Zero distance for .44 special

[davidj]

Considering the velocity and range of the 44 special:
At what range do you zero your BH when using 7.5 Unique and a 240-250 gr SWC?

 

[Anvil2]

I have a Bisley Flattop, with 7.0grs Unique and a 240gr SWC if I zero at 25yrds it is still right on at 75yrds.

 

[Rclark]

Make sure it shoots fine at 15Y, then move to 25Y for final fine tune. All I shoot is 7.5g of Unique over 240g SWC.

 

[Dale53]

I zero at fifty yards. I then check POI at 25, 50, 75, and 100 yards.

Dale53

 

[Iron Mike Golf]

What are you trying to accomplish? Punching paper? Hunting whitetails? I set up my 44 for the latter.

I zero for maximum ordinate (height above line of sight) for around 1 inch. I estimate that range from plugging numbers for the load into a ballistic calculator. Assuming 1000 FPS MV and a 429421ish bullet (BC around .200), I get 50 yds is a good range (hat tip to Dale53). With those figures, I can get POI at 18 yds, which is the depth of the indoor range I use. In this case, it's 3/4 inch high at 18 yds.

Now to a full scale range. Confirm zero at 50 yds, adjusting sights as needed. I'd expect 1 inch high at 30 and 1 inch low at 60 yds and I'd confirm that. I'd expect somewhere around 8-10 inches low at 100 yds. So, I am zeroed out to 60 yds (no adjustment to sight picture). Beyond that, I have to hold over.

If your MV is 950 FPS, the numbers above are close enough to 1000. At 900 FPS, I'd still zero for 50 yds. At the indoor range, I'd adjust for 1 inch high at 18 yds.

If you go with a 2 inch deviation, the numbers change (1.25 in high @18 yds, zero @ 70 yds, 2 in high @ 35 yds, 2 in low @ 80 yds).

 

[davidj]

Thank all of you for the input.

 

[Rclark]

Thanks IMG (file the info away in my 'head'), Never bothered with 'ballistics' . If I zeroed at 25Y, I was still hitting the 8" steel Plates out at 77 Yards (max at the range) so figured I was good to go! I don't hunt (and when I did it was with rifle).

 

[CraigC]

50yds.

 

[Tommy Kelly]

I do all my guns at 25 yds. Even my long range varmit rifles are set at 25 yds. The secret is to use a small target and work till you get it right. My favorite target is a push in thumbtack I usually pick them up whereever school supplies are sold. for my open sighted guns I use a sharpie marker and make the spot just a little bigger than the thumbtack head. The smaller the target the better you can shoot at the same point of aim each shot. With a big target you will have trouble putting the sight's the same everytime. The smaller the target the better.

 

[Larry from Bend]

Considering the velocity and range of the 44 special:
At what range do you zero your BH when using 7.5 Unique and a 240-250 gr SWC?

I like a 25 yard sight-in ---- but yours may not be that simple.

With the New Model Blackhawk and that bullet/load ---- your BH will probably shoot 3" high @ 25 yards. At least my 4 5/8" model did with a similiar load. I don't use the 6 O'Clock hold that Ruger mentions in its literature. I hold "dead on".

My BH is stainless with a pinned front sight that can be changed-out for a taller model. The following picture will give you an idea of where mine shoots.

The .340" high front sight that came on my TALO 4 5/8" FlatTop 44 Special was too low for a 'Dead On" hold with any of the loads I'd tried @ 25 yards. They all shot high. I received a .445" front sight from Ruger which was waaaay too tall, causing the rear sight to be raised so high as to be unstable.

I started filing down the taller front sight to make Point of Aim and Point of Impact coincide. The first shots were below the bottom of the target but when I got to about .393" things started to click.

I kept the rear sight 4 clicks (about 3") off of the bottomed out position during the filing.

The measurements are with a digital caliper --- so they should be pretty close.

I post this so that any of you with the 44 Special TALO model who might want to try this would have an idea of where to start. As always, your results may vary.

 

[Dale53]

Larry;
That is an excellent post w/pictures that perfectly illustrate how to solve your problem.

I particularly like the replaceable front sight on the SS revolvers. If a person has a problem, as you so aptly illustrate, a solution is at hand.

Dale53

 

[Lee Martin]

All mine are set for 50 yards. As others have suggested, it'll hold flat a little ways past your zero.

 

[Montelores]

"I particularly like the replaceable front sight on the SS revolvers."


Are the front blades replaceable on the blued flattops as well?

Thanks -

Monty

 

[Dale53]

Are the front blades replaceable on the blued flattops as well?

Thanks -

Monty

Unfortunately, the answer is no. I wish Ruger did the blued ones the same but they do not. I haven't had a problem with my blued flattop but others have.

FWIW
Dale53

 

[Pal Val]

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, that picture should be scored for 3,000 words. Thanks!

 

[steve b]

Neat thread ! Just amazing, the depth of info that came in to it too ! Am glad to have found my way to this forum, though some of you may wish different ? LOL. steve b