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.

100-Yard Shooting With Rifle And Shotgun.

(Click on any image to enlarge)

I had a great day of target shooting today! I went to the "Gastonia Shotgun, Rifle, and Pistol Range" to sight in a new red/green dot scope and to try long range shooting with the shotgun. I was pleasantly surprised.

I got a new scope for the AK47. I was looking for an inexpensive red dot scope. I simply can't afford $600 or so for an Aimpoint. I settled on the CenterPoint 1x34mm Quick Aim Sight. This scope is a 1X scope which means it does not magnify. My old eyes just don't like iron sights anymore but the red dot scopes work fine for me. The CenterPoint is a little on the heavy side at just over 13-ounces. This doesn't sound like much, but with my AK47, I have to mount it on the rail system just in front of the rear sight. This makes the rifle a little nose heavy, but at under $50 I can learn to live with it.

The first thing I needed to do was to adjust the scope to at least get the rounds hitting the paper. I didn't have a fancy laser bore sighter. Instead, I used a "primitive" method of rough sighting the scope. I set up the rifle on sandbags and aimed the iron sights at a spot 100-yards away. I then lightly mounted the scope and aligned the dot with the point down range. I removed the scope and confirmed the alignment. This worked well because I was just a few inches off when I fired the first shot!

I used 10-rounds to adjust the scope and then fired 5-rounds for effect. The target I was shooting at had a 12" grid printed on a 16" square paper target. I was firing at 100-yards and got all rounds on the paper. The final 5-rounds was pretty much dead on target! Check out the results:

I highlighted all 15-rounds. The yellow ones are the ones used for sighting in the scope. The blue ones are the final 5-rounds. I am very pleased with the rifle/scope setup. I fired from a bench at 100-yards using Winchester 7.62x39mm, 123-grain, FMJ bullets. This is the "white box" ammo.

I then moved on to the shotgun. I have an IAC Hawk 982 pump 12-gauge shotgun. The 982 has a 18-1/2" barrel that has an improved cylinder bore. As you have read before in my blog, I like shooting the Remington Slugger® Rifled Slugs. This a huge lead bullet with the rifling built in. This is great for smooth bore shotguns. It is like shooting a ~.72-caliber bullet at around 1500 feet per second. I shot them at 25-yards with great accuracy, but was unsure how they would perform at 100-yards. I was impressed at the performance of the heavy hitter. I fired 15-rounds at the same 16" square target using the excellent ghost ring sights of the Hawk 982. All but three hit the paper...AT 100 YARDS! This shotgun is just so versatile. The types of ammunition that is available to the 12-gauge shotgun can't be matched by any other firearm. Take a look at the target:

I highlighted the strikes in blue. As you can see it is not as accurate as a dedicated rifle, but for a tactical shotgun at 100-yards, it ain't bad!

I had a fantastic day at the range. It was miserable hot, but well worth it. I want to work on my .22 rifles at the range, but due to the heat, I probably will not return until October. I will have some articles on other topics until then. Thanks for reading!

I Found A Public Rifle Range.

(Click on any image to enlarge)

I was returning from Shooters Express and saw a sign. "Gastonia Shotgun, Rifle, and Pistol Range". This range is behind Rankin Lake in Gastonia, North Carolina. I knew there was a skeet and trap range, but not a rifle range.

I followed the signs to the "Gastonia Police Departments' Firearms and Training Facility". The pistol range is not open to the public, but the 100-yard rifle range is! Each Saturday from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, you can use the range.

I spoke to the range officer and he said you must use lead core rifle ammunition. No steel core ammo like the "Wolf" ammo. I didn't quite understand that because you were shooting into an earthen berm, but, rules are rules. Here are the directions. I am including GPS coordinates for those with GPS devices:

Take US Highway 321 towards Gastonia. Just north of I-85, turn onto Tulip Drive (N35.290230, W81.188070). Go less than a mile and turn right onto Weetabix Parkway (N35.287971, W81.200974). Turn left up a dirt road (N35.292529, W81.203680). You will arrive at the rifle range (N35.294430, W81.205740).

Here is a quote from the Gastonia Police Department web site:

Gastonia Police Departments' Firearms and Training Facility is open to the public when not utilized for police training. It is normally open to the public on Saturdays from 1 to 5 p.m. The range allows shooting rifles only, not pistols. The cost is $5 per hour for Gastonia citizens and $8 per hour for others. Customers bring their own guns and ammunition. Targets are provided. For more information call the shooting range at 704.866.6734.

I will go there in a couple weeks about try it out. It's good to find such a facility close to home.