Fixing low pattern?

j_06

j_06

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Hiding in BC. Send lawyers, guns and money
I know your not supposed to "aim" a shotgun and it's more about how it fits you that determines where the pattern goes. Here's my problem, 99% of the grouse and rabbits I shoot are sitting still alowing me to use the edge of my pattern to avoid meat damage. I just picked up a really nice cooey 84 with a 29 3/4 inch barrel I believe to be cut and suspect crown. It patterns so that at 25 yards the extreme edge of the pattern is at the top of my bead forcing me to aim horizontally off, or cover the target with my barrel. What's the best way to move the patter up to a six o'clock type hold? Crown seems suspect~? I have too say, for a budget shot gun these blow anything at a similar price point! Nice wood after stripping and refinishing,never seen iridescence so vivid before, and case colouring too boot for under 200!
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All the little specks are just from using paper towel oil
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Thats one hell of a Cooey 84! The stock is beautiful. If this was the gun on the EE, you beat me to the punch.....and for that, I have no choice but to hate you....well not really...but definitely jealous and envious
 
The simplest thing to do would be to adjust your hold so you're seeing a little more of the barrel as you aim. It would take a little bit of trial and error, but would avoid any alterations to the gun.
 
You have to move the comb of the stock in the same direction as you want to move the pattern. The alternative is to bend the barrel. I have never seen it done, but have heard lots of stories about bending them in the bumper of a vehicle and the crotch of a tree. You could try a layer or two of moleskin on the top of the comb.
 
Do a web search on "barrel bending" Trap shooters use a method where they bend the barrel by striking the barrel across a bag of lead shot. The bag of lead shot is laid over a tailgate edge or fence rail or other support which allows the bag to fold somewhat. I had your problem with a plain barreled Mossberg 500 16 gauge that I had a Poly Choke installed on. (by Poly Choke) When it came back from Poly Choke it shot 6 to 8 " low. I shot a lot of grouse in the legs and guts until I shot it on paper and figured it out. I took a bag of lead 8's and placed it on the rail of my deck. Took the barrel off of the gun and by gripping the chamber end struck the muzzle end (bottom) on the shot bag hard about 4 times. Then I went and shot it. It took about 10 really hard whacks but I was able to move the POI right on at 25 yards. Remember slow but sure. If you lay the shot bag over a closed tailgate edge you can whack it and shoot it at the same location to speed up the process. If it over bends just roll the barrel and knock it back. It takes a lot to get the barrel to bend and it is not noticeable to the naked eye. I have only done this with a plain barrel but Trap shooters bend ribbed barrels this way too. Cooey should be a piece of cake.
I don't know if I would do this with a high end Kreighoff but my old 500 works great now. It even corrected how it shoots 16 gauge slugs.

Darryl
 
When the bead is mounted directly onto the barrel without a base or pedestal, the gun should shoot high, because the bead is lower than the height of the receiver, the same condition as moving a rear sight up to make the gun shoot higher. But this is the opposite of your observation, so I believe the height of the comb is to blame. If the guns shoots low, the comb must be too high; if true it is not possible to hold the gun with a normal cheek weld, and see just the bead, without seeing the top of the barrel as well. IMHO, adjusting the comb so you see more barrel will, make you depress the muzzle and cause the gun to shoot even lower, increasing the error you are observing.
 
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madtrapper143 said:
Do a web search on "barrel bending" Trap shooters use a method where they bend the barrel by striking the barrel across a bag of lead shot. The bag of lead shot is laid over a tailgate edge or fence rail or other support which allows the bag to fold somewhat. I had your problem with a plain barreled Mossberg 500 16 gauge that I had a Poly Choke installed on. (by Poly Choke) When it came back from Poly Choke it shot 6 to 8 " low. I shot a lot of grouse in the legs and guts until I shot it on paper and figured it out. I took a bag of lead 8's and placed it on the rail of my deck. Took the barrel off of the gun and by gripping the chamber end struck the muzzle end (bottom) on the shot bag hard about 4 times. Then I went and shot it. It took about 10 really hard whacks but I was able to move the POI right on at 25 yards. Remember slow but sure. If you lay the shot bag over a closed tailgate edge you can whack it and shoot it at the same location to speed up the process. If it over bends just roll the barrel and knock it back. It takes a lot to get the barrel to bend and it is not noticeable to the naked eye. I have only done this with a plain barrel but Trap shooters bend ribbed barrels this way too. Cooey should be a piece of cake.
I don't know if I would do this with a high end Kreighoff but my old 500 works great now. It even corrected how it shoots 16 gauge slugs.

Darryl
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Thanks for the suggestion, I may go this route as I can shoot in my back yard and take a shot every hit. I definitely won't carving up the stock and would like to keep the wood uncovered if possible. When I mount it I bring it up too my cheek and into my shoulder it gives me 3/4 of the bead with no barrel showing. Appreciate all the input everybody
 
You can also change the pitch; the angle of the buttpad. Increase at toe to bring pattern up. Increase at comb to do the opposite. You can use shims under the pad or cut the stock. Your choice.
 
Boomer said:
When the bead is mounted directly onto the barrel without a base or pedestal, the gun should shoot high, because the bead is lower than the height of the receiver, the same condition as moving a rear sight up to make the gun shoot higher. But this is the opposite of your observation, so I believe the height of the comb is to blame. If the guns shoots low, the comb must be too high; if true it is not possible to hold the gun with a normal cheek weld, and see just the bead, without seeing the top of the barrel as well. IMHO, adjusting the comb so you see more barrel will, make you depress the muzzle and cause the gun to shoot even lower, increasing the error you are observing.
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It should be the other way around; Shoot low = comb too low and vice versa
 
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