Would you move the sights?

Today I was at the range checking one of my flintlocks. This one is a .54, although that doesn't matter for my question. I shot at 25 yards and it is dead-center with basically one hole for 3-shots. At 50-yards it was the same, but higher. At 100-yards the 3-shot groups were always a bit left. My groups pretty much had two holes touching and one a little low or slightly further left. This happened for several groups in a row. The two holes touching are right at 2-inches to the left. Depending on where that 3rd shot went it may be 2.5-inches left or it may be just a little lower than the 2 touching shots. I cannot complain about the accuracy. With a sandbag under the first wedge pin and my right elbow on the table (right handed) these groups are less than 3-inches! This is for hunting and I do have a lot of reason to shoot out to 100-yards (but not really further). The rear sight has a dovetail set screw. To move it I need to loosen that screw just a little and tap it ever so slightly. I am afraid to move it too much. I would hate to loosen the set screw and lose control of the sight and then have to start over altogether. I can't decide. Do I move it a bit right or just leave it?

I would leave it .

I would leave it alone, and for a hundred yard shot on game change my point of aim 2".

leave it.

I too would leave it as it is for now; shoot several groups on another day and then consider whether or not to move the sight. It may be something you are doing in your hold?

Any wind at the range? Bright and sunny, or overcast? If I were going move the sight, I would repeat your range session you had today a few more times on different days and times before making that move. And for a 100 yard hunting gun, I wouldn’t touch the sights.

If you just can’t leave well enough alone, mark the sight and barrel with a line using a fine tip Sharpie. The width of the line should be about 1/64” (.0156”). That line width just happens to be how far you need to adjust your sight for 2” at 100 yards if the sights are 30” apart. I would leave sight where it is for now.

I sight in my rifles as perfectly as I can. Trying to remember that this rifle shoots that way and another does something different is not for me. I make them all COM hold. If the black is a different size than another it does not matter that way. I want the point of impact to be the point of hold at 50 yds for round ball guns.

With a 30" sight radius 2.5" at 100 yards is 0.020" sight movement. Put a small witness scratch on the sight and the barrel with one line. The mark prevents getting lost. Drift the sight the thickness of a pasteboard box, like a cereal box. That should be darn close. Use a dab of touch up blue on the the witness scratch when done.

Make sure the windage error at 100 yards is not due to actual wind before you mess with the sights.

I crossed in the mail with the previous poster. : ) I like the Sharpie idea.

Yup. Make a mark on both the sight and the barrel as to present location. Repeat on a different day. I prefer to scratch it in once the location is firmly known as to what is to be "permanent".

I was visiting with a gentleman at the local range this weekend and he was telling me how much a slightly angling tail wind would move a .22 at 50 yards. He shoots there regularly and put out his wind flags after having some shots wandering from where he thought they should go. I wouldn't mess with the sights until shooting groups several different days and maybe even hang some wind flags to see what the wind is doing.

Leave it. If it bothers you that much, try a smooth bore .62 with a PRB and you will then believe your rifle is a tack driver.

Don't forget that you are shooting from a bench; try shooting from hunting positions also.

Yep, leave it alone. At 100 yards even a gentle breeze can account for 2". Also a minor change in light direction or intensity can do the same thing.

Leave it . If windage is right at 25 and 50 something else is moving the ball besides where the sight is parked . Besides , 2.5 inches any direction is still in the kill zone of a deer .