Aperture Sight Accuracy Questions

[miked]

I have recently been shooting an aperture sight with a front blade. My intention is to use this for hunting. On my best days, I can shoot 3-4 inch groups at 100 yards with this combination. My front blade covers about 12 inches at this distance. My thinking is that I should be able to do better than this. I read where the best BPCR silhoutte shooters are capable of MOA accuracy. While I don't think I'll ever be MOA, what can I do to improve?
1) I seem to constantly struggle with putting that front blade exactly in the middle of my aperture sight field.
2) Picking an exact spot right in the middle of my sight blade plane at 100 yards seems pretty difficult.
Any suggestions?

[Nobade]

For shooting paper and silhouettes I use a blade that is about 4 MOA wide, and with a 6 O'clock hold can keep most shots in 2 inches at 100 yards. However, for hunting I think that blade would be too small to see all the time. I'd go for a gold bead, and sight it for a dead center hold. That way the shot would go where the bead is. That setup is way harder to shoot groups with, but works great in the woods. As for trying to center the post in the rear, quit thinking about it! Your brain will do it automatically if you quit trying. If you force it it's really hard.

[savageT]

miked,
You are worrying for nothing!  By nature, your eye will go to the brightest spot in the aperture sight automatically.  I'm not saying "believe it", it's a fact.  Why else would competition sights use globe and aperture sights?
Just place the top of your front blade on the bullseye at 6 o'clock and let the aperture sight follow the blade.  
Side Note:  If you were to check out the Mojo Sights for milsurp replacements, you will see they use aperture sights front and rear.  This allows unobstructed view of the target.
Jim

[sharps4590]

As the other posters have said, stop trying to center the front sight in the rear aperature.  Look thru the rear aperature AT the front sight.  25+ years ago it was a difficult concept for me to accept but once I did it's the easiest thing you'll ever do.  It almost becomes a 1X scope because it leaves the appearance of putting your front sight and the target in the same focal plane.

If you're wanting to get serious about targets get a front sight with interchangeable aperatures.  Most come with a really fine globe, pinhead or whatever you want to call it.  The flat top post style is great for a 6 o'clock hold, as your existing blade sight can be.  The crosshair type of front aperature is also good and I will use it on Redfield style paper targets.  For bullseye targets I really like the open cross hair.  You end up with three concentric circles for sighting and I've found them to be amazingly accurate at distances beyond 300 yards.  One can do some remarkable shooting out to 800 yards with this type of front aperature.  For hunting I use a globe front sight that subtends about 4 inches at 100 yards.  It's more than adequate for 200 yard shots on game but I won't try it any farther than that.  I don't doubt my rifle or my load but there are too many variables for me personally to be shooting at game beyond that, unless it was bison or moose.

Great learnin' game, ain't it!!!

Vic