More Shooting With The Zouave

Semisane · 03-31-2010, 11:00 AM

I haven't shot the Zouave since last October, so Friday evening was devoted to pushing balls out of its .58 caliber bore with a moderate load of GOEX.

You may recall that this gun carries my home made "hardware store" forward mounted peep sight. It's an unconventional location for a peep sight, but it works pretty well for me.

(For the new guys.) The basic part of the sight is a modified 1/2" fine thread nut mounted on a 4mm stud that fits the original rear sight screw hole. I made three apertures for it out of fine thread bolts with 1/8", 3/16" and 1/4" holes.

So I decided to shoot one target with each of the apertures and one with no aperture - just the 1/2" base. The load was 90 grains of GOEX FFg with the targets at 50 yards.

Here's the results with the 1/8" aperture in place.

Here's the target with the 3/16" aperture in place.

And the 1/4" aperture.

And a final target shot with the half-inch sight base and no aperture.

This is what the sight looks like with no aperture.

All in all, the two smaller apertures work well - even with the sight that far forward. I'm thinking about making a smaller version for the Virtuous Cousin Renegade using a 3/8" nut rather than the bulky 1/2" one used on the Zouave.

cayugad · 03-31-2010, 11:07 AM

That is some excellent shooting. A .58 caliber roundball and that much powder would stop anything you want to hunt. And with that kind of accuracy out of the smaller peep.. you'd have little worries.

Have you ever shot that peep in low light, say dusk or dawn where the shadows play with your mind? That was the only time I hated my peep sight.

Semisane · 03-31-2010, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Have you ever shot that peep in low light, say dusk or dawn where the shadows play with your mind? That was the only time I hated my peep sight.

I haven't actually shot it in low light Cayugad, but I have taken "pretend" sight pictures at dusk at the hunting camp by looking at a stump in the woods about 50 yards away. I couldn't get an acceptable sight picture with the 1/8" hole, but could do so with the 3/16" one if I were careful, and could do so very easily with the quarter-inch hole. Basically, with the quarter inch one, if I could see it with my naked eye I could see it through the aperture.

If I were sitting in a tree just before daybreak I would have the 1/4" hole in place, then change it out to the smallest one when the light improved.

cayugad · 04-01-2010, 06:23 AM

How did you attach that rear peep? Did you weld it to a platform or something and then put that in place of the rear sight? Or was that on a wedge? I know its a home made sight, but it is a very well done home made sight. I have a chance to get a rifle like yours there, but know I'd have to change out the sights. He said it shoots about a foot high. Although he has not confirmed to the sale. BUT if he did, I would be interested to know how you did that fix.

Semisane · 04-01-2010, 07:19 AM

This was the original military sight.

It's held on with a 4mm/70pitch screw - one of those weird ones with a wide flat head that requires a two-prong spanner to remove. I had to (very carefully) drill mine out.

I used a 4mm/70pitch screw from the hardware store to make a stud.

That fit in the old screw hole.

I bought a 1/2" x 20 threads per inch nut and a couple of bolts.

And modified the nut by drilling and tapping a 4mm/70pitch hole in one flat, and rounding it off, and thinning it.

Then modified the bolts to make the apertures.

Then screwed the nut onto the stud using an o-ring and nylon washer as spacers.

Then I blued the nut and apertures. Here it is before bluing. I've always intended to go back and make the apertures a little thinner, but never got around to it.

cayugad · 04-01-2010, 08:20 AM

I see no reason to make them thinner. I have a friend that could do that for me, I am sure... thanks.

MountainDevil54 · 04-01-2010, 08:35 AM

ahhhh i love that stock! you did a hell of a job on it semi. Just love how the highlights stand out throughout the wood.

rafsob · 04-02-2010, 04:07 AM

That is some nice shooting Semi. I also have a Zouave and love shooting it. I shoot a conical, Hodgden bullet. I never thought to shoot a PRB, but will give it a try. I was/am thinking of getting into N-SSA, so that is why I never thought to shoot them balls.

My Zouave is a Zoli, what is yours? Love that stock, it is beautifull!

Semisane · 04-02-2010, 08:21 AM

Quote:

My Zouave is a Zoli, what is yours? Love that stock, it is beautifull!

Mine is a Zoli also - imported by Navy Arms. Here's my thread on the stock refinishing job with "before" and "after" pictures. http://huntingnet.com/forum/black-po...-makeover.html

MO Archer · 04-02-2010, 04:38 PM

Did you machine the apertures or drill the sight hole in it and then use a bigger drill bit to dimple it in? Very interesting idea and nice work.