I can't dial in my Marlin 336 30-30. At fifty yards, I'm having to hold four inches or so below my target. If I move the sight higher on the ramp the muzzle should depress and vice versa right? Seemingly it is not changing much, full up or full down it is hitting about the same place. What am I doing wrong?
Buckhorn sights question
- Thread starter Osuvet85
- Start date
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IMO, your POI is too high because you might not be burying the top of the front sight in the sight notch at the bottom of the rear Buckhorn's blade when shooting.
If you have a full Buckhorn sight, and use it like a peep sight, you"ll need to install a different/higher front sight blade (about $15), most likely about .15"-.20" higher than the current one (measured from it's top to the bottom of it's male dovetail).
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IMO, your POI is too high because you might not be burying the top of the front sight in the sight notch at the bottom of the rear Buckhorn's blade when shooting.
If you have a full Buckhorn sight, and use it like a peep sight, you"ll need to install a different/higher front sight blade (about $15), most likely about .15"-.20" higher than the current one (measured from it's top to the bottom of it's male dovetail).
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SteelChickenShooter
New member
My reply is about the same, just worded differently:
Presuming you have the conventional sights as I have, here's what to do:
Set a target out at 40 yards more or less.
Use a large cross so you can see a good consistent aiming point.
Set the rear to the lowest position.
Place the front bead in the bottom of the rear notch and on target.
You should see a complete circle just touching the each side at the bottom of the rear notch and equally on center up /down, left / right.
Fire
You should be low.
Adjust rear sight one more notch higher.
Fire again.
You should be an inch or two higher, but still too low.
Adjust once more and you should be closer or on target.
Now go out to 80 or 100 yards and see if you are high or low then adjust as needed.
My point is that the hits and adjustments should fall into sync and make sense.
If not then you may be holding the rifle too high or low.
Sight radius is also a factor. One rifle may be longer or shorter and that can make one rifle have a different setting than the other. My sight radius is 17 inches.
If you sight in at 60 yards with the buckhorn and front bead, I suggest you make your cross target with 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch wide black electrical tape.
Put it on white paper or cardboard. Sit at a stable shooting bench for best results. Use a good rest up front for elevation and at the butt as well for stability. Relax, squeeze with a solid steady aligned hold. Don't give into temptation to shift your point of aim for the next shot. Use the identical sight alignment and sight picture. Adjust the rear ramp from lowest then up enough to get there. If you are not sitting at a gun club shooting bench, then make the best rest you can out of what is available. A tree limb, truck hood, shooting sticks, etc.
Presuming you have the conventional sights as I have, here's what to do:
Set a target out at 40 yards more or less.
Use a large cross so you can see a good consistent aiming point.
Set the rear to the lowest position.
Place the front bead in the bottom of the rear notch and on target.
You should see a complete circle just touching the each side at the bottom of the rear notch and equally on center up /down, left / right.
Fire
You should be low.
Adjust rear sight one more notch higher.
Fire again.
You should be an inch or two higher, but still too low.
Adjust once more and you should be closer or on target.
Now go out to 80 or 100 yards and see if you are high or low then adjust as needed.
My point is that the hits and adjustments should fall into sync and make sense.
If not then you may be holding the rifle too high or low.
Sight radius is also a factor. One rifle may be longer or shorter and that can make one rifle have a different setting than the other. My sight radius is 17 inches.
If you sight in at 60 yards with the buckhorn and front bead, I suggest you make your cross target with 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch wide black electrical tape.
Put it on white paper or cardboard. Sit at a stable shooting bench for best results. Use a good rest up front for elevation and at the butt as well for stability. Relax, squeeze with a solid steady aligned hold. Don't give into temptation to shift your point of aim for the next shot. Use the identical sight alignment and sight picture. Adjust the rear ramp from lowest then up enough to get there. If you are not sitting at a gun club shooting bench, then make the best rest you can out of what is available. A tree limb, truck hood, shooting sticks, etc.
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SteelChickenShooter
New member
Then you either hold the bead higher in the rear notch, the ramps are not the same between our rifles, or we use different sight alignments / pictures. Mine is on the 4th notch for 100. Mine is a 1976 model, unsure if the sight components are identical. The cuts in our rear ramps may not be the same, our front bead heights might differ, or our sight radius could be different. So I admit stating a specific notch, such as #3 or #4 was not proper. Out of curiosity, can you say what your sight radius is and how many detents there are in the rear ramp? Then perhaps the height from the top of the barrel to the top of the front bead? I'll wager we have some different measures that would put my original advice out of whack a bit.
A little follow-up homework and I learned of a 5-notch rear as well as an 8-notch rear. Mine is the 8. So we may have different tapers making for different adjustments. I also found 3 different heights for the buckhorn design. So again I admit giving advice prematurely without knowing more facts about the parts.
A little follow-up homework and I learned of a 5-notch rear as well as an 8-notch rear. Mine is the 8. So we may have different tapers making for different adjustments. I also found 3 different heights for the buckhorn design. So again I admit giving advice prematurely without knowing more facts about the parts.
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Rifleman1776
New member
The problem is your hold and sight picture.
