I shot my new Lott this weekend (ouch!). Right off the bat, discoverd that the sights are not factory regulated for the 500-grain bullet.

At 50 yards, all shots were 3-4 inches right. That's ok, since the Ruger sights are adjustable for windage. However, the middle leaf places all shots 2-3 inches low, and the front leaf, places all shots the same distance high.

Should I file the front leaf to accomodate the sight picture that comes naturally to me, or should I just practice a different sight picture.

Remember, open sights, hopefully, will never be needed. But if they are needed, I will need them to be accurate very, very badly!

When you've picked your final load then file the sights .You'll never remember how to hold off in a sticky situation.

It is possible to replace the front bead with different heights, as well as with different bead types, with "no gunsmithing" drop in front sights. I suggest you get in touch with NECG (New England Custom Guns) and check out that possibility as a first step. http://www.newenglandcustomgun.com/

Shot it again today, only this time off the bench (ouch, Ouch, OUCH!!!) instead of off the sticks. Moved the sights and got windage dead on. Elevation was a perfect 1" cloverleaf one and one-half inches high at 50 with the front (highest) leaf. This ain't too shabby. I might just leave well enough alone.

BTW, 84 grains of IMR 4320 roughly equaled factory velocity of 2250-2270 fps. with 500 grain Hornady. Easiest/fastest load development in history.

Will try different bullets as soon as my shoulder gets out of traction.

Good for you!

I also found it took a few shots before I was getting that kind of group at 100 yards -- also found it shooting to the right, but it went home to center without adjustment. Found A-square lion loads shoot 3" left at 100 yards -- good tight group, though.

2-3" high is a tad high at 50 yrds... but OK for a "6-OClock hold." Sounds like your new loads work better for you.

I found the bench much harder than offhand. I did not find offhand too bad, though (difference in how the gun is mounted?)

Dan

I would sugest that you only need the one FIXED leaf right on at 50yds. Then figure at what ranges that the other leaves are on.

The truly important leaf is the fixed one and it should be on at fifty or so, so I'd change front bead hieght to get it there and let the rest be for longer ranges as intended for the rare possibility that you have a scope failure.

BTW, I bring a spare scope in rings - Talley QDs - already sighted in. 3/4lbs of insurance.

JPK

Damn, GA! You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din! Lots of recoil!

quote:

Originally posted by GAHUNTER:
Elevation was a perfect 1" cloverleaf one and one-half inches high at 50 with the front (highest) leaf. This ain't too shabby. I might just leave well enough alone.

GaHunter, I'm confused! Why are you useing the front flip-up at 50 yds? The standing fixed sight should be a 50 yds sight, with the fip-ups for longer range!

If that front flip-up is 1.5" high at 50 yds, it will most likely be dead on at 100 yds. At 2130 fps a 510 gr bullet should be about 1 1/4" high at 50 yds, if the fixed sight shoots to +1/2" at 25 yds. If the fixed sight shoots 1/2" high at 25 yds, you won't be able to hold the difference it will shoot at 50 yds,unless you have very steady rest, and no flinch.

You should be able to hold point blank with the fixed sight out to 125 yds for hunting anything big enough to need a 458 LOTT. Addtionally, you should be able to snap shoot anything right up to the muzzle with the fixed sight as well. I'd only use the flip-up if I needed the iron sights out past 100 yds!

Mac,

Thats the issue. His rifle shoots too low at 50 with the fixed blade. He is asking what, if anything, to do.

I'll repeat what I posted earlier. The ONLY really important blade is the fixed one and it should be on at about 50yds.

Here is why; say you need to follow up in the thick stuff. Your scope will be a hinderance. You will need to shoot only close because it is thick and you may need to shoot both close and quick if things turn ugly. You know the fixed site is fixed; it will be there for you, no matter the brush. The folding site folds and might just do this at the most inoportune moment. You don't want your rifle shooting where your not pointing or expecting. Alternatively, if you have a scope problem and no backup scope you can hunt your DG with open sights, without handicap, and knoe that the one fixed blade will work at DG ranges and not get knocked down...

The CNS stopping targets on stuff you would use a Lott for are really not all that large, especially when the quarry is facing you. Throw in moveing game... and you should eliminate any built in error.

Changeing blade height is so cheap and easy of a fix that there is just no reason not to do it.

BTW I had the oposite issue on one of my DG rfiles and simply ordered the next two taller sight heights from NECG. (they can tell you which change in height is going to work based on how far off you are at 50yds and your sight radius) Tried them both and returned the one that didn't work. The other puts the bullet on the bead at 50. Ten minutes fiddling and then shooting at the range. Total cost in the area of $50, IIRC.

Even if you are using the lowest bead height you can get, filing the rear V notch is easy to do. And since there are different front bead heights availably if you overshoot the filing you aren't sol.

Best,

JPK

quote:

Originally posted by GAHUNTER:
I shot my new Lott this weekend (ouch!). Right off the bat, discoverd that the sights are not factory regulated for the 500-grain bullet.

At 50 yards, all shots were 3-4 inches right. That's ok, since the Ruger sights are adjustable for windage. However, the middle leaf places all shots 2-3 inches low, and the front leaf, places all shots the same distance high.

Should I file the front leaf to accomodate the sight picture that comes naturally to me, or should I just practice a different sight picture.

Remember, open sights, hopefully, will never be needed. But if they are needed, I will need them to be accurate very, very badly!

I would only use the fixed rear sight to start with and get a new front bead/plade so that sight combo shoots to point of aim at 50 yards.

I order to find the correct sight height to buy look at a Brownells catalog (or call them) they have a chart (don't know the page in the current catalog) that tells you the correct front site height.

You need to know

1. where the guns point on impact is (sounds like about 2.5 inches low to me)
2. distance from the target (50 yards)
3. distance from rear to front sites

Then MAYBE I'd worry about the flip up leaves.

In My case I went to a NECG Ruger peep sight. I'm not a kid anymore and have trouble seeing the target and both sights at the same time.

With a peep I only have to focus on the target and front sight as the peep ring is just a blur. Besides I've always felt a (rear) peep sight was both faster and more precise than a rear leaf type.

Hope this helps.

Roi

Where'd the 2150 number come from? That would be a Win. Mag., not a Lott (at least not MY Lott). My Hornady factory loads chrono at 2270 and 84 grains of IMR 4320 gives me about 2250. AND THEY BOTH HURT!!! How the hell do you guys with the .460s and 500s (not to mention the 600s and 700s) stand it?

Mr. Caldwell, where were you when I needed you?

I guess I could start to play with velocity to regulate the sights, but damn, this is a magazine rifle that will wear a scope 99.997 percent of the time. 2250 to 2270 with a 500 grain bullet has a nice ring to it, don't cha think?

Ga Hunter,

The problem with relying on the scope is that when you really need the Lott's capability you don't want a scope on it. There is a real reason why DG PH's rifles, no matter whether bolt or double, don't have scopes.

If you're shooting buffalo the scope will be just dandy, UNTIL, you need to go follow one up. Then it becomes a handicap. It should come off and you will need the FIXED blade, and only the fixed blade. You might never need to follow one up and remove the scope, but then you might need to do it on the first you shoot. That is why the fixed blade needs to be on.

If you every go after elephant I don't think you will want a scope on your rifle. Almost always, and really the whole thrill and point, the elephant will be very close. I couldn't imagine useing a scope, but if I did it would be without magnification. Still for me, and I bet for most, looking through a scope of even minimal or no magnification narrows my perspective, which is a problem when you are close, especially with other critters around.

I don't think 2250fps is neseccary, but then I'm shooting 500grains at 2090, so far so good. I would drop the velocity to a level more comfortable to shoot; but hey; if it tickles you thats great, its your rifle and you should shoot what you have confidence in. I'll venture a guess and say that if you get your fixed blade on for 2250fps it will also be fine for 2150fps and vice versa.

You might try a slower, lighter recoiling, and/or lighter bullet load for practice. For practice loads, it doesn't matter if the rifle shoots high or low with the iron sights, only that you know where it shoots. If its 3" low at 50 and you know it, then shoot for bull and just know that when you look at the target your shot or group would be 3" higher.

I do know that, in a double rifle, more velocity generally makes a rifle shoot lower, assuming bullet weight stays the same. This is because there is less barrel time for the faster load and the bullet exits the muzzle at a point with less muzzle rise, from recoil, than does the slower moving load.

Prepare for the worst, practice, and hope, for the best.

JPK

quote:

Originally posted by GAHUNTER:
Where'd the 2150 number come from? That would be a Win. Mag., not a Lott (at least not MY Lott). My Hornady factory loads chrono at 2270 and 84 grains of IMR 4320 gives me about 2250. AND THEY BOTH HURT!!! How the hell do you guys with the .460s and 500s (not to mention the 600s and 700s) stand it?

Mr. Caldwell, where were you when I needed you?

I guess I could start to play with velocity to regulate the sights, but damn, this is a magazine rifle that will wear a scope 99.997 percent of the time. 2250 to 2270 with a 500 grain bullet has a nice ring to it, don't cha think?

The 2130 fps came from the only velocities I had on hand for a 510 gr .458 dia bullet, with trejectories! You are correct, 2250 to 2270 fps with a 500 gr bullet does have a ring to it, and it will ring your bell, with the extra unneeded recoil, in that rifle! My 458 LOTT was loaded to match the old 450NE 3 1/4" with a 480 gr soft, or solid, at 2150fps, and it worked perfectly on Cape Buffalo, without detatching my retinas, and sent Solids right through a Buffalo's shoulders, and penetrated from the Texas Heart shot, to the chest! All without ratteling what is left of my brain. A buffalo will not know the difference between 2150, and 2270 fps, but you will! There is nothing wrong with getting 2270 fps, with a 500 gr bullet, from your rifle,if that is what you want, but it simply isn't necessary, and is a personal thing. The Buffalo don't care one way or the other!

IMHO,
The fixed blade should be dead on at 50 yards.
The other blades should be in a drawer somehwere.

Rich Elliott

Mac, 2250 sounds mild compared to 2550 for the 450 Dakota and 2625 for the 460 Weatherby. In fact, the Weatherby has 105 foot-pounds of recoil, compared to 71 foot-pounds for the Lott at 2250 fps.

I think I've figured out how the .460 Weatherby became such a good elephant killer -- you hand the rifle to the elephant and let HIM pull the trigger!

Seriously, I will keep my Lott in the upper ranges of velocity simply because my personal philosophy is to use my rifles, all my rifles, at the upper limits of their potential. I'm a big guy and not too recoil shy. I know, of course, that the "killing power" of the round is not affected one way or another by the extra 100-150 fps.

That said, I don't think I can envision ever wanting a rifle that recoils more than this one!

GaHunter,

Glad you like the Lott I have one of them also...That is the very same load I shot in Zim with mine, on ele and buf...I did shoot an X bullet though for buf... and a Bridger solid for ele...
If you want to know how I shoot the Lott and not get beat up let me know..
I can tell you it is hell on buf ...

Mike

Retreever, Mac, Rich, et.al.,

I look forward to continuing this conversation at Javier's in Dallas, as it seems most of us will be there.

It's a plan...

Mike

Yes, but I warn you, I'm very opinionated!

Rich Elliott

quote:

Originally posted by GAHUNTER:

SNIP, stuff deleted...

That said, I don't think I can envision ever wanting a rifle that recoils more than this one!

Then you probably shouldn't buy a Searcy 500NE