Pedersoli Jaeger 54 cal Flintlock

[tonydee]

Hi all. I’m a returning member, so it’s good to be back after being away from the forum for some time.

I’ve been a lifelong hunter and just recently got back into flintlock muzzleloading. I still have my original Renegade and Hawken Flintlocks but just recently decided to buy a new Pedersoli Jaeger 54 cal flintlock. I really like the way it shoots and groups. PRBs group decent while Maxi’s group well. I started out with 90 grains FFG and finished with 110 grains FFG and a lubed 400 gr Maxi. 110 seems to be the best BUT what I have noticed is bulletproof impact is consistently low by 8 inches at 50 yds regardless PRB/Maxi. Azimuth is fine. The rear sight is fixed so I believe my options are to file the front post or to buy an adjustable rear sight.

Before I do any of that I wanted to get some advice.

Is there something that can be corrected either with me or with the rifle?

And yes, I can hit the target center with good ole Kentucky windage but I’d prefer to use the sights.

thanks in advance. Tony.

 

[Cowboy]

Tony, If you’ve worked up a load and are achieving descent shot groups, and it sounds like you have?

Your hitting low as you say, need to file down front sight blade to raise impact on target.

Word of warning! A little at a time. File a little material off followed by another shot group of three or more shots. Repeat process until you achieve desired results my friend.

“ Remember! “ Don’t go hog wild on the filing. A little at a time.

Respectfully, Cowboy

 

[Jaegermeister]

I’m jealous! I had a Pedersoli Jaeger with both flint and percussion locks(never cared for the percussion). I sold it to finance my TOTWJaeger kit. Wish I still had the Pedersoli. Good luck with your accuracy. Sounds like it’s time for the file.

 

[tonydee]

Tony, If you’ve worked up a load and are achieving descent shot groups, and it sounds like you have?

Your hitting low as you say, need to file down front sight blade to raise impact on target.

Word of warning! A little at a time. File a little material off followed by another shot group of three or more shots. Repeat process until you achieve desired results my friend.

“ Remember! “ Don’t go hog wild on the filing. A little at a time.

Respectfully, Cowboy

Much appreciated and thank you.
I will giver a shoot.

 

[tonydee]

I’m jealous! I had a Pedersoli Jaeger with both flint and percussion locks(never cared for the percussion). I sold it to finance my TOTWJaeger kit. Wish I still had the Pedersoli. Good luck with your accuracy. Sounds like it’s time for the file.

Thanks

 

[Cowboy]

Thanks

Not a problem my friend. Remember that you can always file off but much more difficult to add on! File and verify, and so on to achieve your desired result.

Respectfully, Cowboy

 

[tonydee]

Cowboy. I think what I’ll try is to scribe a black line with a fine point marker in the front sight as a point of aim. I can then shoot the rifle in scribing new lines as needed until I find zero at 50 yds. Then, I can file to the line.... if I’m making sense.

I think this is the safest route

 

[Cowboy]

Cowboy. I think what I’ll try is to scribe a black line with a fine point marker in the front sight as a point of aim. I can then shoot the rifle in scribing new lines as needed until I find zero at 50 yds. Then, I can file to the line.... if I’m making sense.

I think this is the safest route

Sounds like you know what you’re doing. Sounds good to me my friend.

Respectfully, Cowboy

 

[tonydee]

Winging it....

 

[EC121]

If you go too far, you can always add a drop of solder to the top of the sight or order a new one. Instead of lowering the front sight, I have also soldered a higher blade on the rear sight. I use 1/16" steel and solder paste. Clamp it in place and heat it til the paste flows, then file it to shape.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Is there something that can be corrected either with me or with the rifle?

You have the right idea, and the filing of the front sight will bring up the point of impact...
But before you do that you should swap out the Pedersoli front sight post for a thin one, and I'd recommend thin and silver. The silver catches enough light in low light conditions, and a little soot on the brightest days of summer will temporarily blacken it for target shooting. I get the tall thin silver ones from Track of The Wolf to give me plenty of room for error. https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/874/6/FS-TC-TTB Pedersoli is known for not only giving the buyer a very thick steel front sight, so that shooting at a round bull target is like trying to center a quarter on top of the 2x4 board. Not to mention that sometimes the front sights on Pedersoli rifles are /\ shaped, so as you file them down they are wider...

To get the most from your Pedersoli barrel, I suggest a thin front sight post, at least.

LD

 

[Cowboy]

You have the right idea, and the filing of the front sight will bring up the point of impact...
But before you do that you should swap out the Pedersoli front sight post for a thin one, and I'd recommend thin and silver. The silver catches enough light in low light conditions, and a little soot on the brightest days of summer will temporarily blacken it for target shooting. I get the tall thin silver ones from Track of The Wolf to give me plenty of room for error. https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/874/6/FS-TC-TTB Pedersoli is known for not only giving the buyer a very thick steel front sight, so that shooting at a round bull target is like trying to center a quarter on top of the 2x4 board. Not to mention that sometimes the front sights on Pedersoli rifles are /\ shaped, so as you file them down they are wider...

To get the most from your Pedersoli barrel, I suggest a thin front sight post, at least.

LD

I Like and Amen to that!!

 

[tonydee]

Very good. Thank you!!!

 

[FlinterNick]

Pedersoli Jaeger Rifle is a very nice gun. Not very stylish for a Jaeger Rifle, but a very high quality rifle none-the-less. As far as historical accuracy its not there, I’ve seen folks try to modify them for re-enactments, and it doesn’t work well. There’s a Deluxe version too offered by Pedersoli, but I believe you have to special order it. The Deluxe version has a slightly longer barrel and brass hardwear with an extra forward thimble. Regarding the slights, I would get an oversized sight from Muzzle loaders Builders Supply or Track of the Wolf and dress it down to the dovetail on the barrel. The pedersoli sight is steel, so it can be polished in the bright or darkened for preference.

 

[excess650]

8" low at 50 translates to 16 MOA low, so would require .160" sight change with a 36" sight radius. The Pedersoli looks to have closer to 24" sight radius, so would need only 24/36 x .160" sight change. Measure your sight radius and do the math to save a lot of "shoot and try". A caliper or depth mic will be a big help.

 

[tonydee]

Fantastic. Thanks Excess.

So, Legs assume for time being the sight radius is 24. The math would look like this.

24 x .160 = 3.84.

Would that mean to aim high by 3.84”. Or file the front sight to a point that is 3.84” high.

 

[Walkingeagle]

I believe the math is...
24/36x.16=.106
Front Sight height needs to be lowered by .106”
At least thats how I understood it.
Walk

 

[Zonie]

The way I calculate the change needed to bring the shot up to zero is as follows given the distance to the target is 50 yards, the gun is shooting 8 inches low and the distance between the sights is 24 inches.

The distance to the target in inches is, 50 yards times 36 inches per yard = 1800 inches to the target.

The amount of error per inch is 8 inches/1800 inches = .0044 per inch.

.0044 per inch times 24 inches between the sights = .1067 inches. We can ignore the 6.7 thousandths and just say the front sight needs to be shortened 100 thousandths of an inch. That's just a bit more than 3/32 of an inch.

 

[tonydee]

Brainiacs, all of you. .

I just took a look at the scribe I made on the front post after zeroing yesterday and 3/32 is what I measured from top of the post to the scribe. You are spot on.

Thanks for the formula and assistance.