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Sights on Rossi '92

7K views 11 replies 4 participants last post by  jim brady 
#1 ·
Have a Rossi '92 in .357. Shoots great groups, except for one thing. Everything is 10-12" high.
This is with sight elevator removed. I never liked the factory buckhorn & replaced it with a Skinner barrel sight. Now, at its lowest position, and aiming 6 o'clock ( pumpkin on a post) i'm still shooting 6" high at 25 yds. Two questions,
1) would a 50yd sighting straighten things out.
2) do i have a to small front post that now needs to be replaced ?
Thanks for some guidance here.
z
 
#3 ·
Yup, you need a taller front sight. A while back I was messing with replacing the sights that had been switched on my Marlin 336 .30-30. One of the guys here gave me the formula for figuring out how tall a front sight I needed. Goes like this (with the rear sight at it's lowest setting):

1.) Measure the diameter of the barrel at the rear sight, then divide that number by 2 to determine the bore center line;
2.) Measure how high above the barrel the lowest part of the rear sight notch - then add to the figure you got from the first measurement;
3.) Measure the barrel diameter at the front sight, then divide that number by 2 to get the bore center line;
4.) Measure how tall the top of your front sight bead is above the barrel, and add THAT to the figure you got on the last step.
5.) Subtract those two figures and it will tell you how higher or lower of a front sight you need.


You basic sight height should be equal front and rear at the lowest sight setting. This formula isn't 100% perfect but will get you awfully close.
 
#4 ·
"front sight too short".....THATS what i was trying to confirm. As stated , i believed the rear factory buckhorn was useless; rear was all the way down and poi was 10-12" high. I decided to try a Skinner which i have used on a Marlin. The Skinner for the Rossi is a "barrel mount peep sight". It started to address the problem of always shooting high but still shoots high at its lowest elevation. I suspected the front sight was too short but just wanted to be sure. I read that others with this model have had similar problems with the factory sights.
If then the front post has to be taller, how much taller ?
 
#5 ·
THanks Jim.... when i replied to Ral and posted , saw your reply. Formula seems simple enough, but then , i stink at math; only know how to multiply hahahh. At least you can confirm what i had expected, the front post needs replacement. Thank you....
z
 
#6 ·
I'd bet you a box of doughnuts that you are better than me at math. It really is pretty simple, but you do need a decent dial caliper. Harbor Freight tools has them cheap and maybe a real small brass drift/punch. Replacement front sights are only a couple of dollars. I bought mine from Brownell's.
 
#7 ·
Jim.... i might have amazed myself. Digested the above along with similar info on "tech page' of Skinner sights and i may give it a shot. I do notice though that when computing it is asked at what distance you're shooting and you have to adjust accordingly to come up with the final number that should be the height of the new sight. I was shooting at 25yd, but from here on out it will be @ 50yds. The numbers change when calculating between 25 & 50. Should i wait to get back on the range at 50 to see if it makes a difference ? Can't now, hunting season opened today and it will be at least 3 weeks even before i can look at this again...
 
#8 ·
25 yards is awfully close for checking the sights on a rifle. If anything - your bullet strikes will naturally be lower at that close of a range. I expect my bullet impacts to be an inch or so below my point of aim at 25 yards. I only use 25 yards if I'm checking the sights for windage on a rifle - or of course maybe a .22 rifle. In my humble opinion, a rifle with open sights should be set at 100 yards.

If you decide not to do the measuring thing, the only other way to do it is to measure the front sight already on the rifle and buy several taller sights than the one you already have and try them out. Just remember that what you are doing is making the muzzle point at a lower place when you aim (if you are hitting high).
 
#9 ·
OH.,..... "If anything, your bullet strikes would be be lower @ 25 yds"..... I was under the impression that at 25 yds my strikes would be higher, level off somewhat after that, and then drop off considerably. As you can see, i'm not to familiar with open sights. In my younger days i used scoped rifles. The only reason i tested at 25 was because all the big bore guys were shooting or waiting to sight in and i didn't want to putz around with my problem.
Sight @ 100 ? Can't even see 100 anymore. Don't hunt anymore at my age. I could be quickly done with all this by simply saying the hell with the open sights BUT the though of a scope on a lever gun just don't look right to me hahahah. I'm retired, with time in my hands, and wanted to get into some "nostalgia" ie open sights like grandpa, but age/sight/unfamiliarity with open sights is against me. By the way, i'm shooting for targeting only, busting clays or holing paper and reload all my own. Thanks for your time....
z
 
#10 ·
Know what you mean. Now that I am becoming more "seasoned" I am scoping more of my rifles. I have two lever guns a Rossi 357 like yours with stock sights and Granddads Savage 99 that he put a Williams peep sight on. Neither will have an optic on them ever, no matter how bad the old eyes get.
 
#12 ·
I've always been a huge fan of open and peep military style sights, but now that I'm on the other side of 60 (way on the other side) scopes look like a much better option. The only "open sights' that I've never really liked much are the European ("barley corn?") military sights like they use on the Mauser military rifles. The notch in the rear sight is a sharp "V" and the front post is an inverted sharp "V". I've always had a hard time getting a clear sight picture with those darned things. The U.S. military peep sights are easy to use (the front sight post seems to center itself) and the front sight posts are square and clear.

Funny that Beefy said "Pumpkin on a post" for his sight picture. I always set my sights to where the bullet strike will be exactly where the top of the front sight blade is. If I'm shooting at a standard bullseye target I hold my front sight post exactly on the bottom edge of the bullseye itself (the 10 ring) or a "center hold". I know most shooters use a "6 o'clock hold", but if I did that I'd hit the 6 or 7 ring.
 
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