Sighting in a pistol
- Thread starter skookumchuck
- Start date
Point-of-Aim is where the sights are pointed.
Point-of-Impact is where the bullets strike the target.
You want the two "Points" to coincide with each other.
Adjusting sights ~ the direction you want to move the bullet impact ~ F.O.R.S. - Front Opposite, Rear Same
Point-of-Impact is where the bullets strike the target.
You want the two "Points" to coincide with each other.
Adjusting sights ~ the direction you want to move the bullet impact ~ F.O.R.S. - Front Opposite, Rear Same
This is really good advise. If the gun shoots the same with another person then you will know for sure it is the gun and not you.
Graydog
I disagree.
If you can shoot well enough to shoot a group (as apposed to a "pattern") and if the group is always in the same place, say high right, then that is God's way of saying that you should either aim low left, or adjust the sights.
If the sights are adjustable, go for it. That is what they are for.
If they are not adjustable, try a lighter bullet and see if it shoots lower.
Couple things you can do.
- Shoot a 5rnd group off a rest to eliminate as much shooter error as possible. Adjust sights if needed and shoot another 5rnd group. If they are patterning how you like them POA to POI, your gun is set. Shoot a 5rnd group unassisted, If your POI is off, then it's all shooter error.
- See Ganerite's reco above. If you can put a solid group together in the same area (ie all low left or all high right etc) then adjust sights to suit your shooting skill. This is like compensating for your shooting errors but at least you're consistent enough that the adjustment will work for you. Better yet, find out what is causing you to throw your shots and fix that instead so that you are capable of shooting any other handgun with some degree of accuracy based on your skill level as opposed to trying to compensate with an unfamiliar gun.
If your groups look like your target was shot with a blunderbuss (ie high right, low left, right, left, high, low with no consistent pattern), then you've got bigger fish to fry ie. you need to work on your technique.
Then again, that's just my 2cents.
- Shoot a 5rnd group off a rest to eliminate as much shooter error as possible. Adjust sights if needed and shoot another 5rnd group. If they are patterning how you like them POA to POI, your gun is set. Shoot a 5rnd group unassisted, If your POI is off, then it's all shooter error.
- See Ganerite's reco above. If you can put a solid group together in the same area (ie all low left or all high right etc) then adjust sights to suit your shooting skill. This is like compensating for your shooting errors but at least you're consistent enough that the adjustment will work for you. Better yet, find out what is causing you to throw your shots and fix that instead so that you are capable of shooting any other handgun with some degree of accuracy based on your skill level as opposed to trying to compensate with an unfamiliar gun.
If your groups look like your target was shot with a blunderbuss (ie high right, low left, right, left, high, low with no consistent pattern), then you've got bigger fish to fry ie. you need to work on your technique.
Then again, that's just my 2cents.
- Location
- Goodwood Ont
Can a gunsmith do anything to a SAA colt 45 3rd generation that shoots about 4" to the left at 15 yards? Has non adjustable sights. This is from a bench rest and its an almost new gun.
Good question. I'm interested to find out as well.
I have a buddy that is into the Cowboy action thing and he tells me that a good gunsmith can at times, by reindexing the barrel which ever way it needs to go, but it is not a cheap venture and should only be attemped by a good smith.
Graydog
- Location
- Goodwood Ont
Any recommendations in the north of Toronto area? Its an NRA commemorative revolver with case hardened body and it would be a shame to wreck it.
Here's what I was looking for, for anyone else that has interest.
http://www.bullseyepistol.com/chapter2.htm
http://www.bullseyepistol.com/chapter2.htm
- Location
- Goodwood Ont
Skookumchuck, thanks for a great article. Will try these corrections before resorting to a gunsmith. The interesting thing is I can be fairly accurate with my colt targetsman .22 and so so with my Kimber gold match .45,so maybe the colt which has a less comfortable grip,is my problem,and not the gun which is almost new. Do these colts have to wear in a little?
Tarnow, if this is your first ever SAA style revolver it may be your grip. We get it beat into our heads that we need to hold high on the grip for all the other styles of handgun. But with SAA guns the PROPER method is to hold a little lower with our pinky actually sitting on the base of the butt.
I tried holding my guns very high when I started out in cowboy action shooting and I had to radically twist the gun in my hands to get the windage correct. Then I let my hand drop down a little so my pinky was underneath and found that the guns shot perfectly with a very natural hold other than the "wandering pinky". This actually works out well since the SAA style is intended to slip a little with heavier loads. And the pinky down below works well to help push the gun back into the proper position.
Beyond that if you try it and still find it shoots to the side the work might be simple to get it shooting well. There is always some leeway in torqueing the barrel before any metal working is required. If you only need to get the barrel shifted within the range of acceptable torque to move the sights the cost should be minimal to have the work done.
I tried holding my guns very high when I started out in cowboy action shooting and I had to radically twist the gun in my hands to get the windage correct. Then I let my hand drop down a little so my pinky was underneath and found that the guns shot perfectly with a very natural hold other than the "wandering pinky". This actually works out well since the SAA style is intended to slip a little with heavier loads. And the pinky down below works well to help push the gun back into the proper position.
Beyond that if you try it and still find it shoots to the side the work might be simple to get it shooting well. There is always some leeway in torqueing the barrel before any metal working is required. If you only need to get the barrel shifted within the range of acceptable torque to move the sights the cost should be minimal to have the work done.
- Location
- Goodwood Ont
Bc thanks for the tips. This is a great site with very helpful members. I wondered why I was uncomfortable shooting this gun using a 5 finger grip.... Will try all the sbove suggestions before resorting to a gunsmith.
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Skoocum I have visited a number of arms factories. the only ones that made any adjustment to sights were military arms manufacturers.
The civilian arms makers sight in about 1 in 100 just to make sure that the components are sufficiently adjustable to be capable of sighting in.
Guns are made and sold with the adjustable sight centered. There is no reason to believe that the sights are in any way sighted in for anyone.
A handgun reacts to the way it is held, as well as the way you see the sights. I shoot a handgun quite accurately (I average well over 90 in Bullseye shoots, with a fair number of perfect scores) and I guarantee that another good shooter would find my gun shoots about 4" left at 20 yards. I think I cant a bit.
So, if your gun shoots high right, adjust the sights. No reason to think you are putting them there through some kind of error. The sights need adjusting.
Here is an example of me shooting at 20 yards. The sights need adjusting to the right.
The civilian arms makers sight in about 1 in 100 just to make sure that the components are sufficiently adjustable to be capable of sighting in.
Guns are made and sold with the adjustable sight centered. There is no reason to believe that the sights are in any way sighted in for anyone.
A handgun reacts to the way it is held, as well as the way you see the sights. I shoot a handgun quite accurately (I average well over 90 in Bullseye shoots, with a fair number of perfect scores) and I guarantee that another good shooter would find my gun shoots about 4" left at 20 yards. I think I cant a bit.
So, if your gun shoots high right, adjust the sights. No reason to think you are putting them there through some kind of error. The sights need adjusting.
Here is an example of me shooting at 20 yards. The sights need adjusting to the right.
