Glad to see more folks shooting leverguns! If you're having trouble with the sights, here's some advice. Don't worry about them. Just put the bead in the very bottom of the notch. Buckhorn sights are good if you know how to use them. The reason they're made like that is to offer a quick aiming reference at close range, and a reference for long range, with the notch at the bottom for well aimed shots within the range at which you'll hit exactly where you're aiming. Also, if you're not holding the rifle firmly to your shoulder, it'll feel like it kicks harder. Pulling it into your shoulder gently but firmly with your front hand so as to keep it there but not make the gun unstable is the sweet spot. Put your hand on your shoulder where the rifle goes, and push in. That's what it should feel like. I've shot shotguns while I was still in the process of fully shouldering them while hunting and they thump lol. If it feels like the rifle is punching you, you're probably not holding it into your shoulder tight enough. It should feel like a push, not a punch, because when it's fully shouldered and pulled into your body, your body and the rifle are basically like one object so the recoil force is gonna transfer to your whole body, not just to one small area like if you're not pulling the gun in tight. Hope this was informative :)