Frantic sight-in - it's always something!

[perklo]

:roll:

I've been tweaking both my Huntsman and new Stainless Sidekick for months but (I'll skip the newly busted scope/low priority all summer for the iron sights sob story) found myself on my club's range today with the wrong combo and no back up...

I put a new Nikon 4x Prostaff on a new factory scope rail and was all set to try and get the Huntsman back in the game for next Saturday's TN B.P. deer season opening. But I read an ad in my NRA mag that toted American Pioneer powder as the best thing for easy cleaning since soap.

The only A.P. locally available of the brand was the 50 grain "sticks" - a funny wedge shape. I wish I had brought some Pyrodex Select to the range, I could have saved a wad of time. First shot (per A.P.'s instructions) was not on paper, but I looked down the bore and it was coated with smears of unburned/part burned funk...

Second Shot was worse; it sounded like a squib and I saw it flop low under my fifty yards target frame.

So I ran home and got my Pyrodex and Sidekick. It has a nice fiber optic front and a Williams peep sight mounted in the scope mount holes. I had shot it once with them but only tried it at 50 yards.

First shot with the Sidekick at 50 yards to verify zero punched a hole in the left of a 1.5" target dot. I wiped the barrel and let it cool until others wanted to check targets.

5 shots later, I'm pretty sure I'd rather take shots of 75 yd and less from offhand, but deer out to 100 should pay attention if I have a rest.

It wasn't pretty, but 20 years ago I'd have payed a lot for a shotgun that could shoot slugs that well...  Now for a week of work before the opener!

- perklo

[perklo]

The stainless Sidekick is the prettiest H&R/NEF Muzzleloader to date - IMHO!

- perklo

[Busta]

That is a beauty! My '03 Huntsman looks just like it with the black ramrod, Fire-Sight and WGRS w/twilight aperature upgrades. Mine has the .25 ACP breech plug conversion, stainless trigger and hammer too.

Is your Sidekick the 26" barreled model? Looks real nice with that longer forearm. The balance of my 24" Huntsman is very good off hand, but would be nice to have a longer forearm to get the sling swivel a little further forward for a less top heavy feel when slung over your shoulder.

Nice to see you back posting perklo.

[perklo]

Thanks, Busta!

It is the 26" Sidekick with longer forearm. I also have the Twilight aperture, but I haven't gone to the .25 primer yet. Mine did come with the new, smaller diameter factory plug though - which seems to foul a lot less than my older Huntsman's plug.

Best load so far is 110 gr. of loose Pyrodex Select and a 348 gr. Powerbelt H.P.

Without a scope to fatten the package, the handling properties of this rig are elegant!

- perklo

[RUGBYWAZ]

If you don't mind the inquiry, what benefit does a rear peep provide?
I am unfamiliar with the benefits of using such a sight.
Could eitehr you or BUSTA provide some insight.


Thanks


Rugby

[perklo]

Rugby,

A peep sight works off the eye's natural tendency to center an object (in this case the front sight) in a circular view.

They make all sizes of openings for the screw in "disk" apertures. The bigger the hole, the wider field of view you get - and low-light usage - but that comes with reduced accuracy. Smaller aperture holes increase accuracy, but you lose field of view and low-light use.

The ones that Busta and I have are medium-sized holes with a dull brass ring inlaid around the hole. This ring brightens the dusk and dawn sight picture a bit and the medium size hole is a good compromise between too-small and too-big ones.

Williams calls it a "Twilight" aperture, and there is a choice of (I think) three hole sizes.

The peep sight is tried and true for both target and hunting work.

I hope this helps...

- perklo

[Busta]

The only thing I would add is it gives you a longer sighting radius which is inherently more accurate.