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smoothbore problems
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Booshway
posted




This is a target I shot yesterday, with my smoothbore. I am a little disappointed in the way I shot

target is 6" X 10" shot offhand at 50 yds

Load was 75 grs FFg a .018 ticking patch and a .600 RB

As you can see it is grouping left (if you want to call it a group - and before it grouped right - could it be my changing eyes

There are actually 6 holes in the target - in the 8 o'clock position I cut the same hole (you can tell it is an enlongated hole.

Just wondering what I might change?


"But I swear, a woman's breast is the hardest rock that the Almighty ever made on this earth, and I can find no sign on it." Bear Claw Chris Lapp
 
Posts: 516 | Location: Ft Parker/Ft Manuel Lisa | Registered: 15 April 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
Picture of Dick
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Is this a bench-rest deal? If it's offhand, it's not too bad for a smoothbore.

Dick


"Est Deus in Nobis"
 
Posts: 2902 | Location: Helena, Montana | Registered: 10 December 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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Off hand - 50 yds with my smoothbore


"But I swear, a woman's breast is the hardest rock that the Almighty ever made on this earth, and I can find no sign on it." Bear Claw Chris Lapp
 
Posts: 516 | Location: Ft Parker/Ft Manuel Lisa | Registered: 15 April 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
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Keith, Dick said your target isn't too bad for a smoothbore. I'd say it's doggone good. Your comment about this group being a bit to the left is just that, just a bit to the left. That could be because of the angle of the sun or simply the way you saw things that time when you did the shooting. Please remember that the weakest link in the whole system for shooting that target was the offhand position. We are simply not the sturdiest shooting platforms. Do more shooting, for sure, and see if your targets remain as good. Shoot sharp's the word, Mike
 
Posts: 3531 | Location: Pacific Northwest | Registered: 25 October 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
Picture of volatpluvia
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While I have seen some men who can shoot their smoothbores a lot better than that, they are also out every weekend from March to October banging away. When they are at a shoot it is what they do all day each day of the shoot.
For the rest of us, that is a good target. I shot my smoothbores often but would on any given day have trouble keeping all my shots on THAT target. And yes, one time it shot right and the next it shot left. I never had rear sights on any of them, so I can't tell if that would have made a difference. Oh, yes for two trips to the range I had a sort of rear sight on my matchlock, but it did not help.
I simply never had the will or the time to be out at a shoot every weekend banging away. That would be too much like work. I went to the shoots I did to have fun shooting, camping, and visiting with friends. Oh, yes, and to look at the stars at night from a place where no electric lights were visible.
I'll get off my stump now.
Have fun shooting your smoothbore. You could pick off a British officer with every shot.
Hombre del Bosque


pistuo deo lalo
 
Posts: 3714 | Location: Acatlan de Juarez, Jalisco, Mexico | Registered: 22 October 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of Night Owl
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I would be very pleased if I could have a target lke that each time with my smoothbore!

I think you did great!
 
Posts: 265 | Location: Upper Peninsula of Michigan | Registered: 03 June 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
Picture of Dick
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Shucks, I can do THAT well at 25 yards and be reasonably happy on a given day. I was out today patterning shot, and fired 3 round balls at the end just for fun; not any better than that at 25 yds. I didn't like my shot patterns today, either. I thought I had a good load going. Darn. More research!

Dick


"Est Deus in Nobis"
 
Posts: 2902 | Location: Helena, Montana | Registered: 10 December 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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Keep in mind that it is possible for groups to change a bit when standing than from sitting with a smoothbore more so on a gun without the rear sights. it can drive you batty with a gun without a rear sight and a standing rest is the bet way to dial in the gun, with trear sights you should not have much of an issue here but it can be interesting to try off a solid standing rest for comparison.
 
Posts: 272 | Registered: 12 June 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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I will drift my rear sight back into the dovetail and see if that helps - I had taken it out for a trade gun shoot but marked the place that the sight had been sitting in the dovetail so it will be very little effort to get back to the same sight picture


"But I swear, a woman's breast is the hardest rock that the Almighty ever made on this earth, and I can find no sign on it." Bear Claw Chris Lapp
 
Posts: 516 | Location: Ft Parker/Ft Manuel Lisa | Registered: 15 April 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
Picture of Hanshi
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I consider any 5 shot group under 6" at 50 yards to be absolutely fine and satisfactory. That level of accuracy will never cost you a deer at that range. I like rear sights on smoothbores because it makes shooting them the same as shooting a rifle.

You can still mess around and try to find a more precise load if you like; but IMHO you already have it nailed.


*Young guys should hang out with old guys; old guys know stuff.*
 
Posts: 3560 | Location: Maine (by way of Georgia then Va.) | Registered: 26 January 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Hivernant
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I would try shooting from a solid rest, either standing or sitting. I preferr sitting and shooting off sand bags. That will tell better what the rifle is capable of. Once you know that then go to offhand shooting.
 
Posts: 127 | Registered: 10 October 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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I would be delighted to have that group at 50 yards shooting offhand I think you did well.

BC


"Better fare hard with good men than feast it with bad."
Thomas Paine
 
Posts: 649 | Location: Oregon | Registered: 27 June 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Pilgrim
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I agree with all of the above folks - that is a nice group at 50 yard off-handed. As you said, maybe drift the site a little... but not more than a hair.. your not going to miss any meat with this shooting!

PAL


"The pen maybe mightier than the sword, but at least the sword has a definite point"
 
Posts: 92 | Location: PA | Registered: 27 April 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of Deadeye
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Khickam, I'd say that's darn good too.....of course if you had a .75 rb then that group would be even tighter..... Razzer

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Deadeye,
 
Posts: 1452 | Location: Good Ole USA of course! | Registered: 15 November 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Pilgrim
Picture of Laughing Bear
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Yo KHikam,

I've been fighting leftie-rightie-itis myself. (My Trade Gun seems a little more twitchy than my buddy's 'cause I shoot a 28ga and he's shootin' a 20ga.) Here's a couple o' gems of information I'm using right now in my own practice.

What I've found so far is that I was leaning my fool head too far over the stock. So now I focus on keeping my head more vertical and tucking the stock in under my cheek-bone to center my dominant eye. I still miss (a lot), but at least I'm a little more consistent.

Most people don't notice it, but the eyeball can actually rotate, just a little, in the socket. I think when I have my head leaned over the stock the angle changes and sometimes my eyeball can't keep up with the changes.

There's only one other thing no one's said yet...If you're shooting on any kind of side-hill angle, there's a natural tendency to orient the gun (in this case) perpendicular to the hill. So you'll be tilted to the left if the ground in front of you is higher on the right. That'll put your shots left and down a little from where they'd be if you had your gun vertical. If the ground's higher on the left, then you'll be low and right. The solution is to be really clear that you're holding the gun in a vertical position when you pull the trigger.

And after all that palaver...that's still pretty okie-dokie shootin', Pard.

And that's all I have to say about that.
 
Posts: 61 | Location: Edmonton, Alberta | Registered: 16 March 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of arkansawwind
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Fellas, I hate to say this(not really). I think ole kickham is a pullin our leg. I think the truth is that he is plumb tickled with the group he shot, but rather than brag about he is a griping abought it. that a way everyone is trying to cheer ole kickham up and telling how good that really is, he gets more ataboys that way. He is a using that there reverse psycology on us. Now fess up ther kickham you are prurty pleased with that group aint you, it is a good one I might add. if you really want a tighter group, you could try using a RIFLE he haw congrats arkansawwind
 
Posts: 745 | Registered: 19 November 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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actually it wasn't the group size that bothered me so much as it was left of center and that irks me a bit


"But I swear, a woman's breast is the hardest rock that the Almighty ever made on this earth, and I can find no sign on it." Bear Claw Chris Lapp
 
Posts: 516 | Location: Ft Parker/Ft Manuel Lisa | Registered: 15 April 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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