I’ll share a little secret with ya all about why I like open sights on EVERY springer, AG if possible.
First, I own John Thomas’s Wife’s personal HW30, so believe me it’s tuned well. Only thing is it came with a nice solid metal brake and no sights. A Hawke 2x7x32 & rings, optically centered & shimmed for a 20 yard zero with 8.44 JSB’s.
I call John and tell him I love it, it’s amazing; but where’s the sights? He says no problem and sends about 3 sets and 5 rear Diana 48 sets for me to choose from & fix up old 1992 48.
Here’s the secret. I prefer open sights just in case but on 2-3x I can see the front globe cover. By aligning target, top radius of globe cover, reticle, eye, repetitive hold, you wouldn’t believe me so I won’t claim anything.
I will say for 10-30 yards on a target you can see with 2-3x, (I understand older eyes) this 4 sight radius alignment instead of common 3 (most shoot on higher magnification or take sights off) target, reticle, eye aligning with exit pupil for full clear picture, all preferred pellets started dropping into one ragged hole at 30 yards. That top globe radius MAKES you repeat your eye placement. Is it cheating? No, it’s making the most of the sight combo.
Being its MPBR is 20 yards and drops from there on out, be clear I’m shooting it in no wind early morning. Using this system and a bubble level I can repeatedly hit soda cans out to 75 yards and quite often 100.
This is a windy 5-8mph day at 50 yards shooting against 76 year old Daddy and his Savage .22WSM. Doesn’t sound fair? I didn’t think so either, but; Suprise, Suprise, Suprise!
His eyes are failing, and I can feel the slightest breeze on shaved head/skin.
Top 4 teardrops are me shooting off elbows on rickety porch table from John Thomas tuned HW30 using the 4 system sight alignment, JSB .176” 8.44’s. Yes, .176”. I bought 40,000 at a very fair price and I don’t compete so, thank you
Sir, and God bless you for your patience, good work & honesty. I wish you many years of 1st place comp shooting.
The smaller straight hole .177’s not dropping in like artillery are from a hot tuned BSA Ultra/Scorpion hybrid spitting 10.5 CPHP’s.
Dad kept adjusting scope and blamed Winchester ammo. He did come back 3 days later to show me 3 shots within a 1” fluorescent orange target marker taken at 50 yards. He’d bought Federal and settled on his scope. I guess he was really mad a 7-8ftlb springer had showed up his Varmint rig.
Dad never spent tons on high end guns. Total utilitarian other than his Franchi’s, and whatever my Gunsmith Uncle Ted left him.
That’s an incredible master worked El Llama Especial that if in say Ron Robinson’s hands would probably beat all groups mentioned.
But hey, I’m just talking HW30’s here. I had so many good top tuner spring guns, and forgive me but was power mad as a newbie with too much money. That’s all changed. Anyone I ever sell to has THREE DAYS to inspect a gun. If not what I said, pay shipping back, I inspect & if all’s Kosher, refund minus shipping on its way. So anybody out there that got some incredible tuned springers from me for a song & a dance, please consider selling back. I’m not one of those liars that say No Regrets. Tons of regrets, Theoben Scirocco, HW80K, Mike McKeon R1, AZ masterpieces, on & on.
Hey, I write. I didn’t read every post here & doubt 5 people will read this. But to OP’r. If you’re not happy with your springer and haven’t tried a John Thomas tuned one, I’ll let you borrow one if ever interested. I’m going to his place fairly soon to have 5 guns worked on & learn. I’ll probably continue to have him do my special ones that are unique but I need to learn how to at least change breech seals in side cocking Diana’s.
Hey, peace out Girl Scouts.
