Back to basics. Open sights

I have been relying on optics too much!  I have been using the excuse of having old eyes to justify my departure from the basics of target and recreational shooting.  I have just reestablished my “love” for iron or open sights.

I have been trying to find a red-dot scope for my IO AK47-C rifle.  The problem is that to mount an optic, I have to mount it forward of the receiver!  Yes, over the barrel.  This just reeks havoc with the balance of the rifle.  It becomes very nose-heavy and uncomfortable to carry and shoot.  I know there are some options out there to bring the optics closer to your eyes, but none have been very appealing to me.  So I decided to use a novel approach to this problem.  Use the iron sights!

I have to wear bifocal glasses and using iron sights on many rifles are problematic.  Most American rifle designs have the rear sight closer to the eyes.  The AK-47 sight system has the rear sight a good distance forward.  This actually helps those with older eyes like mine! 

AK-47 Rifle

So, I quit messing around with trying to get a red-dot scope to work for me and forced myself to use the rifle as it was intended.  I took my rifle in the back yard and used a laser bore sighter to align the iron sights.  This will get me very close to my final adjustment of the sights.

When you are zeroing a battle rifle like the AK-47, you want it to be accurate over several distances.  When you zero it properly, the AK-47 with the rear sight set on “battle” setting will give good results on all ranges up to 300-meters.  I have researched the procedure to this and found the following:

1. Set the rear sight to the 100-meter setting.  Most AK’s have a graduated sight with 1-10 or 1-8.  Each number represents 100-meters.  (i.e. 5 is equal to 500-meters).
2. Set your target to 25-meters (82-feet).
3. Adjust your front sight so you are hitting the bull’s eye dead center
4. After you are hitting the bull’s eye at 25-meters, set your rear sight to the “battle setting”.  This is the lowest setting on the rear sight.  Mine says “P”. You should now be effective up to 300-meters without adjusting the rear sight.

The adjustment on the AK-47 is done on the front sight.  Windage and elevation can be made easily if you have the proper tool.  Tapco makes a front sight adjustment tool that will work for the AK-47 and the SKS.

AK-47 / SKS Sight Adjustment Tool 

I went to Shooters Express in Belmont, North Carolina.  They have an indoor range for rifles.  It is only 25-yards, but adequate for setting my iron sights.  I took 40-rounds of “good” ammo.  You can’t shoot anything with steel in the bullet.  So no cheap Wolf or Bear ammo.  I had a couple boxes of PMC 7.62x39 ammo.  I have had them for more than 10-years and thought it was time to use it.   I was very happy with the results.  Here is a sample:

 

 

Five shots at 25-yards.  Click for full target.

The white circle in the above picture is 1” in diameter.  Not bad for an old fart with bad eyes using iron sights!  I think I will use my AK with the sights it came with.  Red-dot scopes are a good thing, but they do add weight and if you have an AK, the position you will probably have to mount is is very inconvenient and throws off the balance of the weapon.  The feeling of satisfaction you get when shooting well with simple iron sights can’t be equaled with optics.  With optics, you expect to shoot well.