New Dick Miller Rifle, Sighting In

First off, let me apologize for the fact that this is another “zeroing” thread. I realize the subject has been written about ad nauseam, and I have reviewed a number of threads on this forum and others… only to find myself more confused than ever.

I recently picked up this .50 cal Richard “Dick” Miller rifle, my second from this builder. I’d really like to make this my primary flintlock for rendezvous and club shoots. It currently appears to be dead nuts on at approximately 25 yards in terms of both windage and elevation with a .490 ball and .020 patch, using roughly 55 grains of FFG Swiss. I made the mistake of taking the rifle to the club shoot this past Sunday, and was feeling quite confident after spending a little time with it at the range the day before. My confidence quickly diminished as I struggled to score hits on target after target. I believe I got nine out of forty, which just isn’t like me… I took second place at last month’s shoot (using a different rifle), just a couple points away from the gentleman who is regularly “top dog”.

Most of my shooting with this rifle will be trail walk events. Our club moves to the range during the hotter months due to fire danger, and we shoot steel animal silhouettes at 25, 50, 75, and 100 yards. I’m looking for the zero that would give me the least POI deviation from one distance to another. I kind of gleaned through my reading that this might be a POA/POI zero at 100 yards. Is that correct? I don’t want to have to mess around with holdover stuff and utilize Kentucky windage. The targets are typically large enough that one has at least a few inches in any direction in terms of margin of error.

I'd try zeroing at 75 yards. You'd be close at 25, slightly high at 50, on at 75, and need a very slight holdover at 100.

Ditto on the sighting in. What a gorgeous rifle!

If you don’t want to mess around with holdover and Kentucky windage you are in the wrong sport!l

Pete G said:

If you don’t want to mess around with holdover and Kentucky windage you are in the wrong sport!l

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There’s plenty of folks that would disagree with you there, Pete. It ought to be more or less unnecessary (out to 100 yards, that is) with the proper zero, and that’s what I’m trying to determine.

I didn’t do any sort of holdover at last month’s shoot, and I nearly got top score; in fact, I went home with two “5 pins”, which signified I hit five targets in a row during both the 50 and 75 yard course of fire. I used a .50 cal percussion that I had purchased just a week or so prior, and I have no idea what it’s zeroed at.

Might want to experiment with a little heavier charge to flatten the trajectory a bit.

How many shots at what ranges?
What are the sizes of the targets?
What's the size of the groups at those ranges?
What's the size of the groups if you use 65 grains of Swiss 3Fg?
You will want to set the zero at a range close to where most of the shots will be taken. Probably 50 or 75 yards.

Grenadier1758 said:

How many shots at what ranges?
What are the sizes of the targets?
What's the size of the groups at those ranges?
What's the size of the groups if you use 65 grains of Swiss 3Fg?
You will want to set the zero at a range close to where most of the shots will be taken. Probably 50 or 75 yards.

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In regards to the range: we shoot ten shots per course of fire. In other words, you’ve got ten targets each at 25, 50, 75, and 100 yards. The targets differ in their size, but most of them are probably 12” wide x 6” high. The 25” targets are probably half that size.

Is this the Richard Miller from Michigan?

You going to shoot that beauty?

rich pierce said:

You going to shoot that beauty?

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But of course! What else does one do with a rifle?

If you think that’s nice, you ought to see my other “Armstrong” rifle that Dick built. It’ll also see plenty of use.

Yanqui said:

Is this the Richard Miller from Michigan?

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The one and only!

Trot said:

Might want to experiment with a little heavier charge to flatten the trajectory a bit.

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I’ll give that a try. Thanks.

reddogge said:

I'd try zeroing at 75 yards. You'd be close at 25, slightly high at 50, on at 75, and need a very slight holdover at 100.

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I’ll give that a whirl, thanks. I’ve heard the term “maximum point blank range” thrown around, and that’s along the lines of what I’m looking for. I just want to be able to consistently score hits on an area about the size of a saucer on anything up to and including 100 yards offhand.

I tend to vary my charge depending on the range to target. In a 50 cal, under 40 yards it's usually 50gr of 3F. To 75 yards it's 65gr and to 100 it's 75gr. I follow that same sort of progression in all my rifles 45 cal and up. More powder for more velocity and flatter shooting.

Hunting it's all one load (65) as my goal is a shot within 60 or so yards.

Definitely. Up your charge. 55 is ok for that up close. But to ring targets out at 100. I’d go 70 to 80 and try both 2 and 3 f. I had a great 50 swamp green mountain barreled gun. That loved 80 grns 2 f. For tight groups at 65 yards. Also get it all on paper. 25 to 100. Paper don’t lie

I have one .50 caliber rifle that I sometimes shoot at 100 yards (actually two but we can’t discuss the other one). It’s zeroed at 75 yards with 65 grains of 3f and a .490 patched round ball. I can consistently hit a gallon milk jug anywhere from 25 to 100 yards. If that helps.

rick1964 said:

Definitely. Up your charge. 55 is ok for that up close. But to ring targets out at 100. I’d go 70 to 80 and try both 2 and 3 f. I had a great 50 swamp green mountain barreled gun. That loved 80 grns 2 f. For tight groups at 65 yards. Also get it all on paper. 25 to 100. Paper don’t lie

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I’ll take your advice and do some experimentation here. As a husband and father to four kids under the age of seven, it’s hard to find the time to shoot as often as I’d like— and I can shoot right off my back porch! I’ll make it a point to get behind the gun and be on purpose with my range time though.

Oddly enough, it seemed like the 100 yard targets were about all I could hit at Sunday’s shoot. Most of the shots were hitting the ram’s in the belly, and -if my memory serves me correctly- I was shooting primarily 60 grains or thereabouts.

I suspect I’ll eventually have to alter the front sight height, but I prefer to tread carefully here. Thanks for sharing your insights.

TrailWalker said:

I’ll give that a whirl, thanks. I’ve heard the term “maximum point blank range” thrown around, and that’s along the lines of what I’m looking for. I just want to be able to consistently score hits on an area about the size of a saucer on anything up to and including 100 yards offhand.

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For the 100 yard target with the 75 yard zero you could just see a lot of front sight to eliminate hold over.

Get on paper. It will show you everything. Your load development. If you push or pull. Keep notes and pictures of groups with load used. Some guns will shoot anything ok. Some need the load powder patch ball. Even lube. 5 good on purpose shots a evening will show you a lot m