Adjusting non adjustable sights

[sethwyo]

Got a chance to bust some caps this morning before work.

Went out to the homestead and set up a cardboard box with a block of wood inside it for a Target.

At about 10 yards (I'm not on the metric system ) my horse pistol seems to be shooting high and off to the right so much that I couldn't hit a box about 2 ft high and a foot and a half wide.

So I moved in to about 10 ft and while the gun groups tight, enough that the two rounds made a figure 8, its shooting off to the right and too high.

The farther back I move the farther off it gets gets.

First cap and ball pistol I ever fired had sites that were way off and with the Colt style it's always been very difficult to figure a way to adjust these so they will hit the nail on the head.

So, anybody , that has dealt with this issue before . . .

 

[TreeMan]

Put it on a bench and rest it on a sandbag. They all shoot high so compensate by either aiming low or getting a larger target. Start working on different loads shooting from a sandbag. Shooting offhand can’t determine if the gun needs sight adjustments or if you are simply a terrible shot.

 

[Phil Coffins]

Did I miss where you said what type and model pistol you have?

 

[bigstick6017555]

You, the gun or the components being used in the gun can be 3 main factors. In those 3 main factors can be hundred of possibilities. For the folks on here to help you they will need make, cal., to start with, as Phil was wondering

 

[M. De Land]

Got a chance to bust some caps this morning before work.

Went out to the homestead and set up a cardboard box with a block of wood inside it for a Target.

At about 10 yards (I'm not on the metric system ) my horse pistol seems to be shooting high and off to the right so much that I couldn't hit a box about 2 ft high and a foot and a half wide.

So I moved in to about 10 ft and while the gun groups tight, enough that the two rounds made a figure 8, its shooting off to the right and too high.

The farther back I move the farther off it gets gets.

First cap and ball pistol I ever fired had sites that were way off and with the Colt style it's always been very difficult to figure a way to adjust these so they will hit the nail on the head.

So, anybody , that has dealt with this issue before . . .

The trouble with load adjusting for point of aim is having to settle very often for a level of power you are not really happy with and it seldom is that effective anyway.
A better method in my opinion is to find the most accurate and/or powerful load one wants and then make the sight adjustments to accommodate that load.
This very often requires a new front sight set in a barrel dovetail so that both windage and elevation can be addressed.
Some folks can stand turning the barrel into the frame farther or backing it out some or even bending the front blade for windage and elevation adjustment but I cannot abide either.
For me only the new milled front sight set in a properly cut barrel dovetail is the correct fix.

 

[GYJ]

For me only the new milled front sight set in a properly cut barrel dovetail is the correct fix.

^^^This. The dovetail front sight fixes both your windage and elevation issues.

 

[Darto]

 

[Darto]

 

[Darto]

Get right left windage correct first before doing any elevation sight mods.

 

[sheriff john]

Still don't know what type/model pistol we're talking about. Also - without using a proper rest in the correct manner ...one may as well be shooting a slingshot. Telling a newbie to file a dovetail in his pistol barrel without knowing what gun? We need more info here.

 

[CaptainVane]

As said, benchrest, shoot a lot of balls with various powder loads til you see what the pistol likes. Dont worry about where it’s hitting, you’re going for consistent groups.
Once you get that, you can compensate by adjusting point of aim. ‘51 Navy .36 15grains, 30 yds.
My method, not everyones.

 

[sethwyo]

I did state what the gun is but I guess it doesn't matter

 

[Sam squanch]

Shooting a handgun from a bench rest is ok to get an idea of where it is hitting at, but keep in mind if you will be shooting mostly offhand your groups MAY be different . If you plan to shoot offhand, one hand or two, be aware the pistol will respond differently to the pressure from your hands than when it was from resting on a sandbag, with a group in a different place on the target. Too many people take way too much time in aiming. You got 3 seconds before your eyes start messing up and you get the wiggles. Trust first aim and press the trigger don’t jerk it.

 

[Rich44]

Let me make a guess first, you are left handed?

OK, for sight correction, you need to know these 3 facts.
1 The distance you are shooting. Not just a guess.
2 The group distance from the bulls eye
3 And the distance between the sights accurately. I do not need to know what gun.
Take the distance shooting in inches (20 ft = 240 inches) and dived by distance between sights. (say 10 inches) And that equals a factor of 24.
Let's say you are shooting 4 inches high. 4 divide by 24 equals .166
That is the amount of sight change necessary. It can be made by changing front sight higher (say .100) and rear sight lower (.066).

Plug in your own numbers and see if you can make the sight correction if possible. Or do you need another gun or another shooter.

If you are left handed correct you trigger finger squeeze. Or use the same as above to get the amount of correction needed for windage.

You need to know what you are looking at first before making corrections. Good Luck.

 

[CaptainVane]

Throw a grenade.

 

[TreeMan]

I did state what the gun is but I guess it doesn't matter

You said horse pistol then referred to a “colt style”. That does not tell us what pistol you have. As usual your posts make little to zero sense. I made the mistake a couple weeks ago of attempting to decode one of your posts and foolishly responded. I’ve never had a percussion pistol that I couldn’t hit a target the size of the one you stated from ten yards nor have I ever shot a figure 8 with two rounds. Absolute nonsense.

 

[Rich44]

View attachment 279700

Throw a grenade.

Then that makes it easier, use a slightly larger box.
And stand in side the box. With practice you should find it less difficult to hit the box.

 

[Sam squanch]

No grenades for me. According to my drill instructor, I throw like a sissy…..

 

[M. De Land]

A better method of elevation range adjustment is what Elmer Kieth teaches about gold bars installed on the back of the front blade sight. With the Keith method one aligns the top of the rear sight with one of 3-4 gold bars on the back of the front blade for elevation gain using a six o'clock hold with target perched atop and center of the front blade. With blackies method one looses target acquisition with the rear blade covering most of the target and the front blade down in the notch of the rear sight. One sees the target better wither game or paper bull, by using a six o'clock hold and full top flats on both sights to hold elevation and acquisition. Works better with moving or stationary target.
The other thing is Backie does not really address windage adjustment in these videos.

 

[Smokerr]

As said, benchrest, shoot a lot of balls with various powder loads til you see what the pistol likes. Dont worry about where it’s hitting, you’re going for consistent groups.

That is how I shoot my target rifles. I don't want to hit the point of aim, the ever larger hole gets to be a guess as to where center is. Offset a bit and the point of aim stays clean. If I want to hit POA then I can bring it on in and sometimes do but only sometimes.

I am still well on the bench-rest the BP pistols as I am finding out what they shoot the best with. The POI will likely change a bit free standing but if I know the load is good for accuracy that can be adjusted.