Shooting (sight picture) advice.

Have seen a thread n here whihc mentioned that you could you use the CORNER of the front sight blade to acheive smaller groups. I also just got some advice re the 6 oclock hold which indicated that it's better to leave a gap between the black and the top of the front sight. FURTHER to this somone esle suggested that i white out the front sight and use a center hold.
I'm pretty inexperienced at shooting because I don't get to go that often, though I've been colletcing LE's for about 8 years now. My eyes are getting old and if someone has some definitive advice or a way to incorporate all these tricks it would be great to hear them.
I generally shoot to 100 or 200 yards at a 6 inch or 12 inch black.

Six o'clock hold....

One of the best books I've ever read (and trained with) on shooting the Enfield rifle is available in electronic format, professionally scanned (thanks to Ian Robertson), in the Knowledge Library section Technical Articles for Milsurp Collectors and Re-loaders (click here)

"Shoot-to-Live" - 1945 (click here)

Presenting the Johnson Method of Musketry Coaching As Adopted By the Canadian Army, Ottawa, Chief of the General Staff.

This is an excellent Canadian Government issued training manual. If you are specifically a collector and shooter of Lee Enfield rifles, you'll find this to be an outstanding reference work and it contains a wealth of information on how to properly shoot the No.4 Mk1 Enfield, although much of the content is applicable to any bolt action rifle. I remember being issued this manual as part of our regimental rifle team, when I was a little younger back in the early 60's. ;)

Regards,
Badger

Hi, it really comes down to personal preference for sight picture. Generally, people go for 6 o'clock hold with a band of light between the top of the foresight blade and the target so they can have a repeatable picture as often the blade won't differentiate itself clearly from the target so therefore it's harder to consistently place the blade in the centre of the aiming mark.
Most of the best shooters at my clubs/association if not all, use 6 o'clock hold at 300m and some then opt for point of impact aim at 200m, but just about all shoot point of impact at 100m where the foresight blade can be clearly distinguished from the target.
Another technique we use shooting groups at 100, 200, and 300 using either hold is to put a small spotter ( a 2 or 3" white disk) in the target, which makes consistently reproducing your sight picture very easy, you just sit the white mark on top of the blade, in the centre and BANG.

The tin hat target is easiest, because the centre line (bottom of the tin hat) can be lined up onto your sight blade with a teeeny line of white visible. If no tin hat, just staple a piece of white paper across the bottom half of your black - voila.
If your eyes are like mine, you will get a better depth of field with a No 4 (peep sight) than a No 1 (vee sight) because of the pinhole effect. This can be enhanced by making the aperture (pinhole) a bit smaller. There are many methods, the one I use is to get some matt black paint and a fine brush, and line the rear sight hole with a layer of paint. When dry, repeat, so the hole gets smaller. Keep doing this until you see the view through the peephole becomes a tiny bit darker. Then that's optimal.
If using a No 1 (SMLE) with a vee sight, you will do better with either a slight correcting lens so you can focus on the foresight (ignore the target and the vee sight - they'll be slighly blurred, but you can't have it all) - or a pinhole (orthoptic) in front of your eye. See Knobloch Schiessbrillen Shooting glasses etc.
Finally, you should ensure your sights are blackened (use a zippo lighter to apply soot, or puff on a little Birchwood Casey Sight Black).

hmm maybe it's me eyes then, as at 100 yads/meters I CAN'T obviously differentiate the sight against the black bull. Does anyone white out the sight so it can be seen against the balck bull on a center hold?
I've just started reading the instructions link but am at work so can't do it all today. Historically I have used a 6 o clock hold, but the sight top and black tend to blur together.

Try shooting at a small aiming mark on a big target in colours other than black

If you're shooting no1mk3's with the V or U notch there's a nifty little device on 'that auction site which shall not be named 'that's an aperture peep hole that screws onto the back of your no1mk3 sight leaf and takes the place of the V or U notch bit, I've got one here and its a vast improvement over stock. Cheap too. I'll stick up a pic if anyones not seen one.

I do I forward the pdf file to a junior shooter???