Rear sights on your smoothbores

[Maven]

Yes, I'm used to a rear sight too, but PD's observation re distance & a rear sight is pretty much what I've observed and experienced.  In fact, I sometimes shoot with a fella who shoots  a 20a. smoothie with no rear sight and who does at least as well as some of the riflemen and sometimes better.  While I'm not nearly as adept as he is with the smoothbore (no rear sight), shots @ 50yd. gongs aren't impossible.

[Mad Irish Jack]

Myself; I had a Tulle smoothbore I finished, from CenterMark. I could handle it, no sight, at basic ranges better than most :idea my own removable tang site (primarily for plinking long distances and hunting larger game w/ rb). It was 1/16"  by 1 1/2" brass flat the width of the tang. I bent it to not quite 40 degrees. I filed a point on the base end. Place on the tang pointed with the point back toward the butt, set at a position that puts the sight plate above the breach. Mark the tang screw hole center and drill a hole, centered in the base, the diameter of the tang screw. You may need to purchase a new tang screw slightly longer in length. Screw the sight in place. (SIGHT IN)using a pencil to find the center. SHOOT> move the base R or L to put the penciled center mark on the targets vertical center.  Also mark the tang where the point tip on the base is positioned. This needs peened, scratched or someway marked. Tighten the sight. Horizontal center is set. Find and file the sight plate to your horizontal center at your shortest sighting distance. This is the deepest groove cut. Make initial marks with pencil before filing. The plate top was my 100yds. I filed a thin groove for 25 yds, and a slightly wider one for 50yds. For giggles I filed a 150 yd mark on the front sight. :USA  

[Stormrider51]

I've got two smoothies.  The Dutch Club Butt in the photo does not have a rear sight but the Tulle below it does.  I can't tell much if any difference when shooting shot loads.  Firing a single ball is a different story.  I have a tendency to string balls vertically with the Dutch Girl.  This has been true in the past with other smoothbores that lack a rear sight.  I think the problem is me and not the gun.  Thanks to the shape of the stock my face doesn't get a good cheek weld for repeatable shooting.  The rear sight on the Frenchie forces me to get the same sight picture even though my cheekbone is floating slightly above the sloping buttstock.  As the saying goes YMMV.
John

[Longhunter]

When shooting round ball I use the slot on the tang bolt as a rear sight simply by setting the front blade centered on that slot. It works well enough that I bang gongs out to 75 yards with no problems.

Analogy....Why use crutches when you can walk just as well with a cane.

[rdstrain49]

I've only shot my smoothie out to 70 yards.  So far I'm well and truly pleased with the 70 yard three shot groups offhand averaging right at 2" center to center.  And no, mine doesn't have a rear sight.

[kev308]

Thanks everyone for your responses. As it turns out I bought a sight from TOTW. After much hemming and hawing, I put it on. To say the least I was pleased with the results.
The best part is the point of impact is only two inches low at 50 yards. So a few licks with a file and we are good to go.
When I shoulder the gun, I pick up the sight picture quickly and easily.

[Stormrider51]

Glad you got set up in a way that works for you.  That's all that really counts.
John

[Hanshi]

I found the rear sight on mine made a difference, too.

[Jumpy]

I have a rear sight on my virgina smoothie. So far I like it just fine.

[Loyalist Dave]

I use them on all of mine for hunting.  I bought a 4-pack of brass, 3/4 inch Everbuilt "angle braces" or "corner brackets"  I hold them in place with the tang screw, and I then shortened the upright portion as while the open hole made a sort of "ghost ring" when shooting shot, it didn't give me precise enough a sight picture for shooting ball.

LD

[AxelP]

I don't have a rear sight on my fowler but I use the tang bolt slot as a reference and it seems to keep my windage pretty much dead on when shooting roundball so no official rear sight is needed.

In talking to to various shooters over the years, (both modern cf and traditional ml) I have noticed that generally speaking if you are a good rifle shooter you are not a great shotgun shooter. If you are a good shotgun shooter, you are not a great rifle shooter. I know that plays out for me. I can often get better groups with my smoothbore fowler shooting patched roundball than I do with my rifle. I know part of that might be because the stock on my fowler fits me better, but I also think it has to do with my shooting technique or lack thereof. I have little formal training, just what pops showed me when I was a kid so I am sure I have plenty of poor habits.

K