MH rear sight question

Fellows:

Has any body here experienced decreased accuracy/shootability due to the MH rear sight being non-adjustable for windage?

If so, what kinds of work-arounds have you come up with to increase sight versatility/useability?

I have heard that at the time, precise sight adjustments were not deemed necessary on a weapon that was designed to engage enemy formations, vs. individual targets with precision. I don't know if this claim is factual or not.

comments would be appreciated

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Originally Posted by gblacksmith

Fellows:
Has any body here experienced decreased accuracy/shootability due to the MH rear sight being non-adjustable for windage?...comments would be appreciated

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OK, as no-one else has replied, here goes with the comments!

I am not sure what you mean by "decreased accuracy/shootabilty". Decreased with respect to which setup? True, the M-H sight picture has been aptly described as "looking at the Great Pyramid through a railway cutting". But the shooter who told me this little gem is, in fact, a crack shot with the Martini, and I have seen him beat a lot of others with what are often held to be "better" sights.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gblacksmith

... If so, what kinds of work-arounds have you come up with to increase sight versatility/useability?...

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The work-around is called "fine-sighting", accompanied by "Kentucky windage" if required (it seldom is, but I'll come to that in a moment). Please be so good as to go here:
https://www.milsurps.com/showthread....ing#post180004


As for windage, I have what might fairly be called a representative spectrum of military BPCRs, and none of them require aiming with a hold-over, a.k.a. Kentucky windage. But they are all shot with black powder loads that correspond roughly to the original service load for which they will have been set up. If you use any tricky nitro or duplex loads, then the completely different rate of onset for nitro can cause flexing of the system that sends the bullet way off course, compared with the original load. So NO nitro, "cats-sneeze" or "hot" loads.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gblacksmith

... I have heard that at the time, precise sight adjustments were not deemed necessary on a weapon that was designed to engage enemy formations, vs. individual targets with precision. I don't know if this claim is factual or not.

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Neither do I, but it sounds like an excuse for inadequate practise of the fine-sighting method (see the link above.)

Hope this all helps!

gblacksmith
It is possible to still pick up Sutherland sights that fit straight on as a replacement of the rear ladder. These are windage adjustable.

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Originally Posted by Patrick Chadwick

OK, as no-one else has replied, here goes with the comments!

I am not sure what you mean by "decreased accuracy/shootabilty". Decreased with respect to which setup? True, the M-H sight picture has been aptly described as "looking at the Great Pyramid through a railway cutting". But the shooter who told me this little gem is, in fact, a crack shot with the Martini, and I have seen him beat a lot of others with what are often held to be "better" sights.


The work-around is called "fine-sighting", accompanied by "Kentucky windage" if required (it seldom is, but I'll come to that in a moment). Please be so good as to go here:
https://www.milsurps.com/showthread....ing#post180004


As for windage, I have what might fairly be called a representative spectrum of military BPCRs, and none of them require aiming with a hold-over, a.k.a. Kentucky windage. But they are all shot with black powder loads that correspond roughly to the original service load for which they will have been set up. If you use any tricky nitro or duplex loads, then the completely different rate of onset for nitro can cause flexing of the system that sends the bullet way off course, compared with the original load. So NO nitro, "cats-sneeze" or "hot" loads.


Neither do I, but it sounds like an excuse for inadequate practise of the fine-sighting method (see the link above.)

Hope this all helps!

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Patrick:

Thank-you for your response. I shoot flint & percussion frontloaders with primitive (fixed) sights as well. A common practice with such guns is the method you describe, with a degree of fine-tuning done with charge adjustment once you reach 100 yards. I'm talking patched RBs here. This appears to be the hold-under method some have called "Navy hold" (a gap) vs. 6 o'cock, centerhold or "framing" with the rear sight.