Tapping for Iron Sights

[epanzella]

After losing an opportunity on a nice buck lst year due to a fogged scope I decided to convert my smokeless muzzle loader to see thru mounts and iron sights. Being a gorilla I've always been nervous when tapping anything smaller than 1/4-20 and I've never even attempted 6-48 blind holes in a rifle barrel. After local gunsmiths said they were backed up from 10 to 12 weeks I decided it's time to man up and learn how to do this. With little patience, a quality bottom tap and a spring loaded tap guide it turned out to be fairly easy. I had to remove my NIKON 2.5-10x50 in favor of a Leopold 2-7x32 as the 50mm objective bell hit the rear sight. I had to fab the front sight as I couldn't find a suitable factory blade.

 

[DangerZone]

That is a very top level of back up iron sights. I dig it.

 

[silverhawk]

Beautiful work!

joe

 

[dneaster3]

That's really great work, and I like how the ghost ring fits neatly in between the facets of the picatinny rail.
That said, for all the trouble and expense of the backup sights, I hope you upgraded your scope as well. No decent modern scope should have any internal fogging!

 

[epanzella]

That's really great work, and I like how the ghost ring fits neatly in between the facets of the picatinny rail.
That said, for all the trouble and expense of the backup sights, I hope you upgraded your scope as well. No decent modern scope should have any internal fogging!

All my scopes are top of the line and internal fogging was not the issue. After sitting for 6 hours in the pouring rain and fog the outside of the scope was covered with condensation and water droplets. I do have Butler Creek lens caps but after flipping them open a few times to eye ball deer the moisture had gotten past them. The day was a mess and if it wasn't the last day of the season I would have slept in.

 

[Papa Charlie]

Nice job. The rain can be a real pain when it comes to optics. Doesn't matter what you do. Even water droplets can through the image off. The see through mounts are a great option and provides a nice option to the scope.
I modified a rifle for a friend so in a similar fashion so he had the ability to use the iron sights when he was too close to the target for the scope. Another I installed a base that allowed the scope to be tilted to the side so you could use the iron sights. He didn't want the extra height of the see through mounts.

Have you had a chance to take it out and shoot it yet. Sometimes it takes a little getting use to, to use the see throughs.

 

[epanzella]

Nice job. The rain can be a real pain when it comes to optics. Doesn't matter what you do. Even water droplets can through the image off. The see through mounts are a great option and provides a nice option to the scope.
I modified a rifle for a friend so in a similar fashion so he had the ability to use the iron sights when he was too close to the target for the scope. Another I installed a base that allowed the scope to be tilted to the side so you could use the iron sights. He didn't want the extra height of the see through mounts.

Have you had a chance to take it out and shoot it yet. Sometimes it takes a little getting use to, to use the see throughs.

Being as I had build up the blade with weld and only wanted to only do it once, I deliberately made it too high by .100". I put the ghost ring where I wanted it then shot the gun on my property @ 25 yards. Of course it shot low with the (too) high front sight so I would fire 2 shots and then mill off .025" to raise the group. I set it @ 2" high after removing .100 inch at the mill. I haven't been to the range yet but when I do I'll fine tune the irons @ 50 yds and set the scope 2" high @ 100 yds.

 

[mickri]

Great job on the iron sights.

I don't know which is worse. The rain, snow and cold you guys back east have or the 100 degree plus temperatures here in California. Deer season in most of the state starts in mid August. The hottest time of the year.

 

[dneaster3]

All my scopes are top of the line and internal fogging was not the issue. After sitting for 6 hours in the pouring rain and fog the outside of the scope was covered with condensation and water droplets. I do have Butler Creek lens caps but after flipping them open a few times to eye ball deer the moisture had gotten past them. The day was a mess and if it wasn't the last day of the season I would have slept in.

Ah... makes more sense now. Been there.
Like I said... really nice work on the rear site alignment with the rail, and on the front site. Looks great.