Smoothbore shooting left, not happy with group

[KHickam]

I shot this target the other day - 50 yds offhand - 6 shots 75 grs FFg .18 ticking patch and .600 RB  - The gun is shooting left (could be my changing eyes) where before it was grouping right.  There are two holes in the 8 o clock position

Suggestions

[Adam Wetherington]

Hold a little to the right.....LOL!

[sse]

Not a smoothie guy here, but my first suggestion is to shoot several more groups to see what happens.

[mario]

6 rounds in a ~5x5" group offhand?

My suggestion would be to be happy! It's not a rifle. Don't expect the same results.


But seriously, if you are checking for group, shoot off a rest, not offhand. It's the difference between "the gun is shooting left" and "you are shooting left."


Mario

[Longhunter]

When I sight in my guns, I shoot from a rest, hold dead center or 6 0'clock and squeeeeze. The group you shot off hand is darn good I'd say. Play with your load a little. My 20ga's like 80gr. 2FFG.

[KHickam]

Mario and Ron - Thanks - I know I should be shooting off a rest - but I have always shot from off hand position because that is likely the position I will be shooting from most

[pathfinder]

True,it is the position we shoot from,offhand,but sighting and grouping in are 2 different thing's. Shoot from a rest till your satisfied with the group,where it's at isn't important...yet. Just make darn sure your sight picture is the same,Once grouped,then you can work on point of impact. If off the rest your all over the place,offhand you will not be able to determine what need's to be done.  Group first! Point of impact second.

[Riley/MN]

Wind, glare, phase of the moon??? I'd throw a couple more groups downrange....

[SAWMA]

I can get a nice tight group at 25 yds off a bench, but at 50 yds even off a bench my group is like your offhand! 100 yds and wow 18" between holes.

[pathfinder]

50yds off the bench should be a little tighter that the group shown. Smoothbore's need to really "cook" to get decent accuracy. My .40 moothbore shoot's 1" groups at 50yd's.  Measures .405 at the muzzle,.400 round ball,pillow tick spit patch,65grs3f. My .50 smoothbore,.490 ball,pillow tick spit patch,110grs of 3f.

[Hanshi]

Like SAWMA, 25 yards is great.  But out at 50 a paper plate group suits me just fine.  A deer won't know the difference.

[mario]

Mario and Ron - Thanks - I know I should be shooting off a rest - but I have always shot from off hand position because that is likely the position I will be shooting from most

Problem being it adds more factors to what is supposed to be a controlled experiment. Sight-in/load dev. from bench. Practice offhand.

Mario

[Sir Michael]

I shot this target the other day - 50 yds offhand - 6 shots 75 grs FFg .18 ticking patch and .600 RB  - The gun is shooting left (could be my changing eyes) where before it was grouping right.  There are two holes in the 8 o clock position

Suggestions

Does your smoothbore have a rear sight?

[KHickam]

Not when I shot that target

[Sir Michael]

Until or if you put a rear sight on it you are doing pretty good you just need to set your rear aiming point of the breach a little more to the right.  You are fairly consistent just not using the right place.  Also the amount of front sight you are exposing seems to very shot to shot.  Fixing these two things will require some bench time where you can work on the sight picture until you know exactly what it should look like to hit a specific spot on the target.