I have tried 2 different types of ammunition and it is shooting about 6 inches low at 25 yds. I am using 180 gr bullets. The sights are not adjustable for height so I was thinking of loading 155 gr bullets to see if that would raise the point of impact. I am thinking it probably wont raise 6 inches. I guess my only other option is to change the sights to an adjustable set. Any advice?
M&P 40 shooting low
- Thread starter jjort
- Start date
How long have you owned the pistol? In my experience many people new to shooting handguns anticipate recoil with the snappier rounds like 40SW and subconsiously drop the pistol right at the moment of firing to accomodate for the anticipated recoil. See below for trouble shooting your groups.
Seriously? Have you even looked in a reloading manual? Because you're completely wrong. Lighter bullets typically travel faster because the powder charges are higher and there's less mass to move.
http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp
Mine shot low too. I changed to a lower, narrower fibre optic sight.
http://www.dawsonprecision.com/CategoryProductList.jsp?cat=SIGHTS+FRONT
http://www.dawsonprecision.com/CategoryProductList.jsp?cat=SIGHTS+FRONT
First off, check the attitude at the door – I don’t appreciate it.
Lighter bullets go faster - thanks for your insight.
The reason heavy (ie slower) bullets generally print higher is that the pistol is deeper into it’s recoil pulse when the bullet leaves the barrel as compared to a lighter, faster moving bullet. The muzzle is already starting to rise when the bullet leaves and therefore prints a little higher. Lighter bullets get out faster and print lower because muzzle rise at exit is less. What you’re talking about is trajectory, and at 25 shouldn’t be a factor.
OP, I'd agree that you're probably looking at a shorter front sight.
heavenIsAlie
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Abbotsford
have someone else you know who shoots well shoot it, still shoots low? its the gun, shoots right on? its you
6" at 25 yards i generally say its the shooter not the gun, that is a massive amount to be low
6" at 25 yards i generally say its the shooter not the gun, that is a massive amount to be low
What is your point of aim? - The M&P is not a target pistol, it's set up for a centre hold (the aligned sight cuts the target in half, obscuring the bottom half). Faster bullets do tend to impact lower at pistol distances - for precisely the reason explained in post #8. Generally, out to about 50 yards, full load pistol ammo shows very little trajectory, beyond 50 the heavier bullets drop faster. if you drop 3 or 4 hundred FPS from factory loads the landscape changes and trajectory affects the flight of the bullet more. By the time you're shooting 38 HBWC's you aim for the throat to hit centre mass at 50. Try doing a "Ball and Dummy" drill to find out if you're pulling the gun downward as the trigger breaks. Doing the "Wall Drill" will help you gain more trigger control.
For those of you who are trying to be helpful, thank you...the rest of you can do you know what.... I have been shooting my own pistols since 1978 and before that my fathers. I like to use a center hold and most of my pistols either shoot right on or high. If shooting high, I can live with that but its really difficult to shoot over a target since it is now being blocked by the gun. I tried shooting from a rest and with a two hand stance. My grouping was about 3 inches at 25 yds but like I said was low 6". The front sight looks fairly low to start with on this pistol so maybe there is a higher back sight that can be purchased. I wouldnt have thought that a new pistol would shoot that low out of the box. Maybe a change in ammo is in order but since I can reload, I was hoping someone would have already solved this problem
It's hard to tell how much trigger time someone has from a post count 
. The longslide versions of the M&P have different height sights, I wonder if yours got the wrong part number applied at the factory? Heights are shown on Brownells.
. The longslide versions of the M&P have different height sights, I wonder if yours got the wrong part number applied at the factory? Heights are shown on Brownells.
