Oh look another sighting question...

[Kingfisher]

Can anyone direct me to any solid threads regarding sighting in my sks.  I have moved the front post up to lower the poi...then down to raise the poi...but to know consistentsy.. I do not think I have touched the rear at all.
It seems to be either high or low not left or right..
Is there a good starting point for both front n rear I should start with..? 

[Phosphorus32]

Not sure what your method has been so far so pardon me if I get too basic with my questions.  You certainly know which way to turn the post to adjust POI for elevation, so I'm surprised it's not being consistent with regard to POI.  Is the barrel heated up to the same extent in your observations about consistency? Are you  sighting-in from a bench rest at 25m before moving out to 100m?  Are you certain you aren't moving the rear sight slider between the battle sight (all the way back) and 100m (forward slightly, drops down into the notch)?

[running-man]

Here's a target I typically use.


Depending on where you want to zero, you should be able to find a sweet spot where you are on at both ~25m and ~200m or (~50m & ~125m), with the bullet still rising at the close distance and falling at far one.


Take as many variable (barrel temp, brand of rounds you're using, weight / configuration of bullet, wind, etc.) out of the equation as possible.  If you still have issues, there may be something off (loose front sight, missing rear sight spring, badly bent barrel, etc.) with the gun itself.

[Kingfisher]

I'm actually just holding the gun on the hood of my truck at 25 yards.  I haven't touched the rear sight other then to make sure it's all the way down. I've checked that nothing is loose..
Should I raise the post up as far as I can and start over?...

[Power Surge]

First, make sure your rear sight is set to "1". Check to see that it's not loose either. It should stay firmly down and not move upwards unless you pull it up by hand.

Next, make sure your front sight block is not loose. Wiggle it, try to twist it. If you feel any movement, it's loose. Might need a new retaining pin. If it's not loose, good.

Now, you can do a quick and easy manual sight in, to get you close to POI. Remove the receiver cover, bolt carrier, bolt and spring. You should be able to now look through the bore, from the rear of the gun. Set up an easy to see target, between 25 and 50 yards. I'd suggest 50, but 25 will work too if it's too hard to see 50. You will need to make the rifle stationary, with no movement. Come up with something to hold the rifle so it does not move. Once it's secure, look down the bore, and line up what you see through the bore, with your target. Now, without moving the rifle at all, look down the sights.... do they line up with the target? If not, they are off. Make the proper adjustment to the front sight, until what you see down the bore, is the same thing you see down the sights. Now the rifle should be 90% on target, give or take an inch or two.

At that point, try shooting the rifle. Don't try to make adjustments yet. Get off 10 rounds with the sights as they are. This will show you the grouping consistency. If you are shooting at 50 yards, a 3-5" group should be obtained. If it is, great. If it's not, and the shots are all over the place, then either something is wrong with the rifle (which is not common), or it's your shooting. If your group is decent, then you've got consistency. Now just adjust the sights until your group moves to the center of your target.

Two things to keep in mind.... bad target consistency is more times than not, the shooter and not the gun. That's up to you to figure out. The other thing is, the SKS does not like heat too much. I have found, that about 30 rounds down the barrel is all these rifles can take before heat starts throwing your POI off. I have had more than 15 SKSs and every single one starts shooting left of center after about 30-40 rounds. So just keep that in mind if you are trying to sight in.

Hope this helps.

[Kingfisher]

Wow thank you so much for the time you took to help me.. I do t think I read that much at once since high school... Lol
I'm going to remove like u said a D look down the barrel.. I should see my target correct.. And move rifle till I do... Then look down my sights... If they are not lined up.. Make minor adjustments till I see my target as I do through the barrel... Is that all correct?

[Power Surge]

Wow thank you so much for the time you took to help me.. I do t think I read that much at once since high school... Lol
I'm going to remove like u said a D look down the barrel.. I should see my target correct.. And move rifle till I do... Then look down my sights... If they are not lined up.. Make minor adjustments till I see my target as I do through the barrel... Is that all correct?

Yes...with the rifle in the same exact spot, you want the target both in the bore view, and lined up with the sights.

One other thing....  when you are lining up your target with the front sight post, go with the "lollipop" view. In other words, say you have a 6" black center as your target. Put the lower edge of that 6" black circle right on the top of the sight post, as if the sight post and target create a lollipop shape. If you are trying to aim buy covering part of the target with the front sight post, it can make it much harder to be consistent.

[Kingfisher]

Hahha perfect... I wondered about the lollipop thing.. I believe that may have been some of my problem but didn't know how to explain it.

[Dannyboy53]

The "Lollipop view"  is how I learned to shoot, known as the "six o'clock hold" when I was taught that method because the shooter aimed at the six o'clock (bottom) portion of the target! It was used for handguns or rifles/carbines.

[montigre]

I'm a competitive target archer, and usually look first to the shooter when there is an issue instead of the equipment...

That said, if you're using the hood of your truck as a rest, make sure that you're positioning the gun at the same spot.  Most trucks today have a slightly curved hood and the few mm change in positioning there can equate to several inches at the target.  Better to use a sand bag or a shooting rest placed on a flat table when sighting in.  Inconsistency here can have you chasing your tail (POI) all day.

Also, (I know I'm singing to the choir, but....) make sure your cheek weld is not shifting on you between shots.

[Loose}{Cannon]

Powersurge had a great post....  thats exactly how I get scopes dialed in close enough to be on paper to start making finer adjustments.    I have seen PS targets and I definitely want him on my shtf team. 

[Kingfisher]

Lol shift team.. I love that.. One more question..
If I'm hitting low I lower the post in the sight.. And if I am hitting high.. I raise it.. Is this correct?
I watched a video on YouTube that states it's opposite to what you would  think..

[Dannyboy53]

Lol shift team.. I love that.. One more question..
If I'm hitting low I lower the post in the sight.. And if I am hitting high.. I raise it.. Is this correct?
I watched a video on YouTube that states it's opposite to what you would  think..

That's correct Kingfisher, lowering your front sight post will require you to raise the barrel, thus your groups. Raising your front sight post will cause you to lower your barrel and groups.

For windage remember to move your rear sight in the direction you want the group or hits to go.

Using the target running-man posted will help you tremendously!

[Indy762]

This is excellent information! I still consider myself an extreme newby, so I'm just posting here to make it easy for me to find.

[Power Surge]

Powersurge had a great post....  thats exactly how I get scopes dialed in close enough to be on paper to start making finer adjustments.    I have seen PS targets and I definitely want him on my shtf team.

I definitely take this as a big compliment   

I do credit my shooting abilities to starting off learning through benchrest .22 shooting. You learn sooooo much about bullets, aiming, breathing, positioning.....pretty much every aspect of shooting is fine tuned through precision .22 shooting.

[culpeper]

I go by the Russian manual on precision and accuracy.  From a rest at or under 100 meters the shooter and rifle should be achieving on average 2 MOA precision with 6 MOA accuracy.  That means the groups (4-5 shots each) should average 6 MOA (accuracy) and the center of the group should average within 2 MOA (precision) of the point of aim or center of target.  This is with the battle sights.  Makes sense especially when you take into consideration the front post is approx. 6-8 MOA. 

[Phosphorus32]

I go by the Russian manual on precision and accuracy.  From a rest at or under 100 meters the shooter and rifle should be achieving on average 2 MOA precision with 6 MOA accuracy.  That means the groups (4-5 shots each) should average 6 MOA (accuracy) and the center of the group should average within 2 MOA (precision) of the point of aim or center of target.  This is with the battle sights.  Makes sense especially when you take into consideration the front post is approx. 6-8 MOA.

Except it's the opposite. Precision is the tightness grouping, hence the smaller value. Accuracy refers to how close POI is to POA, hence the broader tolerance for the front post adjustment not being perfect.

[Dannyboy53]

I go by the Russian manual on precision and accuracy.  From a rest at or under 100 meters the shooter and rifle should be achieving on average 2 MOA precision with 6 MOA accuracy.  That means the groups (4-5 shots each) should average 6 MOA (accuracy) and the center of the group should average within 2 MOA (precision) of the point of aim or center of target.  This is with the battle sights.  Makes sense especially when you take into consideration the front post is approx. 6-8 MOA. 

Out of curiosity, what Russian manual are you talking about? Some SKS owners (and I'm not talking about you) come to expect consistent bullet stacking capabilities out of these carbines and it simply isn't possible. While rugged and extremely reliable they were manufactured for one purpose and that is hitting human targets out to intermediate ranges. I've heard it expressed in terms of being capable of "minute of man" instead of "minute of angle"!

I have no doubt this cartridge/carbine combination is capable of producing casualties out to 350-400 meters and beyond. The question, in my mind, becomes one of hitting a target at or beyond that distance and for the average person with open sights & Russian manufactured ammo that is questionable at best in my opinion.

[culpeper]

You be right.  I got precision and accuracy reversed.  I'm referring to the Palladin Press reprint manual.  It is the bar by the book for keeping the rifle in service.    I realize there are real world differences.