Third Party Press

First K98k Questions

Pelerus

Member
Hi all, I’ve been interested for some time in acquiring a K98k for range use, but wanted one that was a step above the average “shooter.” I found an example from Simpson Ltd. that seemed to fit the bill: a matching byf 44 with what the description called an “excellent bore.”

I took it to the range for the first time on Saturday, and it was quite a pleasure to shoot. It did leave me with some nasty bruises on the shoulder and upper arm, but well worth the discomfort in my opinion! This could be due to poor technique, as I have very little experience with long guns in general, and none with bolt actions chambered in battle rifle cartridges. (I should also note that I was using Hornady Vintage Match ammo, which is a full powered 8mm designed to approximate German military standards with 196 grains at 2500 fps.)

My primary question though is related to the sights. I had some difficulty acquiring and maintaining a proper sight picture, as I am not used to the black-on-black of the front and rear sights. Would applying a small amount of gun sight paint or tape to the front sight post be of any help in that regard? I am hesitant to make any modifications, even minor ones like applying paint, for fear of harming the collectibility of the rifle.

The other observation I wanted to mention is that I found myself shooting a bit high at 25 yards - the maximum distance available at this range, as unfortunately an indoor range is my only option at the present time. I had the rear sight set all the way down, which I believe corresponds to 100 meters, so would it be normal to be a few inches high at 25 yards if holding at the center of the target?

Thank you for any insights!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Proper sight picture is the top of the front sight aligned with the top of the rear V and centered. Kind of like this { \^/ }. You will probably shoot high up to 100 yards and a little beyond. Vintage match is good stuff but quite expensive, heavier bullets tend to hit a little high at "close" ranges from what I've gathered.... Just adjust your hold to account for that.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
 
Just some basic technique: We're taught to pull the butt of the rifle tightly into the pocket formed by our upper arm and torso. Try reducing the punishment by not pulling the butt in as tightly. Roll with the punches. I never hold a rifle loosely, but on high recoil rifles I'm holding the piece loosely enough to where much of the recoil energy has dissipated before the butt can slam my shoulder.

Be sure the upper arm is parallel to the floor or ground. This gives maximum definition to the shoulder pocket.

The cheek weld is still a key to accuracy. A human can hold his head very steady, regardless of what position the body takes. With a good cheek weld and a proper sight picture and follow through, that steadiness translates into smaller groupings.
 
The gun shot down is OK. The visor rises. When you shoot the power up, the fly will be replaced. There is higher. For V-shaped shooting, one has to get used to. In a short sleeve shirt, masochists shoot. You need to dress and put your shoulder. Thirty or forty shots can stand. Then it hurts unless a person is ready for it. Sorry google translate.
 
Thank you all for your comments, they are most appreciated and give me some good points to focus on in terms of technique.

Shooter45, I had no trouble understanding you except for a bit of difficulty with your very first point. I found the remark about the short sleeve shirts very funny and also true - I was in fact wearing a short sleeve shirt during the bruise-inducing first range session!

By the way, I see that you are from the EU. Is your native language German by chance? If so, I took a few semesters of German in college, so might be able to do a little better (optimistically!) than Google Translate if you would care to restate your first four sentences in German.
 

Military Rifle Journal
Back
Top