I'm very glad the gun is regulated. What you have "confessed to" shows again just how hard it is to hold gun the same every shot when patterning. I still prefer to hold it offhand, as opposed to using a rest, but I spent much of my life competing in offhand rifle and pistol, and believe that a gun can shoot a little differently (mostly elevation) off a rest as opposed to offhand.

I have found that the lighter weight a gun is the more susceptible it is to it's pattern placement being affected by minor differences in grip and mounting. At least with a rest you can determine lateral regulation easier.

Well done.

May God bless America and those who defend her.