Marlin 15-YN rear sight

[Jeff Thomas]

I took my youngest boy out shooting his new .22. He did well, but the rear sight on this rifle is a bit odd, IMHO.

Instead of being flat on top, with the characteristic notch in the middle, it has what I'll call 'ears' on either side of the rear sight. So, my boy has a tendency to be influenced by those 'ears' and shoot high.

Would it be smart to put a different rear sight on this rifle? If so, what should I look at? Can this generally be done by us, at home, or is a gunsmith the way to go?

I don't like to modify firearms normally ... perhaps a foolish bias. But, I think my boy might enjoy shooting a bit more if we find a better setup for his rifle.

Thanks for your help. Regards from AZ

 

[slabsides]

We have fixed up a Marlin 15 Youth model for a group of youngsters (grandchildren and nieces/nephews.)
We did a light trigger job, and mounted a used compact Burris 4x 'scope with parallax adjustment in Weaver Tip-off Rings. Total cost of the upgrade was about the cost of the rifle.
The result was a rifle that shot selected ammo (not expensive target stuff, what it liked best as it turned out was the Federal Copper-plated bulk stuff from Wal-Mart) into an inch or less at 50 yds. The rifle can shoot! You should have seen two old guys test-shooting this kids' gun at tiny targets, laughing and passing it back and forth in delight.
Kids really enjoy shooting when they can hit soda can pull tabs, animal crackers and candy wafers every shot at 20 to 30 yards! Hitting is fun, missing isn't!
If you don't want to 'scope your rifle, you might consider a Williams 5D peep sight. They make a model that fits into the receiver grooves. You might have to put a taller front sight on too...some models you do, and some you don't.
Try different brands and types of cartridges. Guns have preferences. Shoot safely, and often. Enjoy!