:?: Ruger SuperBlackhawk

[Woodrow]

I have a Ruger SuperBlackhawk that always shoots high.  Right now with light ammo it will shoot 7 inches high and 1.5 inches to the left (with the sights adjusted all the way)at 50 yards.  With heavy ammo it shoots much higher.  Is there an easy "fix" that I am missing or do I need a professional gunsmith?  Thanks for the help.
Woodrow

[gunnut69]

I assume you've adjusted the rear sight down as far as it will go and are using a good sight picture and the impact is still high..  The fix is to replace the front sight with a higher one.  The cause is probably in your grip.  A handguns muzzle flip will cause loads with more recoil to print their shots higher on the target and the reason that the heavy bullet loads group higher still.  Not because they recoil harder but because their lower velocity causes them to stay in the barrel longer thus exiting higher in the pistols recoil arc.  You may be able to use a lighter load to bring those groups down, of course this is not the purpose you have the 44 magnum for.  As the strngth in forearms and hands increases, the groups will most likely move down a bit.  This is one of the reasons it's almost impossible to sight in a pistol for someone else, most especially something that has a pronounced recoil...  This should be an easy fix for a competant smith...  Good luck from the gunnut69

[Woodrow]

Thank you for the info Gunnut69.  Would filing down the rear site blade do the same thing as putting on a taller front site?  Is this advisable?  It looks as though there is enough material to do so.  Also,  I thought that I had read of a formula to fiqure how much change in site heigth is needed, does anyone know what the formula is?

[gunnut69]

The formula is as follows-Measure inches high on the target with your stock front sight. Multiply that number by the distance in inches between your front and back sight. Now divide that number by the number of inches to the target and you will get the number of thousanths higher your front sight needs to be.

Example- 9" high at 48 yards with 26" between sights. 9x26=234 divided by (48yds.x36inches per yard=)1728=.135" higher needed on my front sight. Brownells shows the sight heights in their catalog, but the height is the ENTRIE height including the dovetail. So when measuring your sight measure the entire front sight and add the indicated amount to determine which sight to buy.  good luck from the gunnut69

[Steve P]

:eek: filing down a sight is making it shorter.  If shooting high, you need it taller.  Call Ruger and have them send you a sight blade for the 45 Colt blackhawk.  They are a little taller than the .44.  Drive out the roll pin in the front sight and pull out the blade and insert the new one.  About a 2 minute job with brass hammer and pin punch.

Steve  :wink:

[gunnut69]

Steve P- I believe if you re-read the posts above you'll see he said file down the rear sight blade which would indeed lower the impact.  Use the formula I gave to determine if there is enough material on the rear sight blade to correct the problem.  I would rather replace a cheaper part-the front sight blade- than a rear.  Brownells should have a front for the Ruger which will solve your problem...  good luck from the gunnut69

[Flint]

agree with gunnut69, the rear sight is not the place to cut.  Particularly if the sight is already bottomed out.  You want all the notch depth you can get to get a good sight picture.  A lighter bullet will 1. shoot flatter, and 2. not rotate the barrel as far before it gets past the muzzle.  Install a higher front sight. Before cutting anything, like a now too high front sight replacement,  I would move the rear sight up some clicks so you have some adjustment left once zeroed with your current load, to allow for adjusting to different ranges, bullet weights and loads.  Then measure your bullet impact point on paper and calculate the error.  Shooting to the The left  might be your grip. The gun will recoil toward your thumb if you are using a stronghand only hold, should center better with a two hand hold, and shoot to the right with a left hand only grip. Make sure the barrel is screwed in to a sights straight up position.  Grip tight enough the gun can't move from the trigger-pull, as the gun may weigh less than the triggerpull, it can move in your hand if you jerk the trigger, and/or grip too loosely.

[Flint]

Just did the math, with a SBH 9-1/2 sight radius, 50 yards is 1800 inches, the error is .0053 per inch of error, 7, = .037.  Call it .04 and install a front sight that much taller.  First put the rear sight up some off the bottom and reshoot for group height, it may need more.

[Steve P]

:-D Just do it the easy way.  Contact Ruger, ask for the front sight blade for a 45 colt, and install it when it comes in.  Been there, done that.  I have one on my 44.  Don't file off nothing, don't screw up the gun.  Put on a Ruger front signt blade.  If you call, they will likely send you one for free.

Steve :wink: