Part 38 (1/2)

Before a man goes on the range to fire it is absolutely necessary that he should know--

1. How to set the rear sight.

2. How to sight or aim.

3. How to squeeze the trigger.

4. How to hold the rifle in all positions.

If he does not know these things it is worse than useless for him to fire. He will not improve; the more he shoots the worse he will shoot, and it will become more difficult to teach him.

SECTION 2. SIGHT ADJUSTMENT.

Men must be able to adjust their sights correctly and quickly.

An error in adjustment so small that one can scarcely see it on the sight leaf is sufficient to cause a miss at an enemy at 500 yards and over.

Notice your rear sight. When the leaf is laid down the BATTLE SIGHT appears on top. This sight is set for 547 yards and is not adjustable. When the leaf is raised four sights come into view. The extreme range sight for 2,850 yards at the top of the leaf is seldom used. The open sight at the upper edge of the drift slide is adjustable from 1,400 to 2,750 yards. To set it the upper edge of the slide is made to correspond with the range reading on the leaf, and the slide is then clamped with the slide screw. This sight also is seldom used. The open sight at the bottom of the triangular opening in the drift slide is adjustable from 100 to 2,450 yards. To set it the index line at the lower corners of the triangle is set opposite the range graduation on the leaf and the slide clamped. This and the peep sight just below it are the sights most commonly used. To set the peep sight, the index lines on either side of the peephole are set opposite the range desired and the slide clamped.

Notice the scales for the various ranges on either side of the face of the leaf. The odd-numbered hundreds of yards are on the right and the even on the left. The line below the number is the index line for that range. Thus to set the sight for 500 yards the index line of the slide is brought in exact line with the line on the leaf below the figure 5 and the slide clamped.

To set for 550 yards the index lines of the slide are set half way between the index lines on the leaf below the figure 5 on the right side and the figure 6 on the left side. Look at your sight carefully when setting it and take great pains to get it exact. An error in setting the width of one of the lines on the leaf will cause an error of about 8 inches in where your bullet will strike at 500 yards.

The WIND GAUGE is adjusted by means of the windage screw at the right front end of the base of the sight. Each graduation on the wind-gauge scale is called a ”point.” For convenience in adjusting the line of each third point on the scale is longer than the others. If you turn the windage screw so that the movable base moves to the right, you are taking right windage, which will cause your rifle to shoot more to the right.

It is seldom that a rifle will shoot correctly to the point aimed at at a given range with the sights adjusted exactly to the scale graduations for that range. If your sight is not correctly adjusted for your shooting and you wish to move it slightly to make it correct, remember to move it in the direction you wish your shot to hit. If you wish to shoot higher raise your sight. If to the right, move the wind gauge to the right. Always move your sight the correct amount in accordance with the following table:

SECTION 3. TABLE OF SIGHT CORRECTIONS.

_Showing_to_what_extent_the_point_of_impact_is_moved_by_a_change_ _of_25_yards_in_elevation_or_1_point_in_windage._

Correction Correction by a change by a change Range. in elevation in windage of 25 yards. of 1 point.

-------- -------------- ------------- _Yards._ _Inches._ _Inches._ 100 0.72 4 200 1.62 8 300 2.79 12 400 4.29 16 500 6.22 20 600 8.59 24 800 15.43 32 1,000 25.08 40

An easy rule to remember the windage correction by is: ”A change of 1 point of wind changes the point of impact 4 inches for every 100 yards of range.”

Copy this table and take it to the range with you.

Example of sight adjustment: Suppose you are firing at 500 yards.

The first two or three shots show you that your shots are hitting about a foot below and a foot to the right of the center of the bull's-eye. From the above table you will see that if you will raise your sight 50 yards and move the wind gauge half a point to the left the rifle will be sighted so that if you aim correctly the bullets will hit well inside the bull's eye.

SECTION 4. AIMING.

OPEN SIGHT: Always align your sights with the front sight squarely in the middle of the ”U” or notch of the rear sight, and the top of the front sight even with the upper corners of the ”U.”

(See fig. 1.) All the sights on the rifle except the peep sight are open sights.

PEEP SIGHT: Always center the tip of the front sight in the center of the peephole when aiming with this sight. (See fig. 2.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 1.]