Can't see the sight in low light

[KHickam]

Well, I could have shot a doe at about 45 yds today - It was shortly after the sun went down (but still legal shooting hours) and I was in a area that was shaded (near a deer trail in cedars) and when I threw up the gun to shoot - I couldn't find the &#@#$#@*@ browned iron sight against the background!!!!!!!! Would a silver or brass front sight be a solution to the problem?

I have the gun shooting right where I want it (I got two 2nd place ribbons today at the local club shoot) but, does me no good if I can't see the front sight in low light conditions

Dan'l

[BEAVERMAN]

Kieth, try some old school typewriter liquid paper on the top edge of the blade, will take probably 2 coats, comes off fairly easy with a 3m scotch brite pad

[Three Hawks]

An old piano key and some epoxy cement and you'll have an ivory inset sight.  White enough to see and not all that shiny.  You really don't want shiny.  In the meanwhile, as Beav says, a little white out and you're good to go.

Three Hawks

[BEAVERMAN]

Kieth, there was a post on the ALR forum about 2 weeks ago about in letting ivory on to a front site

[Three Hawks]

Kieth, there was a post on the ALR forum about 2 weeks ago about inletting ivory onto a front sight.

How about a link?  Now I have an urge to put an ivory inset in the front sight of my Hawken.  I also have a sperm whale tooth I can chip a piece of ivory from.  The missus got it from Iceland about ten or eleven years ago.  So I'd kill two birds with one stone, a better front sight and a memento of my Beloved's trip to "The Old Country."

How many  Mountain type dudes do you suppose would have Icelandic Whale Tooth Ivory as part of his rifle?  

If I start documenting all my sooper kewl junque, I could be a real live museum piece.  Lessee,  HBCo issue powder horn, genny-yoo-wine anty-kew Chinese Cinnibar beads on my necklace,  a wife what is documented to be descended from actual real, live 8th Century Icelandic Viking Royalty, and real whale tooth ivory in the front sight of my rifle.   I'll have to start tuggin' my my own forelock when I see myself in the mirror, I'll be so doggone high falutin' 'n important.  Practically a living legend in my own mind.

The royalty part is real and a source of great pride on my part.  Not many lowlifes like me get to sleep with very many Princesses.  Not only that, but with that a buck and a quarter you can get a cuppa pretty good coffee at nearly any McDonald's.

His Excellence, Three Hawks The Magniloquent

[pathfinder]

I polish the back side of the blade,then file a 45 degree angle on the back end of the sight and keep that polished too. It reflects back any light that's left. I tend not to trust anything glued and/or painted on,hate to find it was knocked/worn off/fell off when I needed it most.

[mark davidson]

KHickam, I ordered a white ivory type bead front sight from Brownells and just pecked it into the dovetail. It works great!!! I am a hunter...plain and simple. If I am in the woods and cannot shoot after all I go through to get the shot, then at that moment the internet, the traditional police, and all the historical correctness in the world can bite my behind :-)...at that moment I am highly POed! :-)  Get my drift? I shoot a fullstock flintlock Hawken with pretty curly maple and rust brown. Cool as it looks, it is worthless if I cannot see the sights. Others will disagree but I do not trust some brush on glue on stick on solution. Get you a good front sight and tap that baby in and go a'huntin!  It practically glows in the dark! :-)

[BEAVERMAN]

Kieth, there was a post on the ALR forum about 2 weeks ago about inletting ivory onto a front sight.

How about a link?  Now I have an urge to put an ivory inset in the front sight of my Hawken.  I also have a sperm whale tooth I can chip a piece of ivory from.  The missus got it from Iceland about ten or eleven years ago.  So I'd kill two birds with one stone, a better front sight and a memento of my Beloved's trip to "The Old Country."

How many  Mountain type dudes do you suppose would have Icelandic Whale Tooth Ivory as part of his rifle?  

If I start documenting all my sooper kewl junque, I could be a real live museum piece.  Lessee,  HBCo issue powder horn, genny-yoo-wine anty-kew Chinese Cinnibar beads on my necklace,  a wife what is documented to be descended from actual real, live 8th Century Icelandic Viking Royalty, and real whale tooth ivory in the front sight of my rifle.   I'll have to start tuggin' my my own forelock when I see myself in the mirror, I'll be so doggone high falutin' 'n important.  Practically a living legend in my own mind.

The royalty part is real and a source of great pride on my part.  Not many lowlifes like me get to sleep with very many Princesses.  Not only that, but with that a buck and a quarter you can get a cuppa pretty good coffee at nearly any McDonald's.

His Excellence, Three Hawks The Magniloquent

  http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/ind ... pic=7471.0

[vermontfreedom]

How wide is your blade?

My .54 had a really thin (like 1/32") german silver (i.e., nickel) blade that was awesome for target shooting, but i just couldn't see it while hunting in low light, so I installed a wider (maybe 3/32") steel blade, which made a lot of difference. my accuracy suffered a little, but maybe 1/2-1 inch at 50 yards...not enough to worry about when hunting.

I also paint my sights. don't know if it's historically accurate, but making an ethical shot is more important to me.

i've experimented with white, yellow, light blue, sky blue, dark blue, bright green, and red on front blade and rear notch and by far the best combination for me is a bright yellow (not chartreuse) blade and a light blue or sky blue rear sight. It really jumps out in all situations.

the only drawback to this color combo is in our october season when there are a lot of yellow leaves. however, against a chestnut-brown deer, it should be no problem

i say experiment with some paint before investing the time inletting another sight

[KHickam]

Once I get it installed and sighted in - should be no problem.

Keith