Sights for my Sharp Rifle

[Pappy 1]

My eyes are not as good as they use to be and I have been doing some reading on different sight available for the sharps rifles. My question is, can a person hunt with a long range Soule Sight and a glob sight in front. The buck horn sights are difficult to use. My primary use of this gun is hunting and plinking. Anyone have any experience is using these types of sight while taking game.
Pat.

[Don McDowell]

Get a jewelers file or saw and open the notch on that buckhorn sight up, you'll be fine.

[bigted]

I second Don on the opening the notch.... if you cant see clearly some air on each side of the blade ... then you can never get a consistent sight picture on anything. I usually install a bit higher blade on the front so when I hold the bottom of the sight base on the bottom of the "horns" of the full buckhorn it allows the use of the full buckhorn as a sorta peep sight. then I file down the front till it comes onto target where I want it to and with the load that shoots best.

another sight is the wrist mounted Sharps style vernier. if you want a decent to great sight then hold onto your wallet as they start at around 280 and go up to well over 800 dollars for a full adjustable vernier soul with lots of windage.

for hunting im bettin that the sights you have are best for hunting and general shooting. to answer your question is NO I would not try to use a GLOBE style front sight for hunting. the money is far better spent ...[in my opinion at least]... on blackpowder and lead. get to learn to adjust your sights so you can use em. on my Shiloh 45-120 I built a front sight outta a quarter cut in better then half for hunting and general shooting. this thing is a bull to shoot but when it comes to hunting Alaska I think I can rely on it to do the job with blackpowder.

[Boz330]

For hunting I'd look at the C-Sharps copy of the Ideal tang sight, with a white bead front. This is the combo I have on my Highwall and it has accounted for several whitetails. I use a similar setup on my current deer rifle (Rolling Block) except it is a Marble's, which isn't quite as good but gets the job done. JMHO.

Bob

[Pappy 1]

Good information on the buck horn sights, I never thought making the sight picture bigger by making the grove larger. I agree with the buck horn sights for hunting. It was just hard to pick out the target clearly. My next question is, would a hawk saw blade do the trick, or would I be better off getting a small file.

[Don McDowell]

Hacksaw blade works, but it leaves the notch sort of rough, so you'll need to polish the inside of the notch with some emery cloth, and then dab some cold blue or use a permanent marker to take away the "shine" of the freshly exposed metal.

[Don McDowell]

You can also try just a few strokes with a 3 corner file on the top of the notch, to make the notch to a V sight.

[Pappy 1]

Well I stopped by Harbor Freight to day and picked up a few small files. Ran it through both the buck horn sight and the adjustable sight for longer ranges which my sharp rifle came with. What a huge difference on the site picture. I can actually see what I am shooting at and not guess-a-mating, like I did before because it was so difficult to pick out the sight picture. I did some sighting in the back at an elk target at 75 yards; you can really see the difference. I just filled a little bit off on each side. It will be interesting when I go out to the range and see the target at a 100 to 150 yards.
Thanks again for the great advice.
I almost did post this information because I thought there would be no answer to my problem. I glad I did post it.

Thanks again for the info.
Pappy

[Don McDowell]

Hunt hard and shoot straight bring us pictures of dead critters and sharps rifles..

[bigted]

indeed ... we all like the photo's of success with any shooting ...and rifles? always and forever more ready to drool over a pards weapons.

like Don said ... shoot straight and bring in the meat pole loaded with critter.

[Pappy 1]

Well 5 years ago I shot two hogs with the sharp rife. They did't go very far. I am planning on using the sharps on a cow elk hunt this year. I bought this gun15 years ago and really got into shooting it a lot and then I stopped. While at the range two months ago my friend had an 1800 year old military rifle in a 45/70. I shot it 3 times at a plate at 200 yards. I hit it 2 out of 3. I am truly amazed how they built such good weapons back in the day. Any how, this got me all fired up on shooting the black powder again. My next project is to get a good mold and start casting some bullets for it. These old gun are a lot of fun to shoot.

[Pappy 1]

Went out to the range today after filing the buck horn sight a little wider. What a difference that made. I can actually see the target now. I did shot one good group. Approximately 2.5 inches with 3 rounds. Not bad for a 100 yards. I am looking forward on loading some different loads to see how they shoot. Thanks again for the good advice.

[PTS]

I need to open up my notch as well and want to use a 3-corner file. Does one use the file as a free-hand tool or use a jig or what? I’m nervous about my free hand abilities. Keeping things plumb, square, level, even, is not my best skill.

[Pappy 1]

I just went down to Harbor Freight and Tool and purchased a set of small files. I ran the file into the buck horn sight and filed a little on the left and right side, I then looked through my sights at a 100 yards to see how the sight picture looked. It looked great. I went out to the range the other day and shot. My sight picture was a hole bunch better. I should of done this years ago. I was trying different loads and I had one good groups with my 50/90 at 2.5 or so. The sights turn out fine by filing them. I am no expert but mine turn out fine. I would just start a little at a time then check your sight picture at what range you plan on shooting at then see if you need to file more off. Then go to the range and shoot.
Good Luck.

[MT Trapper]

FWIW, I have used a midrange and globe on my rifle for a couple years. It works great in bright light, but in low light conditions it is not so good. I had to pass up a few deer cause I couldn't see thru the globe. The globe is not the greatest hunting set up but it does work. I leave mine set at 100 yard zero and use hold over for different yardages. Never seem to have time to crank on the rear sight. I practice shooting a lot at different distances using my 100 yard setting. This seems to work well for me, but it is not ideal hunting set up.
Trapper

[bigted]

Pappy ... don't recall what rifle you are using ... what manufacturer?

PTS ... take some thick masking tape that is at least 1.5 inch wide and tape up the barrel and anything you don't want a slip to show up on ... then with the rifle in a sturdy mount ... file just a few careful swipes on each side and like Pappy mentioned ... look thru it to determine how much improvement your progress is giving you. STOP when you get it to a point that everything comes clear at or around your typical range. remove the tape and WALLA ... there is your job completed ... as a side note ... don't remove the tape till the sharp edges are removed with the emery cloth Don mentioned ... also when it is done and before taking off the tape ... blacken the file/emery cloth shiny area with your blackening substance. also when installing the tape do a couple layers as a slip will usually not go thru several layers of this tape. good luck and just go slow. if nervous then definitely don't use power tools !!! :shock:

[Pappy 1]

Shilo Sharps 50/90 it came with the standard sights buck horn with an adjustment up to 600 yards if I recall.

[bigted]

Pappy ... cool ... great choice for a hunter! im doubting that there be any animules there in the Bakersfield area that will withstand many fueled hits from such a rifle. as a matter of fact I doubt that in north America thar be any animules to continue standing after receiving a hit from your rifle ... to include any walking critters from my area.

[PTS]

Tks to all for the advice; I dug out my files, will find masking tape soon, and then will find my confidence and patiently do it.

[bigted]

PTS ... cool man ... just go slow and stop often as the biggest thing that garners me a buggered up gun is to not stop often and study my progress ... even when im positive im doing well. do report your final results and if I have not done so ... here is a warm welcome to the forum ... [smilie=s:

[Pappy 1]

Leaving for Utah in two weeks for a cow elk hunt. I am working on a load and hopefully I will get the opportunity to put the 50/90 to work. The other day shot about 45 rounds through the cannon. The 550 grain really kicked on both ends of the gun. What a difference from the 515 grain bullet.

[Pappy 1]

Bigted, I went out to the range today and shot several rounds from my sharps 50/90. I am a pretty decent shot. I started out at 50 yards off of my shooting sticks. Shot a decent group. About 2 inches or so. I then went out to 75 yards. Shot another decent group about 2 inches or so. I then moved out to a 100 yards. I had a few good shots but the groups just were not very consistence. I shot at some elk targets and made some kill shots and a few misses, that just shooting. I guess what I am getting I am still trying to work up a load for my gun. Some time I think I might be better off with some other sights. Looking through a buck horn sight at a 100 yards is not so easy. May be its my loads or maybe it is just me. Is back powder that difficult to work up a good load. I know that buck hors sights are the best for hunting but i am having a hard time with them out to a 100 yards. Any suggestions.

[Pappy 1]

Bigted, I went out to the range today and shot several rounds from my sharps 50/90. I am a pretty decent shot. I started out at 50 yards off of my shooting sticks. Shot a decent group. About 2 inches or so. I then went out to 75 yards. Shot another decent group about 2 inches or so. I then moved out to a 100 yards. I had a few good shots but the groups just were not very consistence. I shot at some elk targets and made some kill shots and a few misses, that just shooting. I guess what I am getting I am still trying to work up a load for my gun. Some time I think I might be better off with some other sights. Looking through a buck horn sight at a 100 yards is not so easy. May be its my loads or maybe it is just me. Is back powder that difficult to work up a good load. I know that buck hors sights are the best for hunting but i am having a hard time with them out to a 100 yards. Any suggestions.

[Pappy 1]

Bigted, I went out to the range today and shot several rounds from my sharps 50/90. I am a pretty decent shot. I started out at 50 yards off of my shooting sticks. Shot a decent group. About 2 inches or so. I then went out to 75 yards. Shot another decent group about 2 inches or so. I then moved out to a 100 yards. I had a few good shots but the groups just were not very consistence. I shot at some elk targets and made some kill shots and a few misses, that just shooting. I guess what I am getting I am still trying to work up a load for my gun. Some time I think I might be better off with some other sights. Looking through a buck horn sight at a 100 yards is not so easy. May be its my loads or maybe it is just me. Is back powder that difficult to work up a good load. I know that buck hors sights are the best for hunting but i am having a hard time with them out to a 100 yards. Any suggestions.

[bigted]

several things that could be the problem.

1- target size ... round targets at 100 yards are 5 or 6 inch for me as I can see the front sight and the round black target and so I am able to put the front sight in the 6 o-clock position and hold it better in the same position.
2- don't recall what load development you have done but ...
A- slug the barrel for the absolute for sure measurement of the bore and groove.
B- measure a fired case to see what the throat wants for a throat fill.
C- lube has to be a good blackpowder lube.
3- how far into the rifling you set the boolit
4- what kind of primers
5- wads? vegi? ... lube cookie? ... felt?
6- greaser boolit or paperpatch?

the list is long but if you match your bore with the proper lead then you should get a starting place.

also can you see the front sight clearly when looking at the 100 yards target? if not then maybe the notch needs to be larger or like Don mentioned ... a three corner file giving a V instead of the slot.

many things contribute to an accurate load but without the rifle measurements and the case mouth there is just guessing to be done till some facts are known.

[montana_charlie]

Bigted, I went out to the range today and shot several rounds from my sharps 50/90. I am a pretty decent shot. I started out at 50 yards off of my shooting sticks. Shot a decent group. About 2 inches or so. I then went out to 75 yards. Shot another decent group about 2 inches or so.
From that, we can make the assumption that your rifle 'is okay'. Let's pretend it's a tack driver that you just haven't found the key to, yet. So, we can look elsewhere for 'the problem'.


I then moved out to a 100 yards. I had a few good shots but the groups just were not very consistence. I shot at some elk targets and made some kill shots and a few misses, that just shooting. I guess what I am getting I am still trying to work up a load for my gun. Some time I think I might be better off with some other sights. Looking through a buck horn sight at a 100 yards is not so easy.
You display some lack of confidence in your sights ... or your ability to use them. If you don't think you are getting good alignment, you probably aren't. You must be the judge on how well your eyes are working for you.

An example ... At 67, I see 'pretty well' and I don't wear glasses. But, I have had some astigmatism all of my life ... mostly in the right eye.
My ability to 'see around' that little abberation has lessened over the last ten (or so) years, and now I see a little bit of a double image when looking at things that are close to me.

The front sight on my rifle is just close enough to be 'kinda fuzzy' when I look right at it. So, I got a doc to make a pair of glasses that fully correct my astigmatism when the object is 36 inches from my right eye.

Since I started using that pair of glasses when shooting my Sharps (with tang and globe sights) my confidence in being able to align the sights has greatly improved.

So, evaluate your eyes, and make adjustments you think necessary.


If you are seeing straight and shooting straight, the next thing I would look at is the shooting stix and how you rest your barrel.
Can you describe where (on the barrel) your rest point is ... and how picky you are about using that exact spot for every shot?

CM

[Don McDowell]

Post number 12 you reported 2.5 in groups at 100 yds.
Post 22-24 you reported changing the load and not getting any decent results at 100 yds..
Do you really think it was the sights? Or did you're load change cause the problems?

[Pappy 1]

Hay guys, I didl't see the other page that is why I posted it several times. In the pass I did shoot a few good rounds. I went out the other day and shot. With in a week I probably ran about 150 rounds through the gun trying several different loads. The gun seems to like the 515 grain .512. My bore is .510 and I did slug it. Years ago when I first started this black powder loading I ordered some bullets from Buffalo arms. They sat on the bench for over 8 years ago before I decide to shoot the 50/90 again. I did keep good records on the load. 100 grains 2F, Fed Large Rifle Mag primers, open the case mouth to .510. .60 vegtable wad. Seated the bullet all the way to the groves because I am using this for hunting. The loads back then shot ok. I never really got a chance to see what they could really do. But they did shoot well enough for me to get two hogs. Any how, i had to remove all of the old lube off of the bullets. I re lube them with SPG lube. Some days I had a good groups, two bullets about 3 inches or so and then a few flyers. One day I shot about 3 bullets at a 100 yards with in 3 inches again. I was pretty happy with that. And the rest I could't hit the side of the barn. Maybe I was flenching. As I stated before. I thought it would be good practice shooting at the elk target at 50 yards off of the shooting sticks. The gun shot well. 2 bullets with in two inches. Next shot at 75 yards, two more bullets with in two inches or so. Went to a 100 yards. made some kill shots on the elk but not very impressive overall. There were a few shots that group well and more flyers. I am still working up on a load. I know I have taken game before with the gun and the problem must be me. I guess I was just getting a little caught up in this whole thing about getting a good group right away. This black powder seems to be a lot more finicky than smokeless powder. I am happy with the load so far but I got a lot more work to do on the load development when I get back from the hunt.

[bigted]

is the dang thing kickin the heck outta ya? this could account for the "hit n miss". I know my 45-120 is a kicker and within around 10 rounds I am very capable of pulling a shot or two involuntarily. so when I get to yarding the trigger I just stop and lick me paws for a spell to get settled down again.

my load is 115 grains Cartridge or 2f GOEX and this under a 540 grain RCBS hunting boolit. it thumps me pretty good so I usually wait till the end of my shooting string to bring it out as it will wear me out in a short amount of time and then ... my hits are going to suffer.

[Pappy 1]

Ya it does kick pretty hard on both ends. The 515 grains bullets are not so bad. The one that really punches is the 550 grain with 90 grains Goex of 2f. When I first shot this the entire shooting table rocketed. I like shooting the larger caliber guns. I own a 300 WBY, and a Marlin 444 and they both kick very hard. While shooting off the shooting sticks I don't feel the recoil to much but on the bench you are getting the full force with the big 50. There is nothing like seeing the 515 grain bullet hitting a metal target. That is some serious force. Hopefully I will be able to test it out on a cow hunt this week in Utah, we are leaving Wednesday. I see you are from Alaska, what big game do you hunt with your black powder gun. 3 more years until I retire and I am planning on a hunting trip and staying there for 6 months or so. One check off the bucket list.

[Pappy 1]

While I was looking at the Shilo Sharps rifle sight I saw some MVA tang sights. I then went to Montana vintage arms web site. There was a tang sight made for hunting. I also thought this would be a great sight to use for shooting at longer distances for fun. There is also a MVA combination front sight that has a blade and rotates to a lollipop. The sight is a #133 Sporting TangZero point elevation is 30 minutes lower than the Model 107/108. Sight has 1.3" elevation and will fit all current bases. An excellent choice for those wanting a compact hunting sight. I called the company and they informed me about the sight and said that it would work out to 400 yards or more. Has anyone purchased any sights from this company. Any other suggestions on a tang sight for plinking and hunting.

[montana_charlie]

Has anyone purchased any sights from this company.
Many people have bought sights from MVA, and their reputation is of the highest order.

CM

[bigted]

ive hunted moose with it but alas no luck so far. we call em and it usually takes a few days for the moose to come in as they are in no particular hurry. my job has been in the way of staying out long enough to follow thru with the calling so maybe next year. I am looking into hunting a hunt for caribou that would take me into pretty much un-accessible territory rite in the middle of the migration. that should be a fun hunt ... and the sharps is one that I would consider for that hunt as well.

also as to the MVA sights ... they are all top notch. I have a couple wrist mounted "sharps" style vernier's and they are indeed the best ive had the privilege of holding or using. a bit spendy but well worth the expenditure.

[Pappy 1]

Well just got back from Utah this week. Rough hunting. I did't see any sign for 3 days. I started to wonder if there were any elk in the area. The 3 of us hunted very hard. Day 4 I spotted 6 bulls. I could of shot all 6 if I had a bull tag, but I had a cow tag. It was sure fun seeing them so close. Day 8 we decided to hunt a different area. Our last day and my friend shot his cow. Now the work starts. One mile from the truck. After we quarried it. We put the meat on a pole and the two of us shouldered it and carried it out 1 mile to the truck. After 4 trips we did about 9 miles or more. What a long day. At least we came home with one elk. Not bad for hunting a new area.

Well back to working up a load for the 50/90 and finding out if I want to put on a tang sights on the sharps rifle. I have plenty of time now to work on it and some new loads. Great trip.

[Boz330]

http://csharpsarms.com/catalog-detail/75/New-Ideal-Sporting-Tang.html
For a hunting rifle and casual shooting this puppy is hard to beat. It is heads and shoulders above a Marble's and about the same price. I've purchased 2 Marble's sights and had to mess with both to get the slop out just for hunting accuracy. The down side to this sight is that the staff angle is not adjustable and it fits Sharps,and Winchesters and that's it.

Bob

[Lead pot]

For hunting with a Sharps it's awful hard to beat the front blade or globe with a post and the rear barrel sight, be it a buck horn or the semi buckhorn. It is faster to set pre marked elevations or just use the two fixed or the three on a Lawrence sight. With slight hold over between the two or three preset sights you can get it faster than screwing the tang or receiver peep up.

[Pappy 1]

Well I just haven't made up my mind yet on what sight I am going to use. I am still going to give the buck horn sights a try still. I have plenty of loaded bullets to shoots. I want to see what bullets, groups the best first. I really need to go out and shoot a lot more before I jump into a tang sight. I appreciate all of the valuable information that has been given to me. thanks again Pappy.

[sharpsguy]

what Lead Pot said. The tang sight is a waste of money for hunting, and will cost you shots at game. Trust me.

[Boz330]

For hunting with a Sharps it's awful hard to beat the front blade or globe with a post and the rear barrel sight, be it a buck horn or the semi buckhorn. It is faster to set pre marked elevations or just use the two fixed or the three on a Lawrence sight. With slight hold over between the two or three preset sights you can get it faster than screwing the tang or receiver peep up.

I just can't see barrel sights that good anymore. For hunting (with BP) I use a 100yd Zero. A typical deer is 16" through the chest. At 50yrd I hold halfway between center line and the bottom, dead on a 100yrd, and on the back line at 150yrd. I figured these settings out on a full size silhouette of a deer and many rounds at those distances. I also had a 200yrd setting but for me that isn't a shot that I would normally take, and would probably not take a 150yrd shot unless I felt real good about it and really wanted the deer. I don't have to take any particular deer and there are plenty of more reasonable shots presented during a full season.
I'm not saying that barrel sights are inferior to a tang sight for many people but they are for me. The tang sight just offers a greater depth of field for older eyes not to mention increasing the sight radius by up to 18", a definite advantage.

Bob

[bigted]

pappy ... thought id take a moment and try to explain my sight and procedure for your amusement.

I have the Shiloh Sharps and just the barrel sights on it. full buckhorn rear and blade front.

my system is as such...

1- my front blade is higher then normal. Shiloh sells different heights of blades.
2- my buckhorn is widened for my ol eyes to see a bit clearer thru.
3- when I sight my rifle I use the full buckhorn as a peep sight meaning that I put the base of the sight [portion of the front sight that holds /pinch's the blade] level with the top of the little notch in the bottom of the buckhorn ... then my blade is sticking up in the full curl of the buckhorns and I use it exactly like a peep sight... I see this WAY better then trying to tuck the blade into the notch and blanking out the target ... even with my 6-oclock hold.
4- when shooting this affair I built my own front blade outta a penny cut in half and filed it till I had a shot placement where I wanted it ... then I took the blade from Shiloh and chose the one that was just a bit taller then my penny and after filing it down I installed it for an exact sight blade that is thin enough for me to find and do fine shooting at 100.

another plus of this type of sighting is the added bonus of being able to hold the blade top rite between the top of the buckhorn curl for an added yardage shot inna hurry ... fun to use the curl to put the base that pinch's the blade in the top of the curl and use the blade in the open to find out how far out this will allow fine shooting. endless opportunity's with this kinda sight AND it looks rite on these rifles. the wrist mounted sights ... as good as they are ... get in my way for a proper hold on the wrist of the rifle ... when shooting targets tho this is a null problem but HUNTIN and PLINKIN ... NO WAY! give me these barrel sights and im a happy camper.

I really like this setup and use it on my marlin as well. I bought a marples barrel sight that was a double peep but I way prefer the full buckhorns as they are thick enough that I can find them quickly and are very accurate to as far as I can see. using the flip up ladder I do the same thing ... I put the front base in the notch and use the blade in a peep like fashion.

might try this as it will give bunch's more "air" around the blade and it will enable you to see the full target when trying to get an accurate hold on stuff. after shooting a target for awhile I usually get to busting rocks for awhile and the satisfaction is immense. around Bakersfield I know there be copious amounts of territory to shoot at rocks n such so get thee outta town and away from other folks and enjoy that Sharps like it were meant to be enjoyed ... just plinkin and dinkin round in the desert. im sure that the Jacks need thinnin out as well and nuttin like a swift desert Jack to sharpen your shootin skills.

[Pappy 1]

I know you guys are right about the buck horn sights for hunting. I am going to give them a better chance again. I know that there is nothing wrong with the sights. I just need to get out and shoot more. I know the gun can shoot. 10 years ago it worked great when I killed two hogs with it. I know my eyes are not as good as they were. I just need to get out a fly more lead down range. I appreciate all of the positive information in telling me the right thing to do. Thanks again

[Lead pot]

I just can't see barrel sights that good anymore. For hunting (with BP) I use a 100yd Zero. A typical deer is 16" through the chest. At 50yrd I hold halfway between center line and the bottom, dead on a 100yrd, and on the back line at 150yrd. I figured these settings out on a full size silhouette of a deer and many rounds at those distances. I also had a 200yrd setting but for me that isn't a shot that I would normally take, and would probably not take a 150yrd shot unless I felt real good about it and really wanted the deer. I don't have to take any particular deer and there are plenty of more reasonable shots presented during a full season.
I'm not saying that barrel sights are inferior to a tang sight for many people but they are for me. The tang sight just offers a greater depth of field for older eyes not to mention increasing the sight radius by up to 18", a definite advantage.

Bob

Bob,

I understand what you’re saying. I just had a Buff hunt and I used my .44-77 Shiloh that has the Lawrence rear sight and the blade front. I shoot a lot using the barrel sights and my 73 year old eyes are getting dim also.
For this hunt I made a mistake when I sighted this rifle in filing the notch open using a 1/4" three corner double cut file till I got it zeroed in at 100 yards but the mistake was it was always on a bright sunny day and I shot groups as tight as I shoot using the tang and I got my 200 yard with the ladder up and everything worked just fine.
On the morning of the hunt it was a heavy overcast day and the buff I had picked out had a very dark shaggy hide and I had a problem seeing my sight properly and the result was I placed the shot 10" higher than I wanted. It still caught the very top of both lungs and took out part of the spine but he got back up on his feet and mixed in the heard and when I had a second shot the heard was on a run but I took the shot and at first I thought I shot low and missed but he went about another 50 yds and went down. But again I had a problem seeing the sights. It ended out that the second shot did not miss it hit two fingers width at the same elevation.
When I got back home I took the rifle out on a misty morning shooting in my back yard at a dark target and I filed the rear sight open quite a bit till I had enough light on the rear notch that I could see the front blade clearly. I think during the hunt I had to much blade above the rear sight because the notch was too small.

[Boz330]

Bob,

I understand what you’re saying. I just had a Buff hunt and I used my .44-77 Shiloh that has the Lawrence rear sight and the blade front. I shoot a lot using the barrel sights and my 73 year old eyes are getting dim also.
For this hunt I made a mistake when I sighted this rifle in filing the notch open using a 1/4" three corner double cut file till I got it zeroed in at 100 yards but the mistake was it was always on a bright sunny day and I shot groups as tight as I shoot using the tang and I got my 200 yard with the ladder up and everything worked just fine.
On the morning of the hunt it was a heavy overcast day and the buff I had picked out had a very dark shaggy hide and I had a problem seeing my sight properly and the result was I placed the shot 10" higher than I wanted. It still caught the very top of both lungs and took out part of the spine but he got back up on his feet and mixed in the heard and when I had a second shot the heard was on a run but I took the shot and at first I thought I shot low and missed but he went about another 50 yds and went down. But again I had a problem seeing the sights. It ended out that the second shot did not miss it hit two fingers width at the same elevation.
When I got back home I took the rifle out on a misty morning shooting in my back yard at a dark target and I filed the rear sight open quite a bit till I had enough light on the rear notch that I could see the front blade clearly. I think during the hunt I had to much blade above the rear sight because the notch was too small.

That is one reason that I like the white bead front sight. For me it seems to show up better in the early and late hours, unless you are looking into the sun. The rear aperture sight is so big it is approaching a ghost ring. Unfortunately it is tough to come up with the best combination for every situation, and everyone is a little different. I'm with you on a wide notch in the rear. When I did a lot of IPSC shooting I wanted LOTS of room on either side of the blade, and a really deep notch seemed easier for me to see as well.
I was thinking about trying to do a buffalo hunt up in ND next year. Not looking for a trophy but a meat hunt. I just got my left knee replaced and the right one is due Dec 9th. I'm hoping that they will be in good enough shape by then to take the walking. I think it would be a nice challenge to do it with an original/replica of the day. I'm not getting any younger so I don't want to wait too long to do it.
Out of curiosity, what were the specifics of your load and did you get full penetration of the buff. I would like to use my 40-65 with a 325gr boolit, but wonder if that might be a little on the light side. I have some heavier options but not with the meplat of that 325. I do have a 45-70 to fall back on if necessary, but I really like the 40-65. Thanks.


Bob

[Lead pot]

Bob,

I had no problem with the front sight blade, it was the rear sight I lost in the dark.
I used the .44-77 the center cartridge, with a 480 gr bullet of the original profile with 75 gr of the olde E powder.
Here is a report of the hunt. http://historicshooting.com/mybb/thread-631-page-2.html

http://i704.photobucket.com/albums/ww43/Kurtalt/th_IMG_1030.jpg (http://s704.photobucket.com/user/Kurtalt/media/IMG_1030.jpg.html)

[Boz330]

Thanks for the link, I really enjoyed the story. Sounds like way too much fun.
I got a couple pounds of the OE for my 45-70 and have been really impressed with it so far. I need to get a case on order since my 2 trial cans are almost empty.

Bob