Daisy 853 front sight apertures

[924mike]

I'm looking for some insight as to which aperture to use in the front sight for 10 meter air rifle targets. I recently just purchased this rifle for my son to get him started in rifle shooting and I'm a pistol guy. Would the smallest aperture also be the least forgiving when starting out? I do not want to hurt him by trying to help him if that makes sense. Thanks in advance!

[abinok]

You're probably going to want to start with the largest.
Here is a table of suggestions from a usashooting article a few years ago...

[Tim S]

I'm looking for some insight as to which aperture to use in the front sight for 10 meter air rifle targets. I recently just purchased this rifle for my son to get him started in rifle shooting and I'm a pistol guy. Would the smallest aperture also be the least forgiving when starting out? I do not want to hurt him by trying to help him if that makes sense. Thanks in advance!

No, a larger aperture is more forgiving as a rule; large enough that the target is easily contained within the aperture despite any wobble in the aim. In a more technical sense, an aperture that's too small can let the shooter aim well off-centre without noticing. This happens because the inner edege of the aperture isn't a straight switch from black to white. Light bends and breaks around the inner edge, creating a haze, which blurs the true inner edge making it appear further away than it is.(

[Jimro]

My opinion is worth all that you pay for it of course, but consider a front sight post and a 6 o'clock hold on the target for your son (I'm assuming sporter class because of the Daisy 853). It isn't what the pros use (pros aren't using Daisy either), but it is easy to teach for sporter air rifle, and you don't have to worry about stocking different sizes of inserts to find out what your son shoots best as his body grows and changes.

I'd save the aperture sights for when your son transitions to precision class.

Jimro