Sighting Distance for Woodland Hunting

[BigSkyRambler]

I know this is a bit of a nebulous question, but what distance do most of you sight your muzzleloaders for hunting in a woodland environment? Here in north central Arkansas I suspect most deer are shot at 25-50 yards, even with modern guns. On my hunting property, the options are: approx. 35-40 yards across a pond and 20-40 yards from tree stand down old wagon road. Longer shots "might" present themselves. My Late Lancaster likes 70 grains FFG and PRB Seems to drop about 3" from 25 yards to 50 yards. Sights are primitive. This will be my first time hunting with a muzzleloader in over 40 years. Time flies.

 

[oldwood]

First , What caliber is the rifle??........oldwood

 

[Phil Coffins]

Mine are sighted on at 100 and are on at 25 as well. This holds true well enough for hunting. An inch or two under hunting conditions doesn’t matter to me. I shoot for lungs.

 

[BigSkyRambler]

Sorry. 50 cal. Might have to find where I can shoot 100 yards and then see where I print at 25. But I have never shot at a deer beyond 50 yards without optics, even with my modern rifles.

 

[mooman76]

I also sight in at 100y. I do shoot at other distances also so I know where to aim if closer. It's easier to shoot lower than to aim higher at a target where if you aim higher, you cover up the target with your sight.

 

[appalichian hunter]

If the deer you shoot are around 50 yards why not develop a load for that distance if the situation would present itself for say a 100 yard shot just hold a bit above the impact point, it is a good ideal once you have a good zero at 50 yards to shoot at 100 yards that will give you a ideal if holding higher at a longer shot is even needed. Range time is the answer, make notes to keep your information and develop a small range card to handily keep with you when hunting. All my unmentionable weapons I occasionally hunt with have there own dope cards such as this, also not period correct use a decent range finder, sometimes we range by eye and it is not the true distance. From your sign in name looks like you are from the western states so I will interject a story for example while on a Wyoming Antelope hunt with a unmentionable, the fellow I hunted with made a 552 yard shot with me ranging and feeding him the dope adjustments one shot dead goat. The system works whether 50 yards or more.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Just noticed you hunt Arkansas,the system will work no matter where you hunt. GOOD LUCK AND GOOD HUNTING.

 

[Walkingeagle]

My .50 percussion, using 60gr Goex 2fg and .490prb is 2” low at 25 yds, dead on at 50yds and 8” low at 100. That is if memory serves me correctly. This is my trail walk gun and load, but would likely shoot through a whitetail at 50 yds also.
Walk

 

[Sidney Smith]

I have sighted my .54 caliber rifles to hit dead on at 50 yards. I try not to take shots at deer past that but occasionally get a 80 or 90 yard shot. I hold over about 5 inches to drop the ball on target at 100 yards

 

[A Wyatt]

Most of the deer I’ve shot with my flintlock are 40 or less yards but I practice quite a bit at 80 yards just in case. The 50 cal I’m using this year is pretty much dead on at 80 yards , two high inches at 50 yards and an inch or so at 25. My load is 65 gr of 3f over a .490 ball.

 

[Daveboone]

I hunt almost exclusively hilly northern woods where a 50 yard shot is stretching it. I sight in for fifty, and then take a few shots at 25 to know the diff (54 cal. GPR with 80 grains , patched round ball).

 

[Art Caputo]

All my hunters(.40-.58Cal) are zeroed for 50 yards. With this zero, they on essentially same POI at 15-50 yards, 2-3” low at 75 yards and 4-5” low at 100 yards. This has worked quite well for shooting game from squirrels to deer for me over the years. Just about all of my shots on small game has been under 50 yards, deer under 100 yards.

 

[FiremanBrad]

Fifty for me.

 

[olskool]

50 yds. here in SC it is woods hunting and most shots are around that. last evening I did kill a small buck at 90yds with my 54 southern rifle. I shot him a couple of in. high in the spine, another in. and I would have missed. but it was all but dark,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Loja man]

I don’t know where I found this, it could of even been on this forum, but I screen shot the post when I bought my TC New Englander. It has worked well for me.

 

[Spikebuck]

75 yards for me. Like Phil, I shoot for the lungs, so this sight setting basically lets me put it on the center of the lungs and fire. The farthest I ever killed a deer was 115 yards and I did put the sights a little higher up on the body for that one. My normal shots would be 25 to 75 yards though.

 

[mooman76]

I don’t know where I found this, it could of even been on this forum, but I screen shot the post when I bought my TC New Englander. It has worked well for me.

That's a good idea. I had a unmentionable rifle that I set at 25y. It was an inch high at 100 and dead on at 200. Either way I had the kill zone all the way out passed 200y.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Sorry. 50 cal. Might have to find where I can shoot 100 yards and then see where I print at 25. But I have never shot at a deer beyond 50 yards without optics, even with my modern rifles.

This is not an issue you need to sweat over. Get your group centered at 50 yards and go hunting. You will be near 'point blank' out to 100 yards. And that is the max range I believe is possible for a humane shot using a ml with prb. If in doubt just hold a smidgen high to allow for drop. I have taken two at about 75 yards here in the Ozarks, the rest were at 50 or less. Also, keep in mind, in the Ozarks or Ouachitas you will likely be shooting uphill or downhill, a level, flat shot is a rare bird. Check out the effects of shooting and sighting up and downhill.

 

[longcruise]

I don’t know where I found this, it could of even been on this forum, but I screen shot the post when I bought my TC New Englander. It has worked well for me.

Wouldn't be the first time Fadala misinformed. One inch high at 50 yards won't put you on at 100!

One really needs to go do your own sight in for your gun and your load. If you want to be "on" at 100 then sight in for it. When done, take it to 50 yards and then you will know what you have. I guarantee you will be scratching your head trying to figure out how Fadala came up with that.

 

[Art Caputo]

Wouldn't be the first time Fadala misinformed. One inch high at 50 yards won't put you on at 100!

One really needs to go do your own sight in for your gun and your load. If you want to be "on" at 100 then sight in for it. When done, take it to 50 yards and then you will know what you have. I guarantee you will be scratching your head trying to figure out how Fadala came up with that.

Actually it’s not too far off. I was intrigued with the post so I plugged the values into my Ballistic Calculator. Using a 13 yard zero, a 50 cal at 1800 FPS with a 177gr LRB with a BC of .07 produces +1” at 25Y, +1.5” at 50Y, +1” at 75Y, and -1” at 100. It was also very close when I plugged the values in for 58 and 45 cal.
I think using 80gr of powder to generate 1800FPS may is too generalized, and could vary based on the particular powder and rifle/barrel.