doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Front sight question

Can anyone identify this front sight? It is on a Krag Sporter.


The checkering on the ramp must be some sort of homebrew I guess. I sorta like it for some reason. But it has got to go.

I find that I need a taller version. If I get taller blade and bead, it will be too tall for the hood (currently missing - suggestions for locating replacement are welcome). With some moderate loads (24 gr of 5744, this sight cannot get lower than 18" high at 100 yds. I need it to zero for at least 200 yds and this is not going to get there.

Thanks

Brent

Just checked two new screw on Williams Streamline ramps in their boxes purchased in the 1960's and they look identical to the one in your photo.

Bill

Thanks. I hope they made them in different heights and I can find a taller one.

I'm curious to see your Krag sporter and hear what you think of the Krag.

Jerry Liles

I agree with Bill, Williams ramp, screw on model.

And yes, they do make them in several heights.

I have used them, and they seem OK, except the hood keeps falling off, mostly coming out of the gun case, I think. So I put a little screw in the side of the ramp to help hold it on.

Jerry,
I've took a few pictures this morning. Not the greatest but they give you an idea. It is well done but the inletting could have been a little better. I think I could straighten out a few spots like the top of the buttplate and the tang area but it is not "my gun" although I'm the current owner. So, I think I'll leave it as is.

The barrel is original, extremely nice inside and out. It was cut to 26" rather than the ubiquitous 24" (is there a law somewhere about the need of 24" barrels for sporters?). The trigger, has been checkered but it is way too heavy. I'm going to install some adjustability there and see about lightening the spring as well.

Overall, it shoots pretty well, but really high. So in the targets below, buy the time I got to 23 or 24 grs of 5744, I was holding on the bottom of the bull or the lower edge of the paper. That created some eyestrain and my eyes have not been working out much lately (first match is next week). But even so, it seems to shoot okay. I think it should do better but I need a better aim point - and thus I need to fix that sight ramp.

Thanks all for pointing out that it is a Williams ramp. I googled them up and it does not appear that they still make sights like this one. If not, I'll look on ebay for a while, but I'm pondering what my other options might be. Suggestions are welcome.

Photos are not the greatest, but I threw in one of the underside - just because it has a brass washer (escutcheon) .

The targets were all shot at 100 yards. 5 shots per group, some sight picture and sight setting changes between groups changed centers of impact. After talking with Mike Venturino, I settled on 5744 powder and a 311284 cast GC bullet from NOE - weighs about 215 grs or something like that. Lubed with straight Liquid Alox and well crimped.

Brent,

I have always suffered when shooting iron sights on the red Schuetzen targets. I remember when we could option out for back bulls for the iron sight Schuetzen matches but of course seeing bullet holes at 200yds on a black bull was another issue. Any way....you might try a NRA 300 yard (reduced) black bull for additional testing at 100 yards. Just a thought.

Nice looking rifle!

Ken

Ken,
The orange ASSRA targets are the worst target color ever invented. I don't know why they use it. But this dark red WSU target is among my favorites. particularly during this session, I had direct early morning sunlight on the target faces while shooting almost due West. So visibility was pretty good, but I'm just not a fan of a post/bead front sight. Give me an aperture up there every time.

With the light loads, I was able to put the white 25-ring on top of the bead and that gave me good confidence though the white center is only 1.5" and that's pretty small, even at 100.

I don't know why that second set of targets posted upside down. They were right-side up before I uploaded them.

A very handsome rifle. I hope it serves you well.

Glen Fryxel has a nice article on cast bullets for the Krag at this address:

http://www.lasc.us/FryxellCB30-40Krag.htm

You might find it interesting.

Jerry Liles

Thanks Jerry, it is a nice rifle that suites me well and is a nice example of a sporterized Krag. At least I think it is. Certainly not a "high art" form of the Krag like some of the others I have seen at Amoskeag (up next weekend maybe?).

Now I have a wager built around this rifle. This summer, during the annual pilgrimage to Raton, my shooting partner and I will be having a ram-bash wager for the dinner tab. Offhand of course. So, I have to work on that trigger, but I think the rifle is more than capable of holding up its half of the bargain. I'll have to do the rest.

That article you linked gives me some good ideas about what to try for a bullet if mine tends to bog down at higher velocities. But my version of the 311284 is a little pointier than his, so maybe it will be okay. The 311291 is also a heavy bullet that is supposed to do well at higher velocity and has a pointier nose as well.