Guest Mace Bishop Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 My Ruger Vaqueros consistantly shoot low. I compensate for this by aiming high when I shoot. Have any of you filed down or machined you front sight to shoot point of aim? Would appreciate any help or suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Bill Burt Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 If both are shooting low I would wonder if it's them or something to do with the way you are aiming. You didn't mention .38 or .45? You might consider practice dry firing using a sight picture that includes more of the blade.... Before filing remember it's easier to take off metal than put it back on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judge Roy Stone Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Would it be legal to put a small dot of white nail polish on the front sight ? I did this before on a non case gun and worked great, if it doesn't work you just clean it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dream Chaser, SASS #79316 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 My guns are exactly the same way. At first I did not like it and now I do. I do find with a bullet change or powder change that changes. I sort of figure for big SASS targets if I see the front sight at all it's a go and that is an advantage of needing the front sight a bit high. However if the targets are smaller I have to be more precise. In a way, what's the difference between being precise with the sights filed to level and being precise knowing about how high to have them? Yes, I am sure the precision being level may be easier to acquire but I don't find such a need. So, even though I almost filed, I am very glad I did not. It will be interesting to hear responses because I think you will get a 50/50 response. Both of mine shoot low and what Captain Bill Burt says may hold some merit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pit Bull Tex Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 My guns are nickel and I just use a little more front sight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Would it be legal to put a small dot of white nail polish on the front sight ? ... NO Please refer to the SIGHT regs on pages 5-6 of the SHB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rance - SASS # 54090 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 My thoughts.... Once you FINALLY decide what ammo you are going to reload... That means you've decided on the... bullet weight and type... the grains of powder.. the type of powder.. and you can say... "OK I like this load.. this is gonna be my SASS pistol load" Then if you want to file down your front sight to match you point of aim.. I'd say your good to go.. If you haven't got all that defined.. I'd leave them alone and wait til I did.. Like another cowboy said.. Lot easier to take it off than put it back on... Rance Don't ask me how I know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD Trampas, SASS # 55781 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 If you re-load and are happy with the load you have and you are going to stay with that load for quite awhile, I would say yes, file down the front sights, go slow and I mean slow, 2 swipes then check it, then double check it before you file anymore down. Now I have filed down my front sights on my rugers that I shoot all the time, the bad thing is, I filed them down before I started reloading, was using factory ammo then, granted with me reloading I had to play with the load to get it to print where the factory was and it still isn't as close as before but pretty close, I took 2 swipes with file, shot again, then shot again, filed 2 more strokes then shot, it was close enough for me at least, this was from 15 yards and on a rest. Now as far as the others revolvers I have, I didn't do it, I know where the print so so, and with the cowboy targets as close as they are, decided not to file them. I switch back and forth with revolvers but mainly shoot the rugers with the filed sights, if I had to do it over again, I wouldn't do it, that is just me, mine are stainless by the way. Good luck on your decision All for now JD Trampas P.S. One other thing, I changed powders from what I was using, so I had to do it again, started at low ends loads, shot, mid range loads, shot, high end loads, shot, ended up in between the mid and high was the best results for me, now I'm not the fastest shooter or the best at hitting targets, I shoot duelist so I have a few misses, but I don't care at all, I have fun that is what I like, FUN FUN, when dialing in my loads I did do it 2 handed, LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Foot Johnson Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I've regulated the sights on over half of my fixed sight SASS legal SA's (88 total), and it can be a bit disconcerting for the first timer, but it sure beats keeping a note book in your gun cart with things like, "J49987 is 4" high and 2" left, U12108 is on up & down and 3" right, 55-22980 is 3 1/2" low and 1" left", etc. For the most part, fixed sight guns are not going to shoot to point of aim due to a variety of reasons; bullet weight, range, velocity, type of powder, etc. If they did, why would adjustable sights ever have been developed? A little work with a file goes a long ways, and you can do it by trial and error taking a few strokes, shooting, a few more strokes, shoot again, and so on, OR you can do the math and get it very close the first time: Say you're shooting 3" low at 15 yards and your sight radius is 6 1/2". Fifteen yards is 540 inches and you want to raise your point of aim 3" at that range, so the equation is 3/540 = ?/6.5. Six point five times three equals 19.5 and 19.5 divided by 540 equals ~.036". Get out yer calipers and file and go to work - remove the cylinder, clamp the frame in a padded vise (don't overdo it - the frame is hollow and you CAN distort it), and wrap the barrel in masking tape to protect it because you WILL inadvertently touch the barrel with the file when doing the final shaping. In this instance, personally I wouldn't remove more than .030" before test firing. Use a fine toothed draw file, handle in left hand, tip in right, and draw the file toward you to remove metal. DO NOT grab the file in one hand and saw back & forth - you'll never get it square and you'll damage the file and plug the teeth with metal in short order. And fer chrissake don't even think the word Dremel. To regulate R/L, a set of barrel blocks is used. These can be purchased commercially or made from hard wood - I've made most of mine from oak blocks. Clamp two blocks of oak together and drill a hole along the seam that is a few thousandths smaller in diameter than the barrel. Sprinkle some rosin in the cavity, remove the ejector assembly and clamp the barrel in the blocks in a vise. Place the blocks as close to the frame as possible. Next, a frame wrench is used to move the frame slightly on or off the barrel to move the front sight left or right - left moves point of impact to the right and right moves point of impact to the left. I've never used a commercial frame wrench, but instead utilized a modified wooden carpenters screw clamp. A hardwood tool handle can often be used through the cylinder window to accomplish this, but if it is excessively tight, you CAN distort the frame. If you use this method, position the handle to the front of the frame. Adding metal or replacing the front sight to lower point of aim is a bit more advanced and perhaps better left to a professional shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lethal Larry, SASS #58429 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 My Ruger Vaqueros consistantly shoot low. I compensate for this by aiming high when I shoot. Have any of you filed down or machined you front sight to shoot point of aim? Would appreciate any help or suggestions. I bought a pair of EMF Great Western II's a while back and both shot about 6-8" low at 10 yds. I filed their front sights (very gradually!) until they shot to point of aim. Take your time and protect your barrel from damage if you decide to file. I did my best to follow the shape and outline of the stock sights so the front sight does not look like it was filed down. I also tested several of my pet loads to see if they do the job and determined filing was my best option. Good luck pard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go West Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I'd let the blade float a bit proud. I find the sights easier that way compared with even with the rear sight. I've used too many bullet weights, powder brands, & primers to start filing on my sights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Bullweed Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I shoot salt-n-pepper sets!! My stainless OMV shoots point of aim. My blued/ch OMV shoots 2" low/2" left Good enough to aim the same for most CAS targets. My Colt/Colt copy was also a salt-n-pepper set. Original Bisley point of aim. Uberti blued was 3" high. Good enough for CAS. I am now working on a set of Storekeepers that will also be a salt-n-pepper set. I do not think that this would be recommended by the better shooters but it works for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowCatcher Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 My Ruger Vaqueros consistantly shoot low. I compensate for this by aiming high when I shoot. Have any of you filed down or machined you front sight to shoot point of aim? Would appreciate any help or suggestions. First thing you have to do is settle in on a load that represents how you plan to do the majority of your shooting. The most significant factor affecting group height is the bullet weight. Heavier bullets require higher (taller) front sights. Then, after developing the load you most likely want to stay with, and that works for your shooting style, you have to ask yourself if you want to alter the gun to make this the load that a perfect sight picture will work with? Holding a little above or below the sight alignment point (when top of sights are evenly aligned) is subject to error, more so than using the sights the way they are designed to be used. I use 250 gr LRNFP loads in my Rugers and my Colt, and there was only a little metal removal required to give me POA=POI. In .357 pistols I find that the 158 LRNFP works the same way - only a slight bit of metal is removed. Most guns are regulated accordingly - .45 Colt - 250 gr, and .357 or .38 special - 158 gr. If you want to go lighter, you will probably have to remove more metal, a one way trip. That's why I use heavy bullets . . that and the fact that I like to see the steel fall down dead when I shoot it! Hope this helps, Shadow Catcher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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