DIY Muzzle loader Peep sight

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DIY Muzzle loader Peep sight

Post by Oldbloke » 23 Jan 2021, 1:11 pm

I bought a very cheap muzzle loader about a year ago. Its a 0.50 ball and patch. Wow, its been a learning curve. Lol

As my eyes are no good with open sights anymore I figured a peep would help. But they are difficult to get for my gun and cost fitted almost as much as the gun was to buy. Lol
Currently getting about 2" at 45 yards and would like that at about 70 yards for hunting.

Sooo, its DIY time again. A picture is worth a 1000 words. Just needs painting with pot belly black now.

Note the rear zinc screw is in a slotted hole to allow L to R adjustment and vertical will be achieved with some shims.

CVA 1.jpeg
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Peep 1.jpeg
Peep 1.jpeg (249.03 KiB) Viewed 3541 times


Peep 2.jpeg
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Re: DIY Muzzle loader Peep sight

Post by LawrenceA » 23 Jan 2021, 1:32 pm

Well done.
Consider slimming the whole thing down. It will block a lot of sight area if chasing running game.
Also if you get it red hot and dunk it in oil and will blacken nicely.
That stock looks like walnut. Not the usual Beech. Hmmmm
One well placed shot is all it takes.
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Re: DIY Muzzle loader Peep sight

Post by Bugman » 26 Jan 2021, 6:43 am

I would like to see the target results if possible. Looks just the ticket.
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Re: DIY Muzzle loader Peep sight

Post by Oldbloke » 26 Jan 2021, 9:09 am

Only Beech mate. But looks OK.

This is one of the groups at 45 yards. Fairly typical. Hopefully I'll zero and test it sometime in the next few weeks.

If I can achieve about 2" at 70 yards will be good enough to hunt pigs or goats.


45 yards ML.jpeg
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Re: DIY Muzzle loader Peep sight

Post by Bugman » 26 Jan 2021, 10:48 am

Nice one. :thumbsup:
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Re: DIY Muzzle loader Peep sight

Post by Oldbloke » 26 Jan 2021, 12:40 pm

Peep installed.

Marred the paint slightly, but good enough.

Peep installed.jpeg
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Re: DIY Muzzle loader Peep sight

Post by bigpete » 26 Jan 2021, 2:06 pm

Good enough as is
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Re: DIY Muzzle loader Peep sight

Post by Wm.Traynor » 26 Jan 2021, 3:11 pm

Oldbloke,
I could not see that 1" red spot at 45 yards. So if your eyes are anything like mine, that is a very good group. FWIW and not trying to tell my grandmother............etc but when testing my iron sighted rifles at 50 yards at Belmont, I aim at the Entire Target, turned back to front. Much easier on the eyes :D
Good luck with the peep :thumbsup:
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Re: DIY Muzzle loader Peep sight

Post by Oldbloke » 26 Jan 2021, 3:53 pm

Wm, I can see the 1" dot at that range OK. But the V is badly blurred. (wearing glasses) These are only mild loads of 60 gr of fff (ball) (bought the wrong powder, should have got ff)
So I think that load is only doing about 1400 FPS. So will try some loads at about 70 or 80gr some time but no rush. I figure its only good out to about 70 yards for hunting.

That target I posted was shot a few weeks ago, prior to making the peep. (I have no idea if that's considered good or sh1t for a .50 round ball. ML) LOL

I'm hoping to go out on a scouting trip for the day on friday so with luck I will get an opportunity to put a few through it and sight it in. Planning on about 2" high at 50 yards.

It was initially purchased pretty cheap as a "fun" gun. But I'm now thinking it would be grouse if I got the opportunity to use it hunting. We will see. Recently retired so more time on my hands now.

Still a lot to learn.
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Re: DIY Muzzle loader Peep sight

Post by bigpete » 26 Jan 2021, 6:35 pm

FFF is better than FF in a 50 cal although the 2 are relatively interchangeable in that calibre
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Re: DIY Muzzle loader Peep sight

Post by Oldbloke » 26 Jan 2021, 6:50 pm

bigpete wrote:FFF is better than FF in a 50 cal although the 2 are relatively interchangeable in that calibre


That's interesting bigpete. Everything I've read on the www, strongly suggests ff is better. Why do you say that mate?
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Re: DIY Muzzle loader Peep sight

Post by Wm.Traynor » 26 Jan 2021, 7:23 pm

If you can see that red dot, Oldbloke there ain't nuthin' wrong with your eyes :) Does not surprise that the V is blurred. Just count the blurs and use the same one every time. It's what I do :lol: :crazy:
Still very accurate for a muzzle loader I would have thought, although I know nothing about them. The lock time is...................casual, is it not? Good luck with the peep. I shot with one for 50 years, on and off and there are others on the forum who have experience, I think. One thing wrong with yours is that it is not close to your eye like a target shooter, so groups might suffer but if it is for hunting, then it looks right.
Look forward to your test results :)
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Re: DIY Muzzle loader Peep sight

Post by Noisydad » 26 Jan 2021, 7:29 pm

Nothing wrong with 3F in a .50. I use it in my .54 very successfully but do experiment with loads. BP rifles are all individuals.
There's still a few of Wile. E Coyote's ideas that I haven't tried yet.
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Re: DIY Muzzle loader Peep sight

Post by LawrenceA » 26 Jan 2021, 8:05 pm

Likewise I pretty much interchange fffg and ffg at 50 and 54 and fffg is correct for an enfield 58 musket.
ffg for bigger for sure.
fffg will produce less fouling and higher early pressure. basically it is a faster powder.
Noisydad is spot on with try both. For me it is more what I can get or have.
One well placed shot is all it takes.
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Re: DIY Muzzle loader Peep sight

Post by Oldbloke » 26 Jan 2021, 10:10 pm

Oh, ok noisy and Lawrence. Seems I made the right choice. Thankyou.
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Re: DIY Muzzle loader Peep sight

Post by bigpete » 27 Jan 2021, 5:27 pm

It usually gets higher velocity and fouls less. Look up NAML load data. Saying that I used 2f coz I also run 2 12g shotguns
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Re: DIY Muzzle loader Peep sight

Post by Oldbloke » 27 Jan 2021, 7:52 pm

bigpete wrote:It usually gets higher velocity and fouls less. Look up NAML load data. Saying that I used 2f coz I also run 2 12g shotguns


OK. Thanks Bigpete.

Its all still new to me. Lol
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