I was going to shoot a flintlock today. My T/C Hawkins with a 21 inch GMB .50 caliber 1-28 twist on it. I like to shoot conical bullets with this but decided today to shoot .430 diameter 300 grain Hornady XTPs with Green Harvester Crushed Rib sabots. I was using Goex 3f powder as the main charge and 4f as the prime.

I had everything out on the range...



I walked out to set up the target at the normal 30 yards and discovered IT HAD MELTED FREE of the snow. I could move it. So I picked it up and ran it back to 66 yards according to the range finder. (the snow was still deep back in the woods)



I was all excited and shot five rounds. When I checked the target, they were all low and kind of spread out.

I was not too happy with that so I started trying to change my POA to effect the POI. Well the results were not all that great. Granted I snuck one into the bull, and looked like it was a nice group on the side, but that was not a three shot group. That was a five shot group.

I was confused, is the rifle shooting that low? So I pulled it back in to 30 yards and swabbed the barrel clean.




Shot #1 was still a little low. I then shot two more to check it and they were a nice group, but low. So I adjusted my sights and cleaned the rifle again. This time #4 was a little high and the next three was a good group. Actually I need to bring the sight up a little more.

I then threw a new target up and swabbed the barrel clean. I ran the target back to 68 yards this time and shot five shots. Well it was nothing to brag about. a three and a half inch group. All of them in that fat red square, but to be honest, I was glad the camera battery died. I guess it will be a lot more longer range shooting for me. But in all honesty, I just don't shoot good at long distances with open sights.

That sight will be hard to see at 60 yards...I like to use a blackor red circle, 3 inches in diameter and use a 6 o'clock hold...I sight in 1 1/2- 2 inches high at 50 yards with my .54...By putting the circle on top of the front sight, the balls should hit in the circle...

cayugad

I am really glad to see that you can shoot a target like that once in a while...

I am really having a problem getting rounds balls to be consistent at 100 yards with a peep site... and the worst part I am not sure that if I had a scope on that I would a whole lot of difference...

Your last target looks like you got the kinks worked out...

I'm the same way with open sights. Wearing glasses is just hard. The front sight is always blurry. Have to blink my eyes to have it come into focus, but that only last for a couple of seconds. So I just shoot with a scope. But I don't have any regs not allowing me to use a scope!

That's why the Sisters are Sinful . (It's a sin to scope a sidelock, but you can't hit what you can't see.)

I haven't worked up the courage to shoot the Virtuous Cousin yet because I don't want to embarrass myself. She's still a virgin.

The Sinful Sisters & their Virtuous Cousin

Even if that rifle had a simple 1x scope, I am sure it would do better. Something about them fiber optic sights... just don't work for me at long ranges.

No doubt. But it's more than a sin to scope a flintlock - it's a capital crime punishable by forced intercourse with Nancy.

I didn't realize it had the fiber sights, no wonder...I use a german silver blade sight on my flinters...I file the top edge of the back of the sight upwards so it catches any light...I'd replace that front sight...btw...I also opened up the rear sight with a point file...

Dave I have that same barrel on my flinter. I covered the front sight with a coating of white fingernail polish. It helps a lot removing that double vision blur us old timers get when using the fiber optic sights. The green dots on the rear don't bother me but that bright red front sight used to look like a figure 8. And the suggestion to use a black dot as your aiming point helps too.
That 21" barrel makes for a real handy rifle. Mine likes the 275 gr Maxihunters and 90 gr of FFFg.