doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Shooting left or right of center?

Another gun fit question, somewhat relevant to my previous post about rib/no rib:

A day at the skeet range with a brand new sxs found me having some difficulty hitting high house left to right targets. A trip to the patterning board showed that when aiming the bead at an aiming point, it centered the pattern perfectly. But when snap shooting both barrels at the same aiming point six or eight times to get an average, it patterned ever slightly left of center, which might explain my difficulty with high house crossing targets. Or not. Also, I missed very few low house crossing targets.

What is the best way to change left/right point of aim on a gun? Bend the stock? Shave a bit off the side? Or leave as is, and get more familiar with the gun before doing anything rash? The gun smoked anything coming or going. Only crossing shots presented any difficulty. It is also a lightweight gun with light barrels, which are not generally easy to shoot on long crossing shots.

I'd say you answered your own question.

What distance did you pattern it?

35 yds.

A skeet crosser isn't a long crossing shot unless you make into a tracking shot. But that's skeet of course.

jack

Since you said the pattern was off a little when snap shooting at 35 yards then at 20 to 25 yards it would be even closer. I would say your problem might stem from form not POI. If the chokes are f/f then the POI will matter more than if they are open since, as in hand grenades, you would be close enough. It sounds like you just formed one of those bad habits that I have. Possiby stopping the gun when you swing in one direction is a possible explanation. Someone once suggeted that when I miss I should double the lead. It usually works and is easy for me to remember.

How much is slightly left of centre @ 35 yds? Sounds to me like you may not have an issue at all if it is slight, meaning there is significant pattern overlap and both patterns are covering the centre. It does not sound like you have sufficient rounds shot to make any absolute statement where it is shooting, yet. edit: 'with a light gun or bbls.', you could get a slight variance with just changing brands of ammunition and/or shot weight and perhaps even with the methods of hold, i.e., use of a bbl guard like hOmeless depicted or using the forearm as the forward hand's resting point. Sounds like the new gun is also choked, so if you back up 21 yards and fire several patterns, that will tell you what you have to play with to the centre of the skeet field. You may find THAT slight, as in not many inches wide, predicated on the load and choke ;-) I would be more inclined to think that you may be shooting in front of those left to right targets, assuming you are right handed. Or too, you could be starting a bit too far to the left & chasing the targets which from a perception perspective look faster than they often are or stopping the gun or any one of a number of things aside from a gun issue. Go back and try it again, but on targets like high 2, shoot right at it and forget about lead. On other left to right quartering or mid field shots, make yourself see the taret first, don't rush quite so much nor be overly deliberate .. rather, bring the gun into play where you think it needs to be and spot shoot it in a sense, but moving on through the target rather than trying to consciously lead it any exact amount or a from behind swing through technique. Identify the target's flight path as you are moving the gun into play. I experienced a similar issue at one time and would not accept the fact that I could possibly have been in front of many missed quartering [in particular] and crossing [edit #2] 'left to right' targets, but after many misses and several people flatly stating that I was in front, period. I began to do what I am suggesting and making the shots with pretty consistent reglarity. It does have to do with how we each see things and that usually involves differences.

I think one day is way too soon to start making any gun 'adjustments'. Also, don't shoot so much it beats you up or where you just keep on not making a shot. Move on to another target or presentation. Moderation is wise if the gun is light and the recoil is of any consequence. New &/or different oft takes some adjustment as in 'getting used to it' or comfortable with it BEFORE adjustment of the physical variety should come into play, however ...

Are the trigger pulls good? Check that also, as it can have more effect than you might imagine if they are not. Just some idle thots, perhaps something here of use for you.

First, How much is "ever slightly left of center"? Would that be like Rudy Giuliani or Hitlery Clinton. How many inches off @ 35 yards?
The way to determine gun fit by patterning is to shoot at a measured 16 yards. Assuming you have developed a consistent mount, shoot three shots at a mark. Mount the gun and shoot quickly, don't adjust or aim. For each inch the center of the pattern is off, the stock and your eye need to move 1/16", in the direction you want the pattern to go.
Again, if it is "ever so slightly left of center @ 35 yards", there's no reason the gun is making you miss skeet targets.

It might be the gun Mark, what kind is it??
John

Face could be coming off the comb left to right. Right to left for a dexter sort, the face stays with the gun like part of a fixed turret because the stock is gonna push the face with it. Left to right, it's bad if the gun leaves before the neck swivels. I've never been able to shoot skeet mounted gun and I shoot a lot of oldies with relatively tight chokes and challenging stock dimensions. I've blamed a lot of elevation problems on the stock, mismounts,etc. but seldom had the temptation to blame POI for windage or lead problems. Skeet is such repetitive practise of the same shot that timing, hold, and look pts. get grooved and then someday you add something different and everything changes. I've seen a mounted gun shooter whose first move on high 2 was to twitch the muzzle back toward the house at the pull. I didn't enjoy the squads on which this needy shooter shot four to six high house singles until someone pointed out the little extra tic. If in the unlikely event you're missing ahead, you should see a few chipped on the nose also.

jack