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View Full Version : I hate it when you guys are right!



rbertalotto
03-17-2012, 06:28 PM
Here's the story...........Bought a Pedersoli Remington 1871 Rolling Block in 45-70.

Came with a Tasco reproduction brass 5X scope.

http://images112.fotki.com/v386/photos/2/36012/10262912/DSC_3909-vi.jpg

Also came with a Pedersoli long range tang sight.

First outing at the range, the scope fell off. The kitchen gunsmith that installed it did not drill and tap deep enough. He only had two threads holding each of the four screws. Took it home and drilled and taped proper depth and upsized to 8-40 screws.

Back to the range. Looking through this scope is like looking through the bottom of a jar of Vaseline. Amazingly terrible optics. But I persevered. Using a load of 4759 under a Lyman 457125, 500g RN, I tried to shoot a respectable group. Not happening. Best I could do was 5" at 100 yards for 5 shots.

I took the rifle home and removed the scope and installed the tang sight and a Beech front sight

http://www.uberti.com/firearms/images/accessories_folding_sight.jpg

Time to return to the range. But this time I loaded 60g of FFg Black Powder with a .060 wad under the Lyman bullets. I also took some of the smokeless variety. (BTW, the sights were only off two inches high and one inch to the left with the first sighting shot at 50yds!)

Amazing difference in accuracy. At 100yds (5 shot groups), the smokeless was still 4", but the BP was under 1.5 inches with three of the bullet holes a nice clover leaf!

I moved the target out to 200 yds. The smokeless loads were all over the map! The BP loads were once again under 4". With a better globe type front sight I think I can do even better.

So I've resisted the Holy Black........was concerned about clean up. Yea, it's more than with smokeless, but "the only interesting rifles are accurate rifles!"

Ballistol cleaned everything up in a jiffy. And stainless steel pins took the brass back to like new!

I'm a happy camper!

Tomorrow I take the Winchester 1885 BPCR out for a spin with God's Own Powder to see if I can get this scatter gun to shoot accurately.

http://images110.fotki.com/v630/photos/2/36012/9654765/DSC_2952-vi.jpg

Yup, you guts were right!

TXGunNut
03-17-2012, 07:11 PM
There's something so right about using Holy Black in BP cartridges in a rifle designed for them. Bummer about the scope, sure looks purty.

Lead pot
03-18-2012, 11:35 AM
If the lenses are bad take them out and use it as a original tube scope.

missionary5155
03-18-2012, 11:49 AM
Greetings
If the post on your front sight will unscrew from the bottom of the housing you can insert a thinner post. Or you can thin down the origonal post. Makes a big difference.
Mike in Peru