Sighting In

Sighting in a flintlock rifle isn’t an exact science. I’m pretty sure there are any number of ways to do it. This is what I do.



I shoot from a bench rest starting at 13 yards. At 13 yards, I just want to get the windage dialed in. I leave elevation alone, unless it is so bad that I can’t adjust windage. Or, if I am shooting way high at 13 yards”¦a little high, and I might file the rear sight blade after the 50-yard group. But way high, and I’ll pack up and either order a higher front sight, or a lower rear sight”¦or both.




When I’m happy with the windage at 13 yards, I move the target to 50 yards and fire a group to confirm my windage setting is good at that range. If not, I’ll drift the sights, and keep firing groups until I’m happy with the windage.

Then I start working on elevation”¦which, if Jesus is smiling on me, means filing down the front sight a little at a time, and firing test groups until I’m happy with the result. For a target, or small game rifle, that’s the end of it.





With a deer rifle, on another day I’ll go to the 100-yard range to see where I’m hitting. If I’m way low, I’ll compromise the 50 yard zero to get about an inch low at 100 yards.

What’s your sight in procedure?

mine is similar except I start @ 20yrd measured with a rangefinder.when satisfied I move to 40yrds if all goes well then out to 60yrds,@ that point I file sights or fiddle with load until I get about 1 Inch high @ 60yrds.I then shoot @ 75 and 100yrd to see what I've got.....Usual loads I shoot in each caliber need just a skosh of holdover to reach out to 100yrds.Furthest kill has been a 120lb doe @ a measured 77yds with my 58cal TVM Early Va.120gr Ffg Goex hand cast RB,felt wad over powder and .018 pillow ticking

Bout the same for me as well; nice rifle BTW

Me to only I start at 25. If I have trouble(rarely do at 25y) I move it up closer. Nice rifle by the way!

I don't consider elevation or windage until I've worked up the most accurate load (tightest group) for a particular rifle.

I start at about 15 yards - find the ball, patch and lube combination that gives the smallest group.

Then, adjust the sights to put the group on the bullseye. Then, adjust for distance.

At 15 yards, I can't recall ever shooting a group with any load that wasn't a single hole or a clover leaf. I usually work at 50 yards to find the best grouping charge.

But I've gotten lazy over the years. I've never had a .50 caliber rifle that didn't shoot great with 75 grains of 3Fg or a .54 that didn't shoot great with 90 grains of 3Fg. So I usually start there, and if it shoots good groups I don't bother trying other loads.

This particular rifle is a TVM Early Virginia in .54 caliber. I've had it for about seven years, but I had to sight it in again because I was having trouble seeing the thin iron blade front sight.

I installed a new silver blade front sight with a thick blade that I can see much better.

So, I already knew what loads it likes.

I start at about 15 yards

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15 yards?
You can throw the balls at that range and get a good group.
Maybe start a few rounds at 25 yards to make sure you are on paper. But really no grouping can be tested under 50 yards that is meaningful.

I agree with Mike, at thirteen yards is the optimal point in which the line of sight matches the arc, in which a bullet climbs above the line of sight, to return once again down range at a given distance relative to the velocity of the projectile.
At that distance, you are not working on a group, you are only trying to control point of impact to be centered, instead of left or right.
You can purchase a sighting tool which has a laser sight that slides into your bore.
Lighting a point which can guide you to adjust your sights left or right.
The kit comes with several adapters from .25 cal. to .62 cal. Really neat device.
Saves a lot of foot steps back and forth at the range.
Yeah, I know it is not HC, but it works.
Fred

I have to start at 15 yards also eyes and reflexes not as good as they use to be then 25, 50, 75 and so on.

Hi mike,
Got a couple of pennies for ya.
If it has been 7 years since you shot the gun, then I would shoot it for a while before making adjustments. Take some time to get use to it again. Like you I shoot a lot of different guns and sometimes that throws us off a little. A 100 rounds and it might settle back in.
So many variables, who knows come colder weather it might shoot lower.

Claude said:

I don't consider elevation or windage until I've worked up the most accurate load (tightest group) for a particular rifle.

I start at about 15 yards - find the ball, patch and lube combination that gives the smallest group.

Then, adjust the sights to put the group on the bullseye. Then, adjust for distance.

Click to expand...

I do the same thing, though I usually start at 25 yards.

At 100 yards for sure and sometimes at 50 yards, I will place a round or square 1" white "sticky/paster" in the very center of the black bullseye. The contrast REALLY helps to sight and shooter better with that as the aiming point.

Gus