Shooting way low!

woodsnwater · Mar 1, 2022

My flint .45 is shooting a foot and a half low and six inches to the left at twenty five yards with 25 grains of fffg and a tight prb. I shot it with 40 grains and it came up just over an inch. It’s a early pedersoli. These are the rear sights I’m having to use to get on target. The front sight is filed down to just over 1/8”. Any idea what’s going on?

FishDFly · Mar 1, 2022

Picture of sight in picture looks kinda way to tall.

Larry (Omaha) · Mar 1, 2022

woodsnwater said:
My flint .45 is shooting a foot and a half low and six inches to the left at twenty five yards with 25 grains of fffg and a tight prb. I shot it with 40 grains and it came up just over an inch. It’s a early pedersoli. These are the rear sights I’m having to use to get on target. The front sight is filed down to just over 1/8”. Any idea what’s going on?

Are you a regular flint shooter? Are you shooting offhand or on sand bags. What is your point of aim? What is your sight picture? What size is your touch hole? I can't say without more information but I shoot 50 grains of 2F in my 45 flintlock.
Larry

Larry (Omaha) · Mar 1, 2022

FishDFly said:
Picture of sight in picture looks kinda way to tall.

It does for sure! We need more information.
Larry

Flint62Smoothie · Mar 1, 2022

That rear sight is already way up high, but you'd need it to go even HIGHER to raise the impact ... given that your front sight is already filed low.

If it were mine ... I'd bend the barrel, twice, once for elevation and again to adjust for that windage issue. I'd also change out that rear sight for a more traditional one while at it.

doubleset · Mar 1, 2022

The height of that sight appears to be about half the barrel diameter above the bore center! How can you position your cheek/head to even see the front sight?

woodsnwater · Mar 1, 2022

I had a normal / traditional sight on it to start with and it shot low. I had to put this ugly, tall sight on it to bring it up that 1.5'. I'm shooting on a solid rest from a bench. It's very accurate, putting the last three shots in the same jagged hole. Brand new touch hole, 1/16".
Can I bend this barrel to correct it?

woodsnwater · Mar 1, 2022

OK, I'm reading barrel bending threads now. I'm glad to know i don't have to live with this.

deerstalkert · Mar 1, 2022

this may be in your future. but try loosening the front barrel wedge if that pedersoli has two.

Frontier's · Mar 1, 2022

Show your entire sight set up.

Tom A Hawk · Mar 1, 2022

Can you show the front sight?

FishDFly · Mar 1, 2022

woodsnwater said:
OK, I'm reading barrel bending threads now. I'm glad to know i don't have to live with this.

Get the correct sights, front and rear, no reason to bend the barrel.,

With a octagon barrel it is going to take a tremendous amount of pressure to bend it.

bang · Mar 1, 2022

45 using 25 grains. Up that to 60 - 70.
Is the front sight the standard for that rifle?
Get shorter front sight.

Okie Hog · Mar 1, 2022

FishDFly said:
With a octagon barrel it is going to take a tremendous amount of pressure to bend it.

Barrels bend relatively easy in a bending jig or on an anvil.

rifle barrel bending fixture - Bing images

Larry (Omaha) · Mar 1, 2022

bang said:
45 using 25 grains. Up that to 60 - 70.
Is the front sight the standard for that rifle?
Get shorter front sight.

It is already at 1/8". Can't go lower than that!
Larry

rafterob · Mar 1, 2022

You should first find the best load for it. That will likely be between 45 and 70 grains 3f. You want to shoot for the highest best grouping at your point of aim. After you have your best load, then work on the sights. My guess is you need to put new sights on and start over. If you find after filing the front sight significantly it is still shooting way low, bending the barrel is a good option.

doubleset · Mar 1, 2022

I have to say that I'm really pretty puzzled at the speed with which people proceed to "I need to bend the barrel". If that's really true, it would seem to imply that a LOT of BP barrels either aren't straight or aren't bored correctly. And that's disturbing -- isn't it?

Frontier's · Mar 1, 2022

dont bend anything! Thats totally crap and never should be done when the rifle has ADJUSTABLE sights.

If its shooting low, raise the rear sight higher. To me, it looks like the sight is on backward, but without more pics, i can not tell for sure. BUT, I do know, if its shooting low..... You simply raise that adjustable rear sight....

woodsnwater · Mar 1, 2022

The light load is for squirrels. I know it's not ideal but it's what I have. Increasing that load to 40 grains raised point of impact 1" Doubling that 40 isn't going to raise it 18". The front sight is just a standard silver blade 1/8" high.

woodsnwater · Mar 1, 2022

Y'all should watch the videos of the pedersoli factory. If I'm not mistaken they have to straighten the barrels multiple times before they leave the factory. Even the polishing they do heats and bends them so they have to be bent back.

Shooting way low!

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