New member here; if I get out of line, just whup me upside the head and I'll go hide behind my tail for a while.
Up until a week ago, I hadn't shot a rifle (other than messin' up the occasional woodchuck) since about 1960. Now, at age 71, with a brand spankin' new case of Lyme disease putting an end to my wilderness canoeing, I decided that perhaps target shooting would be a suitable way to satisfy my urge to get outdoors and would still be possible with the enormous fatigue and lethargy that characterize Lyme. So I got myself what I think is a rather unusual firearm; a repro 1874 Sharps chambered for (drumroll) .22 LR. It's made by Pedersoli but doesn't even appear in their dealer's catalog. (Maybe they're afraid their usual clientele would turn up their noses at a company that would produce a repro Sharps for an anachronistic cartridge.) But I see it as ideal for my purposes. At eight pounds it's heavy enough to be steady; with a Pedersoli barrel it ought to have high potential accuracy; as a single-shot it's appropriate for target shooting; the falling-block action is extremely reliable and a dream to clean. And, of course, that 137 year-old ambiance is comforting for a septuagenarian.
Then, there are the factory supplied sights. Both front and rear are adjustable for windage---they're mounted in standard 3/8" dovetails. And both are adjustable for elevation---via file (not supplied.) Realistically, it makes sense: tastes in sights vary so widely it's sensible to facilitate change by providing the dovetails but not spend the customer's money by installing pricey hardware that will gather dust after the sale. Beyond that I can only say that with those sights and my eyes it's a real challenge to hit the ground from a standing position. (I might manage two out of three from prone.)
Sooooo, eventually this gun will wear a period-correct (or almost correct) short Malcolm 3x or 6x scope. But in the meantime I'd like to install a tang-mounted peep and a tunnel front. And now, finally, I get to the question: How high??? Should I keep the line-of-sight close to the barrel or raise it up? And if the latter, how much? What are the arguments favoring low and favoring high? Half a century ago I had fresh experience with a receiver peep on a target Mossberg to help me decide such issues. Now, here in Southwest Vermont, it seems that the only other gun owners (and there are many) are only (or primarily) interested in a tool for deer hunting. If it makes any difference, my home range is 80 yards.
Up until a week ago, I hadn't shot a rifle (other than messin' up the occasional woodchuck) since about 1960. Now, at age 71, with a brand spankin' new case of Lyme disease putting an end to my wilderness canoeing, I decided that perhaps target shooting would be a suitable way to satisfy my urge to get outdoors and would still be possible with the enormous fatigue and lethargy that characterize Lyme. So I got myself what I think is a rather unusual firearm; a repro 1874 Sharps chambered for (drumroll) .22 LR. It's made by Pedersoli but doesn't even appear in their dealer's catalog. (Maybe they're afraid their usual clientele would turn up their noses at a company that would produce a repro Sharps for an anachronistic cartridge.) But I see it as ideal for my purposes. At eight pounds it's heavy enough to be steady; with a Pedersoli barrel it ought to have high potential accuracy; as a single-shot it's appropriate for target shooting; the falling-block action is extremely reliable and a dream to clean. And, of course, that 137 year-old ambiance is comforting for a septuagenarian.
Then, there are the factory supplied sights. Both front and rear are adjustable for windage---they're mounted in standard 3/8" dovetails. And both are adjustable for elevation---via file (not supplied.) Realistically, it makes sense: tastes in sights vary so widely it's sensible to facilitate change by providing the dovetails but not spend the customer's money by installing pricey hardware that will gather dust after the sale. Beyond that I can only say that with those sights and my eyes it's a real challenge to hit the ground from a standing position. (I might manage two out of three from prone.)
Sooooo, eventually this gun will wear a period-correct (or almost correct) short Malcolm 3x or 6x scope. But in the meantime I'd like to install a tang-mounted peep and a tunnel front. And now, finally, I get to the question: How high??? Should I keep the line-of-sight close to the barrel or raise it up? And if the latter, how much? What are the arguments favoring low and favoring high? Half a century ago I had fresh experience with a receiver peep on a target Mossberg to help me decide such issues. Now, here in Southwest Vermont, it seems that the only other gun owners (and there are many) are only (or primarily) interested in a tool for deer hunting. If it makes any difference, my home range is 80 yards.