TargetTalk

Hello,

My daughter just got an adjustable AHG front sight from Neal Johnson's (Anschutz - Sight Front W/Iris W/O X hair 2.8-4.8 18mm) and we were wondering what the suggested setting should be for 3P 10M air.

The included directions are not helpful ;-(

Thanks, Mike V

I think its simply a matter of doing a lot of shooting and adjusting accordingly as to what she feels comfortable with. I shoot only standing up and I at times adjust mine from time to time between 3.8 and 4.2. It all depends on how well I'm shooting on any given day. I don't believe that there is any set or given aperture setting no matter what position one is shooting. Simply a matter of finding out what gives you the best consistent results.
There are times when I wish I had simply placed in a insert after trial and error after shooting and just left it at that instead of constantly messing about with the aperture. At times its nice to have the ability to change the aperture by a simple twist of the setting but at times it can be distracting with always fiddling around with this and that setting. Just another distraction and sometimes its best just to keep things as simple as possible. Just an opinion on my part.

~Phil

The size aperture you use is going to be dependent upon a number of factors:
-lighting conditions on the range
-the amount of "white" that your daughter is most comfortable
seeing in her sight picture
-whether or not she uses an extension tube
-what kind of hold she has

I would start by saying that the size of aperture will vary by position, and may sometimes vary by the conditions of the day.

A brightly lit range will allow you to have a tighter aperture without the sight picture greying out. When you shoot in a dim range, you may find it necessary to increase the size of the aperture (though usually, for that situation, I'd begin by adjusting the REAR aperture first to allow more or less light in)

Hold is going to be a major consideration. The tighter the hold, the tighter you can go with the aperture. That means that the prone aperture will probably be the smallest your daughter uses, and the standing the biggest. The general rule of thumb is that she will want to always be able to keep the bull inside the front aperture. She may, therefore, begin with a larger size and find that, over time, she can go tighter.

I coach a junior team. On average, most of my shooters use a 3.6 or 3.8 prone (depending on the sight radius). They run anywhere from 3.8-4.6 in standing (depending on experience level and hold control). Kneeling runs from 3.8-4.2, again, depending on ability to quickly acquire the sight picture and hold the bull within it.

You've made a great purchase. Fumbling around to take inserts in and out in a 5 min prep period is tough. This is something you can help her with. Next time you go to your home range, have her begin with her usual prone position. While she is in position and looking through the sights, you can adjust the aperture size for her as she compares what is most comfortable. Try going both ways. Begin with a hub-cap setting and, by increments, make it tighter as she continues to look at the target. When she says that "That's good," record the setting and then stop it down to the smallest and build up. Hopefully, she'll find "good" to be within .1 of what she said the last time. Then, of course, just shoot a bit. See if over a 20 or 40 shot course of fire what seemed good is blurring out. If it is-- go bigger. Repeat the same procedure with standing and kneeling.

Hopefully she has a diary to record her findings in. She needs to be aware, though, that not all ranges have the same illumination. So, just because 3.8 is a great setting at home, doesn't mean it will be somewhere else. Her practice range settings are a great starting point, but, practice days of major tournaments or sighting periods are the time to figure it out. Then, RECORD what worked on that new range, so the next time she has an even better place to start from.

As her hold improves, she may find that tightening the aperture may be beneficial. Days when she is particularly nervous or jittery, she may find that opening the aperture up a bit will give the illusion of holding better. Once she regains her confidence, she can stop it back down.

Adjustable apertures are wonderful tools. But, to use them effectively, she'll need to experiment. As with any settings, have her focus on the WHY of what she does. Once she figures out the pattern of what works, she'll be able to make educated adjustments in varied circumstances.

Another thing to note, that most kids seem to not realize, is that the two little allen-head screws in the front of the sight will allow her to tilt the front sight so that the little lines on the inside are level when she's canting the rifle. This is very helpful as she builds consistency in her positions. The cant may be different from one position to the next, but, there is some indexing to help her note that. Again, something for the shooting diary.

Best of luck!

Great reply bellyshooter. I learn a little each week on this site and as it should be.
I'm 61 and only shooting in my basement with a range that I set up and I derive a lot of satisfaction out of it. I only shoot standing up for two reasons.
One being, that this 'ol body just does not move around like it used to!
Number two would be that I can just manage 32 feet to the target while standing (not going to worry about the 1 foot short considering the convenience of being able to shoot at home) and I would obviously then never have the room for the prone position albeit I could manage nicely with the kneeling position.

I did allude to my changing the aperture at times depending on how I'm shooting but I never really gave any conscious thought as to those days when I'm a bit more shakier than others. I just chalked it up to my eyesight being a tad better on some days than others. Therefore my finally giving in and purchasing a shooting frame. Now I just have to get the correct lens and that should help out tremendously.

Back in 1980 I purchased a FWB 300S and one of the first things I purchased was an adjustable front sight for it. Gave it up shortly and just recently got back into it with a new FWB 700 ALU and did the same thing.
I've read a lot of posts here with those inquiring about the proper insert for the front sight and of those that have borrowed some just to try out from others at a shooting range so as to make a decision on which one they wanted to purchase. I could never understand why one would just not purchase an adjustable one and be done with it and always have the option and convenience of changing with a simple adjustment on the front sight do get what they wish. I was beginning to think that perhaps adjustable front sights were not the way to go any longer and to simply pick out one insert and stick with it. After all is said and done whether it be right or wrong......I would never be without one. I can adjust from 2.6 to 4.9 in one second. Sounds like a great option to have to me!

~Phil