My Zoli Zouave is very sick

[rdlowe]

It’s a trick of the light. The blade itself isn’t bent. The mounting and centering is wonky.

 

[bang]

Sure nuff, just tricky light.
Heat it and slide it to center of POA and add a bit of solder.

 

[mooman76]

Looked bent to me too.

 

[TNGhost]

Some useful information on Zouave accuracy was posted here too, 12 years ago:

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/zouave-accuracy.42264/page-2

 

[Eterry]

Unless it has been altered most muskets shoot high at 50 yards. They are made that way, designed to use a "Fine" sight up close to 50 yards, then dead on at 75, and a little low at 100.

Also use a consistent amount of seating pressure, I've heard dead shots use scales for precision. Me, I just use a consistent amount of pressure...

While I am by no means a !st place contender with my musket, I have on several occasions shot under 3moa at 100, 75, and 50 yards. I'll look for photos to document that.

If you think that muskets and minie balls cant shoot you need to go to the N-SSA website, you'll stop talking such foolishness.

 

[jimairwin]

The thing has a front sight that is obviously offset just a little to the right, and the rear sight is like looking through a goalpost, and my best 100 yard group with 2 different size and weight minies has been the size of a pumpkin.

I want to try installing and filing a rear sight blank. I haven’t done this before so I’m seeking advice. What size file should I use, etc. I’ve also considered shaving the existing rear sight down just a little and trying to favor the notch a little to one side like one would do on a Colt revolver. Thoughts on that, or is it a bad idea?

I’m kind of one the fence about whether this is worth it but it would be a good way to learn a thing or 2 about gunsmithing. The thought of giving the thing away to someone who might like to get started in BP shooting but doesn’t have the means to do so has also crossed my mind. So while I decide what to do, please let me know what you would personally do if it was yours.

Thanks,
Dave

I used to shoot and win with muskets. There are lots of important factors to be controlled and optimize to get good results accuracy (hitting what you aim at) and precision (group size). Only some of these are particular to the gun. If you are capable of making a tight group with any open-sighted rifle, then you are capable of doing so with a properly prepared and managed musket.

Originally muskets were sighted for 200 yds, typically. I was able to adjust for vertical (and win) by charge weight. 25 yds was down around 25-35 grains of 2fg. And you must get used to cleaning your bore after each shot for best work. But you must know that doing so, tends to pack a plug of fouling into the breach.

There are many things to consider and master, Grasshopper.

Jim Irwin

 

[Eterry]

My phone ate some pics, but here's a 50 yard 3 shot group at deer camp the day before season started. I didn't have a target and a corn sack had to work. I was aiming at the O.

 

[rdlowe]

Gents, I’m not interested in bullseye shooting with this rifle. I have other things for that. I’m interested in fixing the goofy sights and hitting a kill zone at 100. Thanks.

Edit to add: I’ve decided to see how it shoots with a prb. If I can achieve a respectable repeatable result I’ll dovetail a brass blade into the front and this will be a dedicated .58 prb woods gun, which my arsenal currently lacks. Otherwise I’ll give the gun to someone who feels like tinkering with it.

Thank you everyone who gave me information and advice. I feel that I have what I need to make an informed decision.

 

[Zonie]

If you do shoot patched roundballs in your Zouave, use a tight ball and patch combination. Something like a .570 diameter ball and a .018 thick patch.

The shallow rifling grooves in the barrel need this tight fit to help the patch grab them tightly.

 

[rdlowe]

If you do shoot patched roundballs in your Zouave, use a tight ball and patch combination. Something like a .570 diameter ball and a .018 thick patch.

The shallow rifling grooves in the barrel need this tight fit to help the patch grab them tightly.

I have some 570 balls on hand and 3 patch thicknesses to test with. I’ll start with the .015 based on your tip.

 

[user 34300]

The simplest way to remake your rear sight is to make sheet metal insert. Use a dremil cut off wheel to put several short slits in a strip thin brass or steel. The sight is fairly close to your eye so you only want a thin slit. You can not file one that thin. You may be able to grind the set of of a 32 TPI hacksaw blade and use it to make the slit. Once you get one you like glue it to the rear sight with epoxy or super glue. File off the part that is beyond the outside profile fo the original sight. Make it black with cold blue or sharpie marker.

 

[rdlowe]

Cool idea.

 

[59sharps]

S&S firearms has blank L leafs and high front sights.
If you have no access to pin gage. To Slug your barrel. Expand a Minnie tap it into the barrel w the tip sticking out, twist 1/4 turn. Do several of them then measure. Get a sizing die .001 - .002 under the dia my come up with.
S&S should have them if not North East Trader (John Dewalt) will.
For Dovetail front sight work you could also send it to Bobby Hoyte

 

[BJm]

BJm, I like your lube mix, but where do you live? Here in Arkansas it can get hot and cause lube to run. Are you farther north? Thanks Geo.

It gets pretty hot here in Australia too. I also push my mini's thru a sizing die to rid excess lube

 

[BJm]

BJm, I like your lube mix, but where do you live? Here in Arkansas it can get hot and cause lube to run. Are you farther north? Thanks Geo.

It gets pretty hot here in Australia too. I also push my mini's thru a sizing die to rid any excess lube after dipping them in the molten lube

 

[Treestalker]

It gets pretty hot here in Australia too. I also push my mini's thru a sizing die to rid any excess lube after dipping them in the molten lube

Thank you, Sir. We hear you have got snakes that haven't seen the light of day!

 

[Newtire]

The thing has a front sight that is obviously offset just a little to the right, and the rear sight is like looking through a goalpost, and my best 100 yard group with 2 different size and weight minies has been the size of a pumpkin.

I want to try installing and filing a rear sight blank. I haven’t done this before so I’m seeking advice. What size file should I use, etc. I’ve also considered shaving the existing rear sight down just a little and trying to favor the notch a little to one side like one would do on a Colt revolver. Thoughts on that, or is it a bad idea?

I’m kind of one the fence about whether this is worth it but it would be a good way to learn a thing or 2 about gunsmithing. The thought of giving the thing away to someone who might like to get started in BP shooting but doesn’t have the means to do so has also crossed my mind. So while I decide what to do, please let me know what you would personally do if it was yours.

Thanks,
Dave

Have 2 of those. First one was accurate. Picked up another one from a local guy from this board (not one of our coffee group!). First shot split the stock at the tang. Couldn't hit broad side of proverbial barn. Upon examination, found first one had been glass bedded. 2nd one not bedded. Bedded 2nd one and now shoots like the first one. Someone mentioned about how tang screw was what holds barrel into stock. They were dead on. So, I think you will see a big improvement once you glass bed it.

The sights are an abomination. No detents to keep rear sight in place and no windage adjustment. Taller front sight available to bring group lower but you have to solder (or maybe JB Weld?) in place. Probably wouldn't buy another one.

 

[Newtire]

I was reading your post and decided to check out some pictures of a rifle like yours. It appears to me that both the front and rear sights are mounted in a dovetail slot. If it were me, I'd drift either front or rear sight to the left or right, whichever you need to do to align the sight picture. A ball peen hammer and a nail punch or small block of wood should be all you need for tools.

Rear is screwed on, needs a special pin wrench and front is fixed with ne dovetail, not very user friendly.

 

[nightwolf1974]

I have some 570 balls on hand and 3 patch thicknesses to test with. I’ll start with the .015 based on your tip.

I always used .570 RBs and a .010 patch in my Zs and Navy Arms Buffalo Gun, and they shot really good w/ 70 grns of FF.

 

[McClura]

I wanted to hunt with my Zouave and so I took the advise of a target shooter that had several of them. I soldiered a new higher front site on and then I drilled a pencil lead size hole just left of the v notch in the back site and it hits right on at 50 yds with 50 grains of 2f and a 225 Mini. With 70 grn of 2F and the same mini it shoots out to 100 yds good enough to shoot targets and compete. Mine will not shoot round balls very well. I need to try some different sizes but I have taken two small whitetails with mine, using 70 grn of 2F and the mini. Both under 50 yards.
Mike-+