How to Install Open Sights on a Rifle

Most rifles come with open sights installed on the barrel in addition to a scope, but some older guns might have lost their sights or had them removed. Some sort of sighting mechanism is imperative for accurate shooting, and if you don't have a scope, you can install your own open sights.

Things You'll Need

  • Rifle sights
  • Screwdriver
  • Mounting bracket (depending on the rifle)
  • Shooting range
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Instructions

    • 1

      Choose your gun sights. There are several designs for open sights, with variations in the notch and the front sight. The notch can be rectangular, U-shaped or V-shaped, and the front sight can be a single beam, a dot, or a tapered post. Choose which type you are most comfortable with.

    • 2

      Attach the sight bracket if necessary. Almost all rifles come with the proper bracing factory-installed in place on the barrel, but in case your gun is without it, mount the bracing over the action of your rifle, about 8 inches in front of where your eye rests when holding the rifle in shooting position. The bracket fastens easily to the structure of the gun with screws that come with the bracket.

    • 3

      Secure the gun pointing at a wall, either with a vise or other weights to stabilize it in position.

    • 4

      Mark the spot where the barrel points on the wall. You can shoot a laser pen through the barrel if you have one handy, but otherwise, you can simply look through the barrel with your eye and mark the position.

    • 5

      Fix the rear sight on the bracket, from 6 to 8 inches in front of your eye, where it feels most comfortable.

    • 6

      Align the front sight on the front of the barrel, so that the center of the notch, the center of the front sight, and the point on the wall are all directly in line. The sights should be zeroed at a point about an inch above the spot where the barrel is pointed.

    • 7

      Take your rifle to the range, shoot it and make necessary adjustments to fine-tune the sighting of the open sights.