My .50 sidelock came out of retirement

[snapbang]

Oh man did that feel good. A few weeks ago I purchased a peep sight from Bad Karma. I purchased it for my sidelock ( The long one in the avatar) I think it is a Cabelas or an Investarms with a Green Mountain replacement barrel for round balls. I dont remember after 35 years where it came from. What I do remember is it is my favorite gun to shoot and is not fussy about what it shoots. You've heard me say Ive killed 2 deer a year on the average for 30 years with this gun. Well my eyes are getting tired so 5 years ago I put it away and moved on to Inlines. Then Thanks to you guys here I picked up on the idea of a peep sight.

Well I got the sight on and went out to shoot. I brought .490 balls and 495 balls. I only brought Pyrodex with me because I do remember thats what I was shooting when I retired it. 2 kinds of patches and CCI #11 caps. Shots taken at 70 yards.

First 3 shots bottom left. I was trying to hold the orange target sitting on the top of the front bead.
80 gr (v) Pyrodex RS FF
.495 hornady ball
CVA Pre Lubed Patches
CCI #11 cap

Second 3 shots top right. I was trying to cover a small part of the orange target.
100 gr (v) Pyrodex RS FF
.495 hornady ball
CVA Pre Lubed Patches
CCI #11 cap

I really dont feel the need to improve this group at least from the standpoint of the guns ability. Im the one who needs to practice and get used to being behind this gun again.

Did I say this feels so good.

 

[deermanok]

Sweet, nothing wrong with that.
Gotta love a peep sight. You'll probably need to get a bigger freezer!

 

[Matthew323]

Congratulations on your new peep sight, and getting your sidelock back into action. Those are good groups for your first time out in 5 years.

 

[Idaholewis]

AWESOME Stuff @snapbang

These Old Sidelock Muzzleloaders are EXTREMELY Capable & then some, Sadly Many of these Old Rifles have been put away in favor of Modern inline Rifles over the years (I have nothing in the world against inlines) MANY of the folks i have spoken with thought the inline was gonna be more accurate? And this is why they Switched. Fact is, They didn’t know how to get the most out of their Old Sidelock Rifle?

As i continually show, These Old Sidelock Muzzleloaders will shoot EVERY bit as well as ANY inline ML out there. As a Bonus, they are a “CLASSY” Look & Feel doing it

 

[ihookem]

I have 2 in lines, 2 TC Renegdes and one TC Hawken. One of the Renegades I have not shot yet, but the TC Hawken is my favorite . I may very well buy another Hawken or Renegade just to have it. The last Renegade was $305 after tax. The 54 cal. was brand new and was 300 buck. I dont even shoot the inlines anymore.

 

[Bad Karma]

Oh man did that feel good. A few weeks ago I purchased a peep sight from Bad Karma. I purchased it for my sidelock ( The long one in the avatar) I think it is a Cabelas or an Investarms with a Green Mountain replacement barrel for round balls. I dont remember after 35 years where it came from. What I do remember is it is my favorite gun to shoot and is not fussy about what it shoots. You've heard me say Ive killed 2 deer a year on the average for 30 years with this gun. Well my eyes are getting tired so 5 years ago I put it away and moved on to Inlines. Then Thanks to you guys here I picked up on the idea of a peep sight.

Well I got the sight on and went out to shoot. I brought .490 balls and 495 balls. I only brought Pyrodex with me because I do remember thats what I was shooting when I retired it. 2 kinds of patches and CCI #11 caps. Shots taken at 70 yards.

First 3 shots bottom left. I was trying to hold the orange target sitting on the top of the front bead.
80 gr (v) Pyrodex RS FF
.495 hornady ball
CVA Pre Lubed Patches
CCI #11 cap

Second 3 shots top right. I was trying to cover a small part of the orange target.
100 gr (v) Pyrodex RS FF
.495 hornady ball
CVA Pre Lubed Patches
CCI #11 cap

I really dont feel the need to improve this group at least from the standpoint of the guns ability. Im the one who needs to practice and get used to being behind this gun again.

Did I say this feels so good.



View attachment 14500

Well that sight went to a good home! Well done!

 

[snapbang]

 

[Caniborrowsomeammo]

Snapbang,
Seems it likes the .495 ball.
I just picked up a box of 'em last week, just need some time to try them out. Hope I can do half as good with the stock sights.

 

[snapbang]

Thats a neat thing about this gun. I stuffed all kinds of powder, patches, and balls in it and it always shoots good. I never have or did I need to try different loads to get accuracy. It was always there. No matter what I was shooting. So all these years I thought that was the way these guns were. Little did I know.

 

[short_start]

Good shooting! That's about the distance I sight-in at. With all the brush, distances on my acreage are not long. I find many loads that look good at 50 yds, seem to go astray shortly after.

Peep sights are the salvation of us old sidelock shooters. Next step is scopes, and that just ain't right on a sidelock.

 

[snapbang]

Next step is scopes, and that just ain't right on a sidelock.

Ive said more than once on this forum that putting a scope on my sidelock would be like painting an expensive vehicle in the rain with a paint can. Just aint gonna happen.

 

[Scott-WV]

Nice shooting.
Peep sights have saved a lot of 'mature' shooters and helped bring some nice old rifles back out to the range.

 

[snapbang]

Yeah I cant wait to get it out again. Think Ill try to improve on my technique and shoot 100 yards. If that works out I think Ill keep adding 25 yards until I need a conical barrel.

 

[Bad Karma]

Yeah I cant wait to get it out again. Think Ill try to improve on my technique and shoot 100 yards. If that works out I think Ill keep adding 25 yards until I need a conical barrel.

If you can find one, a Hadley adjustable eyepiece is an amazing addition to the sight.

 

[Matthew323]

Montana Vintage Arms sells a standard diameter, and a Magnum diameter, Hadley Eyedisc that is threaded 7/32-40. This is the thread size most common for the removable Eyedisc in vernier tang sights such as Redfield, Lyman, Williams, and others. They also sell their Hadley Eyedisc in other thread sizes.

www.montanavintagearms.com

The Magnum Eyedisc has 15 apertures, as opposed to 9 in the standard size. The extra apertures allow for better low light shooting, as the extra apertures are larger in diameter. The larger apertures are really intended for shooting at long distance, but if one was hunting in open country, then the Magnum Eyedisc would allow for hunting earlier in the morning, and later in the evening.

Standard Hadley Eyedisc Apertures:
0.021"-0.074"

Magnum Hadley Eyedisc Apertures:
0.021"-0.115"

 

[snapbang]

Good call guys, I was looking at a

Standard peep sight
A Lyman #2 or a
verner

Any sugestions as to which one for hunting

 

[Matthew323]

Idahoron uses the Lyman 57 on his Thompson/Center Hawken. I believe he uses one of the available aperture disc inserts sold for these types of sights.

But, as Idaholewis has said in past posts, the aperture discs that are sold with 7/32"-40 threads for hunting are often too small for hunting in thick timber/heavy woods. A lot of people take the aperture disc out of the sight, and just use the 7/32"-40 threaded hole as a ghost ring rear sight.

It is at the range shooting at targets with round bullseyes that a Hadley Eyedisc will start to shine.

Williams sells aperture disc inserts threaded 7/32"-40 with brass surrounding the rear opening of the aperture. If I recall correctly, they come in 5 different diameters. The brass is supposed to act as a light collector for hunting in low light. I believe you can purchase them at the Gun Works Muzzleloading Emporium.

 

[deermanok]

I recently added a Williams ghost ring sight on one of my rifles. I think that for simple hunting sight it's pretty much all I need. Can't speak to long range shooting with it but for 100 yards and under, I don't see any issues with it.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Williams sells aperture disc inserts threaded 7/32"-40 with brass surrounding the rear opening of the aperture. If I recall correctly, they come in 5 different diameters. The brass is supposed to act as a light collector for hunting in low light. I believe you can purchase them at the Gun Works Muzzleloading Emporium.

I have one of those brass ringed apertures. I only found one diameter and don't recall which it is. I havent used it hunting yet(dawn or dusk). But at the range it doesnt seem any better or worse than a standard. Williams has a fiber optic ghost ring that is my current favorite hunting rear sight. No threads in it for an aperture, but i could tap some if i want/needed to.

 

[Leadhoarder]

AWESOME Stuff @snapbang

These Old Sidelock Muzzleloaders are EXTREMELY Capable & then some, Sadly Many of these Old Rifles have been put away in favor of Modern inline Rifles over the years (I have nothing in the world against inlines) MANY of the folks i have spoken with thought the inline was gonna be more accurate? And this is why they Switched. Fact is, They didn’t know how to get the most out of their Old Sidelock Rifle?

As i continually show, These Old Sidelock Muzzleloaders will shoot EVERY bit as well as ANY inline ML out there. As a Bonus, they are a “CLASSY” Look & Feel doing it

Folks at the range have preconceived ideas on how accurate the sidelocks are and they are usually wrong. If the bore is in good shape and the guy pulling the trigger can shoot they shoot just as well as any modern gun.