Sighting in my 450 Dakota - I could use some advice

[NIGHTHAWK]

My new to me 450 Dakota was purchased through Champlin Firearms 1 year ago and needs to be sighted in with the express sights. Great experience with George at Champlin! I just got around to shooting it last weekend. Not sure where to start with sighting it in on open sights. I know I'll put a DG scope on it. Not sure of the scope brand yet, but it will likely be Nightforce or Swarovski, but I won't rule out others. My intention is to hunt next year for Ele with it first, possibly a buff during the same trip, and certainly PG. I still have tiny ten to complete. I'll likely bring a second rifle too (300 RUM). I have Ammo, to include several boxes that came with the rifle, as well as ammo purchased from a second source. Unfortunately, I don't know the load data, just the bullet brand, type, and weight. I have access to a ballistic chronograph and could test some of these rounds or I can buy additional bullets and load my own with the brass I have. I'm not certain how the sights were regulated? I don't know the ammo used or if the first fixed sight is set for 50 yards or 100 yards? They are not labeled.

Questions:

1. What ammo should I use to set my open sights? Obviously the bullets I intend to use the most will be important/critical? See list below.
2. Knowing I will shoot Ele, Buff, and possibly Tiny Ten and/or PG if the opportunity presents, which bullets/ammo should I consider?
3. What distance should I use and where should my shot placement be, or end up, if 50 yards is used to adjust my sights?
4. See target below shot with (2 Shots) 500 Gr Woodleigh Soft Nose at 50 Yards at Sea Level.
5. I have an email in to Parkwest to see if they could help. Hard to know if they will have any information as this is an original Dakota rifle.

Factory (Dakota) Ammo that came with the rifle:
(2) Boxes of 500 Gr Woodleigh Solids
(1) Box 500 Gr Woodleigh Soft Nose
(1) Box 550 Gr Woodleigh Soft Nose

Ammo purchased through one of our members:
(2) boxes Superior Ammunition, 1 - 400 gr Swift A Frame, 1 - 500 gr Swift A Frame
(2) Boxes Dakota Ammunition, 1 - 400 gr Swift A frame, 1 - 400 gr Kodiak bonded.
(1) 10 round box Dakota Ammunition, 500 gr Swift A Frame

I set up on a 50 yard target and only had time for 2 shots using the first fixed sight and shooting from my led sled -Only as a rest.

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[Jefferry404]

I had to replace my front sight on my 416 Rigby Dakota with one from NECG (talking with Dakota, that is factory). The dovetail was cut a bit narrow but was able to sand the bottom and sides to fit.

 

[Ruraldoc]

Fold up the leafs and see where it hits? Also try it off off shooting sticks,instead of the lead sled.

Both leafs may give you a usable zero.

 

[Hogpatrol]

As above, get off the Led Sled. They are hard on scopes and wooden stocks.

 

[Ruraldoc]

The quickest solution would be to install a Talley Removable Peep sight on your rear scope base.

It should allow you to easily correct for windage and elevation. It will also hold zero when you take it on and off in conjuction with your scope.

It's an easy fix without changing out your front or rear sights.

 

[RR 314]

From your current ammo, the Woodleigh solids will obviously be your choice for elephant. Then again, you may want to burn through most of what you have getting familiar with the rifle, find what you prefer along the way, and reload. Solids would obviously be acceptable on the tiny 10, I would wait and do any sight adjustment once you decide which ammo you like. The good thing is you have plenty of brass once you are done shooting your loaded ammo.

 

[Rare Breed]

From your current ammo, the Woodleigh solids will obviously be your choice for elephant. Then again, you may want to burn through most of what you have getting familiar with the rifle, find what you prefer along the way, and reload. Solids would obviously be acceptable on the tiny 10, I would wait and do any sight adjustment once you decide which ammo you like. The good thing is you have plenty of brass once you are done shooting your loaded ammo.

Given it is a new Champlain rifle I would use CEB for elephant…deadly

 

[uplander01]

As mentioned above, call Dakota, ask for Ward, he can help you with sights and load data. I have bought extra rear sights and filed in then sent to them for bluing.....front sight are really easy to get things moved around (NECG).

 

[JG26Irish_2]

The quickest solution would be to install a Talley Removable Peep sight on your rear scope base.

It should allow you to easily correct for windage and elevation. It will also hold zero when you take it on and off in conjuction with your scope.

It's an easy fix without changing out your front or rear sights.

I think I would echo this option but, would clarify to get a ghost ring rear sight not a peep. The ghost ring is much larger and very fast to aim and fire and will produce excellent accuracy that is almost as good as a scope at modest ranges and performs comparable to a red-dot. The only thing to think about is that you stated that you planned to also mount a scope? If so, I would look into one of the available QD mounts for both the scope and the rear ghost ring sight so they can be swapped. I am not a fan of express type iron sights. But, they are better than nothing and clearly your rifle is plenty precise, so it just needs the sights sorted out.

Try shooting it with the first leaf folded up. That should move the POI up somewhat. And no matter what, stop using the lead sled, lest you crack that pretty stock. I know that shooting those things off of a bench is not fun. If it is too much fun, shoot it off of sticks. The groups will be a little larger but you will still know where it is hitting in real world conditions.

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

I think I would echo this option but, would clarify to get a ghost ring rear sight not a peep. The ghost ring is much larger and very fast to aim and fire and will produce excellent accuracy that is almost as good as a scope at modest ranges and performs comparable to a red-dot. The only thing to think about is that you stated that you planned to also mount a scope? If so, I would look into one of the available QD mounts for both the scope and the rear ghost ring sight so they can be swapped. I am not a fan of express type iron sights. But, they are better than nothing and clearly your rifle is plenty precise, so it just needs the sights sorted out.

Try shooting it with the first leaf folded up. That should move the POI up somewhat. And no matter what, stop using the lead sled, lest you crack that pretty stock. I know that shooting those things off of a bench is not fun. If it is too much fun, shoot it off of sticks. The groups will be a little larger but you will still know where it is hitting in real world conditions.

Thank you! Good points and appreciated. The rifle has Talley bases installed…

As a practice, I don’t use the lead sled often. Probably why it’s 20 years old and looks brand new. The benches at my rod and gun club are low and I’m 6’-2”, so it helped me steady this rifle to confirm a couple shots. I’m not recoil sensitive, so it’s not an issue. Enough said about that.

Once I get these sights set, I’ll transition to shooting sticks. I have shot a lot of animals off sticks with my .375’s, so that is very familiar to me…

 

[Nhoro]

My Lott was dead on at 75 m so I didn't need to adjust the sights. I would try shooting off sticks in the same way that you will use it in the field. The recoil effects the POI.

Next download a ballistics app and see what changes in bullet/velocity etc does. In my experience there is little difference between loads out to 100 m. My experience is that there is less than 1 inch difference out to 100 m before it drops off pretty dramatically. So shooting ability is more important ie recoil and using open sights. So for me, if I am shooting my Lott, all ammo is within 1 inch and the rifle shoots better than me anyway. For longer distance, put a scope on.

 

[Ruraldoc]

The removable peep sight available from Talley has a removable aperature that once removed becomes a ghost ring.

So you can sight in a perfect zero with the aperature installed and remove it for practice and hunting.

It pretty much checks all the boxes.

 

[Ruraldoc]

Also, there is a very real chance of destroying your stock if you continue to shoot it on that lead sled.

It could happen on the very next shot, so be advised that it is a really bad idea with dangerous game cartridges of the magnitude or your 450.

 

[RR 314]

I think he said above that he is only using the lead sled as a rest. I read this, perhaps read into this, as he is not using any (added) weight to it. If that is the case, I wouldn’t have any concern with the utilization. Would anyone else?

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

I think he said above that he is only using the lead sled as a rest. I read this, perhaps read into this, as he is not using any (added) weight to it. If that is the case, I wouldn’t have any concern with the utilization. Would anyone else? I only used it to steady my rifle because it gave me some more elevation. Not using it anymore.

Correct, Thanks.

I only used it to steady my rifle because it gave me some more elevation on the low bench and I wanted my first two shots to be uninfluenced by any additional input from me. Stock is fine. Not using sled anymore.

I was more interested in opinions to my original questions. Now that I have that, I'll likely continue at 50 yards, use one type of bullet/from same ammo, try the next fold up leaf on my express sights, see what happens and adjust the sights for windage if needed. Then decide where to go from there. I'm also narrowing my scope selection.

Thanks again for all the input/advise, it's much appreciated. Even the led sled concerns. Sincerely.

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

Found it….

 

[zephyr]

In Terry Wieland"s book Dangerous Game Rifles he talks about setting up Irons for your Dangerous Game rifle
A bullet leaving an "iron sighted" gun departs the barrel approx .5"s below line of sight, will cross the line of sight travel above the line of sight then falls below the line of sight as velocity diminishes and gravity does it's thing ...
For a DG rifle he recommends that you zero your irons where the bullet crosses the line of sight on the way up
For example ...when I built my 505 I used the JBM Ballistic Web Sight to determine the flight path of a 525gr bullet leaving the muzzle at 2300FPS.... Using the JBM site I moved the zero until I got the flight path I desired Then filed in my rear sight for a 30 yrd zero ...My chosen bullet starts .5"s below the line of sight crosses at 30yrds travels within a bullet diameter above the line of sight and crosses on the way down around 105yrds could not ask for more with a heavy hitter

JBM - Calculations - Trajectory

www.jbmballistics.com

 

[Jefferry404]

The 1.5” above boreline sounds like for a scope, irons more like 1”.