fowler sights

[Hanshi]

I thought I'd post this thought on a new thread as it's a bit off subject. I'll be shooting mostly ball in my fowler. A friend has a similar one & has sights on his. I ordered sights on mine (rear sight). He says he likes it for ball and shot. Comments?

[waksupi]

Rear sights aren't allowed in some competitions. They most definitely aren't allowed at the World Smooth Bore Championships. I tried a rear on my trade gun years ago. Sight radius wasn't long enough, and I removed it.

I guess I should clarify that. Older eyes can't focus as well on a sight that is set far to the rear. On a smoothbore, you are limited on where you can place the sight, due to the thin barrel. There is no way I could get one out far enough to be any more than an obstruction in the sight picture. I've seen several old rifles, with filled dove tails progressing up the barrel, as the shooter gained years.


In the Museum of the Fur Trade, there are smoothbores, with rear sights. I find them not necessary.

[Hanshi]

I figured that if it didn't work out for me I could just take it off & plug the dovetail. Hope it works, though.

[KCSO]

A LOT of the original trade guns and smooth bores had some type of sight. Sometimes it was just a lump on each side of the breech to center the bead in. I saw a nice fowler one time with a large screw slot in the breech screw. You sighted through the wide slot like a peep sight. Yes I know they aren't kosher for compitition, althought from a historical context I can not see why. I offer my trade guns with or without a rear sight as the owner wishes. I prefer to solder my rear sights on and we sight in the gun prior to browning. I make mine with a wide V or U and you neeed to use them almost like a peep for best results, if you try and focus on the rear at all yu will only drive yourself batty.

[Beerd]

I have seen one or two shooters use a magnet for a temporary hind sight on their smoothbores. They shot a little bit better that way, but not a whole lot moreso than those of us that do without.
..

[mikeschuylkill]

I have a homemade peepsight made from copper sheetmetal on my Brown Bess. It works much like the new 'Ghost Ring" Sights. I find it works well for old eyes.
Mike

[northmn]

A large number of original trade guns and smoothbores had "after market" type rear sights installed. Some were nothing more than a lump chiseled up in the back. There are a large number of people building or buying smallbore smoothbores these days to shoot mostly ball. Some competitors get very good at shooting without a rear sight, but pictures I have of English fowlers show a groove cut into the top of the breech for an aiming point (much like have been put on modern repeaters). Technically the official rules state no sights above the plane of the barrel or some such thing. Its a ridiculous rule considering how originals were used, but probably prevents the use of Olympic peep sights. Sights really do not hurt their use if used with shot as a flintlock helps to justify a little pot shooting.

Northmn

[Hanshi]

The rear sight on my friend's fowler looks really good. It's a wide "V" or "U" (can't remember which to save my life so guess I'll have to look at it more carefully) and is different from the makers rifle sights. If nothing else it will assist me in mounting the gun consistently.