Lee Enfield No4 Mk1 Sight height

[Peter Laidler]

It's like bvuying a car without getting the user handbook. It's all there........., in the user handbook! From Brian - and cheap too!

Reminds me of a car forum a few months ago. A bloke was asking about wiring up a new standard wiper motor or something to his car. Just 3 or 4 wires to plug into 3 or 4 spade terminals on the new motor. It went on for two pages but the simple colour coded wiring diagram was in the drivers handbook!

Information

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[Stanforth]

Aim 8 inches lower.
I get a similar problem with my SMLE III. After 200 yards things sort themselves out. At short range I simply 'Aim off'.

[shredder]

I have a 1943 Long Branch No 4 Mk 1* (sadly mismatched )

So using the formula that was kindly posted, (28.5" x 8") / 3600 gives me .063.

My front sight height - as stamped - is .075. 0.075 + 0.063 gives me 0.138. According to the information in Lee Enfield Sighting Basics, the tallest sight I can get is 0.090. Am I SOL getting the battle sight zero at 100 yds without having to aim off?

[newcastle]

If you have a standard Mk2 rear sight (which you won't necessarily with a 1943 LB) - you can use an AJP 8/53 rear sight attachment. They are fantastically useful and make the rear aperture just a teeeny bit lower that it is on the actual sight itself. its restricts the range you can shoot to but I'm guessing that's not an issue with most people.

[CINDERS]

A while ago I was going to get to the range with 174gn SMK's with various weighted AR 2209 powder from a smallest load allowed to perhaps where the IP=AP in other words using a high BC bullet driven slowly so it rainbows and the sight setting matches the range being shot.
There are a couple of things I reckon I am going to run into firstly the Sierra BC (Ballistic Coefficent)alters with velocity its .499 at 2200fps+, .493 from 2200fps - 1800fps then .480 below 1800fps so the faster it flies the flatter its going to shoot that's why with modern bullets the rifle sights do not match the impact point they fly flatter so your shooting higher if you get the drift but OP's observations prove it.
So if you get the rifle zeroed at 200 you could be out at the longer ranges, I played with loads and projies a fair bit and the new bullet factory ones are showing promise but I have had other priorities in my existence that have taken precedence other than sling lead down range.

When things get a bit more sane and I get it together I have the rounds loaded and just have to borrow my mates lab radar which he has lent me before then get back to you all, thing is I have had to make up DOPE data on all my 303's for the ranges we shoot 50-600m I keep a pad in the gun box and an excel spread sheet with each rifles sight settings as the load stays the same for all my 303 rifles.
It may work out but I am of the opinion unless by some miracle it transpires velocity with modern bullets getting it low enough to rainbow it may have stability issues even with a 1/10" twist at the longer ranges trying to emulate the MKVII trajectories which may make it a fruitless task.
But I said I was going to do it and send my results to another member whom is also playing around with the SMK & Bullet Factory 174gn HPFB .312's along a similar vein.

The other day a found on the net & purchased 600/174gn Highland 303 projectiles having used the allot these went very close to the MkVII's but they are not being made anymore so I am saving them for a comp when I get the inclination to start shooting my 303's till then you can either play around with the front sight or do the range time like allot of us have done to get the DOPE with the load you use in your 303. Cheers.