I purchased a used 1895 Cowboy a bit over a year ago and was playing with different loads trying to get 405 gr. hard cast lead bullets to shoot out of it. It shot 300 gr jacketed bullets well but the 405s hit way low that. So much so that I couldn't raise the rear sight high enough.
Then a fellow member mentioned a load he used using IMR3031 so I thought I'd give it a try. But before going out I started rummaging through my box of gun parts and found a fiber optic front sight that was 0.100" shorter so I tapped the original out and put that one in its place.
After some firing and adjusting at the range I got it zeroed in at 50 yards. But I'll tell you, shooting that combination of a 405 gr slug with a stout load, a steel butt plate, and a T shirt does not make for a pleasant feeling when shooting off the bench.
But after zeroing and shooting the rifle offhand, it was a blast. It was fun picking off clumps of dirt and fist sized rocks and watching them disappear.