions. Below are two ten-shot targets: a traditional black bullseye with a one inch X-ring and two inch 10-ring, and a modern scope sight-in target showing a six inch by six inch square. From the same rifle with the same ammo, shots were fired on alternating targets.
Even though I am seventy and wear tri-focals, there was never a problem seeing the front sight through the aperture. What was difficult was seeing the target with while keeping the front sight in focus. The black bullseye has a grey circle around it, and I held the “flat tire” sight picture. The scope target was a pink diamond shape that was hard to keep centered on the front sight picture.
The results speak for themselves; it doesn’t matter if you can see the front sight if you cannot orient it in relationship to the intended target.

bull target.JPG
scope target.JPG
 
F

freebullet

Guest
Interesting comparison. Open sights are a challenge all by themselves.

As a child I could keep bunnies out of the garden with clean eye shots from my open sighted air rifle. At 40, post cataract, & mono vision I'm doing good to hold a few inches with open sighted rifles at 50 or beyond. The target, lighting, & background make a big difference. I can't see through small peeps like I did. On the plus side it makes load development easier.;)
 

Missionary

Well-Known Member
Greetings That is why we started using an inverted "T" for our target shape. Definite horizontal line and a definite vertical line.
Just have to work little at your needed size for whatever range.
Black duct tape works nicely at 100 yards for us. Half that at 50 yards.
Mike in LLama Land
 

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
Missionary, great solution for sighting in and making groups. But the point was that you have to orient the front sight to what you want to hit. The "Christmas tree" is more usable than the peep for field work. IMHO, Ric