G98 Rear sight accuracy/issue

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DustyWilder123

Member
Hello as the title suggests! i'm sincerely looking into buying an G98, for my first "Mauser" produced rifle. My biggest concern with this particular G98, is the rear sight itself. I have spent the past couple of days getting acquainted with this series of rifle. And it has come to my knowledge the G98 for some silly reason has a default zero on the Rear sight of 400 meters. I was told during the time, they thought in WW1 that they were going to fight 400 meters and beyond! how wrong they were lol! Anyway i would like to know is there a fix? to the issue at hand! because where i live there is no place to go shoot at 400 meters nor do i want to have something constantly zeroed at 400 meters. I was also told about a technique during WW1 where German soldiers would use "Shoot at the buckle" to adjust for range on the constant zero. To me that sounds silly, is there a efficient way to solve this issue?
 
A lot will depend on what ammo you use . Once you decide on the ammo you can just build up the front sight with a little epoxy to get your 100 yard zero. It can be removed later if needed .
 
ernie8 said:
A lot will depend on what ammo you use . Once you decide on the ammo you can just build up the front sight with a little epoxy to get your 100 yard zero. It can be removed later if needed .
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I've been reading that all of the surplus ammo is horrible on target MOA and it causes rust and corrosive areas in the bore! i will be reloading match grade ammo it looks like! thank you!
 
The 400m battle sight zero was to engage massed formations by massed infantry at extended ranges. Troops were trained to use different aim points depending on the target and engagement ranges. (A similar technique was used in tank gunnery before laser range finders and integrated ballistic computers.)

Different Mauser models use different front sight heights. Dove tails for sight blades are generally the same. I install one of the taller blades for plinking and retain the original to maintain integrity of the weapon. Usually find them in parts boxes at gunshows and measure with a micrometer to confirm height. Brownells also sells a blank front sight to be filed/
shaped to your needs.
 
GEM said:
The 400m battle sight zero was to engage massed formations by massed infantry at extended ranges. Troops were trained to use different aim points depending on the target and engagement ranges. (A similar technique was used in tank gunnery before laser range finders and integrated ballistic computers.)

Different Mauser models use different front sight heights. Dove tails for sight blades are generally the same. I install one of the taller blades for plinking and retain the original to maintain integrity of the weapon. Usually find them in parts boxes at gun-shows and measure with a micrometer to confirm height. Brownells also sells a blank front sight to be filed/
shaped to your needs.
Click to expand...


Yeah that was one of the alternative methods I've seen! my question is couldn't i just take the rear sight from any Mauser rifle that didn't have that "Roller coaster" sight and mount it into the GEW98?
 
DustyWilder123 said:
Yeah that was one of the alternative methods I've seen! my question is couldn't i just take the rear sight from any Mauser rifle that didn't have that "Roller coaster" sight and mount it into the GEW98?
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Not the same mounting configuration at all. Sight base would have to be unsoldered and replaced which is what the interwar G98M modification did. Much easier to adjust front sight height. Don't recommend major fhanges to a collectable rifle. Best to get a junker to modify if you must.
 
Try some of that Prvi Partisan 8mm Mauser ammo. That stuff shoots very low in my rifles. I have to set the rear sight on the K98k to 300 meters to get close at 100 yards. I tried it in a Gew 98 and it was almost dead center of the target at 100 yards using the 400 m setting.
 
400m battle sights

I am having difficulty understanding the point of this thread. If you want shoot your Gew98 at 100yds (as I do with my shooter Gew98) obtain and install a Swedish 96 +2 to + 3 front sight. Tap the Gew sight out (save for for originality) and install the Swedish sight blade. The dovetails are identical. The profile of the Swedish sight does not exactly match that of the Gew but it works fine. If your sight zero is still to high you can file down the Swedish sight or simply set the rear sight up. If it shoots too low get a higher front sight.
 
Here's an easy fix, the credit goes to MauserBill for his illustration from years ago:
 

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As stated, change the front sight not the rear. The idea that anyone would even consider going to the effort of unsoldering and replacing a Gew98 rear sight to recalibrate to commercial ammo is simply ludicrous. An even simpler solution if your rifle shoots high relative to point of aim is to use a 6 o'clock hold sight picture. Essentially the same idea as holding off or "Kentucky" elevation (this may be what the previous post is illustrating).
 
feldmütze said:
Here's an easy fix, the credit goes to MauserBill for his illustration from years ago:
Click to expand...

It would be nearly impossible to do any real accurate target shooting with that sight picture . It would work for shooting a paint bucket at 25 yards . but not much else .
 
ernie8 said:
It would be nearly impossible to do any real accurate target shooting with that sight picture . It would work for shooting a paint bucket at 25 yards . but not much else .
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That is correct, this sight picture wouldn't be adequate for accurate bench rest shooting. A 100 + years ago the German military utilized this (or some similar sighting method) for the G98 rifle for war, at targets much different than paint buckets.
 
ernie8 said:
It would be nearly impossible to do any real accurate target shooting with that sight picture . It would work for shooting a paint bucket at 25 yards . but not much else .
Click to expand...

Depends on what type of target you are using. If it's a standard round black bullseye, like used in NRA high power competitions, a good shooter can hold under an MOA accuracy with iron sights. There are a few popular sight pictures (center mass, 6 o'clock, line of white, etc.) but any of them can produce good repeatable results. I don't think that drawing was a very good example of a target, but it illustrates the concept of adjusting sight picture to correct for elevation.
 
Some interesting shooting advice here...to the OP you are just going to have to dick with it. A taller front post will shoot lower, get one from Brownells or Midway and shave it until it's zeroed. It's going to be a pain in the a$$ no matter how you do it.
 
I have personally test fired over 1200 different military rifles for accuracy and have run a military rifle benchrest match for 15 years . I have shot many 1 inch or less groups in competition and have also scored others . There is no way to shoot a good group on a bullseye target at 100 yards using an imaginary peep sight . Sights were a major factor in how well a military rifle would target shoot . Rifles with large rear sight v's or peeps just could not shoot small groups . The OP said he wanted to target shoot .
 
Our match only allowed unmodified rifles . We did allow the front sight to be raised to get a 100 yard zero . but it had to remain the same type . So a Swede sight was not legal as it is different from a G-98 sight . Everyone used cheap epoxy stick . It is not a pain . It is cheap , you can get it at Walmart , it can be done at the range and adjusted with a pocket knife or sandpaper , can be redone if you mess up or want to change and will do many rifles .
 
Another point . Nobody in benchrest shooting uses MOA as a measurement for several reasons . First there is not a measuring tool graduated in that for target use , so you would have to do math on every target . MOA is used in optics for survey work , it has no practical application in shooting as bullets do not travel in a linier path like light . In shooting , a result that would be MOA at one distance , would not be at another .
 
Gew 98 accuracy

My Spandau 1915 (with a Swed front sight) will shoot 1.5 MOA (1.5 inch groups) at 100 yds with my handloads. The rifle has a stone mint barrel. The Swed front sight, with the small flat on the top, works great with the Gew 98 rear sight using a 6 o'clock sight picture. Cartridge components consist of a 150 gr. Spitzer bullets with IMR 4895.
 
So the different front sight helped you shoot better ? A 1.57 inch group is good . That is why we made them shoot the rifles in our match as made , a better example of the strengths and weakness' . My best ever in competition with a Gew-98 was with my 1903 rifle , it's best of the match was a 52 SOA 5-shot group at 100 yards . I used the Hornady 15o sp bullet .
 
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