Adding a rear sight to smoothbore

[GoodRabbitPilgrim]

I'm still on the search for a flinter, I have possibly got a shot at a second hand pedersoli Indian trade musket.

To be deer legal in my state I need to have a front and and rear sight, and single projectile only.

Just wondering if anyone has and if so how to go about putting a rear sight on this gun? Ideally a way that wouldn't completely screw it out of shot use, but being deer legal is the main concern.

 

[LawrenceA]

I just soldered a modified one on.
Make it a wide V like an express big game sight and no worries.
An alternative is to fit a rear peep that could be removed or folded down.
Depending on how much meat is in the barrel then you could cut a dovetail

 

[GoodRabbitPilgrim]

I just soldered a modified one on.
Make it a wide V like an express big game sight and no worries.
An alternative is to fit a rear peep that could be removed or folded down.
Depending on how much meat is in the barrel then you could cut a dovetail
View attachment 97906

I'm embarrassed to admit despite having peeps on other guns that never occurred to me. With a peep or rear sight, do you find accuracy and range ability improves? My goal is a 100 yard deer rifle

 

[LawrenceA]

I'm embarrassed to admit despite having peeps on other guns that never occurred to me. With a peep or rear sight, do you find accuracy and range ability improves? My goal is a 100 yard deer rifle

To be honest I have not done the hard yards.
From what I know it should take out the need to spend a lot of time getting used to the firearm.
By this I mean it is all about repeatability and consistency. With a smoothbore you need to use it enough to be able to mount the firearm consistently to achieve best results.
But reality is a smoothbore is not generally considered a 100 yard firearm. More like 50.

 

[EC121]

Put a peep sight on the tang screw. It is just bent sheet metal. This one has 3 holes because I was experimenting. The holes are also too small.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Just get a brass angle brace from the hardware store. Hold it in place with the tang screw. Either use the large hole, or cut it down and make a groove and use that.

LD

 

[Art Caputo]

I simply dove-tailed a small, traditional rear sight on the flat of the rear portion of the barrel of my “do it all” .62 Fowler used for small game, turkeys, and deer. the addition of the rear sight more then doubled my effective range when using LRB’s for deer hunting, and it does not interfere with my sight picture when using shot loads.

 

[Griz44Mag]

I'm still on the search for a flinter, I have possibly got a shot at a second hand pedersoli Indian trade musket.

To be deer legal in my state I need to have a front and and rear sight, and single projectile only.

Just wondering if anyone has and if so how to go about putting a rear sight on this gun? Ideally a way that wouldn't completely screw it out of shot use, but being deer legal is the main concern.

I used an old buckhorn and used a drop of epoxy and glued it onto the barrel.
It's been there for a couple of years now. And I LIKE it!

 

[Lfpdlt]

I made one for my 62 fowler. I have since remade it with a smaller hole

 

[Rifleman1776]

Since it is a legal requirement it does not have to be a good sight for you. Just glue something on that looks like a rear sight and shoot using front sight only as you normally might do with yer smoothie.

 

[tenngun]

I'm embarrassed to admit despite having peeps on other guns that never occurred to me. With a peep or rear sight, do you find accuracy and range ability improves? My goal is a 100 yard deer rifle

No, the gun is the gun.
For me a rear sight really helps me shoot, but it won’t change the shooting of the gun.
Shooting a smooth rifle, ie: a traditional rifle style gun with a whole octagon relatively heavy barrel boys can compleat with rifles to a hundred yards.
I can’t
For the most part a fusil or musket will shoot about I foot groups at a hundred yards.
I’ve hit a bull at a hundred yards, but can’t do it consistently
I set fifty yards as a smoothies max range.
A Canadian HBC man told people in 1847 to get a smoothbore, since to sixty yards they shoot as well as a rifle, and that was the range of most hunting. Good advice me thinks
Here is my TFC with a sight, works good on Turkey and small mammals too

 

[Brokennock]

Well, there should be slightly less topic threads on this than there is on, Dawn for cleaning, water temp for cleaning, stuck balls (or other objects) in the bore,,,,,,

I posted these in a previous topic on the subject,

Small brass sight from an old junky caplock rifle I have laying around that I had replaced the rear sight on.
Glued on with Loctite Blackmax.

 

[OldSmoky1967]

Put a peep sight on the tang screw. It is just bent sheet metal. This one has 3 holes because I was experimenting. The holes are also too small.
View attachment 97924

I put one on my Brown bess with double sided tape so I could remove it without harming the gun. Shoots much better.

 

[Doc]

A rear sight on any smoothy will definitely make for more accurate shooting. However I would make mine easily removable, so I could shoot my trade gun in competition at Rhondy.
Doc,

 

[hanshi]

When I ordered my gun I asked for a rear sight and am glad I did. There's no change switching between the smoothbore and a rifle. Works with shot, too.

 

[tenngun]

A rear sight on any smoothy will definitely make for more accurate shooting. However I would make mine easily removable, so I could shoot my trade gun in competition at Rhondy.
Doc,

You put down bet you have to play by table rules. Since I have a sight on my smoothies I can’t play with the big boys, I’m ok I shoot for fun and will shoot with the rifle guns and feel good if I’m in the middle of the group.
That said lots of smoothbore guns back in the day had rear sights. The Carolina trade gun was a trade fusil made with a rear sight
About 10% of known trade guns that were not factory made with a rear sight had one installed, some times a flake of barrel raised and made in to a rear sight.
You can’t tilt at windmills, but no rear sight in a fusil contest is a might less then historic

 

[GoodRabbitPilgrim]

You put down bet you have to play by table rules. Since I have a sight on my smoothies I can’t play with the big boys, I’m ok I shoot for fun and will shoot with the rifle guns and feel good if I’m in the middle of the group.
That said lots of smoothbore guns back in the day had rear sights. The Carolina trade gun was a trade fusil made with a rear sight
About 10% of known trade guns that were not factory made with a rear sight had one installed, some times a flake of barrel raised and made in to a rear sight.
You can’t tilt at windmills, but no rear sight in a fusil contest is a might less then historic

I have never, nor have any intention in the near future to do any competition shooting so rules and such don't phase me. I'm just a hunter who likes to challenge myself by using old methods.

I was right into archery until I got a gun dog and found it too hard to gave both in the field so moved to blackpowder maybe 7 or 8 years ago. Loved it since.

 

[GoodRabbitPilgrim]

Another question for folks, there is no 4F in the country at the moment. If I were to mortar and pestle some 2F up fine and discard the dust would this make a usable priming powder?

I may be able to get some 3F but it is likely to cost $200-300 for a 2.2lb container with shipping as there is none available anywhere near me at the moment.

 

[Brokennock]

Another question for folks, there is no 4F in the country at the moment. If I were to mortar and pestle some 2F up fine and discard the dust would this make a usable priming powder?

I may be able to get some 3F but it is likely to cost $200-300 for a 2.2lb container with shipping as there is none available anywhere near me at the moment.

Another question that has been addressed repeatedly.
You don't need to grind your 2f or 3f black powder any finer to prime your pan. Many of us prime with whatever is in our horn and used for the main charge. 2f and 3f will also be less hydroscopic, so less issues with potential moisture in the pan,,,,, if, left whole.
You may need to play with how much prime to use, both my flintlocks like much less priming powder with 3f than they do with 4f.

 

[Ballshooter]

Another question for folks, there is no 4F in the country at the moment. If I were to mortar and pestle some 2F up fine and discard the dust would this make a usable priming powder?

I may be able to get some 3F but it is likely to cost $200-300 for a 2.2lb container with shipping as there is none available anywhere near me at the moment.

Or you could do some research and just make your own Black powder...it's really not that hard to make and it's kinda fun to make and shoot stuff you made with your own two hands. I cast my own RBs make my patches and patch lube and Black powder. It works just as good as store bought at least to me it has.