Hi all, I have recently aquired a original Ballard to shoot blackpowder Silhouette over here in Australia. My home range is only good for 300m. Can someone tell me roughly how much i need to move my tang sight to get from chickens to Rams. The rifle I have has what i would class as a mid range tang sight on it and I dont want to go to my first match with the gun and find out i don't have enough elevation as its around a 8hr trip to the shoot.

Thanks Dave McCarthy

Good for you. But what's the caliber...and who's sight is it? What's the setting at any range? My 40-70 2 1/2 Sharps with a 400 gr projectile and 68 grs Swiss 11/2 powder shows "56" at 200 meters and 108 at 500 meters. 300 is around 63-66 depending on humidity. Each hash mark is 1/20 of an inch, or 5 minutes assuming the general blackpowder velocity of 1200 fps. Remember 100% loading density, over powder wad then the bullet seated just at the lands. Blow tube between shots. Careful with all vintage rifles ...if a casting was used for the breech block...they have been known to blow and take out an eye. (no smokeless in other words)

Its a pacific ballard in 45/70 everlasting.(or thats what i have been told) it shoots a 431diameter projectile around 450g. Its grouping really well with 65g swiss 2f. The rear sight is an axtell but i fear that I will not have enough elevation on it to get to 500. In thou's approximatly how far is it on your gun from 200 to 500. On mine its just over 100thou from 200 to 300

You should be fine with a mid range sight. Once again my sight reads "56" at 200 and "108" at 500....i don't know what that translate to on your sight...besides you're upside down where you live! Stuff some more powder and compress a little more. Your bullet should be sized .001 larger than the bore ( groove to groove). You need at least 10 "marks" above your 200 zero...remember each mark is spaced 5 minutes of an angle

Fancy the stinking pom needing to ask advice!!!
My sharps is shooting a 500gr pill with 60gr 0f swiss 2F.
200m is 3/4" on the vernier and 500m is 1,3/8".
Hope it helps Dave.
Taps.