Help....anybody?

[horseshoe]

Here's my problem...

I was given a revolver that my Dad owned for years. It's a Tamarmi/Tanfoglio TA22 Buffalo Scout, SA .22LR.

Somewhere over the years, the rear sight went missing. It has a dovetail machined into the top if the revolver for, what used to be a windage-adjustable rear sight.

I took it to a local gunsmith, who was able to find a nice low sight, and make it fit, but when I took it to the range, it is shooting about 12-14" high at 20yds.

I took the gun back to the gunsmith to see if he could do something different. He had the gun for a couple weeks, and test fired it himself. He said the sights were right on for him.

Can 2 people's shooting styles be THAT drasically different? I had another person shoot it, and they had the same problem I have.

I'm not even sure at this point that the original sight would be low enough to bring it down. When my dad used to shoot it, it was dead on...what could be causing it to shoot so high?

I have no idea where to go from here. nobody has sold the proper sight for this gun in 20 years, no gunsmiths I've talked to know where to get one that will sit lower, and if they do, they can only bring it down about 1/8" before it would be level with the frame.

Does anyone have ANY advice? I'm grasping at straws already, so any advice will be helpful at this point...

Thanks in advance.

 

[BP7]

raise the front, or glue a higher front.

 

[Cocked&Locked]

Make a fixed sight up to fit low in the dovetail? 1/8" should be miles to bring it down. Yes, styles can be that different.

 

[IM_Lugger]

aim at 6 o'clock and see where it's hitting.

 

[BCRider]

From shooting my SA .38Spl cowboy guns one handed I've found that the grip positioning and grip force are making a HUGE difference in where the bullets hit the target. When I use a firm two handed grip the bullets hit about 3 to 4 inches low at 10'ish yards. When I hold it "duelist" style in a light but firm hold it actually prints higher than the POA. When I support the grips with a slightly firmer hold and put my pinky under the base to limit the rotation in my grip it shoots dead on. And these are with soft cowboy action rounds. A loosely cradled gun that is free to rotate in the grip will recoil the barrel a little higher before the bullet exits and hit high. When tightly held in a two handed grip the recoil won't lift the barrel as much before the bullet leaves. So it may be that you're using a less forceful grip than he set up the gun to be used with. Although with it being a .22 it's hard to imagine the recoil being enough to lift the barrel THAT high unless you're holding it very loose in your grip. So try some different options for how you hold the gun and see what happens.

In any event assuming your groupings are good and you have a grip method that you favour the trick is to set up the sights so you move your groups down to your point of aim. This could be as simple a matter as filing down the top ridge of the rear sight a touch to bring it into the right position. But try out some other grip styles first.

 

[horseshoe]

BCRider:
I thought it might be my grip at first also. I'm used to shooting pistols, and this revolver sits very different in the hand than a pistol.

I shot it one hand, two hand, I shot it with my arms resting across the bench for support, and even with the barrell cradled on a sandbag, just to make sure it wasn't my grip. It shot very consistent, tight groups in the same location. 14" high, 3" right at 20yrds.

I know 2 people's grips/stances can be very different, but can their sight picture be that different? The gunsmith swears it was dead on for him...

 

[BCRider]

That is definetly sounding a little more fishy then. The 3 inches right is something I've had as well. Corrected it by twisting my grip slightly on the "cowhorn" and ensuring my trigger finger pulled directly back. The 14" high is a whole other issue though. A few inches sure. That I could see being due to your grip factors. Sounds like it's time to shave the top line of the sight down a little at a time and re-shoot until it's down to POA.

Or maybe get the smith to show you how he holds the gun? Like you I'm learning as I go so perhaps he knows something that we don't. Or he gripped it in a gun vise so it couldn't recoil at all.....