I’m working on load development for my Pietta NMA. Trying to get it’s 25 yard accuracy up a bit. Right now it’s shooting 4” groups at about 8 o’clock 5-6” from point of aim. I’ve about settled on 30 grains of FFFg with a .451 round ball. I’ve heard that using a filler such as grits or cream of wheat before seating the ball can help with accuracy, but I’m pretty sure I’ll need to do some sight adjustment. I know that to bring the elevation up I have to file the front sight down but to correct windage....do I file the rear sight opposite the side I’m hitting on? What about the tools for the job? Is there a particularly good file or even purpose made one?
Zeroing Pietta NMA
- Thread starter DMShag514
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TTv2
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Idk about your NMA, but .454 is generally the standard size ball to be used with Pietta's. Before you go filing the front sight, try the .454 balls and some different powders and powders charges. You may find that yours shoots better with a substitute.
I find mine shoots best with Pyrodex P, but that stuff is extremely corrosive, so once I exhaust my supply, I'm going to use Triple 7, which doesn't shoot as tight a group, but it shoots tight enough and has more velocity.
I find mine shoots best with Pyrodex P, but that stuff is extremely corrosive, so once I exhaust my supply, I'm going to use Triple 7, which doesn't shoot as tight a group, but it shoots tight enough and has more velocity.
Just bought a pound of Triple 7 yesterday to try. Actual BP is nigh impossible to fine in my area and I hate paying hazmat S/H fees. 451 round balls were all I could find locally. 454’s I’ll have to order, or make myself. Unfortunately, I’m not set up to cast my own bullets, yet. I’ve also considered a Johnston and Dow (sp) mold from Era’s Gone. Seems to be a pretty popular conical bullet style. But again, not set up for casting my own, yet.
LaneP
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Adjust rear sights in the direction you want the group to move, so the right hand side of the rear sight needs to be opened to shift the group right. However I've never done that with a milled sight groove on the solid frame designs, only the hammer notch on open tops. Far preferable to make adjustments on the front sight if possible, but I take it the Pietta design doesn't allow for drifting.
I would just do a few more tests with different load combos before settling on a relatively permanent adjustment to the fixed sights. I like shooting conicals so my problem is opposite of yours. In my '60 Army a 220 grain Johnston and Dow design conicals land a foot high at 25 yards. One of my summer projects is going to be fabricating a taller front sight for it out of brass stock.
I would just do a few more tests with different load combos before settling on a relatively permanent adjustment to the fixed sights. I like shooting conicals so my problem is opposite of yours. In my '60 Army a 220 grain Johnston and Dow design conicals land a foot high at 25 yards. One of my summer projects is going to be fabricating a taller front sight for it out of brass stock.
TheOutlawKid
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Mr.LaneP, in a conical man myself. Have you tried a conical with a flat wide meplat? Im a huge fan of conicals with a flat and wide meplat...as is Mr.Rodwha who is very much into custom bullets with wide meplats and has a few awesome designs for the army caliber guns. Im into .36 cals mainly and i shoot conicals only for the most part. You should try a custom flat nosed conical, im sure u would like it. I got mine made by Tom at accurate molds (basically a .36 cal tapered REAL type design)and i also have a kaido bullet mold. Both are excellent bullets and am currently in the process of ordering a new design.
Mizar
Member
Try this link for a sight correction calculator:
https://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=13093/guntechdetail/sight_correction_calculator.
You can adjust the rear sight notch with a small round needle file in cut 2 because it's not so aggressive. But this is best done with the frame secured in a vise while you are directly on top of the frame, as needle files are cone shaped and one can easily mess the cut - angle it to one side. If you do it properly you will end up with a nicely shaped U notch rear sight, much preferable to the original V notch.
But, as others already suggested, you should try first more combinations and settle for one only after achieving consistently good groups.
https://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=13093/guntechdetail/sight_correction_calculator.
You can adjust the rear sight notch with a small round needle file in cut 2 because it's not so aggressive. But this is best done with the frame secured in a vise while you are directly on top of the frame, as needle files are cone shaped and one can easily mess the cut - angle it to one side. If you do it properly you will end up with a nicely shaped U notch rear sight, much preferable to the original V notch.
But, as others already suggested, you should try first more combinations and settle for one only after achieving consistently good groups.
LaneP
Member
Great idea. I haven't had a .36 in the stable for a number of years and I can feel an 1851 Navy in my near future
arcticap
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IMHO 25 yards to a pretty far distance to adjust sights for sighting in a black powder revolver due to the larger margin of human sighting error.
If the front sight is close to being on target at 10 - 15 yards then using Kentucky windage should allow a person to correct their aim at longer distances as they become more familiar with how their gun shoots.
Not every chamber shoots the same and even the amount of powder compression can affect accuracy.
A person could virtually need a Ransom rest to be able to do accuracy testing for each variable.
If your gun is shooting low at 8 O'clock then why not simply aim at the 2 O'clock position on the target if the gun shoots satisfactorily at closer distances?
I think that 25 yards is an arbitrary distance that many ranges force people to set their targets up at.
If a range allows a person to shoot at a closer distance, then smaller targets can also be used to compensate for setting targets up at the shorter distances.
These are inexpensive reproductions of a military gun and not necessarily a target gun.
Although some people are highly gifted shooters and can wring the accuracy out of their guns and loads, many folks simply use them for plinking and informal target shooting such as with any mass produced self-defense gun in the same price range.
If a person really wants to correct their front sight then consider putting in a dovetail for installing a drift adjustable front sight.
But I like the advice to first try out different loads, powders, balls, lubes, fillers, whichever you prefer.
If 25 yards is your chosen distance then by all means fix the sights to your liking.
Also be aware that the Pietta front sight may only be press fit in place, as some have been known to pop off for no apparent reason.
If the front sight is close to being on target at 10 - 15 yards then using Kentucky windage should allow a person to correct their aim at longer distances as they become more familiar with how their gun shoots.
Not every chamber shoots the same and even the amount of powder compression can affect accuracy.
A person could virtually need a Ransom rest to be able to do accuracy testing for each variable.
If your gun is shooting low at 8 O'clock then why not simply aim at the 2 O'clock position on the target if the gun shoots satisfactorily at closer distances?
I think that 25 yards is an arbitrary distance that many ranges force people to set their targets up at.
If a range allows a person to shoot at a closer distance, then smaller targets can also be used to compensate for setting targets up at the shorter distances.
These are inexpensive reproductions of a military gun and not necessarily a target gun.
Although some people are highly gifted shooters and can wring the accuracy out of their guns and loads, many folks simply use them for plinking and informal target shooting such as with any mass produced self-defense gun in the same price range.
If a person really wants to correct their front sight then consider putting in a dovetail for installing a drift adjustable front sight.
But I like the advice to first try out different loads, powders, balls, lubes, fillers, whichever you prefer.
If 25 yards is your chosen distance then by all means fix the sights to your liking.
Also be aware that the Pietta front sight may only be press fit in place, as some have been known to pop off for no apparent reason.
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skeeterfogger
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454s. Going more not always better. I shoot mine with 18/conical and 20 ball, wax/oil lube ahead, no filler. They hit inside 2" at 25 yards using up to 7 spare cylinders.
AJumbo
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Conicals, being heavier, will likely raise the POI of your group. For windage, you can do as advised above and JUDICIOUSLY, SLOWLY file your rear sight trough, or have a dovetailed front sight installed. It's well worth the money. In that case, you can drift the front sight for windage, and file it for elevation.
LonesomePigeon
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I believe Dixie Gun Works or VTI could sell you a Uberti Remington front sight. The Uberti sight will have a dovetail base with the correct shape blade for a Remington style gun so it will look right on any Remington reproduction.
Mizar
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The problem with the Uberti front sight is that someone has to make the dovetail slot on the barrel...
.38 Special
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It is very rare that I do not cut a dovetail (entirely with common hand tools) in my percussion revolvers and install a blade sight. The little brass posts are almost entirely useless, at least to my aging eyes, and a good front sight along with a square notch in the hammer (two minutes with a rotary grinder fitted with a cutoff wheel) will result in a greater improvement in accuracy than will be provided by any other operation.
skeeterfogger
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Hand tools or X,Y vice and a drill press for the initial cut. Then hand finish.
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