Help with my muzzleloader
 

I got a TC Prohunter FX. I am using 245 grain powerbelt with 100 grains Triple 7 powder.

It shoots 4" high at 50 yards with good groups and over the target (at least 8") high at 100 yards.

The rear sight won't go any lower.

Do I need a heavier load or less powder?

So let me get this right, your 4 inches high at 50, assuming your target is 8.5x11 and you are approximately 8 inches OVER the target that means you are approximately 12 inches high at 100. Something there aint adding up in my math brain. Unless you are shooting up or down hill at a pretty good angle at one and vertical on the other that is pretty near impossible to accomplish given that you are sighting properly in your sites and you are seating your bullet the same with the same powder.

Not impossible with a T/C. The bore is probably not cut in the center of the barrel (many aren't), so it doesn't go the direction it should to start with.

Your load is not the problem. Something about your sights is.

First of all, with any open sight system, I use the "6 o'clock" hold. In other words, I put the top of the target on the bottom of the bullseye. That lowers your point of impact (POI) a little.

Secondly, you have two other choices to lower your POI: Lower the rear sight or raise the front.

So if the rear sight is as low as it will go, they you have to raise the front sight. In other words, order a taller one.

First thing I'd do, would be to make sinkers out of the powerbelts and shoot a higher quality bullet.

The simple answer if you are using iron sights is that your front sight is too tall. If it were me I would shave of the sight [front] a bit at a time until the trajectory matched the sights. This is what we do if we build one.
Also BA is right about losing the PB. That particular PB cost me a buck by blowing up and not penetrating, The only PB I would use if I could not get anything else are the 350 grain and heavier.

If I am reading this correctly, you gun is grouping to your satisfaction. Therefore, you are consistent and it is simply a matter of bring the group on target and therefore accurate. I will not get into a Powerbelt discussion here as that was not your question.

I think we need to get on the same page as a forum. TXHUNTER says raise the front sight, while LEMOYNE says shave it down. My thought process is that the bullets travel in a parabolic path crossing your line of sight twice. In this case, the bullt has already crossed the line of sight prior to 50 yards (4" high) and continues upward at 100 yards. It obviously has to decend and re-cross the sight plane at some distance, which is unknown at this time. The solution to me would be to bring the line of sight more inline with the bullets parabolic path. In a crude sketch, it would seem that raising the front sight would bring your line of sight more inline with the trajectory.

All of my rifles are scoped, so I could be off base. The iron sight experts here will offer great advice.

Move the rear sight whichever direction you want the bullet to go. Do the opposite with the front sight.

if you are shooting on somewhat flat land at both 50 and 100 yards and already checked for tightness of your front and rear sights.....
......You need to contact T/C, if and when it's determined that you are seating the bullet firmly and the exact same way every time you load the powder and bullet.

You need to contact T/C, if and when it's determined that a 2nd choice sabot/bullet of roughly 240 grains is doing approx the same thing. T/C will want this additional proof that the ML could be at fault and not the powder choice or bullet choice.

Also, try the 50 and 100 yard testing using 90 grains. See how much the compensation on target paper is in inches. Then document that and use both 100 grain and 90 grain evaluations in discussion with the T/C rep over the phone.

It may just be a matter of getting a higher front sight.

Give this a try. http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/blac...-how-high.html

Assuming your groups are good, this seems like the best advice. It may mean you need a new front or rear site (I had to with my Omega, got it free from TC) but that's better IMO, than messing with the amount of powder.

My rear sight doesn't go lower.

I can't use Sabots in CO

Call T/C and tell them you suspect your sights are not the correct ones. They have dealt with similar calls many times in the past. They will either send you a different set, or ask that you ship the ML to them.

I would suggest trying a heavier projectile. ANY 245gr 50cal bullet is a poor choice for anything larger than a coyote.

Federal has a new 350gr lead bullet.
https://www.muzzle-loaders.com/feder...350-grain.html

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/353...ain-pack-of-15

I dont like Powerbelts but you might try a heavier one like
338gr Platinum Aerotip http://www.midwayusa.com/product/242...ProductFinding

348gr Aerotip http://www.midwayusa.com/product/242...ProductFinding

I would also suggest trying a lead conical. You might get lucky and have a T/C that will shoot a typical lead conical. These may seem heavy but you don't need a 100 gr load. 70-90gr is usually plenty for big lead.
http://www.muzzleloading-bullets.com...es/Page319.htm

Another option are Thor copper conicals but they will require a sizing pack to know which size fits your barrel.
https://www.thorbullets.com/

Guys, let me get this correct in my head here. He is ONLY using 100gr T7. He is 4 inches high at 50 and 12 inches or more at 100. And you guys think that he has a sight problem? For him to be STILL on an upward rise at 100 yards with that load tells me his point of aim (angle) is pretty darn high. If he has any shooting experience at all he could barrel sight and see that. Something just isn't right with this story. Think about the trajectory of that load for a second. For it to be an actual sight problem those sites would have to be so far off it's ridiculous. It's been a while since I was able to see well enough for opens but my memory aint THAT bad. Something doesn't smell right. He either isn't shooting on a vertical plane or his load is way heavier than stated. For that bullet to be on the rise from his stated powder load is pretty evident that his firing trajectory is pretty steep.

Superhunt
We are here to help fix the 50 yard, before moving over to the 100 yard.
If the thread-starter is 4" high at 50 and out of sight adjustment room, then that's why I suggested he call T/C for another set of front and rear sights.

Something is wrong with his sights at 50 yards, for no more adjustment room exists. His concern at 100 yards should be dealt with later. But odds are, if he gets the 50 yard issue fixed, the 100 yard issue won't be so outlandish.

What you are saying makes sense to me except I don't think we know exactly where the 100 yard bullets are going. All we know is that they aren't hitting the target.
Normally if he is 4 inches high at 50 we would expect the point of impact to be close to 5 or 6 inches high at 100 or something close to that.
I don't know what is happening but do you think there is a possibility that he is getting enough muzzle jump to put the bullet above the target? I'm just guessing here.

I've had it happen to me with a scoped rifle during initial sight in. 30 yds going to 100 yds. POI rose several inches at 100. Researched the net as to why and came across the line of sight intersecting the bullets path at two different places

Please excuse the crudity of this model, I didn't have time to paint it or build it to scale......also my bullet arc is going up, bullet leaves barrel starts to arc down, I think:confused0024::confused0024:
Can happen with a scope, why not iron sights, I would raise that rear sight up a lot and see what happens

Exactly, my point was he is STARTING on an entirely too steep initial trajectory. For his sights to be THAT far off his front sight would have to be REALLY high. Of course all this conjecture is based off his assumption that he is hitting approximately 12 inches high at 100 and only 4 inches high at 50. That is a LOT of rise for that load.

I am baffled by it also.

Unless it really is too light of a load so it's still traveling upwards.

I have less than a 1" group at 50 yards. The recoil is very manageable. I was shooting off a concrete bench. I am not a new shooter with rifles ( but haven't shot muzzleloader for 15 years). I shoot sub MOA with my .270 and .223. I highly doubt it is my shooting.

I am open to trying the federal bullets as long as they are CO legal.

From my math 1/10 inch off on sights at 100 yards is over 12" high.

So I am wondering if the front sight is wrong.... I got it from the bargain bin at Cabelas- so someone else had returned it.

Life, it's been quite a few years since I have been able to shoot open sites. Even peeps are no longer an option. My long distance vision is still excellent but anything closer than 2 feet is a blur to my poor old eyes. I did a little searching for you and found that you aren't the only one with a site problem with the FX. It seems that Williams setup (front fiber) that comes stock with it is just too big. I ran across this little article that, if you have some basic skills, you can do for your FX and have a MUCH better site system and I BELIEVE is Colorado legal. http://www.gohunt.com/read/skills/in...t-muzzleloader Take a gander at that and see what you think. If you don't think you can do that installation yourself (it isn't hard at all but some people just shy away from stuff like that) then give me a yell about your location and I'll see if there is anyone I know (smiths) that's close to you that will do it for you.