Sighting in my Hoke sight's, Quick brass clean 45/70

[Randy C]

Sighting in my Hoke sight's on my 45/70 Sharps.
I must be getting dumb timer's, I haven't shot the gun in years, I went to the range a few weeks back they had, 10$ sight in day, It was nice they set targets and had spotting scope set up to help you, my gun was all over the place. When I got home to clean the gun the sights screws were loose in several places, it was from 2014 I took every thing apart and cleaned the gun. I tighten everything up.

I went to the range here in Minot ND Yesterday, I made a friend, he let me use one of his target stands. He bought a lot of reloading stuff today, I'm going to give him some pointers, he's never reloaded before.

I had a hard time figuring out which way to a just the sights, I'm getting to the point were I have to wright things down, I forget which way to go from goop to goop. I'm shooting a 550 grain bullet with 70gr Goex Cartridge grade I have a case to shoot up.

Does anybody remember how many minutes on average to move up between 1 2 and 3 hundred yards? I still don't remember how to get it to shoot 3 inches to the left. I going to wright it down this time in my log book.

My brass cleaning equipment is not here with me, I soaked my brass in simple green, then put a 45 black brush in my little drill and spun it in each one to clean them, after drying I put a brass brush in my drill and took the rest of the residue out. I'm going to make a road trip today and pick up some of the things I need here in town to make this easier.

[Don McDowell]

You simply move the sight to the left to move poi to the left.
Might want to try some Oxyclean for cleaning the cases while you wait for your "cleaning" equipment.

[Randy C]

I will give the Oxyclean a try next time. My wife throws a fit about how long it takes me to clean everything up in her Kitchen in this apartment, she don't like the smell of Hoppe's no 9 or Kroil it s the last thing I PUT DOWN THE BARREL BEFORE I PUT IT UP.

I clean the Barrel with simple green and rinse in the tub I have a wand to rise it with there.

Thank You

[Eric Johanen]

Randy, I clean up very easy. I use 7/1 distilled water and NAPA water soluble oil. Damp patches and dry at the range after shooting. When home I use another damp patch or two and follow by a dry. Lube the bore with Slip 2000 and call it good. No smell and quick clean up. No rust problems at all. Brass is de-capped, Cleaned with a bottle brush and 0000 steel wool. Dish soap and water. in a old kitchen pan. Rinsed with tap water and placed in a drying rack. Simple. very quick and I can do it anywhere. No smell and very quick. Try it and your wife will be much happier.

[Randy C]

I run a patch through after every shot with the same Napa oil, the simple green and the other steps are done out of habit, I always over clean my guns. then hit them with Hoppe's and the last patch is Kroil. I've had the gun for years I think 2014 was the last time I shot it. I guess you could say I'm still new to BP. and these sights. I bought my molds from Old West bullet molds in Grand JCT CO Bernie showed me how to Cast when I was there,

I just got back. I have one of my brass cleaners here now, I reloaded some when I was there but run out of time.
Thanks for the help and advice.
Randy C

[Tom Myers]

Sighting in my Hoke sight's on my 45/70 Sharps.

I went to the range here in Minot ND Yesterday, I made a friend, he let me use one of his target stands. He bought a lot of reloading stuff today, I'm going to give him some pointers, he's never reloaded before.

I had a hard time figuring out which way to a just the sights, I'm getting to the point were I have to wright things down, I forget which way to go from goop to goop. I'm shooting a 550 grain bullet with 70gr Goex Cartridge grade I have a case to shoot up.

Does anybody remember how many minutes on average to move up between 1 2 and 3 hundred yards? I still don't remember how to get it to shoot 3 inches to the left. I going to wright it down this time in my log book.

Randy,

Your Hoke Sight with the vernier scale on the sight staff is one of the best.

Your sight come-up from 100 to 200 yards should be about 9 or 10 minutes of angle. From 200 to 300 yards, about 10 or 11 MOA. from 300 to 500, about 22 MOA, etc.

Click this link to go to a guide on How to Read a Vernier Sight. as explained in the new Precision Ballistics Online Help File's.
If your barrel length is 32 inches then your sight radius is most probably 36 inches. This means that for every 1/100th inch of sight movement equals 1 inch of bullet impact movement at 100 yards, and 2 inches at 200 yards and 3 inches at 300yards, etc., etc.

One minute of angle at 100 yards is equal to approximately 1.047 inches.

If your barrel length is 30.5 inches then your sight radius is most probably 34.5 inches. this means that for every 1/100 inch of sight movement equals 1 minute of angle bullet movement at 100 yards, (1.047") and 1 minute of angle at 200 yards (2.094") and 1 minute of angle at 300 yards (3.142") and 1 minute of angle at 500 yards (5.236"), etc., etc.

If your sight radius is close to 36 inches then , for all practical purposes, you can interchange inches and minutes of angle and never be far off the mark.

A Vernier sight has markings on the STAFF and also on the SLIDER that has the eyepiece attached and can be moved up and down the staff with the adjusting screw.

The markings on the SIGHT STAFF are marked off in 20 marks to the inch. This means that moving the eyepiece from on mark to another MARK ON THE STAFF will move the bullet impact 5 inches up or down on a 100 yard target.



The markings on the SLIDER are marked of in 25 marks to the inch. While adjusting the SLIDER up or down on the STAFF, only 1 of the 4 or 5 marks on the SLIDER can be aligned with one of the marks on the STAFF at any time.



This means that by first aligning the bottom mark on the SLIDER with one of the marks on the STAFF then adjusting the SLIDER up or down until an adjacent mark on the SLIDER lines up with one of the marks on the STAFF you have adjusted the sight 1/100 of an inch up or down, moving the bullet strike either 1" or 1 minute of angle up or down on the 100 yard target.





Each alignment of one of the marks can be referred to as a point. So each point can equate to approximately 1 minute of angle.

If I remember correctly the windage markings on the sight are not inscribed as a vernier scale. Instead (I believe) each mark is approximately 2 1/2 minutes of angle. and move the sight left to move the bullet impact left and move the sight right to move the bullet impact right.

Here is an example of the sight settings, comparing sight adjustments in inches, staff and slider markings, and points as calculated in the Precision Ballistics sight settings calculation for my old Pedersoli Sharps 40-65



Hope this helps.

[Randy C]

Everybody
Thank you for the reply on my 45/70 and Hoke sight adjustments. I'm going to enjoy studying up on the info you sent me, My wife is off work this weekend she will keep me busy and wants me to spend time with here on the days we have off together. Next weekend will be mine, our local range goes out to 700yds I'm hoping they will get the metal targets painted so I CAN SEE THEM I'm in town most of the time now. I need to build me a log for these new sights.

[semtav]

Randy, if you want to go a little more odorless, clean with water or "windex with vinegar" and then squirt some CRC Power Lube down the barrel and on all the parts. since I started using that I've never had a rust problem. course that wont eliminate the black powder rotten egg smell.

[Knarley]

You simply move the sight to the left to move poi to the left.
Might want to try some Oxyclean for cleaning the cases while you wait for your "cleaning" equipment.

That would be the rear sight you move.

[BRUCE MOULDS]

randy,
by all reports,
hoke is a very good sight.
as mentioned, use of such sights requires an understanding of and familiarity with using vernier adjustments and an understanding of minutes of angle.
with these things in hand, and the knowledge that 0.010" on the sight is approx 1 moa, you are ready to go.
however there is another issue of importance to consider.
ideally the windage on the rear sight should be on zero in a dead wind condition.
to achieve this you need to adjust the front sight sideways while testing in a deadwind condition.
with the rear sight on zero keep adjusting until the group is centred left and right.
this will allow you to learn to make accurate wind calls, even as the wind goes across centre during a string.
then you only have to allow about 2 moa at 1000 yds for spindrift.
keep safe,
bruce.