TargetTalk

(With apologies for raising another question so soon after my last)

Which rearsight would you recommend for seeing wind flags through/round/over? I'm really confused by the number and variety now on offer so I'd be very grateful for your opinions/experiences.

Before I move into final position the sight isn't in the way. In position I try to set up the spotting scope so my non-shooting eye (left) can check a flag or mirage, when it is working, without moving my head. I also watch flags through the sight for verification in tricky conditions or when waiting out a change. I'm close enough to the iris I'm not certain the sight type matters, but I use Warners exclusively.

Roger,

For an almost unobstructed view nothing beats Jim Duguid's Panoramic rearsight. The aperture is a metal sleeve set into Perspex. I don't think these are still in production, but they do come up for sale second hand. It might be worthwhile contacting Jim Duguid himself, he shoots at Bedford RC I think. That said the Panoramic is an acquired taste. When I tried one my group opened up to the 8-ring, but others swear by them, even indoors.

The Gehmann Clearview rearsight works on a similar basis, the aperture is set into a plastic window, although it's housed in a metal body. I've seen a few, but not many; the body is large and Godawful ugly. The old Kelly rearsights are similar but slimmer, and the adjustments are sprint loaded.

Then you're looking at the low profile Centra Spy and Anschutz precise. Small bodies that you can see around. The Centra is proven, and seemingly the choice at International level. The Anschutz seems to be an interesting design, but it's expensive. There was a review on here a month or so back.

I'd have to agree with Patriot that the sight body doesn't matter too much. BTW the Warner he mentions are an American design, similar to the Central 10-50 but beefier.

Patriot,

Thank you very much for sharing your choice and experience. I have a feeling that your route might not suit me because I use a fairly large opaque blinder for my left eye, attached to the iris (probably not ISSF legal but I'm only a local league shooter in the UK), so I have to use my right eye for seeing most of the flags.

Tim,

Thank you very much for that comprehensive reply. Most grateful for having the choice narrowed down. (I am newly interested in how to see wind flags because I know that I am very bad at 50m outdoors and optimistically there seems to be a chance after the second round of the Eley competition that I might get to shoot at Bisley in the summer, only in Class D, I hasten to add, and of course the official scorer may take a different view of my cards.)

Roger

May not work for you, but I have the angled scope eyepiece set so i can glance down under the blinder.

Mark

Using such a large blinder is really restricting you, can you try re-training yourself to use a smaller one or none at all. You may be surprised.

Mark,

Thank you for the suggestion. I will experiment.

Martin,

I could certainly try, but what do you think I might gain by using a smaller blinder? My left eye has fewer optical defects than my right and, though I get differing opinions about this, it is probably my dominant eye, so I feel a special need to keep it from interfering.

Roger

Hi Roger sorry did not realise you were non aiming eye dominant. I was speaking from my experiences with strong aiming eye dominance, I can shoot with both eyes open without a blinder in windy conditions. You can see what is happening all the time.

Good luck

Martin,

You are unusually lucky and/or skilful! Anyway, thank you for your interest in this question.

Roger

I find it is more the blinder that restricts seeing the flags than the sight itself.

What I have done is to use clear plastic with a small bit of tape in the spot needed to block out the target in the other eye. The tape can what ever colour you find you prefer ie white/ black/ translucent.

or if you wear glasses a small piece pf tape smaller than a 5pence on the left lens will cover the area of the front tunnel that the left eye sees.

TenMetrePeter wrote:or if you wear glasses a small piece pf tape smaller than a 5pence on the left lens will cover the area of the front tunnel that the left eye sees.

That may not help much for prone, as the lens tends to sit lower than the eye with regular spectacle frames. Some shooters do have lenses over both eyes on shooting frames, but most have just the one. It would work with older shootibg glasses like the Junkers.

You can make a blinder from old plastic milk jugs.

International rules say no more than 30mm x 100mm - I've found that to be a little on the large side, actually.