Seems everyone has a different hold or feel for the amount of drop on rifles and shotguns. Myself the drop pictured on the Carlos Gove rifle is a plus to me sighting for open sights. In my eye these rifles were made for the hunter frontiersman that traveled through rough country alone and with not much provisions. The wiping rod is just that a wiping rod . Handy after an evening shot at an antelope for supper. Sit down and clean your old rifle by the fire. For long range , that would proably not be the choice of many , but remember these rifles were built with the hunter in mind. Not long range target shooting like most Bp. rifles are used today. I dont know about Y'all but a big bore hunting rifle with iron sights in a hunting situation 150 yds. or so, is long shooting for me . If I carried that rifle every day like they did I could prob. get a bit more out of it. Yep I think I could get along with that one. ,,,,DT