Winchester 1873 Range Report.

[cshold]

I was able to get to the range this afternoon.
Ammo. BP 38-40 wcf.

Pictured is my best 3 shot group at 50 yards.

I will be honest guys, I really struggled with those open sights. My eyes
just aren’t there anymore for this kind of shooting. I have been struggling
with this same issue of late with my PA. Long rifle.

Overall though, I had a great time making smoke with the old girl.
She is an absolute pleasure to shoot.

Unfortunately, I just don’t feel comfortable with my ability to take her
into the deer woods. I came away lacking that comfortable feeling of
doing a deer the justice of a clean, smack on, one shot kill, as I know
I can with my other glass toped deer rigs.
That’s very important to me, and I will not compromise that.

[Griff]

Very nice. I've noticed the same... but will be going back to the eye doc to get a new prescription... will be taking both a long & short gun with me for a focal length test.

[cshold]

Very nice. I've noticed the same... but will be going back to the eye doc to get a new prescription... will be taking both a long & short gun with me for a focal length test.

Griff I have noticed that barrel length does make a difference.
The front sight, rear sight and target are much clearer with
the 39.5” barrel on my PA. Long rifle.
But that's not as good as it once was.

This getting old thing stinks.
I'm going to go snug up beside Lady J now and sulk

[jd45]

I know what you're talkin about. I've been contending with the same problem. I've had a Williams FP on my 1892 with a white bead up front........ lately wasn't getting a good sight picture, so I put my Marble's Tang sight on it. Improved the pic significantly. I'd say adding a Lyman globe to the front would help even more with a bead insert. Of course I don't know if you'd go for non-original sights on such a rifle. Just a suggeston, jd45

[OldWin]

I have noticed this same thing the last few years with bead front sights. It dawned on me one day I didn't have the same trouble when shooting my M-1A. I try to use older carbines with a front sight block. I make a post front sight from old master lock keys and it greatly reduces the problem. Rifles with 24"+ barrels don't give me as much trouble.

[Ysabel Kid]

That range, especially with the fall colors, looks like a little slice of heaven!!!

[RIHMFIRE]

the trees are absolutely beautiful colors...I sure miss that..
38-40 is a great round...its my favorite....
I have the same problem with my eyes....I wear bifocals...
but I have a pair of shooting glass for just seeing long distance,
and I put a small drop of fluorescent paint on my front sight....
rear sight is a bit blurry.....but that seemed to help....

[EdinCT]

I have the same problems and changed the buckhorn out on my 92(saved it) and put a original Marbles tange sight on it. I only carry it on sunny days because I can see the German silver front really well and it will group into 1.5" at 75 yards. A old friend of my dads said some old school guys replaced their front sight with a cut down nickel.
I really enjoy hunting with it though and it puts them down.
You have a beautiful classic and it is really a fun gun to shoot, enjoy it on the range or in the woods if you choose.

Ed

[gamekeeper]

That's a beautiful range and rifle.
My old eyes have the same problem with open sights, I guess perhaps it's Gods way of making us better at stalking.

[perry owens]

I have a similar 1873 in 38-40. I put a Beech combination front sight on it, a Marbles tang sight and a Marbles folding leaf rear sight. That way I can use bead and aperture or blade and notch depending on range and light conditions. I wear varifocals so I got my optician to prescribe single-vision inserts for my shooting glasses that give the clearest possible sight picture.
The original sights are stowed away ready to go back on when I sell the rifle, which will be shortly after Hell freezes over.
Perry Owens

[Nath]

Side o' deer is larger than them there itsy bitsy pieces of paper

Nath

[firefuzz]

Side o' deer is larger than them there itsy bitsy pieces of paper
Nath

Yup. Hit the deep woods, shorten your range, and let that ole smoke pole bring home the venison.

Rob

[rjohns94]

my reading glasses really help sight acquisition. she is a beaut. clean her up nice. good luck in your choice to hunt with her. blessings

[J Miller]

OK Lady J, time to make hubby feel better. He's getting a bit down cos he can't see as good as used to.

Alright, the cure for not being able to see really great is just below my post.

Look down \/ \/ , yes down .... in blue. J e

[COSteve]

Deleted

[Old Savage]

The point of having sights is to accurately aim the shot. Use what works best for that and never mind trying to cling to the old days or some nostalgic attitude of why it is better to shoot with iron sights.

What is important here - the job at hand or the shooting form?

[J Miller]

Oh Fred ....... sounds like you're telling him to drill and tap that 73 for a scope. Oh my goodness. I think I'm gonna faint ...................


..................... I kind of like COSteve's idea. I just might try it.

Joe

[Old Savage]

No, I think he is talking about using something mounted under a scope.

[Rusty]

It wasn't uncommon for old timers to move their rear sight closer to their eye on an old rifle as they aged and the eyesight started to decline. I once saw an old squirrel rifle that had the rear moved twice as evidenced by the fillers in the other dovetails.

[COSteve]

I kind of like COSteve's idea. I just might try it.

You WILL see the front and rear sight and the target clear as a bell. The difference is a astounding!!

But the reason isn't black magic, just simple optics ..... small aperture = long DOF.