Firearm ? Marlin 783

Billy NY

Well-known Member
Given the woodchuck population has been pressuring my garden and around the house again, live trap is getting set off by chipmunks, (have a trap set for them too, it works, bucket of water, with a ramp and sunflower seed floating and on the ramp !) and what I have for a rimfire rifle, the marlin 783 I got on the cheap, it was time to finally take it out and see how it shoots.

At 50'-0", using a Leupold 100 yd target, it shot 2" high, and 2" to the right, so I raised the rear sight, and that appeared to change the elevation, barring any human influence, not at a real solid rest, just a rolled up shelter half on a bench. I can work with that. However, I have never experienced having a windage problem, with a fixed open sight, so maybe I am a bit clueless LOL! To move the trajectory over 2" I had to tap the front blade sight over to the right, and literally off the front sight base or ramp, to zero it, and it did work, just does not look right, I am wondering what would be a likely cause. There is no adjustment on the rear sight for windage, and of course the front sight does have a dovetail for removal, maybe something is damaged, off or what, its just odd.

I shot at the lower left black box in the target, and the shots grouped under 1" in the bulls eye ! That was comical, 'cept, thats not where I was shooting, but good groups to start with, looks like it would do the same much further out, but instead of wasting any more ammo, I need to see what I can do with this.

With the above, I think a scope would be easier to deal with, my only question is the base or mounts for this rifle. It does have 2 very small grooves on top of the receiver, and would appear though small, there is a mount, (no drilling or tapping needed) that should work and is common, just that I literally could not find a match on the web, but have seen the 783 with a scope, so it has to be something I am missing.

At least it seems to group nice with CCI target rounds, have not tried the hollow points or the Remington ammo, and of course wally world nearby is always out of 22wmr, there has to be another source. I'd like to comment on our governor and the BS he's imposed on us, it used to be $10 for 50, and I was fine for that, now its off the shelf, grr...... LOL ! Do appreciate the help, I have got to take some of these 'chucks down, hard to believe there is so many around, I think as I rid the place of them, others move in from the 100 or so acres adjoining, the following year.
 
I always reverse things in my head for some reason, dyslexia maybe, I meant to write lower ! LOL !

I will play the part of the fool today, I could not see the dove tail in the rear sight, and a darned fool I am LOL !!!, I looked up the parts diagram ok, a brass drift and nylon hammer and a few taps, shoot and see..... ! I don't know what the heck it is, I should have seen that dovetail on the barrel though, just got it in my head it was fixed, I knew better, just been forever since I have fooled with iron sights. So I'll tap the front sight back to center, then adjust the rear accordingly while shooting from a good rest.

NOw if'n I can find some scope mounts if thats what those 2 small slots are in the receiver !

Self answered, I'll take the dunce cap award today LOL !!
 
You are going the wrong way with your adjustments.
First, tap that front sight back to the exact middle of the dovetail. Leave it alone , never touch it again.
Second, lower the rear sight back down a little lower than you started. Make sure it is also in the middle of it's left/right adjustment.
Third "elevation " is up or down. "Windage" is left and right.
Fourth, it is not possible that there is no provision for windage on the rear sight. At a minimum you use a small brass drift and tap it to the right to move point of impact to the right. You can see how the very front of the rear sight is mounted in a dovetail on the barrel which allows side to side movement.
 
What you said exactly, I got it in my thick head the rear sight was fixed, not seeing the dove tail slot. I did use the wrong word above, I sometimes mirror things like that, measure up a piece of sheetrock, with some cuts, and have done it precise, but in reverse ! We all have our "quirks", ole 'chucky gets me rattled a bit too, getting inside the wire, threatening my summer enjoyment of clean fresh produce, all hands on deck, traps, guns what have you !


That last bit of information, I see the dovetail now .... (red faced over here LOL !) But hey, I know now, and at least it groups nice, now I'll get 'er zero'd, well as soon as I get the darned extractor just right, they are finicky on this rifle, you have to ever so slightly bend the one tang out once its on the bolt, I adjusted the feed ramp cut in the other side, thinking that was it, as it did not match the old one, would not feed, was too stiff, $11.00 mistake LOL ! Does not grab right, a spent shell pulls a lot harder than a live one, which proved itself when shooting.
 
The two grooves in the receiver take a standard 22RF scope mount. Nearly all 22s made in the last 40-50 years have the same system. Some scope makers also make a set of adapter rings to mount a better 1" tube scope on those grooves.
 
Thanks Ken, I figured it was likely a common arrangement, I did not know the name or nomenclature to search it. I'll get back to it when the new extractor arrives, sight in the iron sights, then likely put a scope on it for the longer shots, then post back about it.
 
If you mount a scope your iron sights will not be usable. Exception being the really tall see through mounts which are NOT suitable for .22.
If you think you will be shooting in low light, or dark conditions, then get an inexpensive 4X power scope. Tape a scorpion type light to the barrel. That's my sweet corn coon gun. The other is my first gun, a 1950 H&R single shot .410 3 inch 4's are deadly and it has a pair of scorpions on it. I probably would work well at night for marauding raptors perched about the place but I wouldn't know about that.
 
Right again, I have that option on my M1A with a 3rd generation mount, but even with the inexpensive scope on it, I have taken many deer in low light situations, it sure gives you more opportunities in low light, even better if I had the illuminated reticle, red dot, range finder springfield used to offer. I figure until I get what I need for the 783, I'll get familiar with shooting it, iron sights, then more than likely install a scope, spring time I can nail a few 'chucks early and can see them easily at much longer distances, try to get this population down, now is tough as they are elusive enough and sure are persistent at times.

The best flash light I have ever used and is suitable to mount, is a MXDL SA-T68, sold on ebay, the barrel of it is machined flat, I can illuminate easily 100 yds out, its an LED with 3 levels of power, strobe and SOS to signal for help, foreign made but there is literally nothing as bright, if it reflects off something its blinding.
 

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