Not quite cowboy but maybe some of you can help with this (Civil War era guns)

[Tangle Eye]

Headed to the range today with the latest loads for my new War Between The States era rifles and ended up with a couple of questions for you more experienced with these guns.  Here goes:

1 - I'm using what I think is a standard load in the Enfield - .577 Minie Ball and 60 grains FFFg Swiss.  It shoots good, goes boom every time, etc. but -- at 100 yards it shoots about 3 feet high with the sight in the absolute lowest position (yes - I said 3 FEET).  To say the least that makes hitting the bull a bit difficult.  I wonder what to do.  My first thought is reduce the powder charge a bunch but I''m not sure how low I can go and still be safe, expand the minie skirt, etc.  SO - any help in lowering the point of impact would be much appreciated.

2 - 1859 Sharps Carbine -- pretty much the same problem as the Enfield except it shoots 18 inches high at 100 yards.  I'm using 55 grains of FFFg and the Pedersoli mould Sharps bullet with this one. This bullet is supposed to be matched with this rifle.

3 - Paper cartridge for the Sharps.  I can make 'em and they work. But -- I'm spending lots of time and trial and error getting the length just right to have the block cut off the tail of the cartridge just so when it's jammed against the bullet.  I'm assuming the paper cartridge needs to be jammed up tight behind the bullet - Right?  I'm using a powder cartridge separate from the bullet as recommended in the kit I bought from Dixie Gun Works for making the paper cartriidge. 

Any help, advice, or experience with any of this would be greatly appreciated.

[Four-Eyed Buck]

TE, Maybe you should repeat this down in The Barracks, you might run into more re-enactors down there. also, over on TFS there's a Civil War Guns section where you might get a quicker answer......Buck

[Tangle Eye]

Thanks Buck - will do.

[Amaziah Rimfire]

What kind of sight picture are you using?  If you're doing the conventional thing and lining up the tip of the front sight with the shoulders of the rear sight, you might consider "holding a fine bead" instead and put the tip of the blade down into the bottom of the "V".

[Tangle Eye]

You know what Rimfire - I tried that and it was still way too high.  I mean 3 FEET above point of aim is something else.  I know these had battle sights on em and were meant to be shot a long way off but I want to be able to hit what I aim at.  Anyway - I found a place that sells tall replacement sights for these.  Now I gotta get one and get it installed.

[Amaziah Rimfire]

That will fix the problem for you.  Many of the North/South Skirmish guys have front sights so tall you can't fix the bayonet.  Anyway, good luck.

[Tommy tornado]

WOW!  60 grains of Swiss is getting to be a stiff load!  You might want to back it off to about 40 to 45 grains and work up from there.  I shoot a .54 cal Mississippi and my 50 yard load is about 43 grains of 3fg Goex and 50 grains of 3fg Goex at 100 yards.  Swiss is some real hot stuff.  Saw a guy in the N-SSA blow up his Smith Carbine shooting a 45 grain load in it.  It literally popped open in his hands.  Luckly all gases escaped up and away from his face.

[Tangle Eye]

Yep  - I agree Tommy.  I'm gonna use my 2F Elephant for this instead.  I'm not looking for super accuracy,etc. Elephant will do.

[SGT John Chapman]

Tangle Eye on your Enfield,....What weight slug are ya usin,...........should be like a 475gn,..........

[Tangle Eye]

Hey Sgt. Chapman - I shoulda posted over here but I forgot.  I got the problem pretty much solved.  I was filling the cavity on the back of the minie ball with lube (kinda stiff lube).  I don't know what was happening with this but my theory is it kept the skirt from flaring out to the rifleing.  Anyway - I shot some minies wiithout this treatment and they came in pretty close. Still a bit high and to the left a mite (of course the barrel was very dirty by this time so that could have caused the high and to the left). Anyway - the lube in the cavity was the problem.

[REELFOOT REGULATOR]

tangle eye, I've owned and fired many repro muskets over the years and have always had to replace the front sight with a taller blade to zero at 50-100 yrds