Sighting in 45 colt single action

[RyanJames170]

Once I decide on my bullet of choice for my 45 colt single action what would be the best distance to sight it in at for Elavation?

For those that may ask I have not sighted it In because I intend to shoot a few different loads and bullets threw it and the rifle before I choose the load to sight them both in for. I am currently leaning towards a 255gr SWC or RNFP, I am also open to suggestions of a good load for both.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Good question, Ryan, and one that I've faced several times in the past, and guaranteed to give you a headache if you fool with it long enough! Of course, the very basics are windage and elevation. If you're SAA-type is shooting where you want it to shoot as far as left or right, the the elevation problem remains. You ask "what distance", and that's entirely up to you....your call. As you said, you have to settle on a load, and then it's all on the height of the front sight. If it's shooting to low at your chosen distance, then you can file the front sight down a bit to raise the point of impact. But, if it's shooting too high your choices are to build up the front sight or hold low on the target. Or, again, to find a load that will impact lower. My favorite load is a 250 gr. LFP over 8.0 gr. of Unique. That works in my Uberti SAA-types and also my Chiappa .45 carbine. The SAA is sighted for 25yds. but that makes no difference for the carbine as it has an adjustable rear sight.

DG

[black mamba]

I prefer adjustable sights for all my handguns, and any that have iron sights I like them to print 1" high at 25 yards. That gets me out to about 40 yards with no holdover. Hunting handguns with red dots or scopes get sighted dead on at 75 yards, which leaves them with no holdover to about 90+, depending on the load.

[DougGuy]

OP, what gun? What barrel length?

Before you break out the file, it goes like this.. The lighter faster boolits don't spend as much time in the barrel as the heavier, slower boolits. This time is commonly called "dwell time." Therefore, the lighter and/or faster boolits shoot to a lower point of impact because the muzzle doesn't have enough time to rise before the boolit exits the barrel. Heavier boolits cause more recoil which also causes muzzle rise, which raises the point of impact. Boolit weight and velocity comprise dwell time, so keep this in mind when you want the gun to "shoot to the sights."

Commonly longer barreled SAA revolvers have a shorter front sight, and the short barrel revolvers have a taller front sight, this is meant to compensate for the longer vs. shorter dwell time.

[RyanJames170]

OP, what gun? What barrel length?

Before you break out the file, it goes like this.. The lighter faster boolits don't spend as much time in the barrel as the heavier, slower boolits. This time is commonly called "dwell time." Therefore, the lighter and/or faster boolits shoot to a lower point of impact because the muzzle doesn't have enough time to rise before the boolit exits the barrel. Heavier boolits cause more recoil which also causes muzzle rise, which raises the point of impact. Boolit weight and velocity comprise dwell time, so keep this in mind when you want the gun to "shoot to the sights."

Commonly longer barreled SAA revolvers have a shorter front sight, and the short barrel revolvers have a taller front sight, this is meant to compensate for the longer vs. shorter dwell time.

its a brand new Uburti 5.5" SAA in 45 colt my intent is to have it as a companion to the Lever gun in 45 colt, as perdomantly outside of pure hunting loads for the rifle have them use the same load just to avoid having to many different loads running around.

[contender1]

Having a gun to "use the same load just to avoid having to many different loads running around" isn't always the best idea, or may not work out.
At least,, if you like accuracy.

Every gun is a different machine unto itself. Some,, will be good & accurate with just about any load,, while others can cause cussing, gray hair, & other frustrations just trying to find a load that works.

You want a gun to be accurate,, so that's where you start. Find what is accurate IN YOUR GUN(s) before trying to make a "one load fits all" type of decision.

[Outpost75]

To determine the amount of adjustment needed to zero a fixed sight revolver, fire a ten-shot group and then measure the x, y coordinates of each shot and then measure the horizontal and vertical distance of each shot from point of aim and average them and draw intersecting axes in vertical and horizontal planes.

Once you know the true center of impact of the group, then measure the vertical and horizontal impact error vs. point of aim.

As a general rule in revolvers a heavier bullet having a greater recoil impulse will strike higher and lighter bullet lower. Bullet weight is more important than velocity. Most fixed sight service guns shoot closest to the sights with ammunition approximating the bullet weight and velocity of factory loads.

Modern single-actions almost always have a front sight which is higher than necessary and must be cut down, because the same front sight is used regardless of caliber or barrel length.

To determine the correction needed use the expression X=RE/ D where:

X is the amount of sight adjustment needed.
R is the sight radius
E is the impact error relative to point if aim and,
D is the target distance.

ALL DIMENSIONS IN INCHES!

To raise point of impact reduce the height of the front sight.
To lower point of impact try a lighter bullet, or build up the front sight with a bead of weld and reshape.

For windage corrections DO NOT try to bend the front sight!!!! On Italian clones especially you will snap them off!

Instead cut and shape a piece of shim stock of the needed thickness and epoxy it on the side of the front sight away from where you want the POI to move. This makes no permanent change to the gun and is easily removed or changed if needed. If you have old eyes and need more daylight around the front sight in the notch you can carefully reduce the width of the front sight by filing on the side of the front sight in the direction you want POI to move.

Please don't try to cut on the rear sight notch in the top strap unless you are VERY skilled at this or have a milling machine.

The Cardinal rule of gun work is always file on the cheapest part!

[HWooldridge]

One of my sons had a friend with a .45 LC 7-1/2” Uberti that shot right and low. I have some small bending forks made for the purpose and was able to bend the front sight without breaking anything, followed by filing to move the POI. It can be done but with much care, and don’t call me if anyone snaps one. I am able to silver solder so that’s my safety line in a pinch.

I have several fixed sight handguns and with regard to distance, I aim for 2” high at 25 yds and hold off at other distances. I also believe you should shoot from a rest at 75 and 100 yards so you have an idea of the trajectory. We were at deer camp several years ago when a jackrabbit hopped out about 90-100 yds from where we were sitting. My son dared me so I lobbed two shots from a 4” .41 mag and drilled the bunny on the second round (first one went high). This was from a rest off the truck’s hood.

[Outpost75]

I have a Pietta .45 Colt which I got cheap because the previous owner broke off the front sight and didn't want to spend the money to pull the barrel, re-silver solder the sight, reblue the barrel and then re- install the barrel. Would have been a bargain at $125 for the repair.

I kept and used the gun as a beater and experimented with a simple repair. First I cleaned the inadequate small drop of silver solder out of the slot, then I cleaned the front sight to bare metal. I then re-installed it clamping with Black Max epoxy and while the epoxy was still wet I also staked it in solidly using a small chisel point held along each side of the sight slot.

Sight is dead straight and the gun now perfectly zeroed for point of aim to equal point of impact at 50 yards with factory 255 lead conical or handloads with 6.5 grains of Bullseye and Accurate 45-246H. Sight has stayed put for 5 years and 5000 rounds in Cowboy matches and range sessions without a reblue. Job only required some flat stone clean-up and touch up with Brownells Dichropan. Most people don't detect the repair, but to the trained eye I have been told by several in the trade that it's "clever."

[ddixie884]

Yeah, what he said.

[RJM52]

Although not "traditional", when Jack Huntington did a Uberti Cattleman .357 to .41 Special conversion, I had him install one of his dovetail front sight blades...works like a champ and has a much better sight picture than the standard SAA blade gives...

Bob

[Bill*B]

You long distance shooters can hold a lot better than I can. For me, the pistol is for "up close and personal" work, and if I can center a target at 10 yards, I'm happy.

[Outpost75]

As FYI black powder .45 service revolvers were targeted at the factory to strike inside a 3" circle printed tangent at 6:00 to a 2-inch diameter aiming point firing at 20 yards off sandbags. A point of impact 2-3" above point of aim at 20 yards approximates point of aim equalling point of impact at 50 yards.

The same targeting specs also work with .38 Specials firing the old 158-grain LRN service load and we were still targeting cop guns to that spec. at Ruger in the 1980s.

[44MAG#1]

Another formula THAT WORKS to figure how much to move the sights to sight in is. How much the POI is off from POA divided by distance to target times sight radius.
4" low divided by 900 inches (25 yards) times 6 inches (example of sight radius) equals how much the sight needs to be moved by adjustment, building up, filing or beating with a hammer. What ever method one chooses.

[Groo]

Groo here
Much depends on the gun,
I would find the bullet, load the the gun likes [your likes are secondary but try around 250gr rnfp cast at 900fps]
Then see IF you need to change something, you might not..
Also If a repo of the original, rember the gun was for the Cav and sigted in for the "belt buckle hold"
So hits high for us now, a good shot could hit a man out 100/150 yds by holding at the "belt buckle" aka belly button...............

[scattershot]

All good points above, but if you’re playing with bullets, make sure they will fit and feed in your rifle.

[dverna]

Here is my take on your situation and I speak from experience having a .357 lever action carbine and two Colt SSA's.

I did not want to fuss with "the most accurate load" for each gun. Just not needed for what I do. In my case, the rifle was the platform I started with. It is the gun that needs to "reach out touch something" accurately. I found the most accurate load for the carbine using my bullet of choice.

Then I shot the same load in both pistols. The groups were "good enough" so I was set...maybe I got lucky...maybe I am not too anal about SAA accuracy.

Once I knew the loas was good enough in the pistols, I filed the front sights down. I also widened the rear notch a bit and is so doing move the windage a bit in the direction it needed to go. I did not want to go too wide on the rear notch so gently bent the front sight to get the rest of the windage adjustment.

Most folks would throw up at "hacking up" a Colt that way, but I want a gun that hits what I aim at. I never had to fret with the guns again. KISS

Your Uberti is not a "classic" so do what you need to do to get it shoot to POA.

[ranchman]

Generally, I find 25 yards is best for a zero. Myself.
That way ammo at 15 yards will still hit pop cans & such for playing and practice. And 50 yards (should) be just a couple inches low if you ever had to use that on a farther target... so, unless you're shooting targets very small, you'll still get a hit.

In my 45 ACP single actions, I set front blades so factory 230grain fmj ammo shoots dead zero at 25, which makes 240-250gr handloads 2" or so high ... which itself then equates those 240/250gr handloads to be zeroed to 50yards for more common "field" shooting ranges like I'd want the heavier penetrating bullet used to. It's a handy combination.

[LAH]

50 yards.

[HWooldridge]

I once owned a series 70 Colt in 45 ACP which had factory sights and it was dead on at 50 yds with regular old 230 gr hardball. 6 o’clock hold on a 4” bull would shoot to center all day long.