Got my lo' Marlin mdl 60 .22 semi-auto running the other day and was able to do side by side comparison testing with my even older Rem mdl 121 .22 pump -action.
It had been a long time since I last fired the Marlin and it was a little hard to remember not to rack it after every shot, but it was nice to be with an old friend (my first firearm) again.
As some of you may recall I have been working on making smaller groups with the mdl 121, out to 80 yrds with open sights. Most shots are kept within a 5 inch circle, but most don't get into the 2 inch center circle. With the mdl 60 I got a greater percentage into the 2 inch inner circle and a generally better grouping. At 50 yards the mdl 60 still held a tighter group (although both rifles put the majority of rnds into the 2 inch inner circle).
To me the biggest and most obvious difference in the rifles was in the front sight. The mdl 60 has a post that is squared off on the top as opposed to the mdl 121 which has a ball on top of the post. It seemed it was easier to see the center of the target with the squared off front post. The mdl 121 front sight obscured more of the center of the target (left to right). My sight picture for both rifles was to set the top of the sight in the lower third of the inner 2 inch circle.
Of course the longer, heavier, micro-grooved barrel of the mdl 60 may have made some difference.
The front sight of the mdl 121 is in a doveail slot (across the barrel), is it possible, wise and advisable to replace it with a squared off type front sight post? I like the mdl 121 and it was my grandads, so I don't want to do anything 'bad' to it but would like to shoot tighter groups.
It had been a long time since I last fired the Marlin and it was a little hard to remember not to rack it after every shot, but it was nice to be with an old friend (my first firearm) again.
As some of you may recall I have been working on making smaller groups with the mdl 121, out to 80 yrds with open sights. Most shots are kept within a 5 inch circle, but most don't get into the 2 inch center circle. With the mdl 60 I got a greater percentage into the 2 inch inner circle and a generally better grouping. At 50 yards the mdl 60 still held a tighter group (although both rifles put the majority of rnds into the 2 inch inner circle).
To me the biggest and most obvious difference in the rifles was in the front sight. The mdl 60 has a post that is squared off on the top as opposed to the mdl 121 which has a ball on top of the post. It seemed it was easier to see the center of the target with the squared off front post. The mdl 121 front sight obscured more of the center of the target (left to right). My sight picture for both rifles was to set the top of the sight in the lower third of the inner 2 inch circle.
Of course the longer, heavier, micro-grooved barrel of the mdl 60 may have made some difference.
The front sight of the mdl 121 is in a doveail slot (across the barrel), is it possible, wise and advisable to replace it with a squared off type front sight post? I like the mdl 121 and it was my grandads, so I don't want to do anything 'bad' to it but would like to shoot tighter groups.