One mystery solved, another not.

[newcastle]

Trie dthe painting of the foresight blade to use a center hold thsi weekend. it didn't work. the paint I put on was a luminous green and looked very bright when I put it on but when I got to the range it had dried and wasn't half as bright, add a foggy day and there was no difference. However teh guy next to me gave me a bright orange bull to cover the black. my shooting inmproved hugely by using a center hold where I coudl see the blade against the target. SO YES it was my eyes, that mystery is solved. However, if I want to shoot competition on black bull targets I need a color for me blade that is actually going to look bright against the black. Have tried nail varnish and this green stuff so far - no go with both. Someone here recommended a specific color a while back what was it. also I'm shooting from under cover - will that make a difference?

Information

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[Paul S.]

The only thought I have is to use the 'day-glo orange' revolver shooters use on their fore sights. It's that or polish all the finish off of the blade till it shines.

[gsimmons]

I use a bright orange on my musket and sight black on the backsight. Sometimes you have to re-apply it. It works well for me in different light conditions. But you may have to try different colours to get the one that works for you.

[Patrick Chadwick]

I'm shooting from under cover - will that make a difference?

Basically, yes. The trouble with center hold on targets that do not have a bright spot in the middle, is that the blade obscures the target black, and it is devilishly difficult to judge just how much is being obscured.

The idea of having a brightly colored blade against a black bull only works well if the blade is well illuminated. Shooting from under cover usually means that the light on the blade is dimmer than the external daylight. And the so-called black of a target is usually somewhat greyer than a black foresight blade, especially on a misty day.

Try this contrast thing from the other end. Paint the blade dead matt black. Or smoke it! In most cases you will find it is noticeably darker than the target, so it is possible (but not necessarily advisable) to achieve a center-hold using this.

Cutting out a lot of ifs and maybes: I have tried out center hold on various rifles without any success, and have always returned to the six o'clock hold. With one exception - my Colt New Service revolver shoots so low on a target load that I need a 12 o'clock hold!

Patrick

[newcastle]

Have been using a 6 oclock hold for a few years but I"ve notioced over the last couple of years that mye eyesight is getting worse, there is more blurring of the line between teh top of teh foresight and teh bottom of teh black (i've tried leaving a gap as advised by several experienced shooters and I couldn't get that consistent at all either) and the consistency of my groups is deteriorating as a result. there was a halving of my groups at 100 yards using a colored target and center hold on saturday, but I can't use a center hold on a black for competition and I'd love to enter soem competitions before I die. Rather frustrating all round. However I'll try the blacking trick and see what happens.

[Rumpelhardt]

how about some how rigging a fiber optic archery sight pit to your front sight? They work wonders in archery.

[Patrick Chadwick]

Have been using a 6 oclock hold for a few years but I"ve noticed over the last couple of years that mye eyesight is getting worse, there is more blurring of the line between teh top of teh foresight and teh bottom of teh black (i've tried leaving a gap as advised by several experienced shooters and I couldn't get that consistent at all either) and the consistency of my groups is deteriorating as a result

Me too, which is why I have tried just about everything that competition rules permit And keep coming back to a careful 6 o'clock hold.

BTW, have you got proper shooting spectacles? That makes a HUGE difference in foresight visibility. If you are using specs for driving (foresight too close) or reading (foresight too far), they are NOT good for shooting! Check your specs first, before conducting any other experiments!

Patrick

[RobD]

Use a tin hat target! It was made for this purpose

[Rumpelhardt]

Sorry read right past the competition part without it even registering in my feeble mind lol. The officials might have some heart burn with my suggestion.

[vintage hunter]

Plain old white enamal model airplane paint works well for me.