Before putting the finish on my latest Hawken, a near exact copy of Kit Carson's rifle, I fired it for functioning and sighted it in. I used Hornady .530 balls, 60 grains of Olde Eynsford 2F and pillow ticking- which tore. Shot at 50 yards from bench. The sights are Track's RS-KC-16 (for a 1" barrel, but mine is 1 1/8 to 1 tapered, 31 1/8" long). I fired three shots then filed the front sight lower- and repeated twice. Shots 6, 7, 8, and 9 were with .012 linen (crushed reading), which did not tear. I filed the front sight lower after shot 7. I had a damp patch on the seating jag so the barrel got wiped at each loading.
I knew this would result in a low sight, but that is how the original is. The sight is now .150 tall. It is Track's FS-TC-CB-81, which is .275 tall above the barrel flat.
The rear sight is Track's RS-KC-16, I think a close copy of the original, but the top of the notch is only .215 tall. This means a low front sight, but that is like the original. That is why I make my own rear sights for Bridger and the previous Carson rifle I made, and why I had this one left over.
So now on to the finishing, and I plan to shoot this in Jim's Peep Shoot at Easter.
