Effect of sun angle on iron sights

[Hunter Osborne]

I good friend of mine just returned from a Precision Rifle class put on by Dan Flowers with LMS Defense. This issue was discussed there, and he relayed to me that in the long range community, this is a known issue. Something to do with the light you see from the target being reflected at an angle (think like a riochet) and not directly back to you. Because we don't actually "see" things, rather we see the light that they reflect, some pretty weird shit can start happening with different environmental conditions.

[MVS]

I first heard of this in a Mike Pannone class. Apparently I am not a good enough shooter to notice it for myself.

[Leroy]

I shoot facing the east at my range and I live in a flat wide open agriculutral area that often has significant wind. If I am working on pistol loads, group shooting, or anything high precision oriented I don't bother until I get a calm day and only do it in the afternoons with the sun high or to my back. With poor lighting on the targets and sights I have seen signifacant differences in group size. At 25-50 yards offhand, high wind will increase my wobble zone a lot as well.

[GJM]

Yesterday afternoon, overcast conditions, I got a chance to shoot a 19 and 17 that I previously reported were impacting right, with a strong right sun angle. Same ammo, same distance, and impact was now centered for windage. Same result for my wife with her 34.

[1slow]

Elmer Keith wrote of sun angle affecting sight picture and point of impact, particularly with S&W revolver colored front sight inserts (Baughman ramp).

[CCT125US]

Time to revive this one. Observed this phenomenon and went searching for answers. Came across this this thread and the link below.

http://www.starreloaders.com/edhall/...ghtsurvey.html

I found that with 3 Dot irons, if you close your non dominant eye and bring the dots up to the target, and then open the NDE, it will show the shift caused by the sun.

I only notice when shooting at 50yds and longer.

[OlongJohnson]

Missed this one the first time.

Maybe there actually is something to those hooded sights on the Buck Mark Silhouette family and hunting rifles.

[JohnO]

My last response here was just over 2 years ago.

Here is a worthwhile addition to the thread. Mike discusses lighting effects on sight perception.

[peterb]

Elmer Keith wrote of sun angle affecting sight picture and point of impact, particularly with S&W revolver colored front sight inserts (Baughman ramp).

A small carbide lamp used to be standard equipment in the range bag of target shooters. It was used to apply a fine layer of flat black soot to the sights to minimize lighting effects.

Still discussed... https://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=605465

[OlongJohnson]

It can also be accomplished with a paraffin wax candle.