Sight Square

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

A while back, I bought an MVA mid-range sight for my "Gemmerized" Pedersoli Sharps 1874.  Before I pulled the old sight off, I wondered how to preserve my old zero and get the new sight set up properly.

My solution lay in my stock of card material for wads.  I cut an angled bit from the end of a tablet backing card.  8 1/2" across the bottom and cut 1" at one end and 2" at the other.  I notched it for the frame, and set it up against the old sight.  I marked the zero with a pencil.  Off came the old sight, and on went the shiny new MVA.

My homemade square did two things for me;  1.  I could now set the sight vertically better than with the Mk I eyeball.  2.  I adjusted the sight to the pencil mark from the old sight. 

At the range, I was on the paper, first round, saving lots of time & ammo.

I also marked the square with other data.  Sight radius.  correction factor from the Brownells table.  Finally, i marked it with a pencil for each range it was actually sighted for.  I could now keep it in the shooting box for reference and "gross error" checks.

[Ol Gabe]

Outstanding Sir Charles!
If you don't mind, I'm going to 'borrow' your idea when I replace my Pedersoli Vernier with a Parts Unknown sight, however, I'll actually be reversing the process since the sight I'm getting is already zeroed on another Pedersoli, same model, so I'm guessing and taking a SWAG and hoping the setting will be close.
Keep us posted on how it performs for you at various yardages and events, enquiring Big Bore Shooters will want to know!
Best regards and good shooting!
'Ol Gabe

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I just received a new MVA #130 sight for my Hi-Wall.  I tried to get Bobbie Gier to finish it in brown to match the 1889 patina, but NO!

Using another sight square, it only took me moments to check the set up as being really vertical, and to transfer the old zero from the sight I replaced.  Now to get to the range this weekend!

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[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I got to the range with my Hi-Wall and new MVA sight.

After setting up with my sight square, my first shot with smokeless Schuetzen load  was ONE MINUTE OF ANGLE LOW.  and with my  BP Goex Cartridge loads, I had to drop it only 4 minutes!

I spent a lot of time trying to get my front sight centered, so I wouln't have to use the windage adjustment too much.  Tapping with a small ball-peen hammer on a brass drift is a guess-and-by -gosh sort of business.  If I had to do it more often i would get a sight-pusher from Brownells.