Shooting way low!

[woodsnwater]

My flint .45 is shooting a foot and a half low and six inches to the left at twenty five yards with 25 grains of fffg and a tight prb. I shot it with 40 grains and it came up just over an inch. It’s a early pedersoli. These are the rear sights I’m having to use to get on target. The front sight is filed down to just over 1/8”. Any idea what’s going on?

 

[FishDFly]

Picture of sight in picture looks kinda way to tall.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

My flint .45 is shooting a foot and a half low and six inches to the left at twenty five yards with 25 grains of fffg and a tight prb. I shot it with 40 grains and it came up just over an inch. It’s a early pedersoli. These are the rear sights I’m having to use to get on target. The front sight is filed down to just over 1/8”. Any idea what’s going on?

Are you a regular flint shooter? Are you shooting offhand or on sand bags. What is your point of aim? What is your sight picture? What size is your touch hole? I can't say without more information but I shoot 50 grains of 2F in my 45 flintlock.
Larry

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

Picture of sight in picture looks kinda way to tall.

It does for sure! We need more information.
Larry

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

That rear sight is already way up high, but you'd need it to go even HIGHER to raise the impact ... given that your front sight is already filed low.

If it were mine ... I'd bend the barrel, twice, once for elevation and again to adjust for that windage issue. I'd also change out that rear sight for a more traditional one while at it.

 

[doubleset]

The height of that sight appears to be about half the barrel diameter above the bore center! How can you position your cheek/head to even see the front sight?

 

[woodsnwater]

I had a normal / traditional sight on it to start with and it shot low. I had to put this ugly, tall sight on it to bring it up that 1.5'. I'm shooting on a solid rest from a bench. It's very accurate, putting the last three shots in the same jagged hole. Brand new touch hole, 1/16".
Can I bend this barrel to correct it?

 

[woodsnwater]

OK, I'm reading barrel bending threads now. I'm glad to know i don't have to live with this.

 

[deerstalkert]

this may be in your future. but try loosening the front barrel wedge if that pedersoli has two.

 

[Frontier's]

Show your entire sight set up.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

Can you show the front sight?

 

[FishDFly]

OK, I'm reading barrel bending threads now. I'm glad to know i don't have to live with this.

Get the correct sights, front and rear, no reason to bend the barrel.,

With a octagon barrel it is going to take a tremendous amount of pressure to bend it.

 

[bang]

45 using 25 grains. Up that to 60 - 70.
Is the front sight the standard for that rifle?
Get shorter front sight.

 

[Okie Hog]

With a octagon barrel it is going to take a tremendous amount of pressure to bend it.

Barrels bend relatively easy in a bending jig or on an anvil.

rifle barrel bending fixture - Bing images

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

45 using 25 grains. Up that to 60 - 70.
Is the front sight the standard for that rifle?
Get shorter front sight.

It is already at 1/8". Can't go lower than that!
Larry

 

[rafterob]

You should first find the best load for it. That will likely be between 45 and 70 grains 3f. You want to shoot for the highest best grouping at your point of aim. After you have your best load, then work on the sights. My guess is you need to put new sights on and start over. If you find after filing the front sight significantly it is still shooting way low, bending the barrel is a good option.

 

[doubleset]

I have to say that I'm really pretty puzzled at the speed with which people proceed to "I need to bend the barrel". If that's really true, it would seem to imply that a LOT of BP barrels either aren't straight or aren't bored correctly. And that's disturbing -- isn't it?

 

[Frontier's]

dont bend anything! Thats totally manure and never should be done when the rifle has ADJUSTABLE sights.

If its shooting low, raise the rear sight higher. To me, it looks like the sight is on backward, but without more pics, i can not tell for sure. BUT, I do know, if its shooting low..... You simply raise that adjustable rear sight....

 

[woodsnwater]

The light load is for squirrels. I know it's not ideal but it's what I have. Increasing that load to 40 grains raised point of impact 1" Doubling that 40 isn't going to raise it 18". The front sight is just a standard silver blade 1/8" high.

 

[woodsnwater]

Y'all should watch the videos of the pedersoli factory. If I'm not mistaken they have to straighten the barrels multiple times before they leave the factory. Even the polishing they do heats and bends them so they have to be bent back.