Sharps Rifle sighting in - The Firearms Forum

lthome5 · 05-12-2008, 07:04 PM

I am new to black powder cartridge rifle shooting. I have a C. Sharps .45-70 1874 rifle that I plan to take on a bison hunt. I need help with sighting in. I have a mid range Soule sight. My barrel length is 30 in and my sight radius is 34.5 inches. If I sight it in at 100 yards, and I want to hit the bulls eye at 300 yards, how do I adjust the sight? Also, if I am, let's say 2 inches low at 300 yards, how do I make an adjustment on the sight to bring it up the desiried 2 inches? Please help. I am new to black powder cartridge shooting. Thanks

delta13soultaker · 05-12-2008, 07:29 PM

Your Soule sight should have an ELEVATION knob on the side. Moving your rear sight up will cause the impact of the bullet to rise.

I don't know the brand of your sight so not certain of the MOA on the elevation. (I think 2.5 MOA clicks is standard for windage though.)

To know how far to turn your elevation knob you need to find the trajectory for your ammo, and the MOA of the elevation knob. (The MOA may be in the manual.....or call the manufacturer....the other option is to shoot until you can see the MOA yourself by measuring the distance between groups at same distance when you adjust the sight.)

Here is an example of the difference.

weight velocity 100yds 200yds
45-70 (300 HP at 1800) +2.7" -9.2"
45-70 (405 FP at 1330) +1.3" -22.9"

Once you know the MOA you just need to do the math.

1MOA = 1" @ 100yds. So a click from a 1MOA sight will move the bullet impact 1" at 100 yards. A 2 MOA would move 2" for a click at 100 yards.

MOA doubles every 100yds.

So at 200 yds the click would move you 2".

So if my sight is 1MOA and I want to move my impact up 10" at 100 yards I will turn the knob 10 clicks up. For 10 inches at 200 yards I only need 5 clicks.

Hope this helps.

P.S. 2" at 300yds is nothing to worry about if hunting bison.

mrkirker · 05-13-2008, 01:33 PM

R/S/F/O
Rear Same; Front Opposite.
When sighting in remember:
R/S/F/O

59sharps · 06-01-2008, 11:32 AM

0k here you go x = (C x S ) / R
X IS THE REQUIRED ADJUSTMENT
C IS POINT OF IMPACT CORRECTION DESIRED ON TARGET
S IS SIGHT RADIUS (FROM THE EDGE OF REAR SIGHT TO THE EDGE OF FRONT SIGHT MEASURED FROM THE SIDE OF THE SHOOTER SEES WHILE SHOOTING.)
R IS RANGE TO TARGET.
ALL DIM MUST BE EXPRESSED IN INCHES. (IE 100YRDS = 100YRDS X 3' X 12" =3600"
USING WHAT YOU GAVE ME EXAMPLE (2X34.5) / (300YRDS X 3' X 12") = .00638" OR (69" / 10800")
OF COURES USING THIS FORMULA YOU NEED TO ALREADY KNOW WERE YOU ARE HITTING AT GIVE DISTANCES.

musketshooter · 06-01-2008, 09:41 PM

You will have a heck of a time shooting a buffalo with a peep sight. That is a target sight, not a hunting sight. I know, I have tired it. When you say bufflao hunt, you must realize that you will probably be within 100 yards of your target. Even "wild" buffalo are more like cows than wild animals.

05-12-2008, 07:04 PM	#1
lthome5 Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 4	Sharps Rifle sighting in I am new to black powder cartridge rifle shooting. I have a C. Sharps .45-70 1874 rifle that I plan to take on a bison hunt. I need help with sighting in. I have a mid range Soule sight. My barrel length is 30 in and my sight radius is 34.5 inches. If I sight it in at 100 yards, and I want to hit the bulls eye at 300 yards, how do I adjust the sight? Also, if I am, let's say 2 inches low at 300 yards, how do I make an adjustment on the sight to bring it up the desiried 2 inches? Please help. I am new to black powder cartridge shooting. Thanks -->

05-12-2008, 07:29 PM	#2
delta13soultaker Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Depends on Uncle Sam's whim every 3 yrs. Posts: 2,948	Re: Sharps Rifle sighting in Your Soule sight should have an ELEVATION knob on the side. Moving your rear sight up will cause the impact of the bullet to rise. I don't know the brand of your sight so not certain of the MOA on the elevation. (I think 2.5 MOA clicks is standard for windage though.) To know how far to turn your elevation knob you need to find the trajectory for your ammo, and the MOA of the elevation knob. (The MOA may be in the manual.....or call the manufacturer....the other option is to shoot until you can see the MOA yourself by measuring the distance between groups at same distance when you adjust the sight.) Here is an example of the difference. weight velocity 100yds 200yds 45-70 (300 HP at 1800) +2.7" -9.2" 45-70 (405 FP at 1330) +1.3" -22.9" Once you know the MOA you just need to do the math. 1MOA = 1" @ 100yds. So a click from a 1MOA sight will move the bullet impact 1" at 100 yards. A 2 MOA would move 2" for a click at 100 yards. MOA doubles every 100yds. So at 200 yds the click would move you 2". So if my sight is 1MOA and I want to move my impact up 10" at 100 yards I will turn the knob 10 clicks up. For 10 inches at 200 yards I only need 5 clicks. Hope this helps. P.S. 2" at 300yds is nothing to worry about if hunting bison. __________________ Never say die! "A nation who forgets its defenders is soon forgotten itself." "A good shot must necessarily be a good man since the essence of good marksmanship is self-control and self-control is the essential quality of a good man." – Theodore Roosevelt Last edited by delta13soultaker; 05-12-2008 at 07:31 PM..

05-13-2008, 01:33 PM	#3
mrkirker Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 3,067	Re: Sharps Rifle sighting in R/S/F/O Rear Same; Front Opposite. When sighting in remember: R/S/F/O

06-01-2008, 11:32 AM	#4
59sharps Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 1	Re: Sharps Rifle sighting in 0k here you go x = (C x S ) / R X IS THE REQUIRED ADJUSTMENT C IS POINT OF IMPACT CORRECTION DESIRED ON TARGET S IS SIGHT RADIUS (FROM THE EDGE OF REAR SIGHT TO THE EDGE OF FRONT SIGHT MEASURED FROM THE SIDE OF THE SHOOTER SEES WHILE SHOOTING.) R IS RANGE TO TARGET. ALL DIM MUST BE EXPRESSED IN INCHES. (IE 100YRDS = 100YRDS X 3' X 12" =3600" USING WHAT YOU GAVE ME EXAMPLE (2X34.5) / (300YRDS X 3' X 12") = .00638" OR (69" / 10800") OF COURES USING THIS FORMULA YOU NEED TO ALREADY KNOW WERE YOU ARE HITTING AT GIVE DISTANCES.

06-01-2008, 09:41 PM	#5
musketshooter Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Montana Posts: 34	Re: Sharps Rifle sighting in You will have a heck of a time shooting a buffalo with a peep sight. That is a target sight, not a hunting sight. I know, I have tired it. When you say bufflao hunt, you must realize that you will probably be within 100 yards of your target. Even "wild" buffalo are more like cows than wild animals.