Sight adjustment with irons

What are the adjustment increments on a typical set of adjustable match iron sights? Are they 1/4 MOA like is common in service rifle or some other increment?

I could be wrong, but I think they are all a little different. At least the adjustments on my high Standard, and my S&W revolvers are different.

The rear sight of my S&W 41 moves about 1/4" per click at 25 yards.  The adjustment screw is 80 tpi, there are 6 clicks per revolution (0.0021" of sight elevation per click), the 5" barrel has an 8" sight radius. That would be one MOA but it will vary by manufacturer and barrel length. They don't use a different sight for different sight radius guns.
If you are not housebound or really fond of math it is easier to shoot it, move the sight a reasonable amount, shoot again and then measure. If you shoot like me and don't get easily measurable group centers......does it matter?

Bruce

A click will move you about 1 click, give or take a click

Seriously, it will vary from gun to gun, and even from shooter to shooter on the same gun. And it can vary quite a lot. I've seen recommendations from some Olympic-level shooters for clicks-per-scoring-ring that would put me off the target.

For me, if my group is centered on the edge of the 10 ring (so half 10s, half 9s), I would go 2 clicks toward center. I also am not afraid to use my screwdriver.

Finally, the old truism: "2 on the gun, 2 in the head"

JWelch wrote:What are the adjustment increments on a typical set of adjustable match iron sights? Are they 1/4 MOA like is common in service rifle or some other increment?

They are more like 1 MOA or very close, same with red dots.  I have 2 Colt GCNM with the exact same sight and I swear they are slightly different when adjusted for elevation.

- Dave

dronning wrote:

JWelch wrote:What are the adjustment increments on a typical set of adjustable match iron sights? Are they 1/4 MOA like is common in service rifle or some other increment?

They are more like 1 MOA or very close, same with red dots.  I have 2 Colt GCNM with the exact same sight and I swear they are slightly different when adjusted for elevation.

- Dave

+1. Most are about 1/2" at 50 yards.

Most people make an adjustment they guess would be appropriate, real or imagined, sometimes it works, sometimes they/we chase groups all over the target.
A statistician would say something unintelligible about p-values and making less than the obvious adjustments.
A machinist would bottom out the sight and then reset it with the adjusted number of clicks, perhaps guided by a dial indicator and some arithmetic.
An artilleryman would make double the necessary adjustment, fire a few rounds, and then split the difference.

Merick,

you make some good points about how people adjust sights. I will share some observations from Hi-power rifle, when I disregard wind effects, or it is a calm day...especially 100yd or 200 yd reduced course.

Those that cannot shoot relatively good groups make extreme sight correction...or none at all.  If they are poor enough on their hold, sight alignment, and shooting, then they are probably just as well not moving anything, especially if the wind is switching back and forth at 600 yds.

Many people that I have seen tend to make adjustments only to the edge of the 10 ring or the edge of the x-ring. That is to say, if they shoot a mid-ring 8, they will put on an adjustment that will only take them to the edge of the 10 ring (or in cases where they are a little more confident of their shots, the edge of the x-ring.) 

I don't do this.  I make adjustments when needed that are to the center of the x-ring. Having shot and won Hi-power team matches at Perry with other national champions, that we are making 1/4 moa adjustments off of shot and calls that are in the x ring, which seems to blow the minds of most people who have been scoring, that it is even possible. And yes, we even call our shots in the rapids.

Calling the shots are part of the shot process, but it seems like it is hardly ever talked about in pistol shooting.


-Ron