Shooting high

[doubleset]

Another factor could be that the bead on the front sight is so small it is hard for my old eyes to see. I am probably going to put some white paint on the sight.

Good luck on that. I recently spent a LOT of time filing down a TOW blade sight so that when I glued a short piece of fiber optic on it, it gave me the sight picture and placement I wanted. A white bead will definitely improve your ability to see that sight, but you might think of replacing it it either with a slightly larger white bead or a white post.

 

[French Colonial]

Again, after working up your most accurate load, sight in so you are centered at 50-75 yards.

You will be a little high at 25 and low at 100. With a PRB this is as good as it gets at my age.

 

[Stub]

I put white nail polish on the sight and now I can see it much better. Next trip to the range I'll work at 50 yards. I am also still working on a source of black powder. Thanks everyone for the tips!

 

[nhmoose]

MAP is a cleaner not a lube IMHO. Veg oil is a lube, veg oil and bees wax is a better lube.

 

[doubleset]

MAP is a cleaner not a lube IMHO. Veg oil is a lube, veg oil and bees wax is a better lube.

Vegatable (olive) oil and Simple Green is a great lube -- at least for my Crockett rifle. But I just won't make generalizations about lubes.

 

[Bunk]

My concern is that I'm shooting high now, if I increase my powder my hits will be even higher.

A wise old shooter told me for zeroing in a rifle do it in two steps, first get precision, then correct for accuracy.
Find a load that makes nice small groups anywhere on the target until you achieve the desired precision.
Then use the sights to move that group to where you obtain the desired accuracy.
First one then the other not both at once..
That is the method I use on all my guns.
For what it is worth
Bunk

 

[Bunk]

Either high or low left or right the formula for sight adjustment is calculated by the formula
sight radius in inches divided by the range in inches will give the amount that will move the bullet strike one inch AT THAT RANGE.
I am going through this with a Pedersoli Sharps Sporting rifle. The front fight adjustment will be checked by firing tomorrow.
Respectfully submitted
Bunk

Result a load that shoots satisfactory groups now shoots center at 50 yards the best my ancient vision corrected eye can see the peep sights
I am happy
Bunk

 

[centershot]

When I was younger I used black powder. My first hunt was with Pyrodex. Short story, big buck, easy shot and only the cap fired. I went to black powder and used it for years. Just getting back to BP shooting I don't want to purchase enough to be economical online. Locally subs are all that is available.

Stub, you can buy powder at Graf's for $22.35/ lb, but you have Hazmat and shipping also. If you buy 5 lbs your total comes up to around $135. That's about $27 / lb for real BP. Surely you'd use up a2-3 lbs of powder in a year, wouldn't you?

 

[centershot]

Center shot, don’t know where you’re at ? But in my neck of the woods many BP clubs purchase BP in case lots so members can purchase at cost. Perhaps you could look into joining such a BP club.
Doc,

I'm in western NY, about 50 miles south of Buffalo, or Bellle Fleur, as the French trappers used to call it! There's no BP club 'round here, the guys at the range look at my rifles and just shake their heads.........petulant children that they are!

 

[Stub]

Stub, you can buy powder at Graf's for $22.35/ lb, but you have Hazmat and shipping also. If you buy 5 lbs your total comes up to around $135. That's about $27 / lb for real BP. Surely you'd use up a2-3 lbs of powder in a year, wouldn't you?

I wasn't aware of Graf and son until just recently. It looks like ordering from them is the way to go. Thanks for the tip.
I did find someone who had a pound of powder that he had stored in his garage in a military ammo box (sealed) but it's atleast 15 years old.
I was going to try that out my next trip to the range. I don't know if the powder will still be good after all those Michigan winters in a unheated garage.

 

[Kansas Jake]

Real black powder doesn’t go bad. It may clumpbup a bit if it gets damp but just a good shake of the can will usually break up.

 

[Stub]

Real black powder doesn’t go bad. It may clumpbup a bit if it gets damp but just a good shake of the can will usually break up.

Thanks, I was concerned that it could have gotten more or less powerful.

 

[Bad Karma]

I wasn't aware of Graf and son until just recently. It looks like ordering from them is the way to go. Thanks for the tip.
I did find someone who had a pound of powder that he had stored in his garage in a military ammo box (sealed) but it's atleast 15 years old.
I was going to try that out my next trip to the range. I don't know if the powder will still be good after all those Michigan winters in a unheated garage.

That powder’s just fine most likely.

 

[centershot]

Stub, you can buy powder at Graf's for $22.35/ lb, but you have Hazmat and shipping also. If you buy 5 lbs your total comes up to around $135. That's about $27 / lb for real BP. Surely you'd use up a2-3 lbs of powder in a year, wouldn't you?

My numbers are incorrect here; Powder is 22.39, shipping is $12.95 and Hazmat is 23.95. A 5 lb purchase comes up to $30 and change per pound.

 

[JamesA]

I just purchased a Used green mountain drop in barrel for my TC Hawken. With the rear sight as low as it goes, I am hitting 1 inch high at 25 yards, 7 inches high at 50 yards. At 100 yards the group is high but too open to tell how high. I am only using 45 grains of triple 7 2 F in 54 caliber.
I put a higher front sight on and haven't had a chance to shoot since. I am using map for lube, fairly tight patch and .530 balls. The patches look good after shooting.
Any suggestions on things I need to change? Ps I'm using a rest.

I recommend you give it a try and work from there. I ruined the front sight on a rifle by doing the WRONG thing. Take it in small steps so you don't have a BIG problem that will be expensive to fix. Ask me how I know. I see I have jumped into the "game" late and hopefully you have solved your problem. But remember, small steps to avoid BIG problems.

 

[Bunk]

I wasn't aware of Graf and son until just recently. It looks like ordering from them is the way to go. Thanks for the tip.
I did find someone who had a pound of powder that he had stored in his garage in a military ammo box (sealed) but it's atleast 15 years old.
I was going to try that out my next trip to the range. I don't know if the powder will still be good after all those Michigan winters in a unheated garage.

I am shooting some DuPont Gunpowder FFFg that, according to the lot number, was made in 1970. Stored in a cardboard shipping container (Rail Way Express). I cannot tell the difference between it and some 2 year old GOEX so I would say get it and shoot it. Black Gunpowder is made of three very stable chemicals and does not age like fad nitro (ug) stuff we do not talk about.
Yr' Obt' Svt'
Bunk

 

[Stub]

I went to the range yesterday. As always, somethings worked out well and others didn't.
I started with the normal load, using triple 7, at 50 yards. 2\3 shots were right on, with the third being a flier. This flier business, I've always blamed on my shooting skills. However, when I switched to real black powder the fliers stopped. I was on at 50 yards, a little high at 25 yards.
I had painted the front bead sight white and that worked great out to 50 yards.
At 100 yards, later in the afternoon, the white bead seemed to disappear. I concentrated so hard on trying to see the white bead that my eyes began to hurt and water so bad I had to quit shooting. The balls weren't hitting the target and it was hard to find out where they went. I finally found my hits had grouped fairly good on the back board below the target.
It caused enough problems for my eyes that I spent a long time cleaning my gun at the range rather than attempt to drive home. I don't know why my old eyes had so much trouble with the white bead. On the other hand, I could see the post under the bead fairly well and of course when I used that my shots went really high.

 

[R Ellis]

Sounds like another plus for original black

 

[Kansas Jake]

I keep a white blackboard chalk in my shooting bag to whiten the sight in some conditions. If needed it wipes off easily. Also some black powder soot will darken the sight or carry a black magic marker. I’ve done both depending on the light conditions or target presentation.

 

[Stub]

I painted the front sight orange last night hoping that would make the sight easier to see. My club is starting a summer league tomorrow. I will be happy to get a few on target at 100 yards.