Soule type tang sight

[blwngazkit]

Quick question...

One a Soule type tang sight, should the slide be able to bottom all the way down to match with the zero mark on the staff?

I'm grouping a little high @ 100yds and the sight bottoms out a little high as well, I'm not clear if it's enough to make a difference...

I'm going to double check how far up it stops this evening, but if you all could remind me...

With a 34" sight radius, each point above the Zero mark would equal 1" @ 100yds right? So if my sight is bottoming out at 2 points above zero, that would explain why my groups are ~2" high @ 100yds?

[Chill Wills]

You have the right idea about how the sight works but NO to your last question....
"With a 34" sight radius, each point above the Zero mark would equal 1" @ 100yds right? So if my sight is bottoming out at 2 points above zero, that would explain why my groups are ~2" high @ 100yds? "

Too many variables here and the Soule is not made to be zeroed at 100y at "0". Anything close is just a coincidence. You have a rifle made (intended) for the longer ranges with that soule sight on it. Target rifle matches are often 200y out to 1000y and you sight is likely made for that work. I have a number of rifles with soule sights that will not go low enough to zero at 100y. If you would like it too because this is often the distance you shoot consider getting a taller front sight. the next size up would do it.

Here is the deal with regulating the sights to ammo. Different velocity and then different weight bullets all will have an effect on how high or low the bullet will impact at a given range. Then too, I have soule sight staffs from the same maker that have the sight engraving start at slightly different places on the staff. Then too, good rifles have the barrels crowned to 12 o'clock or in some cases six and that will or can really effect how the rifle will print.
No, the soule sight zero is arbitrary. Good luck.

[blwngazkit]

Thanks; I was of the impression the '0' mark on the slider should line up with the '0' mark on the staff. The information I read online indicated a 36" distance between the front/rear sight would give 1moa increments on the vernier sight if marked in 0.010" increments.

I'll just have to remember it shoots high at 100 yards... I don't really want to get a taller front globe yet; I haven't really decided what my goals are for this rifle (or myself), be it 100 yards or 200+ matches.


My personal shooting range is setup for 100 yards, but with some creativity I may be able to squeeze a 200 yards shot into the field. I'd like to try longer ranges, they're just difficult to come by in my area.

[Chill Wills]

"Thanks; I was of the impression the '0' mark on the slider should line up with the '0' mark on the staff. The information I read online indicated a 36" distance between the front/rear sight would give 1moa increments on the vernier sight if marked in 0.010" increments."

By all "right" it should line up but sometimes they do not especially on the less well made ones. BUT, that is not to say yours is not a good one! Plus, depending on what you intend to do with the rifle and sights even the cheaper ones are great for job at hand.

Your are correct on the -about 1moa or 1" at 100y movement-.

[blwngazkit]

Not trying too bash the sight maker since I haven't discussed this with him.

It's a Lee Shaver Super Grade sight. I'd been told these were well made sights...

[Chill Wills]

It is a very well made sight. Where the engraving starts and the bottom of the staff movement should allow for a "zero" and if it is something that is a problem for you and your typical shooting ranges I would contact him. I bet he will make it right for you.

[montana_charlie]

Thanks; I was of the impression the '0' mark on the slider should line up with the '0' mark on the staff.
It should. If it doesn't, something is wrong.


The information I read online indicated a 36" distance between the front/rear sight would give 1moa increments on the vernier sight if marked in 0.010" increments.
Either what you read was wrong, or you have forgotten which way it went.

A 36-inch sight radius (on a Sharps rifle with a 32-inch barrel) will give you (essentially) a "1-inch at 100 yards" change for each one hundredth-inch of sight movement.
That single sight change of one hundredth of an inch will move impact 2 inches at 200 yards, 3 inches at 300 yards, and so forth.

Making that one hundredth movement of the sight is commonly referred to as a 1 point change. Moving the slider upward enough to span one of the marks on the staff would be a change of 5 points.

A longer barrel will result in less change on the target, and a shorter barrel will give you more of a shift in impact.

A 30-inch barrel on a Sharps rifle will provide a 34-inch sight radius, and a 1 point sight change will cause a "1 minute-of-angle" change in impact.

At 100 yards, 1 MOA is a distance a little larger than 1 inch.
At 200 yards, 1 MOA is a noticeably bigger than 2 inches ... and at 300 yards, 1 MOA is getting closer to four inches.

CM

[blwngazkit]

Montana, I think I remembered it backwards.

My high wall has a 34" sight picture so that would mean 1 MOA adjustments per point on the sight yes? This would translate to ~2" @ 100 yards if my sight is bottoming out 2 points above 0 right?

[Chill Wills]

blwngazkit You wrote: "Montana, I think I remembered it backwards. This would translate to ~2" @ 100 yards if my sight is bottoming out 2 points above 0 right? "

I must be missing some subtlety in Charlie's post. Not the first time either.
Basically you got it, not with standing a minor amount on the right side of the decimal point. I am not sure what part you got backwards.
-Michael Rix

[blwngazkit]

Maybe I misunderstood what he wrote...

[fouronesix]

Thanks; I was of the impression the '0' mark on the slider should line up with the '0' mark on the staff. The information I read online indicated a 36" distance between the front/rear sight would give 1moa increments on the vernier sight if marked in 0.010" increments.



Take a deep breath. :) Your above statement and understanding of it IS correct. For all intents and purposes for the ranges you'll be shooting with the rifle you have- .010" change of rear sight will translate into about 1" at 100 yards, 2" 200 yards, etc. AKA minute of angle- or close enough you've won't have to worry about it at the ranges you're planning on shooting.

As has been posted, Shaver is very good about making things right if there is a mechanical problem with the rear sight not zeroing to itself.

I'm not sure the exact issue you have, but if the sight is OK mechanically and you can't lower the rear sight far enough to even zero at your 100 yard minimum, then the easiest thing in the long run may be to get a slightly higher front sight.

[blwngazkit]

Take a deep breath. :) Your above statement and understanding of it IS correct. For all intents and purposes for the ranges you'll be shooting with the rifle you have- .010" change of rear sight will translate into about 1" at 100 yards, 2" 200 yards, etc. AKA minute of angle- or close enough you've won't have to worry about it at the ranges you're planning on shooting.

As has been posted, Shaver is very good about making things right if there is a mechanical problem with the rear sight not zeroing to itself.

I'm not sure the exact issue you have, but if the sight is OK mechanically and you can't lower the rear sight far enough to even zero at your 100 yard minimum, then the easiest thing in the long run may be to get a slightly higher front sight.


Well I've started to get the rifle to group well, but they're all about 2" high at 100 yards. I never thought anything of it on the sight at first, but now I'm realizing that the sight stops lowering at the 2 point mark; it never quite makes it to the '0' line.

I put 2 & 2 together and jumped to the conclusion it may be the rear sight... I'm going to test it again this weekend and make certain I didn't have something miss-adjusted before I contact Shaver.

[fouronesix]

Good plan. If the sight itself won't bottom out at its "0" mark then there could be something mechanically wrong. Since Soule type sights are a little different in their "0" indexing, I wouldn't hazard a guess more than that.

I have talked to Shaver on a couple of occasions on matters relating to sights and my experience has been- if he's in the shop and not gone to a shoot or otherwise overwhelmed, he's been most understanding and obliging. Hope that's still the situation if you have to call.

[montana_charlie]

Montana, I think I remembered it backwards.

My high wall has a 34" sight picture so that would mean 1 MOA adjustments per point on the sight yes?
Yes.

This would translate to ~2" @ 100 yards if my sight is bottoming out 2 points above 0 right?
If a setting of zero points on your sight were to correspond to 'dead on' at a hundred yards, that would be simple coincidence ... and a surprising one, at that.
But, if you are hitting two inches high at a hundred, and your sight won't go below '2 points' then a zero points setting - if you could get one - WOULD put you close to dead on at a hundred.

If you carefully examine that Soule sight, you should be able to discover what mechanical discombobulation is causing it to refuse to go down to zero.

CM

[Monttexan]

Sorry for the off topic post, but this has been bugging me for a couple weeks: How do you pronounce, "Soule?" Thanks.

[montana_charlie]

Most say 'sool' ... rhymes with fool, school, tool, and pool ...

[Monttexan]

Thanks. That's how I've been reading it, but then I started wondering if maybe the "e" isn't silent.

[Gunlaker]

I had a Pedersoli soule sight that wouldn't quite go down to zero. It was just barely able to go low enough for 100m shooting. This is actually a good thing for shooting at greater distances as you need less total elevation which means a better cheek weld.

Chris.

[fouronesix]

Most say 'sool' ... rhymes with fool, school, tool, and pool ...

It's a name so has a specific pronunciation- not whatever most start saying. It's pronounced "sue-lay"

A firearms related name that does pronounce like fool, tool, pool would be Suhl

[ColColt]

Not that it matters but we had a place where I grew up that like all industries in this country went belly up due to foreign competition and bureaucratic greed. It was called Soule Steel and Iron Co. I always heard it pronounced "Soul".

[jlmurphy]

1 MOA = 1.047" You may be able to reverse the sight base to lower the staff height. With a sight radius of 36", .010" will basically equal 1 MOA. On a Shaver sight the windage screw is 1/4"x32 threads per inch, each complete turn moves the staff .031", or about 3 MOA.