how do you calibrate hangun sights?

[larrytbull]

Just installed a new set of sights on my g23c. would like to verify that the sights are true. does anyone have a way to do this, as I am new to shooting I can't just go by my shooting.

thanks

[knight0334]

Take it to a range and; shoot, adjust, shoot, adjust, shoot, adjust..

Best results are off a rest of some sort.

I have a Bubba way to do sights on a handgun to get a close setting prior to the range.

1. find a straight wood dowel or rod close to the diameter of the barrel, but about 2-3 times longer than the barrel..
2. wrap some yarn around it equally until it just fits the barrel bore. Slide it down the bore most of the way.
3. eyeball the sights with the top curve of the end of the rod, and make any necessary windage adjustments.

You can usually get within minute of torso @ 10-15yards quite easily after doing a complete sight swap with the method above.. Elevation adjustments(if available) you'll have to do at the range.

[str8shooter]

Just installed a new set of sights on my g23c. would like to verify that the sights are true. does anyone have a way to do this, as I am new to shooting I can't just go by my shooting.

thanks

I know the feeling. I was trying to sight in a new scope and my groups were crappy which I knew was my fault, but I didn't know which adjustments to make on the scope. I too asked the good folks of this forum and the answer most often was to shoot from a good steady rest. Even if it's just a bag or two of sand to support your gun and and arm, it will help eliminate many problems you may have being a new shooter. If you can take 5 shots from a rest at 5 yards and get a 1" group, then you're shooting well enough to adjust the sights based on the offset from center of the group. If your holes are all over the place, then you need to practice shooting a little more first. Perfect sights can't make up for poor shooting.

There are also in-the-chamber laser bore sighters which work well, but they run in the $40-$50 range. It might not be worth it for sighting in just one gun, but you might be able to borrow one or find one cheap on eBay. I have both in-the-chamber and in-the-muzzle bore sighters and the chamber sighter is 100 x easier to use. I also have half a dozen sleeves to fit over the basic unit (about $10 each), so it can be used for many different caliber barrels.

Good luck, hopefully it won't be long before you stop adding "new to shooting" in your posts.

[larrytbull]

thanks, i have a bore sighter, (in the barrel one with adapters}, i will try and see how good i did it

[Xringshooter]

If you're going to do the laser bore sighter way, you want to make sure that the gun is rock steady and you don't have to handle it. Get the dot on the paper, and without touching it get a good sight picture and see where the sights are in relation to the dot on paper. This is actually a harder way to sight a handgun in as the sight radius is so much shorter than a rifle. I do it knights' way with a long straight dowel, a pistol rest, a line level and some adjustable stands. I lock the gun in the rest, insert the dowel, level the dowel and the barrel (this is where I use the adj stands to insure the dowel is straight and level) and then look at the sights and make any adjustments (windage). Elevation adjustments are made at the range.

[str8shooter]

If you're going to do the laser bore sighter way, you want to make sure that the gun is rock steady and you don't have to handle it. Get the dot on the paper, and without touching it get a good sight picture and see where the sights are in relation to the dot on paper. This is actually a harder way to sight a handgun in as the sight radius is so much shorter than a rifle. I do it knights' way with a long straight dowel, a pistol rest, a line level and some adjustable stands. I lock the gun in the rest, insert the dowel, level the dowel and the barrel (this is where I use the adj stands to insure the dowel is straight and level) and then look at the sights and make any adjustments (windage). Elevation adjustments are made at the range.

I'm not sure if I used it wrong, but I found the bore laser easy to align hand gun sights and rifle scopes. When adjusting a revolver with a 6" barrel, I rested my arm and trigger hand on a firm bean bag sitting at a picnic table, I looked down the sites and adjusted them so when I looked just over the top of the front sight, the red dot was aligned in the rear sight. Then it only took a couple shots to confirm the settings.

[Xringshooter]

I agree, there are several different ways to sight them in. I am just used to the dowel method as that was how I was taught many years ago (before lasers). I use the laser boresighter almost exclusively when sighting in scopes as I find it easier than some of the other boresighters. As long as it aligns the sights to put the rounds in the black I guess that's all that matters.

[knight0334]

I agree, there are several different ways to sight them in. I am just used to the dowel method as that was how I was taught many years ago (before lasers). I use the laser boresighter almost exclusively when sighting in scopes as I find it easier than some of the other boresighters. As long as it aligns the sights to put the rounds in the black I guess that's all that matters.

We must have learned at the same school.. lol the School of Paps and Grandpaps.

[str8shooter]

We must have learned at the same school.. lol the School of Paps and Grandpaps.

I'm gonna give it a try. If I can get the hang of it, I'll teach my son and pass the craft down to a new generation.

[knight0334]

Its really not that hard of a trade/hobby. If you've ever worked on cars, like changing intakes, porting cylinder heads, changing drum brakes - you can work on most guns.


Anymore, I prefer working on or customizing my guns more than shooting them.