Perdersoli 1874 Creedmoor sight choice?

Thorerik · February 14, 2014, 10:50 AM

I have an 1874 Sharps type rifle I bought at Cabelas a few years ago, 45.70. I think it was made by Pedersoli but can only find the Cabelas name on the rifle. It came with sights mounted on the barrel.

I would like to add a Creedmoor type sight but just don't know which to get. I see there are at least three ranges, short/medium/long. I would like to be able to shoot at any range that is practical. What is practical anyway for this cartridge? I know you have to shoot pretty high to lob the bullets in. Why not get the long range one and use it for all ranges?
Do you keep the Creedmoor sight on the rifle, I mean should it fold down flat against the stock? It seems that it could get damaged very easily. There must be some way of quickly attaching it to the rifle without fumbling with screws.

I have a leather buttstock sleeve I thought about modifying the right outboard side to add a leather pouch just big enough to keep the sight in. I have seen people keep spare ammo handly like this. What was the practice in the old days, just keep the sight in your pocket?

If anyone can suggest which one to buy I would appreciate it.
Thanks,
Thorerik

Pahoo · February 14, 2014, 11:30 AM

Quote:

I would like to add a Creedmoor type sight but just don't know which to get.

This is a similar question that I recently asked about my 1871 rolling-block. and you may be able to get a good direction from other inputs. I know I sure have. In addition to this, the latest copy of Guns Magazine, has an article on this subject. ....

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=541599

Good Luck and;
Be Safe !!!

NoSecondBest · February 14, 2014, 12:33 PM

If you really want to shoot long range with that rifle (I had one of the Creedmoor Pedersoli's a few years ago) you can do it with the medium range sight. As far as sights go, it's easy to spend seven or eight hundred dollars on a decent set of sights for the gun. Hard to believe but it's true. You really need a precision made sight to do long range shooting. It's very important to get the sight mounted so it's truly vertical with the bore or it will shift left or right as it's raised and lowered. Also, you need to get rid of all the backlash in the adjustments. For up to around two hundred yards you might be able to get by with the Pedersoli tang sight and globe front sight. That will set you back around four hundred. To get good sights like MVA, you'll spend several hundred more. You can take the sight off the base on a good sight but most leave them on once they are set and adjusted. They don't harm anything since they don't fold down all the way to the stock. You need to research this some to learn about it before jumping in and waste money on cheap sights that don't work and you need to determine if you want to shoot long range bad enough to spend hundreds of dollars on a sight you may never get the use out of.

fineredmist · February 14, 2014, 02:07 PM

I have a pair of Uberti 1885 High Walls that I used with Pedersoli's Soule sight set and I found them to be very good quality. These are target sights and are not intended to be removed once installed as it requires the sight to be set up each time they are removed. If you go ahead a buy a set I would recommend you also purchase a adjustable eye piece such as a Hadley Cup as they allow you to change the size of the rear apperature according to light conditions. Once you have learned how to properly use these sights you will be amazed at the accuracy you can get from them. It was not uncommon for me to shoot <1" groups at 200 yds with this rifle chambered in 38/55.

Thorerik · February 14, 2014, 06:02 PM

PaHoo: I looked at the Feb 14 issues of Guns but didn't see the article you mentioned. What month/year was it?

Pahoo · February 14, 2014, 06:11 PM

Quote:

What month/year was it?

April, 2014 and starts on page-20.
Be sure to note the comment about the "Combination open & Peep sight" , option. ...

Let me know what you think and;
Be Safe !!!

spitpatch · February 14, 2014, 06:30 PM

The most I could get out of a C-Sharps 30" barrel with 70.5 gr swiss 1 1/2 and 530 gr bullet was 800 yds with the mid range sight. When I got the opportunity to shoot at 1000 it just did not do it. Now I have LR sights on my 45-70s. I guess it is what you consider long range. I have lived places where if you could shoot over 100 yds we thought we were shooting long range.

Chestnut Forge · February 14, 2014, 07:48 PM

I got invited to a center-fire "long range" shoot years ago. They were shooting .308s, '06s and the like at 300 yards.

Hawg · February 14, 2014, 09:04 PM

I put a Pedersoli long range sight on my IAB paper cutter. The rear sight by itself was 80 bucks. Its not the best sight for long range but its not the worst one either. If you can afford to buy a better quality sight do so, you wont regret it.
If you don't want to leave it mounted just leave the base on the rifle and remove the actual sight with the two thumb screws.

Pahoo · February 14, 2014, 09:38 PM

Quote:

If you don't want to leave it mounted just leave the base on the rifle and remove the actual sight with the two thumb screws

Thanks Hawg and I have a similar Pedersoli on my 1871 rolling block. For now, I'm going to remove it and spec out a "Combination open & Peep sight"

Be Safe !!!

Thorerik · February 18, 2014, 01:03 PM

I ended up with a Pedersoli "English" 466 sight. It snaps into the upright position via spring pressure and there is an adjustment screw to get the sight perpendicular to the barrel. It doesn't fold down flat, I'll just try to find a thumbscrew for the base so I can remove it to prevent damage. Thank you all for the advice!

Here in the great Pacific Northwest we have a range down by Shelton, WA (Paul Bunyun) that you can shoot at over 1000 yds if you like. My brother wanted more of a challenge at less cost so he ditched his Springfield M1-A .308 and started shooting his AR-15 at this range. I thought it was nuts but I saw for myself what can be done with the right equipment. Oh yeah, open sights too. Quite challenging to say the least. On a hot day you can actually follow the bullet to the target. He has to shoot at least 80 grn bullets to get any consistency and bought a special twist 20" barrel.

I read the article. Imagine options going for your rifle at only $2.50 a pop! Of course back in the day that was a fortune! You know all those rifles were produced, where are they today?

I would like to include my Sharps rifle in Cowboy Action Shooting but my club does not have enough interest and we only have a 200 yd range.

February 14, 2014, 10:50 AM	#1
Thorerik Junior Member Join Date: February 13, 2014 Posts: 9	Perdersoli 1874 Creedmoor sight choice? I have an 1874 Sharps type rifle I bought at Cabelas a few years ago, 45.70. I think it was made by Pedersoli but can only find the Cabelas name on the rifle. It came with sights mounted on the barrel. I would like to add a Creedmoor type sight but just don't know which to get. I see there are at least three ranges, short/medium/long. I would like to be able to shoot at any range that is practical. What is practical anyway for this cartridge? I know you have to shoot pretty high to lob the bullets in. Why not get the long range one and use it for all ranges? Do you keep the Creedmoor sight on the rifle, I mean should it fold down flat against the stock? It seems that it could get damaged very easily. There must be some way of quickly attaching it to the rifle without fumbling with screws. I have a leather buttstock sleeve I thought about modifying the right outboard side to add a leather pouch just big enough to keep the sight in. I have seen people keep spare ammo handly like this. What was the practice in the old days, just keep the sight in your pocket? If anyone can suggest which one to buy I would appreciate it. Thanks, Thorerik

February 18, 2014, 01:03 PM	#11
Thorerik Junior Member Join Date: February 13, 2014 Posts: 9	Long range shooting I ended up with a Pedersoli "English" 466 sight. It snaps into the upright position via spring pressure and there is an adjustment screw to get the sight perpendicular to the barrel. It doesn't fold down flat, I'll just try to find a thumbscrew for the base so I can remove it to prevent damage. Thank you all for the advice! Here in the great Pacific Northwest we have a range down by Shelton, WA (Paul Bunyun) that you can shoot at over 1000 yds if you like. My brother wanted more of a challenge at less cost so he ditched his Springfield M1-A .308 and started shooting his AR-15 at this range. I thought it was nuts but I saw for myself what can be done with the right equipment. Oh yeah, open sights too. Quite challenging to say the least. On a hot day you can actually follow the bullet to the target. He has to shoot at least 80 grn bullets to get any consistency and bought a special twist 20" barrel. I read the article. Imagine options going for your rifle at only $2.50 a pop! Of course back in the day that was a fortune! You know all those rifles were produced, where are they today? I would like to include my Sharps rifle in Cowboy Action Shooting but my club does not have enough interest and we only have a 200 yd range. Last edited by Thorerik; February 18, 2014 at 01:14 PM.

February 14, 2014, 12:33 PM	#3
NoSecondBest Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 2009 Location: Western New York Posts: 2,736	If you really want to shoot long range with that rifle (I had one of the Creedmoor Pedersoli's a few years ago) you can do it with the medium range sight. As far as sights go, it's easy to spend seven or eight hundred dollars on a decent set of sights for the gun. Hard to believe but it's true. You really need a precision made sight to do long range shooting. It's very important to get the sight mounted so it's truly vertical with the bore or it will shift left or right as it's raised and lowered. Also, you need to get rid of all the backlash in the adjustments. For up to around two hundred yards you might be able to get by with the Pedersoli tang sight and globe front sight. That will set you back around four hundred. To get good sights like MVA, you'll spend several hundred more. You can take the sight off the base on a good sight but most leave them on once they are set and adjusted. They don't harm anything since they don't fold down all the way to the stock. You need to research this some to learn about it before jumping in and waste money on cheap sights that don't work and you need to determine if you want to shoot long range bad enough to spend hundreds of dollars on a sight you may never get the use out of.

February 14, 2014, 02:07 PM	#4
fineredmist Senior Member Join Date: November 2, 2008 Location: Wethersfield, ct Posts: 128	I have a pair of Uberti 1885 High Walls that I used with Pedersoli's Soule sight set and I found them to be very good quality. These are target sights and are not intended to be removed once installed as it requires the sight to be set up each time they are removed. If you go ahead a buy a set I would recommend you also purchase a adjustable eye piece such as a Hadley Cup as they allow you to change the size of the rear apperature according to light conditions. Once you have learned how to properly use these sights you will be amazed at the accuracy you can get from them. It was not uncommon for me to shoot <1" groups at 200 yds with this rifle chambered in 38/55.

February 14, 2014, 06:02 PM	#5
Thorerik Junior Member Join Date: February 13, 2014 Posts: 9	PaHoo: I looked at the Feb 14 issues of Guns but didn't see the article you mentioned. What month/year was it?

February 14, 2014, 06:30 PM	#7
spitpatch Senior Member Join Date: August 31, 2009 Location: Arizona Posts: 171	The most I could get out of a C-Sharps 30" barrel with 70.5 gr swiss 1 1/2 and 530 gr bullet was 800 yds with the mid range sight. When I got the opportunity to shoot at 1000 it just did not do it. Now I have LR sights on my 45-70s. I guess it is what you consider long range. I have lived places where if you could shoot over 100 yds we thought we were shooting long range.

February 14, 2014, 07:48 PM	#8
Chestnut Forge Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2013 Location: Polk, Pa Posts: 123	I got invited to a center-fire "long range" shoot years ago. They were shooting .308s, '06s and the like at 300 yards.

February 14, 2014, 09:04 PM	#9
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,376	I put a Pedersoli long range sight on my IAB paper cutter. The rear sight by itself was 80 bucks. Its not the best sight for long range but its not the worst one either. If you can afford to buy a better quality sight do so, you wont regret it. If you don't want to leave it mounted just leave the base on the rifle and remove the actual sight with the two thumb screws.