Enfield shoots high

[snubnose57]

I recently bought a Euroarms Enfield artillery carbine. This thing shoots at least a foot high at 50 yards, even with a 6 o'clock hold on the bullseye.
I realize I hay have to have a new sight dovetailed to fix this.
I really do not want to do this, only as a last resort.
Funny, on the barrel it says 2 1/2 drams of powder, but I only use 60 grains with a mine.
Has anyone had any luck modifying the sights as is without sight replacement? Thanks in advance.

 

[Grenadier1758]

At about 27 grains a dram, your 60 grain load is pretty close. My calculation puts 2 1/2 drams at 67.5 grains.

 

[Tom Compton]

What bullet? Diameter and weight? 60 gr of what powder. My P-H (Birmingham proof) 1858 2 band shoots 40 gr FFg w 550 gr old style minies.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I have a Musketoon....sights are crooked....Shoots minute of barn side...

Can the rear sight notch be filed deeper?

 

[Artificer]

This is an extremely common finding with these guns.

The first modification most people do to shoot UnCivil War era Rifle Muskets, Rifles and Carbines is to have a much taller sight soldered onto their barrel to replace the original repro sight. Then they file the sight down to where they need it for their eyesight and load used at 50 or 100 yards. Most file the front sight so they will still shoot high at 50 and use a dead on, point of aim/point of impact hold at 100.

To purchase the taller front sight, try this link and choose the one for the “EuroArms Enfield Musketoon” http://www.lodgewood.com/Tall-Shooter-Front-Sight-for-Original-Reproduction-Muskets_p_561.html

Most shooters also buy the appropriate front sight protector to protect it during transportation and in storage. Most Shooters I know don't take them off until on the firing point of the shooting range. Again you want to ask for the one for the ““EuroArms Enfield Musketoon.” http://www.lodgewood.com/Front-Sight-Protector_p_897.html

For more information on how to solder front sights on, try this thread. http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/305119/

Gus

 

[Gene L]

I have a Musketoon....sights are crooked....Shoots minute of barn side...

Can the rear sight notch be filed deeper?

The sight notch being deeper won't do any good unless the top of the rear sight is filed down as well. Sight picture in my experience means putting the top of the front sight at the top of the rear sight. Hope I'm being clear here.

 

[Artificer]

I have a Musketoon....sights are crooked....Shoots minute of barn side...

Can the rear sight notch be filed deeper?

The sight notch being deeper won't do any good unless the top of the rear sight is filed down as well. Sight picture in my experience means putting the top of the front sight at the top of the rear sight. Hope I'm being clear here.

Well, if someone uses a sight picture where the top of the sight is placed at or near the bottom of the Rear Sight notch, then filing the notch deeper will lower the point of impact. But, and this is a HUGE "BUT;" even if one uses this approach, you can't file the rear sight notch deep enough to make up for how short the front sight is on a Rifle Musket, Rifle or Carbine/Musketoon.

If the sight picture used is the top of the front sight is equal to the top of the rear, then you are correct it won't do any good to file the notch deeper.

BTW, the LAST thing you want to do to lower the point of impact of the bullets is to cut the front sight, because that will cause the point of impact to raise no matter what your sight picture is.

Gus

 

[Gene L]

Yes, but such a sight picture will block out most of the target. If you use the traditional sight picture, this won't work. If you plan to just barely see the front sight already through the rear sight, I guess it might be possible, but then you run into the same problem as a globe sight on a squirrel.

 

[Artificer]

Many early flintlock rifle sights had very low rear sights and very short barley corn shaped front sights, where they put the sharp edge of the top of the barley corn at the bottom of the tiny V notch in the rear sight.

The problem with an Enfield Rear sight is one would have to cut a heck of a lot of metal off the top of the rear sight edges in the downward position to do that, though.

Bottom line, the best way to get an UnCivil War period rifled gun to shoot anywhere close to point of aim at 50 and 100 yards is to use a much taller front sight.

Gus

 

[snubnose57]

I guess there is really no option but to replace the front sight if I want to be hitting the target.
I just do not like to permanently alter a military rifle, even it is just a replica.
My mistake, stamped on my rifle it says 3 1/2 drams of powder, not 2 1/2. Crazy, that should launch a Minnie into near earth orbit.

 

[Artificer]

The issued load for the Springfield Rifle Muskets and Carbines was 60 grains of black powder. Have to admit I'm not sure what the British powder charge was for the Enfields, though. I known Southrons in the period used Springfield cartridges in their Enfields as well as any British Ammunition they were provided.

The problem for us is that we don't want to shoot the period guns as they were designed to be shot at man sized targets and normally further away than we regularly target shoot.

Gus

 

[Wes/Tex]

The issued load for the Springfield Rifle Muskets and Carbines was 60 grains of black powder. Have to admit I'm not sure what the British powder charge was for the Enfields, though.
Gus

4.4 grams or 67.90 grains of powder behind a 34 gram, (530 grain) Pritchett or Burton-Minie projectile! :wink:

 

[TFoley]

The British service load for the P53 was two and one half drams, or as near 67gr of fine rifle powder as you can get today - make it 3Fg.

Seemed to work just fine.

tac

 

[TFoley]

According to the Birmingham Proof House, any figure stamped on a BP arm proofed by them is the figure used in the proofing, not the recommended daily shooting load. IOW, your Musketoon just like mine, and any other Parker-Hale musketoon, is safe to use with loads up to and including 3.5 drams - 95.7gr or thereabouts, should you ever feel the need to do so.

Shooting mine with a borrowed flask that threw 70gr for a shotgun and was non-adjustable, I can't see why you would ever need to exceed the pretty average load of 55 - 60gr Fg/FFg, but hey....we all either admit to trying things out just to see what it's like, or we tell lies. :wink:

tac

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I should think that since there would be a different point of impact for a 460 grain bullet in .58 caliber vs. a 600 grain bullet also in .58 caliber, not to mention if you got a 279 grain .570 round ball to shoot well out of the rifle, that other bullet weights and shapes would be tried, to get a good grouping first, before altering the sights.

Also since those military rifles, and thus the reproduction versions by default, were meant to hit targets much farther out than 50 yrds, I'd see if the sights are more "on" with the different bullets at that range.

LD

 

[snubnose57]

My minnies are .575 from Dixie, no weight labeled on the box. Tried round ball also, all shoot high.
Need to try at 100 yards, maybe my carbine is a long range sniper rifle :haha:

 

[Wes/Tex]

If all else fails...aim at their knees! :shocked2: :wink: :haha: