View
through the sights of a Feinwerkbau LG700
This photo shows the marksman-eye view of the target when using a 10 metre target air rifle equipped with aperture sights and shot in the standing position. The large black area is the end of the rearsight, so close to the eye (about 2-3 inches) that no detail is in focus. The purpose of the rearsight is to centralise the eye with the foresight, which is the larger black circle in the yellow aperture. The yellow colour of the aperture is because the shooter is using a filter to improve visual acuity, other popular colours are red and green (blue is not much used). The reason for the six sided appearance of the aperture is that it is made by an adjustable iris, so that its diameter can be altered to suit personal preference. The smaller black circle in the centre of the foresight is the foresight element which is used to align the gun with the aiming mark on the target. Notice that the gun is canted anti-clockwise and that the foresight has a adjustable bar that can be turned to the horizontal position, so as to consistently judge the right degree of cant to be used. In the very centre of the sights is the aiming mark, the tiny grey / black spot. In the centre of this aiming mark is the "10", just ½ millimetre in diameter, so small in fact that it cannot be seen from 10 metres distance.
The way that these sights are used, is that the marksman looks through the rearsight (not at it), then focuses on the foresight element (not the aiming mark) and centres the aiming mark in the foresight element, which is in turn centred in the rearsight. These sights are only intended for precision target shooting, they would be useless for hunting or military work. The gun used to provide the illustration below was a Feinwerkbau LG700 (compressed) air rifle, but the same principle applies to all competitive shooting to ISSF rules done by 10 metre airguns and all 25 yard / 50 metre .22 rimfire rifles shot from either the prone, kneeling or standing position, using aperture sights.
