Sighting in a shotgun

eelgrass

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I've been doing a lot of bench shooting with my 870 Wingmaster at mostly 30 yards testing different brands and shot sizes. I've just now noticed a pattern of shooting about 6" to the left and just a smidge high. It's kind of a guess with a full pattern but it's fairly consistent. How do you adjust the fixed beads on a shotgun barrel? Or how else do you compensate for that?

I feel like I have a bit of a built in lead on birds flying right to left and my kill rate is higher on those birds too. :)
 
Back in Iowa growing up a truck receiver works too. We did have a few guys do that. But you could also try a different choke.
 
Hummmm....:unsure: Seriously? I like it.

I only tried one other choke and it was maybe a little better but my Briley, Improved Modified throws much better patterns. It likes everything I shot through it around 1450 fps. It does not like 1700 fps though which kind of bums me out.
 
I've been doing a lot of bench shooting with my 870 Wingmaster at mostly 30 yards testing different brands and shot sizes. I've just now noticed a pattern of shooting about 6" to the left and just a smidge high. It's kind of a guess with a full pattern but it's fairly consistent. How do you adjust the fixed beads on a shotgun barrel? Or how else do you compensate for that?

I feel like I have a bit of a built in lead on birds flying right to left and my kill rate is higher on those birds too. :)
Good God don't bend the barrel. Are you shooting trap or using for hunting? And 1450 fps?!?!? Judas h christ!!!
 
that's great....you even bend a perazzi barrel to change POI....
Lol not me personally but some guys have done it to get them to shoot higher. One of the best trapshooters of all time would have to have his barrel bent a few times a year cuz he shot it so much it would shoot straight again. I would probably try bending the stock or shimming it before bending the barrel. 870 barrels are pretty cheap, you might just try buying another one and see if it shoots straight. Or try sanding the left side of the stock down so your face moves to the right.
 
so....bending the barrel is beyond you??....the bend is slight....like...."you can't see it"
 
I've been doing a lot of bench shooting with my 870 Wingmaster at mostly 30 yards testing different brands and shot sizes. I've just now noticed a pattern of shooting about 6" to the left and just a smidge high. It's kind of a guess with a full pattern but it's fairly consistent. How do you adjust the fixed beads on a shotgun barrel? Or how else do you compensate for that?

I feel like I have a bit of a built in lead on birds flying right to left and my kill rate is higher on those birds too. :)

You will get the best patterns with a full choke and the hardest shot you can find. Remington shot if you can find it is the hardest available currently. West coast or Lawrence magnum shot are good too. Chilled shot is soft.
 
so....bending the barrel is beyond you??....the bend is slight....like...."you can't see it"
Yup. I wouldnt do it. A gun that doesn't shoot where you are looking isn't worth a damn. Unless in eels case he trains the dogs to flush all the birds to the left :ROFLMAO:
 
you are mostly right......but an 870 just needs the barrel tweeked.....
Actually I need to rephrase myself. I PERSONALLY wouldn't bend a barrel. If I had a field gun that didn't shoot quite right, it wouldn't hurt my feelings to pay a gunsmith $100 or so to make it shoot straight by bending the barrel.

Ive only owned one shotgun that didnt shoot straight and it was coincidentally a Remington 870 Wingmaster. I think it shot low and right if memory serves me. Probably should have tried bending the barrel before practically giving it away.....
 
If it was a Perazzi (or equivalent), you would sent it to Tom Wilkinson. He is magic. And you can practice bending on a pile of 870 barrels for what he charges.

You can also change POI with an adjustable comb.

I would not bend one of my trap guns. Earl Scripture (famous trapshooting character) bent his Beretta though. Also stuck it the trash cans instead of the gunracks. COBob may remember those days.

 
After much nervous sweating and checking on the internet, YouTube, etc. I actually bent my barrel by giving it a half dozer hard whacks over my sand bags. That sucker shoots right where it points now. Just a tad high still but I kind of like that. I took the left and right out of it for sure. I fired 6 shots on paper to confirm. Bingo!

You can't tell by looking at the barrel, but it worked. I'm curious to see if it holds point of impact over time. If not, I know how to fix it.
 
Just be the blocker on the left side of the drive, I could use ya in a couple of weeks have 2 right side blockers already.
LOL
 
Just be the blocker on the left side of the drive, I could use ya in a couple of weeks have 2 right side blockers already.
LOL
As strange as it seems to me I've never shot a pheasant. I've been twice but never found a bird to shoot. We didn't have a dog either time. They're sure good eating though.
 

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