Prone target foresight size

[bigpete]

Simple question with no definate answer, we were discusing at the range what size foresight should be used for .22 25m prone target shooting. A member from another club said to use a 3.8mm foresight but this seems to show a large white outline and I am using a 3.5mm, always on the lookout for an improvement so any ideas please.

[Wadhill1]

If in doubt go slightly larger.

3.7 -4.0

Too small and the bull will seem to move in the front sight. Open up the whiteness a bit and you will be surprised how good a mark 1 eye ball will centralise the bull in the white.

Charles

[shootist]

Simple question with no definate answer, we were discusing at the range what size foresight should be used for .22 25m prone target shooting. A member from another club said to use a 3.8mm foresight but this seems to show a large white outline and I am using a 3.5mm, always on the lookout for an improvement so any ideas please.

Daft as it sounds, you use the one that works best for you. There are loads of variants on the foresight rings. Big holes, little holes, square holes, vertical posts, thick vertical posts (surprising how well they work). It all depends so much on your eyesight, light conditions, personal preference. Get as many as you can and try them all. It's a good excuse to shoot more.

[Hemmers]

Basic geometry, the appropriate element will vary depending on your eye relief to the rear sight and sight base from the rear sight to fore sight (which will probably be related to barrel length and whether you have a sight extending tube or not).

You need to have enough white around the aiming mark that it's not "bouncing" off the sides of the foresight element, this will to some extent depend on your eye sight, along with the dimensions of your rifle.

In bright conditions where there's glare off the target, you might need to go down to a smaller element to reduce the amount of light coming through.


In terms of foresight element design, almost everyone at Olympic level uses circular elements. The only difference is whether you pick a metal element (which will usually have bars to support the inner ring) or a plastic/glass element with an etched ring, the thickness of the ring and of course the diameter of the inner ring.

Indeed, post elements would not be worth mentioning were it not that Rajmond Debevic uses one...

Whilst you shouldn't do something just because everyone else seems to do it, there's probably a good reason why 99.9% have drifted to circular elements of whichever size and design. By all means experiment, but I wouldn't spend too much time trying to force something exotic to work.

[Rutty]

Just to expand a little on Hemmers' comments:

Indeed, post elements would not be worth mentioning were it not that Rajmond Debevic uses one...

Whilst you shouldn't do something just because everyone else seems to do it, there's probably a good reason why 99.9% have drifted to circular elements of whichever size and design. By all means experiment, but I wouldn't spend too much time trying to force something exotic to work.

Do experiment, but with different foresight sizes and ring thicknesses. In general, it is better to have a larger than smaller element and 3.8 is a pretty good starting point. Try out the different elements objectively, see which ones produce the smaller groups. This will take some time but it is worth it. Try aiming off, if you shoot outdoors this is a useful skill and if using a small element might prove difficult. If you shoot outdoors you may need to run the whole exercise again, particularly if you use a thin ring indoors. It is time consuming, but it is worth it.

Now if you start 3P shooting you then have to do it all over again. especially when you realise that debevic only uses a post foresight for kneeling!

Rutty