New Shiloh Sharps question

[Harleysboss]

I've recently received my new Shiloh Business Rifle, 45-70. The rifle is set up with the blade front sight and full buckhorn rear sight. I shot it for the first time on Friday. The shooting session was mostly for function test and getting familiar with the rifle. The rifle functioned flawlessly..of course. I found that the bullet impacts were in a nice circle group...approximately 10 inches high. I shot off the bench, resting the mid barrel over my heavy bag. I had the front sight lined up with the small notch in the bottom of the buckhorn. The load was starline brass, 61 grains by weight of Swiss FFG, 1 .060 card wad compressed just enough to seat my 505 grain Accurate Mold bullet. My question is...are the barrel sights set up for 200 yard shooting right off the bat? 10 inches seems pretty high at 100 yards. New Sharps owner here so I'm just starting to learn.

[Don McDowell]

With the sight down it should be close to point of aim at 100. Might be the velocity of your load causing the high impact, jump it up to 65 grains or so and see if the impact comes down.

[Lead pot]

The I have 6 Shiloh's and all when I took the first shot with barrel sights the 100 yard hits where always low. They leave the front blade high so they can be filed down for what ever range you want. I usually use a 130 yard rear sight down for my barrel sight zero, my preference for hunting and standing the ladder up that will give me a 210 yard zero using the notch under the slide with my .44-77. I always know where to hold the rifle between close and at 250 yards then I have the other zero's without moving the slide up or down. You have to spent time at the range to learn the barrel sight settings and being able to remember where to set it.
To be shooting 10" high @100 yards you might be holding the blade a little high over the rear buckhorn and this is pretty easy to do with that fine notch it has unchanged from the factory. I take a knife file and open my rear nosh twice the thickness the front blade is so I can see light on both sides of the blade, this makes for a better sight picture. For my use anyway it is. I like using the barrel sights but I prefer the Lawrence of semi buckhorns, but again the buckhorns will give you 4 different elevations ready to use when you need a quick shot..
But if your shooting 10" high at 100 with the blade level with the top of the rear notch you will be about 3-4" low at 200 using the barrel sights.

[Harleysboss]

Thanks for the replies. I was figuring that the powder charge was a little on the light side. The rear sight notch definitely needs to be opened up. My glasses may have played apart as well. I just didn't figure 10" high was normal.

[Drydock]

Also, the standard .45-70 factory loading is usually a 405 grainer, and that would hit lower as well. The .45-70 is one of the few calibers were a factory calibration could even be made, and as such it most likely would be with that bullet. Congratulations on a great rifle, and a good start in BPCR.