If any of you see my mind, catch it for me

Trying to zero a Winchester Model 71 today, I couldn't remember which way to move the rear aperture. Carbine was shooting left and I kept moving the sight leftward. "What did I do when zeroing my service rifles?" I kept asking myself. After taking a 16 round pounding that any self-respecting Model 1903 would envy giving me (and watching $$$s flying down range), I gave up for the day. Please correct me if I'm wrong but I should have been moving the rear sight to the right to move POA to the right. Correct? And had the front sight been moveable, it would have been moved in the opposite direction or leftwards. Right?

TY, Chaz

Chaz,

Google "How to adjust rear rifle sights" and you'll see several YouTube videos on the direction both front and rear sights need to be moved to zero a rifle equipped with open sights.

Merc

I have the same trouble when zeroing a new pistol. I usually fire a couple rounds then check target, adjust rear sight, fire a couple more, check target, if bullet holes are going wrong way, adjust opposite direction until OK. Same for windage and up or down. But, I think by moving rear sight to left is right. Now I'm confused!

Rear sight moved to the right, bullet goes right.
Rear sight moved to the left, bullet goes left.
Front sight moved to the right, bullet goes left.
Front sight moved to the left, bullet goes right.
HTH

And elevation is the same:
Rear sight goes up, bullet strike goes up
Front sight goes up, bullet strike goes down
One of the problems with the M16A1 with the adjustable front sight for elevation. Zeroing sucked for soldiers trained on the M14. M16A2 corrected this confusion.

BEAR

Thanks guys, that's it!

You move the rear sight in the direction you want the bullet to move towards. If shooting to the left then move the rear sight to the right.

IIRC, there is a problem with the rear sight of the '03, called whiplash. If moving the rear sight to the RIGHT, there is no problem, just move it where you want it. If you're moving the rear sight to the LEFT, you move the sight PAST the point you want, then move the sight back to the right to where you actually want it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dan Shapiro

IIRC, there is a problem with the rear sight of the '03, called whiplash. If moving the rear sight to the RIGHT, there is no problem, just move it where you want it. If you're moving the rear sight to the LEFT, you move the sight PAST the point you want, then move the sight back to the right to where you actually want it.

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Not "whiplash", but "backlash".

The same procedure should be followed for receiver sights that have screw threads for adjustments for windage and elevation.

This procedure allows for the slack in the male and female threads. --Jim

Have some older scopes that keep moving point of impact for a couple of rounds until it settles in. You see guys rapping the side of their scopes sometimes when they have that 'problem'. I do the same thing, nowadays, moving past and coming back to my intended setting, that is.