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WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

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Sighting in a .45 Percussion using 60 grains of Goex FFFg, 440 ball, .018 patch with mink oil lube. First shot even with, but 5" wide of the bull to the right @ 25 yards. Made windage adjustment. Next 2 shots dead on.

Moved target out to 50 yards. First shot, even with, but now 10" wide of the bull to the right. At this point, what would you do? Thanks much.
 
Shoot three shot groups, wipe between shots, use equal amounts of lube. Be exactly consistent for each shot as much as possible. Make sure you’re getting a good group regardless of where it hits the target, before moving or filing sights. If it’s not grouping well work up a load that will then you can adjust the sights. Your current load may be shooting 5 inch groups so adjusting the sights might be fruitless until you get a load that is accurate.
 
Sighting in a .45 Percussion using 60 grains of Goex FFFg, 440 ball, .018 patch with mink oil lube. First shot even with, but 5" wide of the bull to the right @ 25 yards. Made windage adjustment. Next 2 shots dead on.

Moved target out to 50 yards. First shot, even with, but now 10" wide of the bull to the right. At this point, what would you do? Thanks much.

Yes, Don’t worry about bullseye shooting at this point. Obtain good shot groups first as have been mentioned. Bring sights back to zero or factory before restarting. Don’t mess with them until you’re grouping and have your load combo worked up.

Restart at 25 yds benched.

Respectfully, Cowboy
 
At this point, what would you do? Thanks much.

First I would inspect my sights closely, especially if they are adjustable sights.
Then I would evaluate the fired patches, and proceed from there.

Another thing I always do if having trouble with a new gun, is to have someone else fire it and see if it misbehaves for them too.
 
That's really great advice everyone. It never occurred to me that I should get good groupings first and then move the sights. So basically I am experimenting with the amount of powder, ball, lube, patch, wiping, etc. which is called (working up a load) in order to get tight groups and then I move the sights. So in order to get the best group, how far out should I set the paper?
 
I'd Start at 25 yards. The closer distance will allow for less human error and other variables like wind. Once you have a good group, then move out farther and group it.
 
What would shredded patches tell me Tom A Hawk? What about if they were burned through or they were totally destroyed? Thanks

All three are undesirable, and usually result in poor accuracy.
Shredding means rough barrel,
Burning means wrong or insufficient lube or patch thickness.
Totally destroyed means possibly all three.
 
That's really great advice everyone. It never occurred to me that I should get good groupings first and then move the sights. So basically I am experimenting with the amount of powder, ball, lube, patch, wiping, etc. which is called (working up a load) in order to get tight groups and then I move the sights. So in order to get the best group, how far out should I set the paper?
You are chasing bullets on the target without knowing what your group size is. Experiment at 25 yards until you get tight 3 shot groups, then make sight adjustments to move the center of the group to the bull. Then move to longer ranges & do the same thing until your "group" is zeroed where you want it at the range you want it zeroed.
 
Also remember that if your 5" right at 25 you will be 10 inches right at 50. Sounds like the rifle shot where it should have. I would center my front and rear sight on the barrel and mark the barrel with a marker or something so u have a reference point and then ONCE I had a consistent group start adjusting my sights.
 
I would agree with Carbon 6--- to me I thing your sights are moving under recoil or the barrel is loose in the stock.
 
Here is a page about recovered patches from and old Shooter's Bible - Black Powder Guide.
img20201130_10355521.jpg
 
What have you done between shooting at different distances. Sometimes the first shot from a squeaky clean bore will be way out of the group from the wiped between shots bore. When developing a load change only one thing at a time.

Like @Carbon 6 and @ZUG, I have seen impacts move as you are seeing from sights loose in the dovetails. Inspect your sights carefully. It only takes a little bit of movement to change the impact on the target.
 
It only takes a little bit of movement to change the impact on the target.
Oh man this is true. And depending on the sight it can be more dramatic than others.

When shooting my Zouave yesterday with the new peep sight I was intentionally moving the front bead off the center bullseye to the right just slightly to where I could see just a thin 'half moon' of the of the orange bullseye and my shots moved to the right about 2".
 
I'd Start at 25 yards. The closer distance will allow for less human error and other variables like wind. Once you have a good group, then move out farther and group it.
Carbon, once I got a good grouping at 25 yards, you said to move it out further and group it. Not sure what that means? If my grouping is good at 25, would I want to change it again at 50 and lose what was accomplished at 25? Or did you mean that I should change the actual sight itself at 50 rather than changing the load that was determined at 25? :dunno:
 
Sighting in a .45 Percussion using 60 grains of Goex FFFg, 440 ball, .018 patch with mink oil lube. First shot even with, but 5" wide of the bull to the right @ 25 yards. Made windage adjustment. Next 2 shots dead on.

Moved target out to 50 yards. First shot, even with, but now 10" wide of the bull to the right. At this point, what would you do? Thanks much.


While yer checkin’ everything else, check the fit of the barrel in the barrel channel of the fore-end and at the breech area.
 
move it out further and group it.
25 yards is a standard distance to make sure you are 'on paper' and getting some kind of consistency.

Move to 50 and shoot another, say three rounds, CHANGING NOTHING, and loading exactly as you did for the 25 yard target.

You are looking for consistency only at this point. One thing at a time!
 

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