Looking to set up an AR upper for shooting KD with iron sights. Cal is 6.5 Grendel. I have a Yankee Hill gas block with flip-up front sight and will be using a free float handguard. What brand of rear iron sight would you recommend, and would you use the stock small aperture or get a replacement with an even smaller hole? I plan to shoot this rig with and without a scope, so will be removing the rear sight when necessary. Thanks!
Any non-Airsoft A2 carry handle should be fine. You get easy and repeatable click adjustments without using tools, and the stock small aperture should be fine for Appleseed KD.
If your eyes are good or you want to shoot Highpower, you can swap in a White Oak hooded aperture and 1/4 minute windage kit easily, or just get a National Match carry handle with 1/4 x 1/4 adjustments. Personally, I think a wide (0.072") post is more important than a small aperture.
Quote from: maxwell on October 31, 2017, 05:45:55 PM
Personally, I think a wide (0.072") post is more important than a small aperture.
I've heard this before, but have never been told the reason. I've shot KD with irons on ARs with both NM and standard front sight posts. I found myself shooting better with the NM front sight post. Would you enlighten me as to why the wider front sight post is better? I'm always looking to improve my knowledge and my shooting and if a wider front sight post with do it, I'd like to know. Thanks in advance.
Quote from: peterlandsiedel on October 31, 2017, 09:28:34 PM
Quote from: maxwell on October 31, 2017, 05:45:55 PM
Personally, I think a wide (0.072") post is more important than a small aperture.
I've heard this before, but have never been told the reason. I've shot KD with irons on ARs with both NM and standard front sight posts. I found myself shooting better with the NM front sight post. Would you enlighten me as to why the wider front sight post is better? I'm always looking to improve my knowledge and my shooting and if a wider front sight post with do it, I'd like to know. Thanks in advance.
I'm no expert like most on here but I can say I shoot better with the wider post shooting on NRA targets with the 6MOA aiming blacks. I shoot more consistently with a center mass hold v. 6'oclock. With a center mass hold and the side front sight post I get a slight bit of sight post protruding out on each side of the aiming black and it's easier for me to line up. Anything smaller gets lost in the aiming black for me.
At my first 25m Appleseed with a techsight equiped 10/22 I struggled with consistent windage and elevation with the really narrow .045" sight post it came with. I'm not consistent with a 6 oclock hold and holding center mass my front post would get lost in the silhouette. IIRC the tech sights posts were the same width as the 400m target and you have to get the sight lined up perfectly on the silhouette. I switched the front post on my 10/22 to a wider post recently and in testing I shoot better on the Appleseed silhouette with the front post wider than the silhouette. Because it is now wider than the silhouette I can now judge where o the silhouette I'm aiming for center mall holds as the sight protrudes on each side of the target. And the width of the protrusion on each side helps me line up properly. That's what works for me and my eyes. Everyone is different so I can't say it will work for you.
Quote from: NJrefugee on October 31, 2017, 03:04:05 PM
Looking to set up an AR upper for shooting KD with iron sights. Cal is 6.5 Grendel. I have a Yankee Hill gas block with flip-up front sight and will be using a free float handguard. What brand of rear iron sight would you recommend, and would you use the stock small aperture or get a replacement with an even smaller hole? I plan to shoot this rig with and without a scope, so will be removing the rear sight when necessary. Thanks!
We do a lot of KD in the Tennessee Valley. We've seen what consistently works well and what equipment causes shooters to consistently struggle. Flip-up sights are marketed as back-up sights. And they are back-ups for a reason, intended for use at much closer ranges.
While it's not
impossible to do well with flip-up sights (someone will undoubtedly chime in with a story about hitting tin cans at 800 yards with plastic magpul sights), we see that shooters do consistently better with fixed sights, even if they are removable.
Recommendation: an A2 style carry handle or an LMT rear sight sight. DPMS makes one that looked nice, but I've never shot using their product. Armalite offers a clamp-on front site that seems pretty sturdy, sold by WOA and others.
Hope this helps,
MO
Thanks. The Yankee hill front sight is basically a proper/standard fixed front sight with the flip up functionality. Much more solid than the plastic stuff, and is mounted to the barrel since it is the gas block as well. I've got a set of KNS replacement front sights, so I can play with the width.
I've been looking at the LMT rear, but it isn't clear to me how the clicks work. Are they in MOA, or just marked for standard holds/distances for standard AR ammo? Given caliber differece, I'm thinking 1/2 or 1/4 MOA clicks would be best.
Quote from: NJrefugee on November 01, 2017, 04:29:47 PM
Thanks. The Yankee hill front sight is basically a proper/standard fixed front sight with the flip up functionality. Much more solid than the plastic stuff, and is mounted to the barrel since it is the gas block as well. I've got a set of KNS replacement front sights, so I can play with the width.
I've been looking at the LMT rear, but it isn't clear to me how the clicks work. Are they in MOA, or just marked for standard holds/distances for standard AR ammo? Given caliber differece, I'm thinking 1/2 or 1/4 MOA clicks would be best.
Sir,
The LMT rear sight closely resembles the A2/A4 sights, but without the carry handle. I can't rememeber if they are 6/3 or 8/3, as it's been a while since I shot that rifle. They are approximately an MOA per click, but your sight radius helps determine the actual angle.
If you're planing on shooting come-ups with this rifle, you might consider a National Match type carry handle site. You should have 1/4 MOA clicks with that (same disclaimed about sight radius applies.) Both Compass Lake and White Oak carry quality models.
v/r
MO
Quote from: peterlandsiedel on October 31, 2017, 09:28:34 PM
Quote from: maxwell on October 31, 2017, 05:45:55 PM
Personally, I think a wide (0.072") post is more important than a small aperture.
I've heard this before, but have never been told the reason. I've shot KD with irons on ARs with both NM and standard front sight posts. I found myself shooting better with the NM front sight post. Would you enlighten me as to why the wider front sight post is better? I'm always looking to improve my knowledge and my shooting and if a wider front sight post with do it, I'd like to know. Thanks in advance.
After seeing Ken Roxburgh's rant on it, I switched to a wider front post and center hold, and immediately started shooting better scores. The 0.072" AR post is easier for me to focus on and maintain sight picture since it's just a bit wider than a standard highpower target, and you get an equal black on either side of the target. YMMV!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp69CCY71d4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp69CCY71d4)
One of my gripes about Tech Sights is the narrow front post. After shooting all day at an Appleseed, it got harder to focus on the post, and I finally swapped it out for a normal 0.062" AR post. I've met mall ninja guys who want a needle-thin post "for more precision," and others who paint it fluorescent, but that increases eye strain for me (and I'm not alone). People generally want this because they're focusing on the target, or flicking focus back and forth between target and front post.
.072 is so 90's! LOL
I believe CLE makes a .080"!
Ken Roxburg turned me onto that. WIDEST post is the best!
Just checked, they now also offer, .080, .090 and .100!!!
Here is the link:
http://www.compasslake.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=127
IMPORTANT...., if using a front sight with a NM taper, it is IMPERATIVE that you ALWAYS have the HIGH side of the angle to the shooters eye.
Each click/detent on an AR front sight is 1.25 MOA. 4 clicks = 5 MOA. You MUST adjust 5 MOA at a time, UP or DOWN.....do the rest on the rear sight.
Otherwise you will have issues.
I needed to use a magnifying glass to inspect orientation. Hard to view if you need reading glasses.
If the sight does not have the NM taper....you can of course adjust 1.25 MOA per click on the front.
R/
Chris