Rear aperture

[ian45662]

After some discussion on another thread about how to set up ones rear aperture I decided to see if opening it up would improve the groups. Typically, I will use one of the smaller options on my MVA Mag Hadley. I do that because it makes the target look much crisp and more defined while I focus on the front sight. If I use a larger hole on the rear, then the target is very blurry. If I go to big then the target almost disappears completely. I realize that having a perfectly clear target is not as important as having a clear view of the front sight but having the ability to have a crips view of the front sight while the target is somewhat crisp, more so than if I used a larger hole anyway. Today I decided to test the advice that was given which was to open the rear aperture. I used my Shiloh for this of course. I used the ammo that I had left over from our last long-range match which was about a month ago. I fired 10 shots with my normal set up and then I fired 10 with the more open rear. Before going for score I did fire 3 shots just to verify sights so that is 23 total. This wasn't a scientific test. Just testing the waters somewhat. Next time I will try shooting the larger rear aperture first and then finish with my normal set up but for now I am just not sold on opening up that rear aperture. Not for me anyway. Everyone's eyes are different and what works for one person may or may not work for another. I can't explain the flier on the top of the normal aperture group, that very well could have been me, but it is obvious that it is the better string. I will repeat this test a few more times just to be sure and try it on some sillywets when the weather is descent and when I have time to head on out to friendship. The first picture is of the string shot with the aperture opened up and the second one is of my normal sight picture.

[ian45662]

I forgot to mention.... You will notice that the larger group only has 9 holes. Somehow, I managed to sling a shot from that string into my sighter target. A cross fire so to speak. If that shot would have landed on the scoring target it would not have changed the group size

[ShermanCoShooter]

Ian45662;
Good idea to test this, I would like more conversation on the front sight size also

[ian45662]

It was pretty dark today so I used a larger hole than I normally would have for my normal sight setting but I still followed my own rule which is go down until I see cobwebs and then from that go up 1 or 2 holes. For me. For my eyes. It makes the target look pretty good and I can tell exactly how much light is around that black when the target is inside the front aperture…. At the moment the hammer falls I know exactly where that target is inside the front aperture. Be it round or animal shape. Shooting with the larger rear hole I wasn’t real confident where the target was in the front aperture and it also took me a lot longer to get a good sight picture.

[SchuetzenDave]

Opening the aperture provides more light and improves the acuity of your eye - to a point.

You can open the sight too much causing glare or start whiting out your target.

Then you have opened it up too much.

So did you actually provide the best balance of light for your eye (improves eye's acuity) which improves the precision you can shoot?

[ian45662]

Opening the aperture provides more light and improves the acuity of your eye - to a point.

You can open the sight too much causing glare or start whiting out your target.

Then you have opened it up too much.

So did you actually provide the best balance of light for your eye (improves eye's acuity) which improves the precision you can shoot?

That I am not sure of which is why I will repeat this test several times.

[DeadEye]

May I add another point to this discussion please. BTW Ian I follow your procedure for adjusting my rear aperture. My question is, "what distance, eye to disc, do you hold?" I see some crawl up so close to the sight they have to turn their ball cap around. We know that the sight radius is important to increasing accuracy so why not extend it by backing your eye off some? It also gives you a hard edge on the rear aperture as well as the front. As to front aperture size for Chickens I use the largest that comes with the set. If I use anything smaller I can't keep the chicken in the aperture while I'm getting my sight picture. For the lay-down targets I size so that the animal fills about 50% of the aperture.

Paul

[ian45662]

I actually do get as close as I can. I could try setting my face back slightly and see what that does but I have shot that way for so long might be hard for me to make that adjustment

[Kurt]

Sometimes when I get my eyes checked for new glasses the optometrist gets out a black paddle with a bunch of different sized holes that works like a Hadley and looking at the graph on the wall I can see the smaller letters very clear that I cant see naturally. Those small holes clear the vision when the right size is used and fuzzes when he goes past it.
I tell him to put that gadget on my glasses.
Before I started needing glasses I did what Ian does with the apertures, going as small as I could and it would sharpen the sight pictures but I used the front aperture large enough to get a white ring around the black bull so I could center it.
I feel the front aperture is more important in the relation with the bull but the rear needs to sharpen both front and let you focus between the front sight and target. When I break the shot I want the target sharp to see that white ring with the black centered in that white ring.
I don't like seeing the bull looking through a cob web like I see it now.

[From Along The Trail]

Like this

[Kurt]

well almost like that

[From Along The Trail]

I have thought of putting that device on a eyeglass frame. Will that put me in a scope class.

I will do that just see how it works out. That device came along with my old ophthalmologist trial set from eBay.

[From Along The Trail]

I have thought of putting that device on a eyeglass frame. Will that put me in a scope class.

I will do that just see how it works out. That device came along with my old ophthalmologist trial set from eBay.

I really not sure what it is called. It has a patented date of 1904.

[Kurt]

I think these would be a lot better than that pinhole occluder
https://www.temu.com/black-pinhole-glas ... 5pn6zej1ge

[Lumpy Grits]

Ian, what front sight insert are you using
Try the rear sight test on a sunny day.