Using my Pietta .44 revolver, I've always had problems getting it on target at 15m as it shoots very high.

I originally used 22gn fffg, a semi lubed felt wad and a .454 (now .451) lead ball.

To get anywhere near I've had to drop to 17gn fffg as it was getting embarrassing keeping on shooting the lights out on the range.

The rear sight is are as low as it can go with no adjustment on the foresight.

Now, as well as the 17gn powder, I'm packing the cylinder with 6gn of cous-cous as well as the wad.

I'm open to suggestion as to how I can improve the accuracy of the pistol. Perhaps a Minie slug?

ask this question on sass forums. They shoot these everyday and I have seen guys shoot them very well.
Dean

the.44 pietta rgst with adj rear sight is prone to shooting high. to remedy the problem lengthen the front sight, crown the muzzle, factory finishes are undesirable, use a 6 o c
clock sight hold on target at 25m.i use 24gr of 3fg and a 206gr conical bullet

I just bought one of these 2 days ago. it came with two books and one says that a revolver shouldnt use patches and the other says you should. Does it matter? I have been around guns my whole life but just recently got into black powder. I have a remington 700 .50 cal muzzleloader as well but I dont use patches on it. I use the projectiles with the plastic back.

For the revolver I use a semi-greased felt wad under the ball as it removes the need to grease over the ball.

Why are you using a .451 ball?

It should be a .454 ball, it needs to go into the cylinder TIGHT. Good to use a felt lube wad under the ball, I use one too. Your ball is too small. It should not drop in any distance at all when you set it on the cylinder. When you seat the ball, there needs to be a ring of lead shaved off the ball as you seat it. If you're not getting this, your ball is too small for your cylinder (which I bet it is).

I load 30 grs of FFg Goex, felt wad, and a .454 ball. My Pietta is a 1860 Army, and I also use a 6 o'clock hold on my target.

I also have a Uberti Walker pistol that I load 40 gr FFg, felt wad and a .454 ball. I also shoot it 6 o'clock hold.

A "6 o'clock hold" means I'm aiming my point of aim on the target at the "base" of the target. So if you have a "normal" paper target up, put the bead from the front sight right at the base of the paper border on your target paper.

Tony,

You do NOT use a patched ball in revolvers. It's an oversized round ball seated over the powder charge. The "traditional" method was to then apply a liberal amount of grease over the top of the ball to prevent "chain fires", which occur when the flames from the chamber being fired bridge over and ignite the chambers next to it. Very distressing if that occurs. The grease acts as a flame barrier.

Alternately you can take a lubed felt wad of caliber or slightly over caliber size and place that over the powder charge before you seat the ball in the chamber. This will act as the flame barrier and prevent the chain fire from occurring. I use the felt wad method now, but years ago I used to just apply grease over the seated balls in each chamber.

You can just purchase packages of prelubed and precut felt wads from just about anyplace that sells black powder pistols or shooting supplies. Several online vendors sell them as well.

I have seen the felt patches and bought bullet butter on recomendation of the store I bought the gun from. They also recomended the .451 bullet.

The Pietta uses .454 balls. I have used the smaller ones when I've been unable to get the correct ones but the results are not good.

Lilguy: Is this a Colt or a Remington cap and ball revolver? In my experience, the Remingtons shoot peotty close to the sights, but the Colts often shoot a foot high. I don't know if this is true, but have heard that Colt users were taught to aim at the enemy's belt buckle for a hit somewhere between belt and chin. Only fix is to install/braze on a higher front blade.

I'm afraid it's not the solution for my Remington. I've since decided that it's my eyes combined with a fairly heavy trigger that's the problem.

I was having problems getting the front site into focus and dragging the trigger.

Who's name is stamped on barrel ? I had a frame that had a barrel installed not parrell with Frame shot 2 ft low at 30 yds Navy Arms stamped on it from Uberti ! I cut frame put .125 dowl Pin between cut welded frame shoots dead on The hole in framd threaded for barrel and cylinder pin were both off that much ! look at your frame with 12 ruler and see if barrel is parrell

Pietta suggests 35 gr. fffg for 44 cal in the Rem. 1858. Target distance runs a nominal 25 yds.

Shooters of these guns in the 19th Century learned to "hold over" and compensate for range on the front blade.

It's possible to that you're pulling up on the shot with the heavy trigger. I pull right with a heavy trigger on a handgun.

lilguy43uk...

Re. the trigger. With the hammer at full cock (revolver unloaded of course!) does the hammer move rearwards just a little as you pull the trigger? If so, the seer is trying to climb up the hammer notch before releasing. Most of these guns (for safety/lawyer reasons?) leave the factory with very deep seer engagements resulting in heavy, crappy, trigger pulls. It can be easily fixed but find someone who knows how to do it right. Bullets...I use a lubed "wonder wad" with .454 RB's but prefer the Lee 200g conical which I cast myself.

Enjoy shooting real black powder. As they say..."smokeless is just a passing fad."

Jon

I sold my 1851 Navy Colt Pietta 2 years ago. It shot about a foot high at 25yds. Someone told me they do that. Also couldnt decide but used a .451 ball straight over 25grs of FFFG.I always applied lube over the ball. I think these guns were designed to be fired instinctively. Very well made guns.

quote:

I think these guns were designed to be fired instinctively. Very well made guns.

"Instinctively" -- as in "hold over" on the blade for whatever distance you're shooting.

You figure out your load, your bullet weight and where the gun shoots, and then "adjust" for you range. Loopy trajectory on BP and it's nice to have a large blade to hold over.