No fancy computer software needed.

[Ben]

Ever tried to figure the height of a front sight to get a proper zero with your rifle.

There are mathematical equations and now I think there is computer software for this application.

I'm old school, here is my method :

Take a bare barrel that has a rear sight but nothing on the front of the barrel.

Take a paper clip( might not be a bad idea to take 2 or 3 ) , a dial caliper ,some black electrical tape and some good wire snips to the range with you.

Bend the paper clip in the shape of an " L ".

Now tape the L shaped paper clip to the barrel in the position of your front sight. Now you have a front sight.

Set your rear sight in the " mid point " position such that you have as much elevation one way as the other. Fire one shot at 25 yards. If the front sight needs to be shortened, that is what the wire snips are for. Continue with trial and error until the gun zeros.

Once the rifle is zeroed, measure from the barrel to the top of the sight with your dial caliper. This is the number you'll need with the base and front sight added together.

Example - It is .425 from the barrel to the top of the paper clip front sight.
You can use any combination of ramp and front sight that adds up to .425".

No computer software needed.

Ben

 

[Brad]

Good method. I have been lucky enough to never need to start from square one like that.

I have purchased new front sights and if I wanted to adjust impact with sight alone I just look at the ratio of distance between sights/distance to target and equate it to the front sight height change. Same way I figured how much I needed to change the front ring dimensions to get my Marlin 45-70 on paper. That scope ran out of adjustment so I got Burris Signature rings and a set of the +/- inserts.

 

[Ben]

I have the same Burris rings.
You can take a troublesome rifle and zero it with those rings and the appropriate inserts.

Some good stuff.

Ben

 

[fiver]

I skip the metal and just bend some tape over on itself and down on the barrel, and then give it a couple of wraps for some thickness.
then go to snipping with the scissors at the range.

 

[KHornet]

Ben, saw some old timers way back use the paper clip and electricians method. Bet it was well over 60 years or more.

 

[Ian]

I've added some masking tape (from the range bag) to front sights on more than one occasion to get a military bolt gun to work at 100 yards. One time I actually remembered to measure it for a replacement front sight before I shoved it in the scabbard for the trip home.

Them Burris Signature rings are a godsend if you own a Marlin and want to scope it. I don't know how they manage it, but they never can get the receiver and barrel even close to straight with each other. I even have a Glenfield .22 bolt rifle with a removable magazine that has a barrel so wongo that I gave up entirely on scopes until Burris came out with those inserts and a set of Signature rings that fit the narrow dovetailed receiver groove. My 336 .35 Rem (last year of the cut rifling, 1954) uses the max offset both ways to center a "neutral" scope on windage. Another good use for the Burris rings and offset inserts is Savage bolt actions. They've been drilling the front base screws crooked in exactly the same way ever since they went to a full-round receiver, and if you use dual turn-in rings the windage is automatically about 30 clicks off. Either use Burris or rear windage mount rings and bed that front base to the receiver ring with red Loctite gel.

 

[Todd M]

Great method Ben! So flip the coin...I have a barrel for my H&R Handi that came with a front sight and rear base but no rear blade. In theory, this same method would work on the rear, would it not?

 

[Ben]

1989toddm

Should be able to make a thin plastic temporary " V " for your rear sight.
A little trial and error with that plastic temporary sight will zero the rifle and tell you the height that you need.
Then you can place an order with Midway or Brownell's for the correct rear sight and you should be in business.

Ben

 

[Pistolero]

Good idea when you have nothing on the barrel!

My Krag faux carbine had just the cut off barrel when I got it. Drilled a small hole in a
ss worm type hose clamp and put a headed brad thru the hole, head to the barrel and
screwed down the clamp. Clipped and filed the top flat until it was right. Haven't had
time to make a front sight base like an original and solder it on yet, but the brad makes
a really nice front sight, although the hose clamp is pretty seriously ugly.

The Krag is the only one where I had nothing to start with. Normally, I do like Brad,
set up similar triangles, one with sight radius and X for the unknown sight adjustment,
and the other the distance to target (in inches) and the needed group movement.
Not too hard.

 

[Brad]

Not hard at all. Can't be too hard if an engineer can manage to do it without screwing It up!

 

[Pistolero]

or even a pharmacist! ;-)

 

[Cherokee]

Same thing works for revolvers...used the paper clip for a year before finally getting a proper front sight.