Episode 07 – Introduction to rifle sights
Are you confused by iron sights? If so, this video will clear things up. This will teach you the basic components of front and rear rifle sights and how they’re used.
Tom Gaylord (B.B. Pelletier)
Tom Gaylord is known as The Godfather of Airguns™ and has been an airgunner for over a half-century, but it was the Beeman company in the 1970s that awoke a serious interest in airguns. Until then, all he knew were the inexpensive American airguns. Through the pages of the Beeman catalog, he learned about adult airguns for the first time.
In 1994, Tom started The Airgun Letter with his wife, Edith. This monthly newsletter was designed to bring serious reports about airguns to the American public. The newsletter and Airgun Revue, a sister magazine about collectible airguns, was published from 1994 until 2002, when Tom started Airgun Illustrated -- the first American newsstand magazine about airguns.
Tom worked for three years as technical director at AirForce Airguns, the makers of the Talon, Condor, and Escape precharged air rifles. Today, he writes about airguns and firearms for various publications and websites. He also makes videos, and you'll find short clips embedded in some of his artices on Pyramyd Air's website.
Tom is a consultant to Pyramyd Air and writes under the name of B.B. Pelletier.
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I thoroughly enjoy the airgun education series. I am retired from AT&T and now have an abundant amount of time when I’m not traveling or repairing the old house to make as comfortable as any earth creature would want. As sad as it may be for us senior types our sight is not as clear as it was and I would like to request that you have an introduction to sighting-in your new scope for target shooting. I do hope you can accomodate an old but not elder man’s request. Keep up your fine efforts in your pyramid presentations. I wish I could be a part of your informative ongoings. Thank you so much-Gilbert E. Valenzuela “A true west Texan!”
Gilbert,
You need to read my daily blog! Everything you have asked for is already covered there.
/blog/
I am 63 and I still use open sights, though I use scopes a lot more often. Come to my blog and post a comment and I will help you locate everything you need.
Tom Gaylord
Thanks for this series of information about sighting. Despite my coaching, this was easier for my 9 year old son to absorb.
One suggestion, you might stress more about the concept that once you have the front and rear sights aligned, THEN you move where they are pointing to the center of the target you want to hit. My son was a bit confused by the video’s wording and graphic about “hitting the top center of where the sights are aimed”. I also had to talk through that you were purposely not shooting at the center of the target to illustrate some concepts…and reinforced that when he is shooting at the target that the front sight, rear sight and target must all be in alignment in his sight picture.
Jack,
Thanks for that feedback. Yes, it’s often easier to show a concept than to explain it, but personal coaching is still the most important part of a shooter’s overall education.
I know what you mean about the strike of the shots in the video being confusing. They confused me, too. I will be more sensitive to things like this in future videos.
Tom Gaylord
Is it possible to download episode 7 and 8 to use with my shooter education presentation for the Boy Scouts? Watching a video is a god break from listening to me.
Bob,
I’ve posed your question to Pyramyd Air and will let you know if a download is possible. We’re not set up for downloading at this time, so I’m not sure if we have the manpower to set up something special at this time.
Edith
Bob,
You can download these videos off Pyramyd Air’s YouTube site. You can show them to your Scouts. The only thing you can’t do is change anything in the videos.
Click here for episode 7.
Click here for episode 8.
Enjoy!
Edith
I have a question. After you adjust the rear sight, you level the front sight with it, by moving the front part of the barrel, or by moving the front sight notch? I tought that you don’t need to move the barrel anymore while/after making sight adjustments. Please respond quickly.
Krikman,
You level the top of the front sight with the top of the rear sight by elevating the barrel until the front sight comes level with the rear.
This isn’t something that’s done with a screwdriver. It’s done by changing the angle at which the rifle is held.
Tom
Thanks Tom!
I have one more question, if you don’t mind. On many guns says that the sight adjustment is 800 meters( for example). It means that if you do the correct adjustments, the bullet will reach 800 (or even more) , and have chances to hit the target?
Krikman,
Yes, that is exactly what that means. And 800 meters is close! Many WW I rifles have sights graduated out to over 2,000 meters. The tactics of the day dictated shooting rifles like artillery pieces, over “No-Man’s Land” and plunging into the trenches of the enemy.
Tom
Thanks again. I just read something that disappointed me. If the AK74 has a longer sight adjustments range than M16 (1000 comparing to 800), why everyone says that the m16 has a better accuracy? Is that because of it’s less recoil?
P.S. AK.74 has also a longer effective range ( 625 comp. To 550)
Krikman,
Or its more accurate round.
B.B.
This means that ak 74 has a longer sight adjustment range, but it’s heavy bullet and powerful recoil makes it less accurate…
Krikman,
It may be that and it may be a hundred other things. Why is the .219 Donaldson Wasp so much more accurate and powerful than the 5.56 mm that the M16 uses? better design. You cannot boil that down to just one or two things. Everything has to be taken into account.
Tom
So the ak 74 reaches further distances, while the m16 is more accurate within it’s range.
Right?
Krikman,
I am confused as to exactly what we are discussing at this point. Perhaps you could come over to the blog and discuss it there, where there are hundreds of active shooters ready to comment.
/blog/
Tom