Accuracy tested the new 45/70

[peternap]

I loaded a range of cast 405 grain bullets and went out to the range with the new 45/70.

I started at 25 yards and it was just awful. 6" groups.
I went over everything I could think of including the forearm crew. Loosened it and same thing.

I got a little desperate at that point and put a scope on it. Bore sighted the scope and took a shot. Low and to the left but on the paper so I left it there.

I then shot a string of one ragged hole groups. Ran out of ammunition so 25 yards was it for this evening....I have to admit, my open sight days are over. I'm getting old to start, but developed diabetes last year and it plays the devil with my vision.

In short, the gun shoots better than I do

[quickdtoo]

Been there, done that, peeps or scopes for me too for the last 10yrs or so. 

Tim

[LaOtto222]

I have scopes on just about every thing I shoot and the ones I don't set in the safe. Even a 2.5X scope is a marked improvement for me.

[Cottonwood]

It has to have glass for me, even in my hunting bow, I have a verifier lense in my peep sight so the fiber pins are clear.

[peternap]

Looks like I'm not the only one that doesn't sleep

[mannyrock]

    If you still want to use an iron sight set up, then try a ghost peep, with a small Firesight front sight rod(blaze orange).  Even with my poor eyesight, I can still get 4 inch groups at 100 yards with this.

   Also, believe it or not, it is much easier for me to get tight groups with iron sights at 50 yards, than 25 yards.  I don't know why.  Maybe its because that bulls eye is just too big at 25 yards, or maybe the target is so close that I automatically keep trying to focus my eyes on it (instead of the front blade).    So, perhaps you should try a 1 inch, or 1.5 inch bulls eye at 50 yards, on plain white paper, and you may be surprised how much your groups shrink.

Best,

Mannyrock

[peternap]

    If you still want to use an iron sight set up, then try a ghost peep, with a small Firesight front sight rod(blaze orange).  Even with my poor eyesight, I can still get 4 inch groups at 100 yards with this.

   Also, believe it or not, it is much easier for me to get tight groups with iron sights at 50 yards, than 25 yards.  I don't know why.  Maybe its because that bulls eye is just too big at 25 yards, or maybe the target is so close that I automatically keep trying to focus my eyes on it (instead of the front blade).    So, perhaps you should try a 1 inch, or 1.5 inch bulls eye at 50 yards, on plain white paper, and you may be surprised how much your groups shrink.

Best,

Mannyrock

Actually, I use peeps on my Guide Guns and muzzleloaders. I guess that's why I was so surprised that I couldn't shoot with the open sights, The starang part is that I don't seem to have the problem with handgun. I guess the sight is just farther away from me.

I build Traditional Muzzleloaders and do a lot of research. I asked Wallace Gussler once, why there were so many filled dovetails on a rifle. I think there were 3 filled before the one the sight was in.
Wallace just grinned and said it was a report card on the fellows eyesight. When he couldn't see the sights anymore, he'd just have the smith move it out some more.

I haven't decided whether I want to make a sight or buy one for this barrel. There are still things to do to it, and I need to do ome time managment. I shot some .410's through it this morning and it was shooting doughnut patterns (I figured it would) so I'm going to thread it to take the same choke my BFR uses. I only have to keep track of one wrench that way.

That and the peep sight will make a much more versatile package than the 45lc/410 but Deer season starts next Saturday, and I will be short on spare time.

[quickdtoo]

I build Traditional Muzzleloaders and do a lot of research. I asked Wallace Gussler once, why there were so many filled dovetails on a rifle. I think there were 3 filled before the one the sight was in.
Wallace just grinned and said it was a report card on the fellows eyesight. When he couldn't see the sights anymore, he'd just have the smith move it out some more.

That sounds real familar, I had a 34" barreled Lancaster repro flinter for many years, I moved the rear sight forward and installed dovetail blanks twice before I finally could no longer use the open sight and just added a peep sight, my sight radius really took a hit with the open sights as my eyes changed. 

I make my own targets for shooting peep sights, cut black construction paper then photo copy it, the white center makes it easy to see the front sight position, the target below was shot from 100yds with a WGRS and Firesight combo on my 44mag Handi.

Tim

[peternap]

That's a nice group. That target does really stand out.

[quickdtoo]

Thanks, hope the target idea helps with the older eyes. 

Tim

[Doublebass73]

You guys are all making me appreciate the fact that I can still shoot irons. I shoot slightly better with a scope but hardly enough to make we want to carry the extra weight.

I'm only 36, at what age did everyone's eyes start to go downhill?

[fish280]

computers did it to me - a long, long career tied to 'em. i can still see rifle open sights pretty well in good light. deep woods, i'm afraid i'll have to put a low-powered scope on my handi .45-70. i'm 58, by the way. i've had to use close-ups to read for 26 years.

[quickdtoo]

I've been wearing glasses for the last 53yrs, I'm near sighted, started wearing progressive lenses about 18yrs ago at 45yrs of age, 1998 was the last year I used open iron sights and even then the rear sight was blurry, as was mentioned before, I can shoot a pistol fine at arms length tho, it would take real long barrel to have a rear open sight mounted far enough away to see it clearly tho and still have a decent sight radius. 

Tim

[IronMan]

You guys are all making me appreciate the fact that I can still shoot irons. I shoot slightly better with a scope but hardly enough to make we want to carry the extra weight.

I'm only 36, at what age did everyone's eyes start to go downhill?

I had to put a scope on my Handi this year because I found I couldnt see the sights and the target at the same time.

That being said I am 56 and have been blind in my left eye since I was 10 and worn glasses since then also. Two years ago I had a detached retina that had to be repaired with surgery and last year was told I have a cataract forming on the same eye. Doc said to wait till it started to bother me to do the surgery. I guess I am gonna have to have the cataract removed soon. Until the episode with the detached retina I had no problem with either rifle or pistol and iron sights even with only one good eye.

[LaOtto222]

I am not sure when I "changed". I am near sighted with astigmatism. I have been since the fourth grade (1960) and should have had glasses before that. I got bi-focal glasses about 12 years ago or so. I am 58 now, just not sure where along the line things went South on me for Iron sights; like Tim, I still seem to do OK with handgun iron sights, but we are talking short distances - 25 yards or less in most cases and at arms length.