Sighting in a smooth rifle

[HistoryBuff]

I saw a smooth rifle that I am thinking about purchasing, but I need to know what I am getting into first. The rifle is "in-the-white" but doesn't need much work. I have seen some posts about barrel bending and wondered if it is absolutley necessary. It doesn't sound like fun. So what is the procedure for sighting one in and does it differ much from sighting in a rifle in practice?

Thanks,
HistoryBuff

 

Hello History Buff
Well we sight in our Besses. They don't have a rear sight and it is almost impossible to line up the same every time. What we did was to make the rear (tang) screw longer by adding a longer (taller) head. This acts as a rear sight. the groups are much better. I can't wait to show the boys. Remember it ain't a real rifle so the distances will be shorter. The same principles thought, same load, same prime, same point of aim, same hold... all the time time after time... keep every thing the same every time every shot.It will perform reasonably... As long as you have both sets of sights... :m2c:
best regards Loyalist dawg :hatsoff:

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Not intending to be snide, but. If you have checked it out, found no obvious barrel warp, deemed it safe to fire, then set up a target at 25 yards, point the piece down range and give it a go as you would a rifle gun.

To me, all the talk of bending barrels for smoothies is akin to urban legends. Occasionally, (read very occasionally) one might bend a barrel, but it is not the norm.

 

yep barrel bending is a last resort . sight it in just as you would a rifle . try to hold it in the same place each time and you will be good to go

 

[Mike Brooks]

If you have a smooth rifle I would assume it has a rear sight and it will sight in just like any rifle barreled gun.
People make way to big of a deal about bending barrels, it's a fairly simple process. It's a real trial and error caveman sort of thing. Take the barrel out of the stock, give her a bend, put her back in the stock and see where it shoots. Repeat as necessary. I can usually get it real close on the first bend then just give her a little tweak on the second. I've probably done dozens of them, and not ruined a barrel yet.

 

settle into the rifle , get to know it . make sure your placing you cheek in the same spot each time .
if you getting a good group but still grouping off. either adjust you reference point a little or adjust the barrel .

As said it isnt a big deal .yet you dont want to be bending the barrel every time you think your not hitting right ..
Some folks just love fiddling with sights this isn

 

[musketman]

So what is the procedure for sighting one in and does it differ much from sighting in a rifle in practice?

Thanks,
HistoryBuff

If it has no rear sight you could try this, superglue a "BB" to the barrel (top dead center) where a rear sight would be placed and shoot it as you would a double-bead shotgun barrel...

 

[dodgecity]

If it is a smooth "Rifle", bending the barrel is not any thing you need to be concerned about. A smooth rifle will have both front and rear sights, just like a regular rifle, and a heavier barrel than a regular smoothbore. If it can't be zeroed with the furnished sights, which is unlikely, then all that is needed is to replace the front or rear sight with one of the proper height,

 

[Donny]

I saw on the idiot box a piece about Savage Arms, making rifle barrels. During the manufacturing process, the barrel was checked for straightness, (eyeball method) then bent slightly to readjust, and on they go. This was done several times. Barrel bending, Ain't no thang.

 

[JackAubrey]

If we are discussing smoothbores what I did rather than raising the tang screw(a good idea,I should say)was to tap in a brass tack where the corner of my mouth is positioned,much as an anchor point in archery.This way my eye is in relatively the same place each shot and I use the bayonet lug as the front sight,as it were.Best regards,J.A.

 

[David Teague]

I have a front and rear sight on my trade gun.

If your smooth "rifle" has a set of sights you should be able to sight it in with no real problem.

Just a few things:

25 yards is the max range to sight your smoothy in at, a round ball starts drifting without the rifle spin beyond 25 yards...

I'm not saying you can't shoot a smoothy at longer ranges, just that it will group like a rifled barrel at 25 yards.

Work up a load first that seems to be the best for your gun before moving sights if you can print a group on the target.

Do your test firing, load work up, and sight adjustment from the bench, not offhand. (Remove as much human error as possable to speed up the process)

My 24 gague trade gun shoots a ragged hole at 25 yardsboth off the bench and off hand if I'm doing my job right as a shooter, your smoothy should too.

Best of luck and have fun with smoothbores... there is something addictive about them... :winking: ( I own 5 :shocking: )

Cheers,

DT

 

[HistoryBuff]

By the way, is there such a thing as an "early Allentown" smooth rifle. I was shown one and wondered if there is historical accuracy there?

Thanks,
HistoryBuff

 

[pathfinderifh]

Jack, You let the WHOLE world know the "secret" to shooting our trade guns! The kisser button is the way to go for trade guns,especially if you you have a few other tacks added to the piece. As far as smooth "rifles",I have found that you have to load 'em pretty hot. My .40 uses 65grs 3f, My .50-90grs 3f, 58-100grs3f. The 50&58 both have swamped 1 1/8 barrels,42". The .40, "Ole Wormy" drives tacks at 50 yrds,and has made meat every time she found some,using equal measures of powder&shot,with a couple of wonder wads between. :yakyak:

 

[Deadeye]

You should have a rear sight if it's a "smooth rifle". You shouldn't have to bend the barrel although on a smoothbore that's an easy thing to do. Some smooth rifles have thick
barrels that would be harder to bend. Sight in at 25 yds. or less. Some like the 13Yd. sight in better, gives you
a 1 to 2" high at 25 and a zero of about 50.

 

[rschissler]

"smooth rifle"

Is this just a poor choice of words? How can a barrel be rifled and smooth at the same time?

 

[musketman]

"smooth rifle"

Is this just a poor choice of words? How can a barrel be rifled and smooth at the same time?

No, a smooth rifle looks and feels like a rifle, it has everything a rifle does except rifling...

A musket is usually made with a thinner barrel, but the smooth rifle has the same thick barrel that the rifles do, only riflingless... (is that a word?)

 

[Rebel]

only riflingless... (is that a word?)

It is now. ::

 

[bnail]

Hey Mike:
How many shots do you put down range on your new-built guns before they go out the the buyers? If I had to bend a barrel to sight it in, It'd end up looking like this!

 

[Mike Brooks]

0. I have no access to a range any more. I used to sight them in shooting out of my shop window when I lived in North western Illinois. Of couse I was a bachelor at the time too..... :winking:

 

[JackAubrey]

Dear Pathfinder,Sorry mate,I actually thought I had come up w/ an original idea!My clanker. :hmm: :crackup: