I have a Ped. blue ridge rifle with buckhorn sights that shoots almighty low.How do I line up the sights?Use the little notch @ the bottom or the buckhorns @ the top?I'm hitting like 6" or 8" low at 25 yds.Ya'll know a lot about these smokepoles,so I thought I'd ask here.Thanks.
-
Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.
We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.
Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103
Buckhorn sights
- Thread starter mdshorter
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
paulvallandigham
Passed On
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2006
- Messages
- 17,537
- Reaction score
- 89
Yes, you use the " little Notch at the bottom of the buckhorn" to align the front sight in! And, manufacturers typically put HIGH front sights on their guns, particularly those with fixed height rear sights, so that you can FILE down the front sight to bring the POI up to your POA with a good load you develop FIRST. What this means is you first work on developing a load that groups well. When you are satisfied with the velocity and group size, then you file the sight down to " zero" that load to strike center at a given distance, or range.
For Instance, my .50 caliber rifle is zeroed to shoot a .490 RB using a .015" thick patch, 2 inches hight at 50 yards, and 1 inch low at 100 yards. I use 65 grains of FFg powder for the shorter range, and 75-80 grains for the longer range " hunting " load. When developing the load for the gun I was concerned with accuracy FIRST, and speed and trajectory second. You can learn to hold over for longer shots, because you won't have to hold over much. I do not intend to shoot any game at distances over 100 yards with the gun. Its a round ball gun only. It will not shoot conicals.
To get that sights to " zero", I filed and test fired my gun at the range for several hours, before I had removed enough of the front sight to bring the POI up to where I wanted the ball to hit on target. That is the fun of shooting black powder. The entire process MAKES YOU learn everything about your gun, and you become much for used to shooting it, than other rifles you may own, as a result.
For Instance, my .50 caliber rifle is zeroed to shoot a .490 RB using a .015" thick patch, 2 inches hight at 50 yards, and 1 inch low at 100 yards. I use 65 grains of FFg powder for the shorter range, and 75-80 grains for the longer range " hunting " load. When developing the load for the gun I was concerned with accuracy FIRST, and speed and trajectory second. You can learn to hold over for longer shots, because you won't have to hold over much. I do not intend to shoot any game at distances over 100 yards with the gun. Its a round ball gun only. It will not shoot conicals.
To get that sights to " zero", I filed and test fired my gun at the range for several hours, before I had removed enough of the front sight to bring the POI up to where I wanted the ball to hit on target. That is the fun of shooting black powder. The entire process MAKES YOU learn everything about your gun, and you become much for used to shooting it, than other rifles you may own, as a result.
Had to file the front sight down quite a bit on my .50 caliber Blue Ridge. Don't remember how much for sure but it was pushing 1/4". I'll give you a method to get you close -
1. Measure the distance between the rear sight and the high point of the front sight in inches.
2. Measure the distance you are low from where you want to hit.
3. 25 yards = 900 inches.
4. Get out the calculator - (for this example let's say #1 = 31" and #2 = 6")
X/31" = 6"/900"
X = (6 x 31)/900
X = 0.20667"
You would need to file off a bit more than 3/16" of the front sight under this scenario. Measure carefully and file less than you think you need to. Take off 1/16" and shoot a few rounds to see where you are. Sometimes just one more lick with the file is all you need to necessitate a new front sight. You can always take off more, but once filed off, it's hard to put back on . . . Good luck.
1. Measure the distance between the rear sight and the high point of the front sight in inches.
2. Measure the distance you are low from where you want to hit.
3. 25 yards = 900 inches.
4. Get out the calculator - (for this example let's say #1 = 31" and #2 = 6")
X/31" = 6"/900"
X = (6 x 31)/900
X = 0.20667"
You would need to file off a bit more than 3/16" of the front sight under this scenario. Measure carefully and file less than you think you need to. Take off 1/16" and shoot a few rounds to see where you are. Sometimes just one more lick with the file is all you need to necessitate a new front sight. You can always take off more, but once filed off, it's hard to put back on . . . Good luck.
I am not good with math like Otter is. So I do mine like this, I use a small ruler and measure from top of the flat behind the back sight, I measure to bottom of the notch, find distance, go to front and mark it using that measurement. Then I start to file. When you are done you will be close to your mark. It depends on how you like your front sight in the back notch. Top of front sight at bottom or to top of back. I like mine with tip of front even with bottom of back. For longer shots I see a little more of the front or I aim higher on the animal. Dilly
AJFedak
40 Cal.
- Joined
- May 19, 2004
- Messages
- 141
- Reaction score
- 16
After getting the accuracy I wanted with my GPR, I used pieces of "colored tape" to make the back of my front sight. I would test fire with the the tape as positioned as if it werre the top of the front sight, then crudely adjust it up/down until I was close to what would be POA/POI. Then I proceeded to start filing. Can't add to the front sight (well you can, but)it was sure nice to get a good idea as to how much material was to be removed.
Well I guess I should of said I made the mark and shot, then filed, Then shot, filed, then shot.. I never cut the front sight right to the mark at the start. But I can usualy get it close in 5 shots. If you did over file the front, you would have to cut the back deeper. I use a knife for this if I have to cut the sight. Dilly
Thanks for all the info!I don't know if you guys realize what a great resource you are.I was sighting in with a .490 ball,.10patch & 90 gr FFF.Not much front sight left,but she's coming around.May just put a new set of sights on,notch is kinda tiny,but I don't want to make it any deeper.I've been reading posts for a while,but this is my first one.I really 'preciate all the replys!Probably won't be my last post;I just ordered a GPR .54 flint kit to elk hunt with.This will be the first kit I've built,but everyone says its not too hard. Keep your powder dry!
paulvallandigham
Passed On
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2006
- Messages
- 17,537
- Reaction score
- 89
Use a thicker patch, and you will see an increase in velocity and a higher POI. Then you will need a new sight, because you have filed this one down to much.
Most rifles will shoot the .490 ball with a .015, or .018" thick patch better. Some will handle a .020" patch, and give better accuracy.
Want more velocity? Use an OP wad, or a filler of corn meal- 20 grains by volume should be enough for a .50 cal. PRB. Circle Fly sells the OP Wads, but you can buy them from Track and other suppliers, too. See the links on the Index page here to get addresses.
Want more velocity? lube the barrel AFTER seating your PRB.
Most rifles will shoot the .490 ball with a .015, or .018" thick patch better. Some will handle a .020" patch, and give better accuracy.
Want more velocity? Use an OP wad, or a filler of corn meal- 20 grains by volume should be enough for a .50 cal. PRB. Circle Fly sells the OP Wads, but you can buy them from Track and other suppliers, too. See the links on the Index page here to get addresses.
Want more velocity? lube the barrel AFTER seating your PRB.
Bountyhunter
50 Cal.
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2005
- Messages
- 1,246
- Reaction score
- 2
Full Buckhorn on .54 rifle. To raise the POI you can file down the front sight. I have an original rifle that has less than 1/8" of front sight. It shoots just fine. It is fine to sight also. Original rifles did not have the horrendous large sights that are on the modern rifles.
I was thinking about this original post some more over the weekend and it dawnd on me that maybe you might be using the sights wrong. You simply want to "fill in" the little notch at the base of the rear sight with the blade of the front sight.
Another way to say it is: The top of the front blade should be perfectly even with the top of the rear notch.
The BUCK HORN part---the rounded horns so to speak are to help locate the target, they act like a big halo out around where you are aiming. Try to not even think about them, just focus on putting the front blade into the rear notch at the base of the rear sight.
It just seems like 6-8 inches low at 25 yards is an awful lot and maybe you're just lining the sights up wrong.
Another way to say it is: The top of the front blade should be perfectly even with the top of the rear notch.
The BUCK HORN part---the rounded horns so to speak are to help locate the target, they act like a big halo out around where you are aiming. Try to not even think about them, just focus on putting the front blade into the rear notch at the base of the rear sight.
It just seems like 6-8 inches low at 25 yards is an awful lot and maybe you're just lining the sights up wrong.
I thought 6"to8" was low too.I'm using a normal sight picture when I aim.I compared the rear sight to some of my other rifles and it's not as high as what I'm used to.I guess thats why I had to take more off this front sight than I'm used to.I also think I need to work on my load a little more,if I can ever get back to the range.
Thanks for the posts,this pilgrim will take all the help he can get.
Thanks for the posts,this pilgrim will take all the help he can get.
