TargetTalk

My long arm's (Walther) rear sight diopter and front sight is not aligned. Right now the rear sight is perfect when I put my cheek on the stock and my eye is perfectly aligned with the diopter. However, the front sight is slightly higher. There is nothing I can do about the front sight as far as height adjustment is concerned, since the mis-alignment is too small, and taking off the front sight riser will make the sight too low. I have already set the front sight riser to the minimal rise setting, it cannot go lower. If I decide to put material on the stock, so that I an use a rear sight riser, it will be a lot of materials.

Anyway, assuming this is the way it is, what an I do? Should I presume all my shots will be too low, since the front sight is higher than the back sight? will adjusting the diopter (H and T) helps? The difference between the two sight is around 1cm, or less. Nevertheless if I align them, the long arm will not be parallel to the ground.

As some of you know, I am totally new to long arm. This is a 10M Walther.

Advice please?

This might seem obvious, but you may just need to alter your hold so the foresight is centred in the rearsight aperture. This may neccesitate small adjustments to the stock (particularly the buttplate).

Adjust the rearsight as needed to centre your group, and then adjust the cheekpiece to fully support your head.


EDIT - Are you saying that you have a raiser block under the foresight, but not the rear? If so, then of course the foresight will be too high! Rearsight blocks are normally sold, and used, as a pair. If you need to build up the cheekpiece after adding a raiser under the rearsight, then do so.

I think you need new glasses. Did you get them yet?

Why don't you shoot the damn thing and see what you need!

I think the height is relative. You should be able to position the rifle, and your head so that the front sight is aligned with the rear sight. As someone else stated, you will have to fidget with the rifle settings, and your head position to achieve proper alignment.

The butt does not has a cheek piece itself. It is not adjustable. The only "adjustment" is the way how I press my own cheek against the butt. However the most comfortable and natural position I have for my cheek against the stock would create this alignment problem. When I adjust and eliminate this problem, I find my posture unstable as far as my cheek is concerned.

The problem of the riser is that when set to minimal height the block itself still rises around 1cm. Whatever it is, the original design makes it align, but the mis-alignment occurs after I upgrade the front sight to Gehmann. I think the factory sight is set perfectly with the correct height of the block. Since the Gehmann sight is just a sight without a block, I end up having to use a riser for it, now it is too high. Without it, it is too low. The factory front sight is too old fashioned for modern use (such as unable to accept lenses)

" Nevertheless if I align them, the long arm will not be parallel to the ground."

The barrel shouldn't be parallel to the ground. If it was, all your shots would be low because of gravity.

Just put the front sight in the middle of the rear sight, and shoot. Adjust the rear sight as needed to center the group. If you wind up with little or no cheek pressure, add a small amount of spacer (cardboard and tape works great as temporary fix).

Conradin,

again, you really should not be surprised that fitting a taller foresight means your rearsight is too low for elevation. The same thing will happen with a pistol too. You could either fit a raiser block under the rearsight, or just turn the elevation screw.

The old Walther foresight would not accept lenses, because these are (and always have been) prohibited under most competition rules.

Your rifle will have a cheekpiece (it's the bulge at the side of the butt where your cheek sits), even if it is not adjustable. Competition rules did not allow adjustable cheekpieces for many years; even cheekpieces that could be packed with spacers didn't show up until the 1980s. Listen to Pat, and tape some card onto the stock, or build it up with putty for a more permanent fix.

I am a little bemused by this thread and the comments.
Obviously the new foresight is different height to the standard sight and the riser you are adding is too thick. Is it not easy to just get the correct riser +/- 1mm will be fine. And if you can't buy the correct riser go down the local machine shop.
All very simple.

Tim S wrote: Your rifle will have a cheekpiece (it's the bulge at the side of the butt where your cheek sits), even if it is not adjustable. Competition rules did not allow adjustable cheekpieces for many years; even cheekpieces that could be packed with spacers didn't show up until the 1980s. Listen to Pat, and tape some card onto the stock, or build it up with putty for a more permanent fix.

I am thinking of adding multiple layers of wool fabric on the cheekpiece. All I need is around 1cm. Besides I think it is more comfortable for my cheek.

Wool is less than optimal. You don't want anything that would compress (i.e wool or foam rubber), as this would change the effective height. Stock with hard materials like card, paper, wood, or epoxy. If you want a nice soft surface against your cheek, add a piece of chamois leather.