JimGnitecki
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- Joined
- Mar 28, 2010
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Testing, Testing . . . My Pedersoli Sharps Buffalo Rifle now has a historically semi-authentic fully length (35”) telescopic scope!
Introduction
In a previous posting, I mentioned that I am not only getting on a bit in age, but I also have the beginnings of macular degeneration in my eyes, so open sights no longer work well for me at long shooting distances. I need both strong lighting and magnification.
I recently bought a Pedersoli Sharps replica “buffalo rifle”, which of course is best used for either Black Powder Cartridge Rifle (“BPCR”) shooting, or Cowboy Action Shooting (“CAS”) side matches. I am not a fan of black powder, but I love CAS, AND I now am a member of a club that has not only a distinct CAS array of short ranges, but also both 200 yard and 600 yard ranges that we can hold side matches on!
I did a a pretty thorough job of researching both long range ladder tang sights with tunnel front sight combinations, and semi-authentic period telescopic sight systems. I concluded that given my eye situation, the period-correct telescopic sight system would be a better solution for me, given the need for both maximizing available light and getting a magnified image.
Mounting a scope on a Sharps replica rifle might sound “incorrect” to many shooters, but Mike Venturino and other shooting writers and researchers have proven that about 25% of all the original Sharps rifles produced left the factory with a telescopic sight system. So, mounting a scope on a Sharps replica is perfectly “authentic”, provided that the scope is reasonably semi-authentic in its basic operation, appearance, and materials.
In fact, The NRA added a scope category to BPCR back in the 1990s, when a good percentage of BPCR shooters were aging and realizing that they could no longer see well enough to shoot long range targets with open sights. The new scope category enabled them to continue enjoying shooting long range.
So, I decided to try one, and see how well it might work for me.
Sources
There are at least two obvious suppliers of semi-authentic historical full barrel length telescopic sight systems.
Montana Vintage Arms (”MVA”) produces a complete line of such scopes (along with other “vintage” scopes that lack the “full barrel length” feature of real “Old West” scopes), and their scopes, and the critically important scope mounting and adjustment systems, are both very well regarded, particularly by BPCR competitive shooters and champions. But their products are very costly even in the U.S., and I live in Canada. When the cost is converted into Canadian dollars, and the systems are shipped, dutied, and taxed, and my rifle cut, drilled, and tapped to accommodate installation, the actual cost for me would have been at LEAST $2000 CDN. As a retiree, that is simply not within my financial comfort range.
The other obvious supplier is Leatherwood Hi-Lux (Hereafter “Hi-Lux”), which is a modern descendant of the Leatherwood Company, which has a rich history within the shooting optics industry. Their offerings span a broader price and type range than MVA, even including reproductions of telescopic sights used by The Military in WW1 and WW2, and by hunters from the Old West time period through today.
Hi-Lux does not apparently have much penetration into BPCR and other competitive venues, primarily because they import both their optics and their mount/adjustor systems from China. Until as recently as last year, their optics were considered quite good (good resolution and very bright), but their mounting and adjustment systems were ok for hunters, but considered inadequate for serious competitive use.
Features of the nwest Hi-Lux Solution
That changed when Hi-Lux in late 2022 started selling a very upgraded CNC-made mounting and adjustment system, which includes several important features:
- It provides very fine and repeatable elevation adjustments at the rear mount
- It includes a front mount that separately provides windage adjustment
- It incorporates a “sliding” feature that alleviates recoil effects
- It uses existing front and rear sight dovetails on the rifle, rather than requiring drilling and tapping or machining of new dovetails.
- It uses ONE standard length of telescope (about 30”) but adds on a “sunshade” to the front of the scope that can be 3”, 5”, 7”, or 9” long.
Each of these features is a big deal.
The fine and repeatable elevation adjustment capabilities addressed the most serious objection to the previous mounting and adjustment system. Now you can adjust very finely with vernier capability, and can reliably reproduce specific settings, which is vital in a match.
The separation of elevation and windage adjustments between the rear and front mounts in theory makes it easier and less costly to manufacture the system to a higher quality standard. It also makes it easier and faster for a shooter to use the system (At least that is what I have found so far, as you will see later in this posting).
The “sliding” feature is a very important one for use on a buffalo rifle, because it allows the rifle to recoil, while the scope does NOT move with the rifle recoil. Rather, the scope “stays where it was” because the sliding mount system allows the rifle to recoil rearward while the mounts enable the scope to not move and not suffer the recoil loading that would otherwise impact both the scope and the mounts. This is hugely important on a buffalo rifle where the slow but very heavy bullets generate very large recoil forces. The sliding sstem is cleverly designed to maintain scope alignment despite the need to be able to slide, by using spring pressure to force the scope tube into exactly the same pre-firing position every time.
The use of existing front and rear sight dovetails on the rifle is a huge advantage for TWO reasons:
The multiple lengths of available thread-on “sunshades, which by the way are very inexpensive ($20 each in Canada), coupled with the sliding mounts, enable a shooter to adapt the telescope system to any rifle with a barrel length between 28 inches and 34 inches, regardless of where the dovetails might be and the length of pull desired for an individual stock and an individual shooter. The front mount attaches to the sunshade, not the scope tube that contains the actual optics.
It is important to mention at this point that all adjustments on actual Old West telescopic sights were EXTERNAL, not internal. Internal adjustments came much later because they require much more sophisticated production systems.
It is also important to mention that all actual Old West telescopic sights were full barrel length, for two practical reasons:
My specific Implementation
Here is what my Pedersoli Sharps Hunter model rifle now looks like:
Note the way that the design and the use of brass fittings for the sunshade and the eyepiece, and the design shape of the front and rear mounts evoke “Old West” appearance.
Here’s a photo of the new CNC mount with its built-in sliding feature, its cleverly integrated vertical vernier scale, and its settable fine adjustment knob at the top (I have not yet “zeroed” my top knob since I am still doing ladder testing with different loads):
Here’s a photo of the new front sight with the sliding mount and windage adjustment features:
Note the utter simplicity of the windage adjustment knobs, and the clear linear scale. Note that you can get VERY fine windage adjustments, and get them very quickly, by regulating how far you rotate the knobs. In fact, the next photo shows where I am testing aftermarket knobs which are larger, and which have 15 built-in “tickmarks” via their serrated perimeters:
Yes, I still need to first AGE the plastic knob by applying a dulling agent to it, so it looks like metal.
With THIS set of knobs, I can get 15 more “virtual tickmarks” via the “hollows” between the tickmarks, giving me the ability to see 30 subdivisions within one rotation of the windage knob. This means I can resolve windage down to 0.15 MOA. By simply painting white lines at the 5th, 10th, and 15th tickmark, I can facilitate very rapid windage changes while still enjoying 0.15 MOA resolution! This is incredibly advantageous in competition matches like BPCR and CAS side matches where “click” adjustments are prohibited because they did not exist in the 1800s.
The next photo shows where the front of the scope sunshade would be if the rifle has been fired, and the scope has “remained where it was” while the rifle itself has moved rearward. The maximum available range of movement with my specific setup is about an inch and a half, but my 500g bullet handloads which generate a power factor of 500g x 1126 fps / 1000 = 563 (!!), use only a fraction of that available range.
When considering installing a scope on a buffalo rifle, which has an exposed hammer, it is a good idea to ask the telescope supplier if the scope will CLEAR the hammer - regardless of the hammer’s current position (down, half cock, or full cock), and whether before, during or after firing, there might be any interference due to scope slide during recoil. Fortunately, I was assured that I would have hammer clearance all the time. here’s a photo:
Finally, here’s a crib sheet that I put together that tells me how to efficiently, accurately, and quickly use the scope adjustments:
The present and future
So, this is where my testing is currently at.
I am excited about the possibilities, but I need to assure msyelf that the external adjustment systems built into this setup are accurate, will hold their adjustments in the real world, and will be as quick and easy to use as it looks to me right now. I also hope the exposed and vulnerable position of the scope and its mounts won't make damage to the rifle more likely if I lay it down too hard or if it falls off a rear bag at the range,
Time will tell.
Jim G
Introduction
In a previous posting, I mentioned that I am not only getting on a bit in age, but I also have the beginnings of macular degeneration in my eyes, so open sights no longer work well for me at long shooting distances. I need both strong lighting and magnification.
I recently bought a Pedersoli Sharps replica “buffalo rifle”, which of course is best used for either Black Powder Cartridge Rifle (“BPCR”) shooting, or Cowboy Action Shooting (“CAS”) side matches. I am not a fan of black powder, but I love CAS, AND I now am a member of a club that has not only a distinct CAS array of short ranges, but also both 200 yard and 600 yard ranges that we can hold side matches on!
I did a a pretty thorough job of researching both long range ladder tang sights with tunnel front sight combinations, and semi-authentic period telescopic sight systems. I concluded that given my eye situation, the period-correct telescopic sight system would be a better solution for me, given the need for both maximizing available light and getting a magnified image.
Mounting a scope on a Sharps replica rifle might sound “incorrect” to many shooters, but Mike Venturino and other shooting writers and researchers have proven that about 25% of all the original Sharps rifles produced left the factory with a telescopic sight system. So, mounting a scope on a Sharps replica is perfectly “authentic”, provided that the scope is reasonably semi-authentic in its basic operation, appearance, and materials.
In fact, The NRA added a scope category to BPCR back in the 1990s, when a good percentage of BPCR shooters were aging and realizing that they could no longer see well enough to shoot long range targets with open sights. The new scope category enabled them to continue enjoying shooting long range.
So, I decided to try one, and see how well it might work for me.
Sources
There are at least two obvious suppliers of semi-authentic historical full barrel length telescopic sight systems.
Montana Vintage Arms (”MVA”) produces a complete line of such scopes (along with other “vintage” scopes that lack the “full barrel length” feature of real “Old West” scopes), and their scopes, and the critically important scope mounting and adjustment systems, are both very well regarded, particularly by BPCR competitive shooters and champions. But their products are very costly even in the U.S., and I live in Canada. When the cost is converted into Canadian dollars, and the systems are shipped, dutied, and taxed, and my rifle cut, drilled, and tapped to accommodate installation, the actual cost for me would have been at LEAST $2000 CDN. As a retiree, that is simply not within my financial comfort range.
The other obvious supplier is Leatherwood Hi-Lux (Hereafter “Hi-Lux”), which is a modern descendant of the Leatherwood Company, which has a rich history within the shooting optics industry. Their offerings span a broader price and type range than MVA, even including reproductions of telescopic sights used by The Military in WW1 and WW2, and by hunters from the Old West time period through today.
Hi-Lux does not apparently have much penetration into BPCR and other competitive venues, primarily because they import both their optics and their mount/adjustor systems from China. Until as recently as last year, their optics were considered quite good (good resolution and very bright), but their mounting and adjustment systems were ok for hunters, but considered inadequate for serious competitive use.
Features of the nwest Hi-Lux Solution
That changed when Hi-Lux in late 2022 started selling a very upgraded CNC-made mounting and adjustment system, which includes several important features:
- It provides very fine and repeatable elevation adjustments at the rear mount
- It includes a front mount that separately provides windage adjustment
- It incorporates a “sliding” feature that alleviates recoil effects
- It uses existing front and rear sight dovetails on the rifle, rather than requiring drilling and tapping or machining of new dovetails.
- It uses ONE standard length of telescope (about 30”) but adds on a “sunshade” to the front of the scope that can be 3”, 5”, 7”, or 9” long.
Each of these features is a big deal.
The fine and repeatable elevation adjustment capabilities addressed the most serious objection to the previous mounting and adjustment system. Now you can adjust very finely with vernier capability, and can reliably reproduce specific settings, which is vital in a match.
The separation of elevation and windage adjustments between the rear and front mounts in theory makes it easier and less costly to manufacture the system to a higher quality standard. It also makes it easier and faster for a shooter to use the system (At least that is what I have found so far, as you will see later in this posting).
The “sliding” feature is a very important one for use on a buffalo rifle, because it allows the rifle to recoil, while the scope does NOT move with the rifle recoil. Rather, the scope “stays where it was” because the sliding mount system allows the rifle to recoil rearward while the mounts enable the scope to not move and not suffer the recoil loading that would otherwise impact both the scope and the mounts. This is hugely important on a buffalo rifle where the slow but very heavy bullets generate very large recoil forces. The sliding sstem is cleverly designed to maintain scope alignment despite the need to be able to slide, by using spring pressure to force the scope tube into exactly the same pre-firing position every time.
The use of existing front and rear sight dovetails on the rifle is a huge advantage for TWO reasons:
- It simplifies and greatly reduces the cost of installation (You can install this new system by yourself, without needing a gunsmith OR machine shop)
The multiple lengths of available thread-on “sunshades, which by the way are very inexpensive ($20 each in Canada), coupled with the sliding mounts, enable a shooter to adapt the telescope system to any rifle with a barrel length between 28 inches and 34 inches, regardless of where the dovetails might be and the length of pull desired for an individual stock and an individual shooter. The front mount attaches to the sunshade, not the scope tube that contains the actual optics.
It is important to mention at this point that all adjustments on actual Old West telescopic sights were EXTERNAL, not internal. Internal adjustments came much later because they require much more sophisticated production systems.
It is also important to mention that all actual Old West telescopic sights were full barrel length, for two practical reasons:
- With then current production technologies and capabilities, it was much easier to provide acceptable optics by making the telescope tube as long as possible
- Apparently, mirage off those large caliber buffalo rifle barrels was an issue, and extending the scope all the way to the muzzle alleviated that problem.
My specific Implementation
Here is what my Pedersoli Sharps Hunter model rifle now looks like:
Note the way that the design and the use of brass fittings for the sunshade and the eyepiece, and the design shape of the front and rear mounts evoke “Old West” appearance.
Here’s a photo of the new CNC mount with its built-in sliding feature, its cleverly integrated vertical vernier scale, and its settable fine adjustment knob at the top (I have not yet “zeroed” my top knob since I am still doing ladder testing with different loads):
Here’s a photo of the new front sight with the sliding mount and windage adjustment features:
Note the utter simplicity of the windage adjustment knobs, and the clear linear scale. Note that you can get VERY fine windage adjustments, and get them very quickly, by regulating how far you rotate the knobs. In fact, the next photo shows where I am testing aftermarket knobs which are larger, and which have 15 built-in “tickmarks” via their serrated perimeters:
Yes, I still need to first AGE the plastic knob by applying a dulling agent to it, so it looks like metal.
With THIS set of knobs, I can get 15 more “virtual tickmarks” via the “hollows” between the tickmarks, giving me the ability to see 30 subdivisions within one rotation of the windage knob. This means I can resolve windage down to 0.15 MOA. By simply painting white lines at the 5th, 10th, and 15th tickmark, I can facilitate very rapid windage changes while still enjoying 0.15 MOA resolution! This is incredibly advantageous in competition matches like BPCR and CAS side matches where “click” adjustments are prohibited because they did not exist in the 1800s.
The next photo shows where the front of the scope sunshade would be if the rifle has been fired, and the scope has “remained where it was” while the rifle itself has moved rearward. The maximum available range of movement with my specific setup is about an inch and a half, but my 500g bullet handloads which generate a power factor of 500g x 1126 fps / 1000 = 563 (!!), use only a fraction of that available range.
When considering installing a scope on a buffalo rifle, which has an exposed hammer, it is a good idea to ask the telescope supplier if the scope will CLEAR the hammer - regardless of the hammer’s current position (down, half cock, or full cock), and whether before, during or after firing, there might be any interference due to scope slide during recoil. Fortunately, I was assured that I would have hammer clearance all the time. here’s a photo:
Finally, here’s a crib sheet that I put together that tells me how to efficiently, accurately, and quickly use the scope adjustments:
The present and future
So, this is where my testing is currently at.
I am excited about the possibilities, but I need to assure msyelf that the external adjustment systems built into this setup are accurate, will hold their adjustments in the real world, and will be as quick and easy to use as it looks to me right now. I also hope the exposed and vulnerable position of the scope and its mounts won't make damage to the rifle more likely if I lay it down too hard or if it falls off a rear bag at the range,
Time will tell.
Jim G
My neighbor has a Ruger 77 220 swift with Unertl on it. It's neat too. But like yours better.
