[shrewd]

so i picked up a used, supposedly unfired, 16 inch of the .357 flavor.

anywho i've had decent accuracy with it but havnt properly sat at a benchrest to really sight it in. (its mostly been standing plinking at 10 to 25 yards at the indoor.

i go to an outdoor range that goes out to 100 yards occaisionally and, while still standing, and fighting a bad headache, i didn't do to well at 50 yards. so soon i aim to make sure its properly sighted and had a few questions.

i dont reload and buy whatevers cheapest, so i know that will cause small fluctuations, but id like to be within 6 inches or so at 100 yards. at what range should i sight in? 50? 25?

and, this is silly, but how the heck do i actually adjust the rear sight? the sight itself flips down but i cant seem to raise or lower it and the manual just says "raise or lower." this leaves me feeling foolish at best

 

[Leverdude]

With iron sights 25 & 50 yards will probably be about the same POI & it'll be a few inches low at 100.

The sight should have an elevator in it. It looks like a saw with each tooth a bit higher that the one before it. You slide it to the rear, raising the sight, to raise the POI or forward to lower it. It sets in the center of the sight between where its dovetailed to the barrel and the blade itself. Might be missing. To adjust windage you drift the sight right or left in the dovetail. Pretty crude but good enough for close range work. I strongly recomend a reciever mounted aperture sight like Williams, Skinner & Lyman make. Easier to adjust & shoot with.

 

[lesismore]

What Leverdude said. and +1 on a receiver mounted peep or aperture sight, that will help tremendously.

 

[dan39a]

hi marlin fans,
i may be wrong, but i have always been told, that the rear sight goes in the direction that you want to impact. i believe you should raise the rear sight to go higher, not lower it.....dan39a

 

[Pat/Rick]

Yep, rear sight in the same direction you want the bullet to impact. RS up=bullet up, RS down= bullet down.

If the elevator is missing call your smith, he may have one around. If not try numrich, brownells, midway, or maybe even Dixie gun works.

 

[Halwg]

hi marlin fans,
i may be wrong, but i have always been told, that the rear sight goes in the direction that you want to impact. i believe you should raise the rear sight to go higher, not lower it.....dan39a

That's exactly what Leverdude said.

 

[texjam]

I carry a small ball peen to tap the dovetail. 25 then 50 with irons.

 

[Tatersoup]

I use an old surveyor's plumb bob as a brass hammer to tap my sights left or right. Works great. If I need a "finer" hammer head, I take the head off and use it as a smaller punch.

 

[3691]

Bit of a tip for you, take a pencil and where the front of the rear sight comes to a point rub the side of the pencil to make a mark. That way, when you start moving the rear sight you can tell just how far you moved it. When you get done moving the rear sight just wipe off the pencil lead. I use a 4" piece of brass welding rod to drift my sights. HTH

 

[smithywess]

Brass rods are O.K. for drifting sights but even they will mark the finish and might dent the steel dovetail after awhile. I've been using an aluminum rod which I think might be softer than the brass even. My 2 cents.

 

[BlueMntCeltic]

Brass rods are O.K. for drifting sights but even they will mark the finish and might dent the steel dovetail after awhile. I've been using an aluminum rod which I think might be softer than the brass even. My 2 cents.

I watched a Wilson Combat DVD not too long ago illustrating how they put together and smith one of their reliable .45 ACP's. Their gunsmiths adjusted the dovetail sights using a hardwood dowel.