Point of Impact - Cap and Ball / 45lc cylinder

[curtism1234]

I'm thinking of buying a conversion cylinder for my Pietta 1858.

My cap and ball shoots 4" low and 4" right at 25 yards.

What is a 45lc likely to do?

[Longknife 76]

The same!!!!!!!

[remdog58]

i think you should ask how can i get my pistol to shoot point of aim?,and how do that and what tools are needed for this project?.just trying to help out my friend

Respectfully,

Tha Dog

[coyotejoe]

Not at all the same! The heavier bullets from the .45 Colt will impact much  higher than roundballs.
 I'm working with a Kirst Konverter in an 1860 Colt repo right now.  I had sights set to shoot dead center at 25 yards with the roundball over 28 grains volume of Pyrodex or 3f Goex in the percussion cylinder. With the .45 Colt I had to make a much taller front sight to get my shots on paper.  I won't bother trying for an exact zero untill I settle on the exact load I want to shoot. As of now it is about zeroed for a 200 grain bullet at about 800 fps. With that zero it throws a 250 grain bullet about 6 inches higher and a roundball about six inches lower, so a total of about one food difference between the roundball and the 250 grain bullet. My guess is you also will need a taller front sight to bring the point of impact down to the point of aim. If you have the new front sight dovetailed to the barrel you can also adjust windage by knocking it side to side in its slot.
 So when they say you can switch between percussion and cartridge in seconds that does not take into account actually hitting anything, because to do so will also require switching sights.  Of course you can load roundballs in the .45 Colt cartridge and likely still shoot to about the same POI as with the percussion cylinder. I shot some just today with 6.2 grains of Trail Boss and got 740 fps compared to 1040 fps with 28 grains volume of pyrodex, also loaded in .45 Colt cartridges. I had never chronographed that load from the percussioon cylinder and was pretty surprised it ran so fast from the .45 Colt. That's not even a maximum load, I have loaded 35 grains volume of Pyrodex in the .45 Colt with a 255 grain bullet, now I'm curious as to how fast a casefull of Pyrodex can push a roundball.

[Flint]

The cartridge is a lot more efficient than the loose powder and ball percussion loading, and will spit the roundball out a lot faster.

[beerbelly]

My Old Army Ruger shoots way high with the R&D cylender. I am going to have to get a much taller front sight.
                                 Beerbelly

[kitchawan kid]

Same here, Beerbelly,I have a few Rugers with that problem,rear sight down all the way,not that easy to change front sight with out gunsmith,and refinish gun.

[Flint]

You can buy 45 caliber bullerts of 165 and 185 grain weight as well, and the lighter bullets will shoot more to the roundball's POI as well as being better suited for the roundball's slower rifling twist.

[Sir Charles deMoutonBlack]

Rule of thumb;  With a pistol, the heavier the projectile, the higher the point of impact.  You might find doubters, but this is my experience, confirmed by much I have read. 

There is a "Big-Lube" bullet , the EPP-Ugg, that mimics the weight of a .451 roundball at about 155 grains.

http://www.biglube.com/

[WILD_WEASEL]

My 5 1/2 fixed sited SS ROA always shot low with cap & ball.  I bought an R&D 45 Colt Conversion also in SS for it and guess what?  It shoots to point of aim with my 250gr 45 Colt cowboy loads (250gr LSWC over 8gr Unique).  Since my local indoor range does not allow black powder loads the smokeless cowboy loads work out great!

[NickSS]

I had the same problem with my Piatta and a R&D conversion cylinder.  I fixed the problem to my satisfation by loading the same components into 45 scofield brass as I do in my C&B cylinder (28gr FFFG and a 454 RB)  I seat the RB flush with the case mouth and smear bullet lube over the ball.  The gun shoots both to the same point to aim.