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If a sight-leaf is marked with a particular distance, you can be sure it was test-fired at that distance and the sights carefully filed-in to place the bullet on the mark.

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The early hunting literature is rich with tales of satisfying shots made with open-sighted doubles and stalking rifles, both in the highlands and the far-flung out-posts of Empire, and they are no less accurate today than during the hey-day of British gun-making a century ago. For some reason, the shallow-vee express sights, and British doubles generally, are often accused of mediocre accuracy at best, when nothing could be further from the truth. Admittedly some specimens have suffered greatly from the ravages of time and ignorance, but the majority of surviving examples have been well cared-for and are capable of delivering 'every satisfaction' as far as hunting accuracy is concerned.

In practice, I rarely deploy the flip-up sight-leaves on sporting rifles, as they are so infrequently required in the hunting field. Nevertheless, it is reassuring to know that when a long shot is called for, these marvelous rifles from a bygone era are still capable of holding their own in any company!

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It would be interesting too test out the 100 yards and 200 yards leaves on the express sights of my Jeffery .450 No.2 NE. I want to work out or retest regulation loads for it. Possibly using a different powder. Might be a good time to try out longer range leaves.

But do you really believe the 300, 400, and 500 yard leaves were actually test shot and filed? I've thought of them as a marketing gimmmmick.



At 500 yards I'd need a big target.

100 to 250 yards would be more sensible.

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This is more than can be said for the open sights on most modern sporting arms, the vast majority of which will be scoped before leaving the retailer's premises.

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I doubt the modern leaves are test shot. Don't know?



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John aka NitroX

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Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

Edited by NitroX (09/04/24 10:52 PM)

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In the old, now defunct 'Double Gun Journal', Seyfried wrote on several occasions that with the higher quality doubles the express sights were assuredly on, when the load for which they were regulated was used.

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Good news. I think I'd need to use my .450 as an "anti vehicle" rifle if shooting at 500 yards .... Maybe give it a try one day, working up the leaves 100 yards fixed, 200, 300, 400, 500 folding, until a leaf becomes ridiculous in results. In theory a three to five inch "group" at 100 yards will be 15 to 25 inches at 500 yards. Eye sight permitting. A tree to five inch group should in theory be effective at 100 and 200 yards on medium ad larger sized game. Id normally hunt with it at less than 100 yards.

As one ages eye sight can deterioate. Replacing the original rea express sight with a grooved one for a red dot sight can become necessary,

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John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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Well I finally got to fire my double last year, had a blast with it doing the BGR stopper double event.
Only at 50m maximum, so basically not that far.
I have cast loads for my 450/400 which are surprisingly good, only 2 shot groups but they were more accurate than the Hornady factory loads & the Woodleigh's that I've got regulated in it using Reloader 15.
If I needed to do a longer shot I feel I could do it if needed - I'd have to use my red dot for that though! Something I might just try out yet, will have to do some calcs first!

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Sounds good.

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John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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I bought my first double rifle, a 500BPE Dickson, six years ago. More have followed. I've learned how to reload and cast and patch to make these work, but I'm still very much in the learning stage.

Last November I hunted for the first time with a double - a 360EX Watson built by Webley in 1905. Iron sights. Bright morning. Buck dropped where he stood, downhill from me at no more than 45 yards. Iron sights.

I'm still getting comfortable shooting these, but right now I'm confident I could take a whitetail, stationary, out somewhat past 120 yards with the irons on my best shooting double (a pre-war Merkel in 8x57R that will ring the steel targets at our range out to 200...but then hitting a 14"x18" plate isn't the same as humanely dropping a deer.)

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Glad you got that old Watson up & running mate!
Perfect for that task you had at hand.
Hopefully I'll get the chance to do so myself with mine on game, I reckon those cast loads of mine will sort a few pigs out when they do!

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Would love to hear more about your cast loads and your rifle when you can.

I didn't mention it above, but based on the November hunting trip, I invested in a range finder, as I had passed on a shot the day before because of distance. I borrowed my hunting partner's range finder later that day and found our I was definitely more conservative than I needed to be. On the plus side, I suspect I shot the same deer a day later, but on firm ground vs having to haul him out of a marsh.

I will also be practicing much more with any new-to-me rifle before going into the woods with it -- confidence in your gun, load and abilities is critical to fully enjoying the moment, vs over thinking.

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I will also be practicing much more with any new-to-me rifle before going into the woods with it -- confidence in your gun, load and abilities is critical to fully enjoying the moment, vs over thinking.

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My cast moulds are from CBE here in Oz, always top notch service!

http://forums.nitroexpress.com/showflat....true#Post377464

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