Group slightly to the right. Why?

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pacobillie

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I recently acquired a (obviously) second hand Browning Medalist 22lr target pistol. It is the best pistol that I have ever owned by the way! To set the sights, I shot it while resting the stock and forend on sand bags. Target was a 2 inch bull's eye, at 15 yards. I set the sights to have the group perfectly centered, using a 6 o'clock hold on the 2 inch bull's eye. 10 shot group size was well under an inch.

Here is the issue: When I shoot freehand, my groupings are slightly offset to the right, but not by much: maybe half an inch to 3/4 of an inch at 15 yards. I can keep 8 or 9 of the 10 shots in the 2 inch bull's eye, but my one or two misses (out of 10) will inevitably be to the right, and usually high and right. What is causing this?
 
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Try a slow fired 5 shot group then rest while you reload your magazine. The correction chart above is very good and accurate but since 8-9 out of 10 are in the bull your last two should be there too.

The Medalist is nose heavy and designed to be shot one handed. Looks like your shooting hand is getting tired if your not resting the pistol in between each couple shots.
 
Harry Callahan said:
Try a slow fired 5 shot group then rest while you reload your magazine. The correction chart above is very good and accurate but since 8-9 out of 10 are in the bull your last two should be there too.

The Medalist is nose heavy and designed to be shot one handed. Looks like your shooting hand is getting tired if your not resting the pistol in between each couple shots.
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The misses are not necessarily at the end. As a matter of fact, it is often the very first shot. Also, as mentioned, the whole group is offset to the right, albeit only very slightly.
 
pacobillie said:
The misses are not necessarily at the end. As a matter of fact, it is often the very first shot. Also, as mentioned, the whole group is offset to the right, albeit only very slightly.
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Then it's a heeling issue. Your anticipating the recoil slightly and using a bit of pressure on your trigger finger and grasping thumb on your thumb rest that will cause your muzzle up/right slightly.
 
Are you assuming that the zero of a pistol fired from a rest will be identical to that of a pistol fired offhand?
 
When I've had that and could not find another cause I opted for the "too much trigger finger".... which is one of the options in the slow target shooting chart noted earlier.

Clearly from all the options in that chart and the other posts it's not the only possible cause of the shift to the right. But if you're pretty sure that you're holding the gun nicely neutral in all other respects and not gripping too hard then try putting your trigger finger (assuming right handed shooting) a little less far onto the trigger. Or if you are a leftie then try putting your trigger finger a little further in through the trigger guard.

The goal with the trigger finger placement and how you flex the trigger finger joints being to pull the trigger directly back with no side to side tension in the pressure buildup.
 
I have always assumed that the recoil moves the gun slightly before the bullet leaves the barrel.

The movement would be different if the gun was rested vs the movement when unsupported.

Adjust the sight for the way you will shoot it.
 
Shooting is maddening like golf. Everyone can plan but you need to practise/practise
If after much shooting rounds are still going right drift your rear sight to the left slightly.
 
Ganderite said:
I have always assumed that the recoil moves the gun slightly before the bullet leaves the barrel.

The movement would be different if the gun was rested vs the movement when unsupported.

Adjust the sight for the way you will shoot it.
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It does, but the movement should be upwards, not lateral. Further, this also comes into play if you shoot off of sandbags, since there is nothing restricting upwards movement of the pistol. Shooting with a clamped gun would be different, since the clamp does not hold the gun the way that a human hand would.

Anyways, I might be agonizing over nothing. We are talking about half an inch lateral shift at 15 yards, which I am sure a lot of shooters would be willing to live with. But when you are trying to put all 10 rounds in the bulls' eye, it kind of matters.
 
pacobillie said:
It does, but the movement should be upwards, not lateral. Further, this also comes into play if you shoot off of sandbags, since there is nothing restricting upwards movement of the pistol. Shooting with a clamped gun would be different, since the clamp does not hold the gun the way that a human hand would.

Anyways, I might be agonizing over nothing. We are talking about half an inch lateral shift at 15 yards, which I am sure a lot of shooters would be willing to live with. But when you are trying to put all 10 rounds in the bulls' eye, it kind of matters.
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That is why the rear sight is adjustable.
 
Also , if it is common ammo, that could be part of it, but if all your shots off a bag are in the bull, all the time, your ammo must be o.k.
I have been shooting for a lot of years, I always get a odd one that don't behave as they are suppose to, usually when other are watching.
 
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