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10/30/2025 11:11:51 PM EDT
Inherited an old TC black powder rifle, but it has this odd sight setup that I'm not familiar with. The front site is a bead style sight, and the rear site is reminiscent of a v notch sight combined with something like a 10/22 rear sight blade.

Figure the correct sight picture is the place the bead into the round notch at the bottom of the, that part seems fairly intituitve, but I'm curious as to what the "proper" sight picture would be for sighting in the sight?

The bead fills the notch fairly well, and if it weren't for the "wings" sweeping up at an angle, it would basically be the same as any other square post and notch sight arrangment i've seen; normally I sight in at center hold, but with the additional "wings", would the appropriate sight picture be closer to a 6 o'clock hold?  I know common terms of poa/poi are used, but that never made sense to me, so I've included a picture if what I mean by center hold.  

Appreciate the replies

Thompson rear sight reference
Attached File
Attached File


center vs 6 oclock hold
Attached File
10/31/2025 1:01:13 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Urimaginaryfrnd][Edited] [#1]
Combat Hold - put the front bead in the center of the rear notch and forget about the wings while establishing ZERO.
Once you have your ZERO at either 50 or 100 yds then you can use the same hold and shoot at 100 or 200 yds go to the target with a can of spray paint and mark point of impact below center, then go back to the 200 yds bench and look through the sight to  try to determine holdover by aiming at point of impact then holding the front sight centered but higher using the wings of the rear sight as a way to  estimate hold over. It’s crude but with practice you will  be able to estimate your holdover using the wings. Express sights are better, each leaf is regulated for a specific distance .

If the wings are not helpful you can file or sand them flat and put cold blue on .

With any musket run a wet patch then a dry patch after every shot . Consistency of seating depth makes a difference. If you get a patch and rod stuck in the barrel pour a little solvent in and the wet patch will come out.


The truth is you can select any style of hold so long as you know which you selected.
10/31/2025 5:09:04 PM EDT
[#2]
Quote History
Originally Posted By Urimaginaryfrnd:
Combat Hold - put the front bead in the center of the rear notch and forget about the wings while establishing ZERO.
Once you have your ZERO at either 50 or 100 yds then you can use the same hold and shoot at 100 or 200 yds go to the target with a can of spray paint and mark point of impact below center, then go back to the 200 yds bench and look through the sight to  try to determine holdover by aiming at point of impact then holding the front sight centered but higher using the wings of the rear sight as a way to  estimate hold over. It’s crude but with practice you will  be able to estimate your holdover using the wings. Express sights are better, each leaf is regulated for a specific distance .

If the wings are not helpful you can file or sand them flat and put cold blue on .

With any musket run a wet patch then a dry patch after every shot . Consistency of seating depth makes a difference. If you get a patch and rod stuck in the barrel pour a little solvent in and the wet patch will come out.


The truth is you can select any style of hold so long as you know which you selected.
View Quote


Great! Appreciate the in depth and thorough explanation, should be easy enough to practice.
3/23/2026 6:09:11 PM EDT
[#3]
Combat hold  https://gunmagwarehouse.com/blog/a-quick-guide-to-buckhorn-sights/
3/25/2026 9:07:31 PM EDT
[#4]
Quote History
View Quote


I decided I'm not a fan of the bead/v-notch sights so swapped in the flat blade rear with the partridge front, or at least what TC calls a partridge front.

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