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Hello everybody,
I am a big fan of the 1886 and I have three original vintage ones (2 Rifles, 40-82 and 45-90, Carbine 45-70). I only shoot them occasionally but now I have been offered a Pedersoli 1886 Sporting Rifle in 4570. I would love to take it hunting AND shooting on the range out to 300yds (using smokeless powder, only).
Since I have read Colonel Townsend Whelen I am interested in mounting a tang lyman sight. BUT (and here is, what I need help with): the advantages of the tang sight seem to diminish when you leave the Buckhorn sights in place, right?
Nevertheless, I have seen pics of vintage guns that still had buckhorn sights AND tang. So why would someone do that?
I would love to leave the buckhorn in place, because to me it makes the rifle “complete” – and it is a “emergency” sight in case the tang is folded down and you have to take a quick shot.
So, what could and should I do? Zero the Buckhorn for 50 yds and use the tang for longer ranges? But with relatively flat trajectories of the smokeless cartridges there will be quite a distance until the buckhorn does not interfere with the tang sight line anymore, right?
Thanks a lot, guys for your answers – I am really lost, and even more, because Germany does not leave many places for you to try those things out. 300yds ranges are very scarce here…
Cheers,
Felix
Leave the buckhorn on in the lowest position (point blank). When you put the tang sight on and look through it you will see if the tang sight is leaning left or right. Now you can shim the tang sight to the proper position. When you shoot at a distant range the buckhorn will never cover the front sight and you will always have a indication if the the tang sight got bumped.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
I have done this to my rifle.I have a tang sight mounted with a rear folding sight. It isnt period correct but I cant find any vintage ones that want to ship to Canada… I did shoot it quite alot with the original ladder rear sight and it does jsut fine. The front sight lines up perfectly in the rear sight and is still visible in the tang sight.
What people usually do is keep the rear sight on, and set the tang to a specific range. So 300 yards for the tang and the rear say, lets say a buckhorn, can always be adjusted on the go. 
Kev18 said I did shoot it quite alot with the original ladder rear sight and it does jsut fine. The front sight lines up perfectly in the rear sight and is still visible in the tang sight.
If that’s the arrangement you like, stick to it. But it was NOT Mr. Lyman’s recommendation for the best way to use his or any other tang sight. Here’s his advice from his 1903 catalog: “The rear open sight should always be removed. A large proportion of those using the Lyman sight do not get one-half the benefit from it they should, because they will not take off the middle sight which stands directly in the way of a large part of the view.”
My sentiments exactly–I find it hugely distracting to have to look “over” a middle sight. For me, a buckhorn sight would be esp. annoying, but to each his own. I have a monster of a buckhorn I’ll try to dig up for those who like them big & ugly.
I can see how it can be annoying to have both sights. I made myself a blank that I had on, but I took it off to try it with the normal sight and I liked it. It takes some getting used to. Not for everyone.
clarence said
If that’s the arrangement you like, stick to it. But it was NOT Mr. Lyman’s recommendation for the best way to use his or any other tang sight. Here’s his advice from his 1903 catalog: “The rear open sight should always be removed. A large proportion of those using the Lyman sight do not get one-half the benefit from it they should, because they will not take off the middle sight which stands directly in the way of a large part of the view.”
My sentiments exactly–I find it hugely distracting to have to look “over” a middle sight. For me, a buckhorn sight would be esp. annoying, but to each his own. I have a monster of a buckhorn I’ll try to dig up for those who like them big & ugly.
That’s what I had read so far, stated by some people, but never from the original source… Thank you!
Probably back then, not too many followed the advice – I think one can find many Vintage guns that have both rear sights on…
I really Do like the looks, but it certainly makes sense to remove the buckhorn…
1873man said
Leave the buckhorn on in the lowest position (point blank). When you put the tang sight on and look through it you will see if the tang sight is leaning left or right. Now you can shim the tang sight to the proper position. When you shoot at a distant range the buckhorn will never cover the front sight and you will always have a indication if the the tang sight got bumped.Bob
Bob, I am still considering your idea… With a 405grs bullet, at what distance would that be the case, that the buckhorn doesnt interfere with the tang anymore? Up to what distance could the buckhorn alone be used?
With a open rear sight the front sight is blurred to my 70 year old eyes. To shoot my guns beyond 100 yards I have to have a peep type sight. The tang sight clears up both front and rear sight pictures, also the greater the distance between the sights the tighter the group. I sight my guns for 50 yards with the buckhorn and 100 yards with the tang sight. Leaving the buckhorn on the gun gives me the ability to quickly set the range of my tang sight. On most of my 86’s every notch of the rear sight elevator gives me about 50 yards of elevation up to 200 yards. If I had to set the range on my tang sight to 200 yards I would just click the elevator three clicks up, set the tang sight in the buckhorn and drop the buckhorn back down. If you have young eyes you can use the markings on the tang sight staff, but I can’t do that without cheaters and good light.
On the 73 and 76 I use a Winchester not Lyman tang sights and mark ranges with finger nail polish, the markings are bigger and visible to my senior eyes.
T/R
I hunt with a few different Winchester leverguns, all vintage except for a Browning 1886 SRC 45-70). I hate taking off the rear sight from an original, and will usually leave it on. My 65 year-old eyes, however, require that I obtain a period original tang sight and mount it on the rifle. The secret is to a) have both rear and tang sights zeroed in windage and b) to practice (which I always enjoy).
This being said, I have found a practical necessity for having BOTH a tang sight as well as a rear sight. The tang sight is for the purpose of a sharp sight picture despite old eyes. But I have found that some of the best hunting is in the half hour before sunrise and after sunset. Sometimes, that period of time is overcast, or I am deep in a forest where the light fails quickly after sunset. At that point, my tang sight becomes very difficult to use, so I fold it down and use the rear sight, which gives me another 10 minutes of shootability in failing light, especially if I put a white dot on the tip of the front sight.
A few years ago, I shot a nice doe in the final minutes of legal shooting time with an original Model 1873 and a tang sight. It must have taken me 15 to 20 seconds just to figure out if I was looking through the tang sight, or just over it. After than, I decided a rear sight/tang sight is a good combination for actual hunting in low light. For precision target shooting, of course, it is tang sight only, if that is the objective.
Kirk Durston said
Sometimes, that period of time is overcast, or I am deep in a forest where the light fails quickly after sunset. At that point, my tang sight becomes very difficult to use, so I fold it down and use the rear sight, which gives me another 10 minutes of shootability in failing light, especially if I put a white dot on the tip of the front sight.
Of course you know what works best for you, but when it’s too dark to look through a hole, I wonder how can you make out the notch in the rear sight. When using any tang sight, all you need to see is the front sight. For the very darkest of conditions the white triangle on a Lyman #6 is supposed to be easiest to see, but I’ve never had any problem using a tang, until it became too dark to see the front sight.
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