Thread: Which aperture for a lee enfield No4 mk2

Originally Posted by Mauser308

Um, if he's aiming under the deer at 100 isn't a taller foresight going to make him aim at the ground? Or am I getting this totally wrong? He needs to file a small amount off the foresight to lift the muzzle as the easiest solution, combines with opening out the rear sight hole to allow more light in for hunting in bush. The thinning down of the outside of the peep sight isn't a bad idea either to be honest - more light and more field of view is always good!

Good point to raise (pardon the pun!).

Currently he has to aim too far below his POI. He did not clarify if the hold-inder is too extreme or if it is just the regular use of that sight type. I'm personally happy with holding the sight post immediately below the post like this:

( i )

With a built up front sight post with a blob of paint or whatever, the blob will be nearer to, touch, or even overlay the POI. He will have to change the way he uses his sights of course. The disadvantage of building up to a truglo spot overlying the target is of course that you partially obscure the target - but not so much a problem at only 100 yards.

Had the same issue with a fully wooded No4, It had the 300/600 and shot high at the 100 mark (understandable) As the front sight is protected I filed a new front sight out of Deer antler and spray painted it black. Kept the original front sight and to look at the rifle you wouldn`t know the difference. Works perfectly.

Originally Posted by Tasbay

Had the same issue with a fully wooded No4, It had the 300/600 and shot high at the 100 mark (understandable) As the front sight is protected I filed a new front sight out of Deer antler and spray painted it black. Kept the original front sight and to look at the rifle you wouldn`t know the difference. Works perfectly.

Snort! Lee Antfield (-:

Originally Posted by Solo

By pure coincidence, this just came out:

"We won't do the flip battle sight because it [the range] is stamped on it". Haha, such faith.

Originally Posted by Mauser308

Um, if he's aiming under the deer at 100 isn't a taller foresight going to make him aim at the ground? Or am I getting this totally wrong? He needs to file a small amount off the foresight to lift the muzzle as the easiest solution, combines with opening out the rear sight hole to allow more light in for hunting in bush. The thinning down of the outside of the peep sight isn't a bad idea either to be honest - more light and more field of view is always good!

A taller fore sight will be needed to bring the POI down. Currently the need to aim under the deer is due to the rifle shooting high. Filing the fore sight will just make it shoot higher. Iron sights take a bit of getting used to for those who have mostly used scopes previously. Seems back to front at first.
Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by Cordite

"We won't do the flip battle sight because it [the range] is stamped on it". Haha, such faith.

To be fair, he's checking them against each other, not actually loading up with Mk VII ammo to check if the sights do what they say they do.

Originally Posted by Mauser308

Ah yeah right, caught up now. Thinking upside down, too used to adjustables and scopes as you say. In the days past when I was doing a lot of LE post changes I had a box of front blades and a formula for working it out. You don't have to think that way, just plug the result in and fit the required blade. I recall now the saying was something like hit high, fit high/hit low fit low - but no real need for it now as irons are generally only good for feck all (and target). I did a wee bit with them in the early days of my hunting, but in any sort of crap or inclement weather found them crap and soon moved on.

My iron sighted rifles are mostly used on the range and in one of our local comps for iron sights on deer targets. A nice light rifle (probably not a Lee Enfield) with sturdy aperture and blade is great to take along on a not really hunting bush walk. Even better if it is a break open that you can take down and stash in your pack should the mood take you.
Regards Grandpamac.

I really like the ghost rings that came on my 45-70, but the possibility of encountering a deer that wants to stand more than 30m away from me means I'm fitting a scope. I'm confident I could hit it with irons, just not confident enough that it'd be an ethical shot.

Originally Posted by Mauser308

Ironically enough, the opposite problem exists too. I had an old matriarch hind barking at me from the other side of a flax bush, I was barking back and it was just enough to unsettle her that she stayed and we barked at each other for about 10 minutes. I could see an eye and a vague outline by mk1 eyeball, knew it was a deer but there was just too much magnification to make the details out by scope. Me companion was like, why didn't you shoot - and I was like I couldn't see it through around or beside the scope. I would have taken the shot with irons, but to be fair thats the only time that has happened to me!

Now, this is the sort of excuse I need to mount an offset red dot and make my gun look completely try-hard...

Originally Posted by Solo

Now, this is the sort of excuse I need to mount an offset red dot and make my gun look completely try-hard...

Someone please market an adapter gizmo which lets you mount a pistol red dot scope over a folded-down No 4 ladder sight.

Originally Posted by Mauser308

I thought someone did, or maybe it fitted into the rear sight mount hole?

I've seen a parker hale scope rail in two pieces where the rear rail replaces the flip up ladder sight. Not sure how the front rail looks.

Originally Posted by Solo

I really like the ghost rings that came on my 45-70, but the possibility of encountering a deer that wants to stand more than 30m away from me means I'm fitting a scope. I'm confident I could hit it with irons, just not confident enough that it'd be an ethical shot.

Greetings Solo,
Using aperture sights looks quite primitive to someone used to a scope but they are really quite good. The trick is to look through the aperture without trying to center the foresight in it. Your eye will naturally do that. Focus on the foresight and not the target. This will make the target a little out of focus but you will be able to place the foresight precisely. And most important, aim for the boiler room. No fancy meat saving shots, just plant it in the lungs. In the US they use the 45-70 and 45-90 for shooting metal pig targets at 500 metres. They shoot prone using crossed sticks. They also shoot the chickens at 200 metres standing. All with aperture sights. They do practice a lot.
Regards Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings Solo,
Using aperture sights looks quite primitive to someone used to a scope but they are really quite good. The trick is to look through the aperture without trying to center the foresight in it. Your eye will naturally do that. Focus on the foresight and not the target. This will make the target a little out of focus but you will be able to place the foresight precisely. And most important, aim for the boiler room. No fancy meat saving shots, just plant it in the lungs. In the US they use the 45-70 and 45-90 for shooting metal pig targets at 500 metres. They shoot prone using crossed sticks. They also shoot the chickens at 200 metres standing. All with aperture sights. They do practice a lot.
Regards Grandpamac.

In fairness, don't they also have that special spray so their aperture sights don't fog up?

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings Solo,
Using aperture sights looks quite primitive to someone used to a scope but they are really quite good. The trick is to look through the aperture without trying to center the foresight in it. Your eye will naturally do that. Focus on the foresight and not the target. This will make the target a little out of focus but you will be able to place the foresight precisely. And most important, aim for the boiler room. No fancy meat saving shots, just plant it in the lungs. In the US they use the 45-70 and 45-90 for shooting metal pig targets at 500 metres. They shoot prone using crossed sticks. They also shoot the chickens at 200 metres standing. All with aperture sights. They do practice a lot.
Regards Grandpamac.

That's the thing, I could definitely hit the deer, I just don't trust my ability to hit a specific part of the deer enough to risk the animal's welfare. Deer aren't kind enough to wear little targets over their vital organs, so when I look at them through irons the danger is they'll blend into one mass, and I won't be sure exactly where I'm aiming. I'm not a fan of fancy meat-saving shots even with a scope, and especially not with a slow round.